AvadhootaDatta Peetham

Discourse on Yoga Vasishtha

Day 56, October 4

Jaya Guru Datta

Sri Ganesaya Namaha
Sri Saraswatyai Namaha
Sripada Vallabha
Narasimha Saraswati
Sri Guru Dattatreyaya Namaha

Sri Ganapati Sachchidananda Sadgurubhyo Namaha

asato ma sadgamaya
tamaso ma jyotirgamaya
mrityor ma amrtam gamaya
Om Santissantissantihi

Please lead me from untruth to Truth, from darkness to light, from death to immortality. May there be peace.

Guru Dhyanam: Gurur Brahmaa, Sri Bhooyuta.. , Ajnana .. Akhanda, Dehe …, Akhandam ..

Yoga Vasishtha Dhyana Slokas:
yatassarvāṇi bhūtāni pratibhānti sthitāni ca
yatraivōpaśamaṁ yānti tasmai satyātmanē namaḥ || 1
jñātā jñānaṁ tathā jñēyaṁ draṣṭādarśana dr̥śyabhūḥ
kartā hētuḥ kriyā yasmāt tasmai jñaptyātmanē namaḥ || 2
sphuranti sīkarā yasmāt ānanandasyāṁbarē vanau
sarvēṣām jīvanam tasmai brahmānandātmanē namaḥ || 3

Brahmanandam, Sri Vasishtham Namami, Ramaya, Aapadaamapahartaaram, Om Purnamadah,

Om Santissantissantihi

We have celebrated the Navaratri festival in the company of our Sadguru. We are all very fortunate. We began the study of the 27th sarga of Yoga Vasishtha prior to that. This episode tells us that whatever blocks our progress towards liberation should be destroyed and removed from our path.

Yesterday our Sadguru told us that at any given time, the trouble that we are facing then appears to be the most dominant problem in our lives. Troubles actually come and go. But the most troublesome problem of all is ignorance. This ignorance can be removed only by the help given by Sadguru. We have to make every effort to destroy our ignorance. We must keep praying to Sadguru to help us get rid of our ignorance. Sadguru alone has the remedy for this disease called spiritual ignorance.

The entire Navaratri ritual revolves around the worship of Mother Goddess as the three types of energy, called Ichcha/intention, Jnana/knowledge, and Kriya/action.

Today in the 27th sarga we continue from the 30th verse. We all acknowledge that Sri Rama is none other than Sri Maha Vishnu, incarnated as a human being. As a human being Sri Rama had to act as if he were devoid of spiritual wisdom and required to be instructed by a Guru. In truth, an enlightened person acts as if he knows nothing.

There are many in this world who know nothing and yet act as if they know everything and even boast that they know everything. They are the worst amongst the ignorant ones.

Sri Rama is discussing these issues here for our benefit, to stimulate our interest in Vedanta.

Manoramasya ..

In this verse, Sri Rama speaks about associations; which ones are beneficial and which ones are harmful for us. We befriend those who will do us harm, because their company is very pleasing for us. We enjoy the company of the wicked because we get deluded by the temptations they present to us.

Mother Goddess creates and also dispels delusion. Illusion is entirely in her control. As we keep praying to Her and worshiping Her, our illusion disappears. Jagaddhaarini is a strange word in the Sanskrit language. It may be Jagat dhaarini or Jagat haarini. One who wears illusion and one who destroys delusion - both are Jagaddhaarini.

It is very important to ever remember the Mother of all mothers. How do we behave when we live at home and how do we behave when we come to the ashram? Here we forget the world and its troubles. We feel at peace. We watch at home the television serials and get involved in the characters and weep with them. It is something that appears to be entertaining but is really not so. We should pursue that which truly attracts our mind. The moment we see Sadguru, we are in the green zone, when we are impelled to do good deeds. We feel blissful. When in the company of other good people we temporarily feel like doing good things, it is the yellow zone. But getting attracted towards doing wicked things in the company of the wicked is the red zone, which is very dangerous. We ought to remain in the green zone and reject the red zone. Most people are drawn towards what is bad because they find it momentarily pleasing. One must realize that although it appears pleasing, such happiness is flawed like the holes in a dosa/Indian pancake. There are many such flaws in worldly life, which makes us go after poison that looks like nectar. We should develop the discretion to know the difference. Poison placed in a bottle made of gold does not turn into nectar. Poison will never turn into nectar. We should always choose nectar over poison.

Many ask, why not go for poison when it gives pleasure? One should avoid it because it will destroy mental composure. The mind gets absorbed in the evil of the world. It causes, not external injuries but internal unrest and pain. We have to be extremely cautious. It deludes us into thinking that it is going to give us happiness. Before the temptation grows large enough to destroy us, we have to escape from it. In Africa, there are poisonous trees. By merely touching such trees, one acquires terrible diseases and the skin begins to peel off. Some trees powerfully draw one towards them. Like such poisonous trees, the company of the wicked is tempting and spoils our future.

Even after coming to the ashram, some people gather here and there to discuss unwanted topics. I feel sorry to see such things happening here. Why would one go to Vaikuntha and speak about demons like Ravanasura and Hiranyakasipu? There is some delusion that speaking politics is beneficial to the world. Nothing beneficial accrues from such discussions. Has our Sadguru given us the responsibility to regulate the political atmosphere in the country? He has not. When you are here, it is your duty to mingle with those who speak of the glories of God and Guru. If your duty requires that you interact with undesirable persons, limit your association merely to duty. This type of bad company prevents us from traveling towards liberation. If we strengthen our understanding of what should be avoided, then we can protect ourselves. Bhagavad Gita explains very clearly and beautifully, the sequence of events. Association with things or people causes desires. Desires lead to frustration and anger. Anger spoils health. It prevents and obstructs spiritual practice. Delusion envelops the mind. One forgets God and Guru. The intellect gets perverted and leads to destruction of the individual.

Association with the undesirable is the root cause of all evil, says Sri Rama.

Kalpa ..

What Time is, how Time swallows up the world, how Death becomes a pickle or relish enjoyed by God are all described once again by Sri Rama. Our life span is very precious for us. An ant or a mosquito is so short-lived and yet how hard it struggles to find its food and nourishment. It is a mosquito’s job to find a warm-blooded person to bite and drink the blood. How hard it tries to follow one around despite all the movements one makes to finally land and *** out the blood. Just as we get upset if we fail to find employment, a mosquito gets upset if it does not find a person to bite.

For us 100 years is a long life. But the life span of Brahma is extremely long compared to our life span. Compared to the life span of Maha Vishnu, Brahma’s life span is very small. For Mother Goddess, in the blink of an eye, the entire Creation occurs and gets dissolved again. In such a short time, we are so short-lived and yet we get so frenzied about our affairs.

Kalpa itself means imagined. Kalpana means imaginary. Hence, a Kalpa, regardless of how long its duration may be, is still only an imaginary length of time.

Even Brahma’s life span is limited. If we go beyond the planet Mars, the time cycle and its calculations change. It is all relative. It is all illusory. Those who go up into space live on mere capsules. Here, we consume a large quantity of food. When circumstances vary so widely, how can anything be considered as true and established? We may think that one second is a short duration, but those who deal with milliseconds find that one second is very long. How foolish we are to take seriously our affairs and troubles in this fleeting life of ours.

How do we develop a proper perspective about Time? Our perception right now is limited to the information we receive through our sense organs. We have to raise our understanding to a higher level based on an intellectual understanding and a grasp based on our experience of the true concept of Time. Even those whose sense organs are not functional, have experiences. Such experiences are based on understanding. So, it is not correct to say that only what the senses tell us is true and factual. Therefore, it is important to have a proper perspective on Time. Living for a hundred years does not make it a great life. Even in ten years one may accomplish what another person does not accomplish in a hundred years. How one leads one’s life is more important than the duration of one’s lifetime. Some devotees who have served Swamiji only for a short time and yet with genuine devotion are remembered by Swamiji very fondly.

Who is there in this world with a flawless perception? Sri Rama asks this question, implying that everyone’s view of life is flawed. Is there any one direction in this world that is free from sorrow? No. Wherever you go, in whichever direction you run to escape from misery, misery keeps raising its face there. The demons made such frantic efforts to run away from unhappiness. Lord Vishnu gave the Upadesa that the only place that is free from sorrow is the Lord’s feet. He told them to seek refuge there. But the demons could not find solace even there.

Andhakasura prayed to Siva to reside within him. Siva actually entered into Andhakasura. He was not seen anywhere else. Yet, Andhakasura was still afraid of death. He was not happy. Until we attain spiritual wisdom we will not be free from grief. Only when one surrenders to Guru, one becomes free from sorrow.

God is the only source for all. Sarva kaarana kaaranam. No matter what the substance or feeling, the root cause is Paramatma. Due to Him, this Universe appears to us as if it exists. Surya, is the sun. Remove his radiance, his solid matter, and the water from him and nothing remains.

Kaastaah ..

Is there anyone who is free from death? No one can escape death. Every one dies. That is a fact of life. Just for that reason, does one ever live in grief and fear? No. One should live in peace and happiness and pray for the departed souls. In this world, every single action is illusory. The only way to find freedom is to gain spiritual knowledge. King Dasaratha was 60,016 years old at this time. He was still mortal. Not a single karma in life is flawless. Sri Rama said he wanted to be free from all actions.
Now Sri Rama is giving us the actual lesson.

We are looking at the Chamundi Hill. The scientists explain that due to the collision of land masses mountains form. A stone is still the same as a hill or a mountain. The material is the same. One should develop the vision of seeing Guru in all individuals, be they friends or enemies. If you are seeing Guru only in a few people, you are only a mediocre devotee. A mountain is made up of boulders, dirt, dust, pebbles, trees, and so forth. The combination of all of those we call a mountain. We call it a tree with trunk, branches, leaves and so on. But when you cut off a piece from it, we call it wood. This is the way of the world. What about this human body? Go closer, past the air that surrounds it. You find the hairs covering the skin. You go beyond that to the skin. Then you go beyond that. You see some flesh, and inside that you find some fluid substances, bones and inside the bones, you find bone marrow. If you go still further inside, what do you find? What is at the very core is you. What you cut off from the body is discarded, such as finger nails, toe nails, and hair. They then cease to remain as a part of the body.

We must contemplate like this. Similarly, we must extend ourselves outward also, to include within us our surroundings as a part of us. We must extend further beyond our immediate vicinity, gradually to incorporate the entire Universe as a part of us. As you visualize like that, the body become heavy. On the second day of Navaratri, Swamiji said that his body felt very heavy. I said to him that due to his dhyana/ deep contemplation where he became one with the entire world, he has become heavy. That is what will happen if you become identified with all that exists. If you go inward deeper and deeper, you will begin to feel very light.

When one is in deep contemplation and the body becomes too heavy, sometimes the body falls down. One should not at once try to get up. Some duration of time should be given for the body to regain normalcy. A leaf that falls to the ground from a tree becomes very light and slowly descends to the ground. That is how light the body becomes sometimes when it identifies with the soul. Both of these conditions which occur during meditation are beneficial for health and for gaining spiritual wisdom.

All the living creatures that are seen are bundles of flesh and are bound by the feelings of ‘I’ and ‘mine’. When we view the world from this aspect, we find that there is nothing new in this world. It is all a matter of recycling. The food that we eat takes the form of our bodies as we keep growing. At a stage the growth stops. Otherwise we cannot go through the doorways. Our body is not any new substance. It is just a mixture of all types of substances that we have consumed over the years.

This is a Maha Vakya – a profound statement.

It is the food that we eat that gets converted into our bodies. That is why food is very precious. Food is God. It is a great sin to waste food. Food is not served for you to throw it away in the dust bin/trash can. Receive smaller portions and go for seconds if required but never take much and throw food away. It is very wrong. Regardless of what type of food it may be, it should not be wasted. It is food that keeps every single living being alive.

Food that is consumed cannot remain as food once it gets inside the body. If it remains simply as food, you need to take a medicine to help your digestion. The food has to get transformed into different substances and energy.
Sri Rama at such a young age is so knowledgeable and endowed with such a rich insight.

How the five elements go through various changes within us and how they cause delusion in us are topics that we will discuss tomorrow. Sri Rama, through the expression of his dispassion is teaching us many things about this world and about life.

Om Santissantissantihi

Sri Krishnarpanamastu/ offered to Lord Krishna.

Sri Guru Datta