| 28. SATSANGAM THE YOGA VASISTHA Sages, dispassion, strive, self-control, inquiry, contentment, good company Even so in every age the Creator wills into being several sages and myself for the spiritual enlightenment of all. And, in order to ensure the due performance of the secular duties by all, Brahma also creates kings who rule justly and wisely over parts of the earth. These kings, however, are soon corrupted by lust for power and pleasure; conflict of interests leads to wars among them which in turn give rise to remorse. To remove their ignorance, the sages used to impart spiritual wisdom in them. In days of yore, O Rama, kings used to receive this wisdom and cherish it; hence it was known as Kingly Science (Raja-Vidya). The highest form of dispassion born of pure discrimination has arisen in your heart, O Rama, and is superior to dispassion born of a circumstantial cause or an utter disgust. Such dispassion is surely due to the grace of God. This grace meets the maturity of discrimination at the exact moment when dispassion is generated in the heart. As long as the highest wisdom does not dawn in the heart, the person revolves in this wheel of birth and death. Pray, listen to my exposition of this wisdom with a concentrated mind. This wisdom destroys the forest of ignorance. Roaming in this forest one undergoes confusion and seemingly interminable suffering. One should therefore approach an enlightened teacher and by asking the right questions with the right attitude, elicit the teaching. It then becomes an integral part of one's being. The fool asks irrelevant questions irreverently; and the greater fool is he who spurns the sage's wisdom. He is surely not a sage who responds to the vain questions of a foolish questioner. Oh Rama, you are indeed the best among seekers, for you have duly reflected over the truth and you are inspired by the best form of dispassion. And I am sure that what I am going to say to you will find a firm seat in your heart. Indeed, one should positively strive to enthrone wisdom in one's heart, for the mind is unsteady like a monkey. And, one should then avoid unwise company. Rama, there are four gate-keepers at the entrance to the realm of Freedom (Moksa). They are: Self control, spirit of inquiry, contentment and good company. The wise seeker should diligently cultivate the friendship of these, or at least one of them. Bliss is possible only by self-knowledge With a pure heart and a receptive mind, and without the veil of doubt and the restlessness of the mind, listen to the exposition of the nature and the means of liberation, O Rama. For, not until the supreme being is realized will the dreadful miseries of birth and death come to an end. If this deadly serpent known as ignorant life is not overcome here and now, it gives rise to interminable suffering not only in this but in countless lifetimes to come. One cannot ignore this suffering, but one should overcome it by means of the wisdom I shall impart to you. O Rama, if you thus overcome this sorrow of repetitive history (samsara), you will live here on earth itself like a god, like Brahma or Visnu! For when delusion is gone and the truth is realized by means of inquiry into self-nature, when the mind is at peace and the heart leaps to the supreme truth, when all the disturbing thought-waves in the mind stuff have subsided and there is an unbroken flow of peace and the heart is filled with the bliss of the absolute, when thus the truth has been seen in the heart, then this very world becomes an abode of bliss. Such a person has nothing to acquire, nor anything to shun. He is untainted by the defects of life, untouched by its sorrow. He does not come into being nor go out, though he appears to come and go in the eyes of the beholder. Even religious duties are found to be unnecessary. He is not affected by the past tendencies which have lost their momentum: his mind has given up its restlessness, and he rests in the bliss that is his essential nature. Such bliss is possible only by self-knowledge, not by any other means. Hence, one should apply oneself constantly to self-knowledge- this alone is one's duty. He who disregards holy scriptures and holy men does not attain self-knowledge. Such foolishness is more harmful than all the illness that one is subject to in this world. Hence, one should devoutly listen to this scripture which leads one to self-knowledge. He who obtains this scripture does not again fall into the blind well of ignorance. O Rama, if you want to free yourself from the sorrow of repetitive history (samsara), receive wholesome instructions of sages like me and be free. Non-Attachment 'A boat may remain in water, but if water enters the boat, it will bring great catastrophe. Likewise, a man may live in the world, but if the world enters the man, his whole life will be miserable. Only the pot that takes water will drown. A log, which does not absorb water, will not. Similarly, only those who inwardly attach themselves to the world will be deluded while those do not attach themselves to the world will not be deluded, even though they are engaged in worldly activities. It is not the world itself but only attachment towards the world that constitutes bondage of mundane existence. Attachment is caused by the mind, and not by what is outside. No harm will befall one by merely living in the world. All miseries come into existence because of one's desire to enjoy the word.' A news item about someone's death in a far away and unknown country is just a news item and doesn't cause any emotion a news item about someone's death in our own country causes some pity a news about someone's death in our city/town causes empathy someone's death in our neighbourhood causes sympathy someone's death in our family causes grief someone's death in our immediate family causes unbearable grief, mental agony and lingers for a long time. So, the same event namely "death of a person" evokes different reactions from the mind solely based on the degree of 'attachment' the mind has for the person who died. More the attachment, more the grief due to loss of the object of attachment. Another thought that comes to mind is when we see a natural, gigantic setting like a mountain or an ocean, we usually get a calm peace and serene state of mind because, I think, none of us think 'ah, what if I own this mountain or ocean...' so no "ownership" thinking and no misery; whereas if we happen to see a beautiful sports car or a Benz in addition to appreciating its beauty most of us think 'ah, how wonderful it will be if I could have a Benz'; thus the attachment results in wanting to 'own' something 'gradually' in some cases and 'instantly' in others and that results in desire and the consequent misery. Sri P Gopi Krishna |