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"Why is it that many Jivanmuktas (emancipated persons) do not
have higher psychic
powers developed, such as levitating in the air, etc.?", asked Ram.
Rishi Vashisht replied: "Those whose wisdom is not pure, but desire psychic powers
are slaves of the world. The higher psychic powers are developed through Mantras,
Postures, Mudras, etc., but the true Jnani (truth seeker) does not seek or need
the higher psychic powers. The truth seeker will ever try to attain the true vision
of the Atma. The Jnani always tries to rest in wisdom but never goes in quest of
psychic powers, levitation, etc.. Desire for worldly things or possessions are mere
Maya (illusion).
"These Jnanis (truth seekers) who have risen above Maya (illusion) will never
sink into it again. Jnanis who desire psychic power may develop it by Mantras, Postures,
Mudras, etc., but psychic powers in their development will never bring beneficent
liberation. That is the goal of the true Jnani (truth seeker). Desire for psychic
powers tends to bondage; for that reason it will never appeal to the truth seeker.
"To those who have given up all desires, the Atma Jnana (Wisdom of Self) will
arise without any doubt. But those who are after Sidhas (psychic powers) only, which
is the seed of desire, will never attain Atma (the Self) ."
"Please explain the secret of the Yogis who live as long as a Kalpa", (4,380,000
years) asked Ram, of Rishi Vashisht.
The Master answered: "As long as Prana is moving, the Yogi is moving, but When
movement or Prana ceases, the Yogi becomes as immovable as a rock. Those Yogis who
can control Prana (vital force) may live as long as they desire. By controlling
Prana (vital force), the mind also is controlled, externally and internally. He
who controls Prana and mind arrests old age and death. Old age and death will never
come near him. As the body becomes spiritualized, it will never retrograde.
"Those Yogis only can be said to have found the Reality, who always follow the
path of Atma Jnani (wisdom of the Self). They, who have given up all their desires
and have been liberated from mental bonds, are free."
"By giving up all desires, the mind is merged into its Reality; then what becomes
of the four gunas (qualities)?" asked Ram, of the Master.
Rishi Vashisht answered: "There are two ways in which the mind may be controlled,
as the mind consists of the formless and the formed. By controlling the Rupa (with
form) mind, one will bring about the Jivanmukti state (embodied emancipation or
liberation in this life). By controlling Arupa (formless) mind, one will bring the
Videhmukti state (emancipation of the Soul).
"Uncontrolled Rupa (with form) mind, generates all kinds of pain. But by control
bliss will come. You must master Rupa (with form) mind, as it identifies itself
with matter. Then it is not able to find its Reality, and therefore it brings pain.
This form mind is the ego. This form mind is ever involved in pleasures and pain.
It is the seed of Maya (illusion). This will give you the idea of the Rupa (with
form) mind.
"Now I will deal with the controlling of the mind. Please listen. It is said
by the wise that the fruitless mind can be controlled by looking with equal eyes
upon all, and not being affected by pleasure or pain. As the mountain is not affected
by the storm, also one is able to retain his poise in the presence of riches or
poverty, joy or sorrow. Of such a person it may be said; he has control over his
mind; he has overcome ignorance, which is the lower mind itself. Through control
it brings out high spiritual intelligence. Such a mind does not subject itself to
rebirth. By the desires of the four gunas (qualities), one will come to the state
which belongs to the Jivanmukta (embodied emancipation) or (liberation) in this
life.
"This Rupa (with form) mind, is the destroyer of the peace of mind. In this mind
the four gunas (qualities) will grow as the lotus in the lake. By controlling the
Arupa (formless mind), one may gain the state of Videhmukti (emancipation of the
soul.) This state will be attained by overcoming the four gunas (qualities) known
as: Sattva (truthfulness), Raja (ambition for name and fame), Tamas (evildoing),
etc..
"There is no other way of controlling the Arupa (formless) mind, than doing away
with differences. The Brahmic state is that in which one does not see differences.
What has or has not been, that which has or has not qualities, which has or has
not wealth, contentment or discontentment, light or darkness, day or night.
"This state is the home of those who have conquered all desires toward this universe.
One becomes like Akasa (ether) or air, which is not affected, but takes odors. These
great Yogis, living as if their bodies were Akasa (ether) are in the Brahmic state,
that is all bliss. Pain, pleasure, name or fame does not affect them in any way.
These great ones have controlled their minds."
"What is its seed? "What is the seed of this seed? And what is the seed of the
last one?", asked Ram. "Please explain to me."
Rishi Vashisht answered: "The body is the first seed, it generates all pleasure
and pain. It gives rise to the ever revolving Samsara (universe). The seed of this
seed is the mind, which always pursues the track of desires and is the cause of
pleasure and of pain, birth and death. By the mind, hosts of bodies are generated,
which seem to exist though they do not exist. It enjoys these bodily objects as
in a dream.
"To this mind, which is always surrounded or encircled by the worldly action,
there are two seeds. One is desire, the other is Prana (life force). These are the
four seeds. O Ram, the all-pervading one wisdom becomes the visible wisdom, by the
motion of Prana (life force). If this Prana (life force) stopped expanding in every
direction, then it would attend one's welfare and progress.
"The intelligence becomes attached to the visible world by desire. The visible
world is the root of all misery. If the intelligence could always remain in the
dreamless state, without lapsing into the dreaming state, that would be the real
Nirvana or the Atma. It would result in liberation, or freedom from rebirth.
"If the desire for sensual objects, which arise through the Prana movement are
gradually controlled, the accumulation of these thoughts will constitute mind. With
such a mind alone, people live in this world. For controlling this kind of mind,
the wise and the Yogi practice or perform Pranayama. Pranayama is the practice of
controlling Prana (life force) and concentration. The wise say, that the benefit
of control of the Prana (vital force) brings the equality of mind—the ability to
look upon all as one. This generates blessed joy and not pain.
"The seed of the mind seed is the ego, which with its partner, desire, enjoys
the external objects. The desires make people slaves of the sensual
objects. The power of true discrimination is developed through firm determination.
If this power is lost, the ego or false self binds itself to the mercy of desires,
which make it see, that which is real as unreal and regards that which is unreal,
as the real. The power of desire makes everything appear in an illusory light. This
mind is most disgraceful, as it identifies the "I" with that which is not "I". Through
this mind, old age, death and birth are brought about.
"As the oscillating of the mind arises through its confusion with objects, birth
and death, also arise. It is only when this mind is subdued and has no more attraction
or repulsion toward objects, that it will cease oscillating.
"If thoughts are controlled by giving up desires, the result will surely be peace
of mind. If there is no desire for worldly things, then how can this mind go roaming
in the sky? O Ram!
"I think so long as sensual thought exists in the mind, so long will desires
remain. The idea of their reality, and the enjoyment of pleasure therein, can be
said to be the thought of the mind. All thought or desire makes karma.
"How can mind oscillate in the wise, who are purer than ether, and have risen
above desires? It is said, that the realization of Reality by one who understands
true discrimination, is that he is not in this material world, and the world is
all Maya (illusion), made by the mind.
"The wise say that the mind denudes itself of its form, even though engaged in
actions. When mind has dissolved all things into itself, then it becomes as cool
and refreshing as ambrosia. Those Jivanmuktas (liberated in this life) who have
freed themselves from desires, will live to wear out their past karma. Those Jivanmuktas
are in possession of pure desires, without any pain or rebirth. It is these emancipated
ones, whose minds have found the Reality of Being, and have reached the highest
wisdom. It is these Jivanmuktas (bodily emancipated) who, when they give up the
body, attain the highest state, as they are the lofty ones.
"The two seeds of mind as has been stated before, are the desires, and the movement
of Prana, and if one of them is controlled, both are controlled. By desire, Prana
is moved, and by Prana desire is moved. Therefore, we may say that these seed motions
of Prana and desire are the dried fruits of the mind, and their roots are in the
external world. Hence, if they are released from the external world, then the movement
of Prana and desires are also controlled. The mental actions are the seeds of the
eternal world. If the intelligence does not play its part in the external world,
then the external world will cease to exist. As the sesame oil cannot exist without
the sesame seed, so the existence of the external and the internal are not different.
"The awakening of pure wisdom will produce a kind of creation, through which
pure wisdom will see in itself the external objects. As in a dream, though one forgets
himself, still he sees things in himself by some inherent power: so the external
is known by mental knowledge. Those who by their knowledge of discrimination control
this reflected mind, whether they have analyzed it or not, will also control disease
and death. It is the non-control of the reflected of the external, that puts us
into the great universe, but through its control the goal is attained. Who can say
that the external does not bring great pain upon us, O Ram?
"Through the absence, of the external and the nonrelation of objects, arises
divine bliss. You may stop your mind from oscillating, give up all love for worldly
enjoyment, forget the objective world, and still not be in a dull state. Thou art
above the Paramatma (universal soul). In the wisdom state, the external is not seen.
This is true, without doubt."
Ram asked: "How can non-intelligence arise, where there is no visible or external?
How can the external or visible vanish, from where there is no wisdom?"
'Master Vashisht answered: "Atma (the self) is the All-pervading One, without
any attraction. It has no power of knowing nor not-knowing. Any inert object is
without the visible or intelligence.
If Atma attains, then that wisdom will not be mixed with the visible or objective.
It will stand alone. Though engaged in all actions, it will not be affected by the
visible or objective. He, alone, is the Jnani (True wise); he alone, is the Jivanmukta
(emancipated). Such a person by controlling all desires is as a child in intelligence.
At this stage when all external subjects are given up, he attains full Atmic Wisdom,
without any mental knowledge. Then he will not be attached to any object, but liberated
front pain through Divine Bliss, or Samadhi. He will have all bliss. A truth seeker
should always cling to such meditation, without longing for the unreal, and he will
always enjoy himself in his own Blessed Atma, whether walking, talking or working.
He will be above all of those conditions, as they have no attraction for him. He
is not attracted by the external with its enjoyment, but lives in consciousness
of perfect bliss.
"Understand thoroughly this wisdom, and you become conscious of the truth that
you are the All-pervading Wisdom itself, after rising above the sea of pain, although
engaged in worldly activities.
"To this wisdom the Eternal Absolute is the seed. Out of this One-ness, wisdom
arises as the light from a flame. The One-ness has two appearances. Now, I shall
explain them; jars, vases and other objects appear to be different, but still they
are all one, as they are all made of earth. The seat of the Truth is in One-ness
alone, non-dual, without any attributes. Therefore, you should be free from the
three elements—time, space, and causation, and sink thyself into the Eternal Absolute.
Time, space and causation seem to be three different elements in their action, but
they belong to One-ness. These three elements are the cause of creating diversified
action, in this world.
"Meditate alone upon the Non-dual or One-ness which is common to all. You may
pervade everywhere with the Self-bliss, that which is the goal of One-ness. That
state is the seed of this pure One-ness. From this One-ness the universal consciousness
arises. From this point all thought of doubt vanishes, and one gains a blessed consciousness,
of ever present joy. This is the primal seed, but there is no seed to the state
of Pure Wisdom. He, who is capable of holding the Pure Wisdom without wavering,
will never sink himself into illusion. This is the cause of al, but it is a causeless
cause, it is the essence of all, but there is no essence to it.
'In this great glass (the Self), all things will appear as images, as do the
trees in the bank of a lake, where they are reflected in the water. This is the
Pure One. It alone is the ageless; it alone is the Atmic Reality. By attaining this
state, the mind will become peaceful. May you, after realizing it firmly, become
that Atma. May you attain that Nirvanic state."
Ram said to the Master: "Thou hast been kind enough to explain about the nature
of four seeds. With what effort, can one attain that state of bliss and wisdom?"
Master Vashisht replied: "By proper efforts in the direction of overcoming those
seeds, and the cause of the pains, which I have explained, the state of bliss and
wisdom may be attained. To reach that state is the highest of all other states,
and is the common goal of all. You will have to give up the entire host of desires,
for if any are left lingering with you, it may be a hindrance to your progress.
Realize your Higher Self, and at that very moment, you will have attained that highest
state. Should that One-ness, just referred to, be first attained by you, then, with
a little more effort you will attain the highest state. Therefore, direct your meditation
toward attainment of this state of One-ness, and the rest will follow.
"O Ram, it is difficult indeed, to reach this blissful state, as long as one
clings to the external world. With all your might you should endeavor to give up
the idea of duality and desires, then, all mental discord, disease and pain will
vanish. One will find it as difficult to control the desires, as to remove the mountain.
As long as the desires are not controlled, the mind will be uncontrolled. As long
as the mind is not mastered, so long desires will not be mastered, as they are one.
As long as Pure Wisdom has not arisen, so long the desires will be uncontrolled.
Pure Wisdom, the controlling power of mind and mastery of desires, is naturally
dependent upon no other cause than it-self, for its control or mastery. It is by
effort of his will, that the Yogi walks in the right path."
Yoga Vashisht Chapter Links
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