Yoga Vasishta - Post 43

 

The creation exists in Brahman just as the sprout exists in the seed, liquidity in water, sweetness in milk, and pungency in capsicum; but in ignorance it appears to be  different from and independent of Brahman. 

There is no cause for the world's existence as a pure reflection in the absolute Brahman. When there is notion of creation, the creation seems to be: and when, through self-­effort, there is understanding of non-­creation, there is no world.

Nothing has ever been created anywhere at any time; and nothing comes to an end either. The absolute Brahman is all, the supreme peace, unborn, pure consciousness and permanent. Worlds within worlds appear in every atom. What can be the cause and how do these arise?!

 

As and when one turns away from the notions of 'I' and the 'world', one is liberated: the notion of 'I am this' is the sole bondage here. They who know the infinite consciousness as the nameless, formless substratum of the universe, gain victory over samsara.

RAMA asked:

It is evident that Brahman alone exists, o Holy sage! But, then why do even these sages and men of wisdom exist in this world, as if so ordained by god—and what is god?

 

VASISTHA replied:

There does exist, O Rama, the power or energy of the infinite consciousness, which is in motion all the time; that alone is the reality of all inevitable futuristic events,  for it penetrates all the epochs in time. It is by that power that the nature of every object in the universe is ordained. That power (cit sakti) is also known as  Mahasatta (the great existence), Mahaciti (the great intelligence), Mahasakti (the great power), Mahadrsti (the great vision), Mahakriya (the great doer or  doing), Mahodbhava (the great becoming), Mahaspanda (the great vibration). 

It is this power that endows everything with its characteristic quality. But this power is not different from or independent of the absolute Brahman: it is as real as a pie in the sky. Sages make a verbal distinction between Brahman and the power and declare that creation is the work of that power.

 

The distinction is verbal, even as one speaks of the body (as a whole) and its parts. The infinite consciousness becomes aware of its inherent power, even as one becomes aware of the limbs of his body: such awareness is known as niyati (the power of the absolute that determines nature). It is also known as daiva or divine dispensation.

That you should ask me these questions is ordained by niyati; And that you should act upon my teaching is also ordained by niyati. If one says, 'The divine will feed me' and remains idle, that also is the work of niyati. This niyati cannot be set aside even by gods like Rudra. 

But, wise men should not give up self­-effort because of this, for niyati functions only as and through self-­effort. This niyati has two aspects, human and superhuman: the former is seen where self-­ effort bears fruit and the latter where it does not.

 

If one remains idle, depending upon niyati to do everything for him, he soon discovers that his life departs—for life is action. He can, by entering into the highest super conscious state, stop the breath and attain liberation: but then that is indeed the greatest self-­effort!

 

The infinite consciousness alone appears as one thing in one place and another in another place. There is no division between that consciousness and its power, as there is no division between wave and water, limbs and the body. Such division is experienced only by the ignorant.

 

Love.

 

Sri Sathya Sai Baba

 

  

Once Lord Rama asked Hanuman, “How do you contemplate on Me?” “At the physical level, You are my Master and I am Your servant. At the mental level, I am a spark of thy Divine Self. At the Atmic level, You and I are one”, said Hanuman. Pleased with Hanuman’s reply, Lord Rama presented him with a pearl necklace, which was given to mother Sita by her father, king Janaka, at the time of her marriage. Hanuman held this very valuable necklace in his hand, began to remove all the pearls one by one from the necklace, and kept it near his ear for some time and then after biting each one of them, threw them away. Sita was surprised to see Hanuman behaving thus. She thought that Hanuman had not given up his monkey traits. Rama knew the intention behind this act of Hanuman. But in order to make Sita understand this, He asked, “Hanuman, why are you biting and throwing away such precious pearls?” “O Lord, I am examining whether I could listen to Your name in the pearls. Since I couldn’t hear, I am throwing them away. The pearl is no better than a stone if there is no Rama Nama in it. I want only You.” Listening to this statement of Hanuman, Rama offered Himself by embracing Hanuman. The inner meaning of this is Rama is where Hanuman is and vice-versa. Hanuman is one who realised the unity of the individual and God. Consequently, Hanuman was always in a state of bliss. Hanuman is given various appellations such as Santhudu, Gunavanthudu, Balavanthudu (one of peace, virtues and strength). He derived his strength from the Divine name of Lord Rama. Many people confine the Divine Name only to the lips but Hanuman chanted the name of Rama from the depth of his heart.

Poison will remain poison even if it is put in a precious vessel studded with diamonds, pearls, emeralds, etc. The divine ambrosia will not lose its taste even if it is put in a brass vessel. Likewise, it is the purity of heart, not the external appearance that matters. Purity of heart is the purpose behind chanting God’s name. Chanting of God’s name should originate from the heart, not from the lips.

                         

                                                                                                    SSS, Vol 34, Disc. 5, 26 Mar 2001

 

Yoga Vasishta - Post 42

RAMA asked:

 

Holy sir, please tell me briefly again: how does the delusion of the notions of 'I' and 'the world' arise in the first place, without any cause?

 

VASISTHA replied:

 

As all things are equally in-dwelt by intelligence, so always in every way the uncreated is all, the self of all. We use the expression 'all things': it is only a figure of speech, for only the infinite consciousness or Brahman exists. Just as there is no division between a bracelet and gold, no division between waves and water, there is no division between the universe and the infinite consciousness. 

 

The latter alone is the universe; the universe as such is not the infinite consciousness, just as the bracelet is made of gold but gold is not made of bracelet. Just as we refer to a man and his limbs as being one and the same, we refer to the presence of the infinite consciousness as all beings, which does not imply a division in it.

 

In that infinite consciousness there is an inherent non­recognition of its infinite nature. That appears to manifest as 'I' and 'the world'. Just as there is an image in a  marble slab, even if it has not been carved, even so this notion of ‘I' and 'the world' exists in the infinite consciousness. Even as in a calm sea the waves exist in their potential state, the world exists in its potential state in the infinite consciousness: and that is known as its creation. 

The word 'creation' has no other connotation. No creation takes place in the Supreme Being or the infinite consciousness; and the infinite consciousness is not involved in the creation. They do not stand in a divided relationship to each other.

This infinite consciousness regards its own intelligence in its own heart, as it were, though it is non-­different from it even as wind is non­-different from its own movement. At that very moment, when there is an unreal division, there arises in that consciousness the notion of space, which, on account of the power of the consciousness, appears as the element known as space or ether. That itself later believes itself to be air and then fire. 

From this notion there arises the appearance of fire and light.  That itself further entertains the notion of water with its inherent faculty of taste; and that itself believes itself to be the earth with its inherent faculty of smell and also its  characteristic of solidity. Thus do the water and the earth elements appear to have manifested themselves.

 

VASISTHA continued:

 

At the same time, the same infinite consciousness held in itself the notion of a unit of time equal to one ­millionth of the twinkling of an eye: and from this evolved the time­scale right up to an epoch consisting of several revolutions of the four ages, which is the life­span of one cosmic creation. The infinite consciousness itself is uninvolved in these: for it is devoid of rising and setting (which are essential to all time­scales), and it is devoid of a beginning, middle and end.

That infinite consciousness alone is the reality, ever awake and enlightened: and with creation also it is the same. That infinite consciousness alone is the unenlightened appearance of this creation: and even after this creation it is the same always. It is ever the same. When one realizes in the self by the self that consciousness is the absolute Brahman, then he experiences it as all—even as the one energy dwelling in all his limbs.

One can say that this world appearance is real only so far as it is the manifestation of consciousness and because of direct experience; and it is unreal when it is  grasped with the mind and the sense ­organs. 

 

Continued 

 

Love