mano
mātramjagat, mano kalpitam jagat—the
world is as the mind perceives it. The world is as the mind thinks of it.
Marks of a
Liberated Person (Jivan-Mukta)
The knowledge of the Self is the fire that burns up the
dry grass of desire. This indeed is what is called samādhi, not mere abstention
from speech. He who realizes that the whole universe is really nothing but
consciousness arid remains quite calm is protected by the armor of Brahman; he
is happy.
The yogi who has attained the state which is beyond
everything and remains always cool as the full moon is truly the Supreme Lord.
He who reflects in his innermost heart upon the purport
of the Upanishads dealing with Brahman and is not moved by joy and sorrow is
not tormented by samsāra.
Just as birds and beasts do not take shelter on a
mountain on fire so also evil thoughts never occur to a knower of Brahman. Wise
men also, like foolish men, make others angry, but they do so only in order to
test their ability to control their innate feelings and to see how far the
anger affects other persons.
Just as the trembling of the body caused by the imaginary snake persists even
after realizing that there is no snake, so also the effect of delusion persists
for some time even after getting rid of all delusions. Just as a crystal is not
stained by what is reflected in it, so also a knower of truth is not really
affected by the result of his acts. Even while he is intent on outward actions
the knower of Truth always remains introverted and extremely calm like one
asleep.
Firmly convinced of non-duality and enjoying perfect
mental peace, yogis go about their work seeing the world as if it were a dream.
Let death come to him, the knower of truth, today or at the end of aeons; he
remains untarnished like gold buried in mire, though he may cast off his body
at Kashi or in the house of an outcast. He, the desireless one, is
liberated at the very moment he attains knowledge of Brahman.
To one who is desireless the earth, O Rama, is as
insignificant as the hoof-print of a cow, Mount Meru is just another mound,
space is of as much value as contained in a casket and the three worlds nothing
but a blade of grass.
Like an empty vessel in space the knower of Truth is
empty both within and without, while at the same time he is full within and
without like a vessel immersed in the ocean. He who neither likes nor dislikes
the objects seen by him and who acts in the world like one asleep is said to be
a liberated person.
He who is free from the knots of desires and whose
doubts have been set at rest is liberated even when he is in the body, a jivan-mukta.
Although he may seem to be bound he is free. He remains like a lamp in a
picture. He who has easily cast off all his egoistic tendencies and has
abandoned even the object of meditation, is said to be liberated even when he
is in the body.
He who does not like his relatives, who dreads
attachment as he would a serpent, who looks upon sense-enjoyments and diseases
alike, who disregards the company of women as he would a blade of grass and who
finds no distinction between a friend and a foe, experiences happiness in this
world and the next. He who casts away from his mind all objects of perception
and, attaining perfect quiescence, remains still as space, unaffected by
sorrow, is a liberated man; he is the Supreme Lord.
The noble-hearted man whose desires of the heart have
come to an end is a liberated man; it does not matter whether he does or does
not practice meditation or perform action. The idea of Self in the non-Self is
bondage. Abandonment of it is liberation. There is neither bondage nor
liberation for the ever-free Self.
If, by perceiving that the objects of perception do not
really exist, the mind is completely freed from those objects, there ensues the
supreme bliss of liberation. Abandonment of all latent tendencies is said to be
the best, real liberation by the wise. That is also the faultless method of
attaining liberation. Liberation is not on the other side of the sky, nor is it
in the ether world, nor on the earth; the extinction of the mind resulting from
the eradication of all desires, is regarded as liberation.
O Rama, there is no intellect, no nescience, no mind
and no individual soul jiva. They are all imagined in Brahman. To one who is established
in what is infinite, pure consciousness, bliss and unqualified non-duality,
where is the question of bondage or liberation? O Rama, the mind has, by
its own activity, bound itself; when it is calm it is free.
Acquiring spiritual knowledge by an individual for his
Self Realization is a gradual process extending even any number of births.
Several stages can be observed on this progressive path of spiritual evolution
of the individual consciousness into the Absolute. Sage Vasishtha categorizes
them into seven phases. These are:
1. Subhechcha—When the individual having come to the consciousness of the evils
of the earthly living aspires to transcend it.
2. Vicharana—When he thinks over and investigates into
the nature of the Self and the world.
3. Tanumanasa—When on account of the knowledge of its
ultimate unreality revealed by philosophical thinking and analysis the
individuality mind becomes less and less assertive.
4. Sattvapatti—When the aspirant begins to feel the
being of the Real Self within him.
5. Asamsakti—When clinging to the objects of the world is finally overcome
through one’s rising above all desires.
6. Padartha abhavana—When all things are realized to be
unreal to the Absolute or in other words when the individual imagines himself
to be the ultimate Reality and
7. Turiya—When the mystic experience of being one with the Reality is realized
in Consciousness. This stage leads one to Nirvana. Those who live on this stage
are called jivan-mukta—liberated while living.
Conclusion
Having heard this highest knowledge expounded by Vasishtha, Rama was
enlightened and became, as it were, an ocean of bliss-consciousness. A question
arises here how Rama was brought back to perform his worldly duties for which
he took that Avatar.
Vasishtha told Rama “You are Pure Consciousness! This
is not the time for repose. Be one who delights the world. As long as one has
not fulfilled one’s obligations to this world, so long the stainless state of
deep Samadhi is not possible for the Yogi. Therefore, perform the duties of the
kingdom and the like in due order. So also, having accomplished the work of
God, renounce the kingdom etc. and be happy.”
Rama awoke from his Samadhi and placed the feet of his
noble Guru, Vasishtha, on his head and spoke to the assembled gathering “Please
hear all of you assembled here the auspicious conclusion arrived at by
investigation. There is nothing superior to the knowledge of the Self and to
the spiritual teacher who knows that Self.”
The gathering was already blessed by the Self-Knowledge
who expressed their appreciation of Rama’s conclusion. The Devatas honored Rama
with a floral shower. Thereafter Rama accompanied Visvamitra to the forest,
killed the Rakshasas, enabled the sage to complete the Yajnas and the rest of
the Great Epic Ramayana followed.
Sage Valmiki concluded these monumental teachings of
the Yoga Vasishtha in the following words:
avidya jagaj
jatam nasti satyam ihanvapi |
nasti bhinnam
citah kinchit svapna vrttam idam jagat
||
The world has risen from ignorance. There is not even
an iota of truth in it. There exists nothing different from consciousness. This
world is like a dream:
akhinnam
ksanam asinah pasya samsara natakam |
chidananda
ghanam svacham atmanam cha vibhavaya |
evam sthasyasi
nityam chet tirnosi bhavasagarat ||
Seated for a moment undejected, observe this drama of
Samsara and contemplate on the pure Self, the mass of consciousness and bliss.
If you always remain thus, you have crossed the
Addressing the gathering, Valmiki wound up the
narration by saying “Listening to the holy means of liberation leading to the
direct experience of Truth, even a child can become a knower of that Self. What
to say of a person like you?”
References
1. The Supreme Yoga—A New Translation of the Yoga
Vasishtha in two volumes by Swami Venkatesananda
2. Yoga Vasishtha Sara Sangarha—The Essence of Yoga
Vasishtha by Swami Tejomayananda
3. Yoga Vasishtha and its Philosophy—Lectures delivered by BL Atreya, Professor
of Philosophy, Banaras Hindu University, first published in 1932
4. Yoga Vasishtha Sara—The Essence of Yoga Vasishtha—An
English Translation published by Sri Ramanasramam. Stories from Yoga Vasishtha by
Swami Sivananda
http://www.esamskriti.com/essay-chapters/Yoga-Vasishtha-~-A-Treasure-House-of-Philosophy-6.aspx
http://www.esamskriti.com/essay-chapters/Yoga-Vasishtha-~-A-Treasure-House-of-Philosophy-7.aspx