July 29, Vasishtha
Discourse on Yoga Vasishtha
Day 15, July 29
Jaya Guru Datta
A couple of days ago we discussed the need for dispassion. We are mistakenly discouraging our children from following the path of knowledge. It is unfortunate that we condone and accept our children staying out late in clubs till past midnight. But we are unwilling to encourage them to follow the path of Dharma and detachment.
We are only interested in the children winning the rat race in this world. With Dharma they will certainly succeed in the world. There is no need to worry about it. Yesterday Swamiji told us how important discipline, courtesy, and simplicity in life are.
We mistake demonic actions to be acceptable but are afraid of detachment. We run away from it. We must feed detachment to the children one teaspoon at a time. We must encourage them to seek a Guru and to develop devotion. We must explain the karma theory from infancy. All at once they cannot accept it in adulthood. Karma, such as puja and rituals, job and worldly duties will not be affected by developing spiritual knowledge. Nature will not allow it to happen. We bathe for 5 minutes in the morning. Yet, it keeps us feeling fresh all day. The few minutes of spiritual learning each day will sustain us throughout life. Unless one is in a coma or is dead, there is always awareness. Truth and Bliss are there. In between the two, bridging them is spiritual learning. A strong foundation is required to achieve it.
Rama is taken as the prime example. Suka, Rama, King Janaka, Vasishtha, all are equal in their Jnana. They all functioned actively in the world and have earned fame.
Rama returned from a pilgrimage and fell into dispassion. But he has given up all activity. People were afraid to see him like that. The messenger went to fetch Rama but returned to report what he saw of Rama’s condition. Rama does not move, does not eat, talk, or smile. What is this state? He is not insane. He is not enlightened. He is not ignorant.
A list we have enumerated as to the things that disinterest Rama. He is constantly meditating upon God seeking to experience Truth. That God alone is real, he realized. He kept expressing this revelation to those who came to him, because they were all troubling him to get involved in worldly affairs. But he could not express his mental state to his guru Vasishtha.
Who can instruct Rama effectively to remove the darkness of his ignorance? For some, there will be some twitching of the eyes and they will be filled with dread that they will lose their eye sight. Finally an eye doctor will prescribe some drops and the problems will get resolved. It is more important to get rid of the fear. Because light disappeared, darkness exists. Darkness has no existence on its own. Why is Krishna dark? Like the dark cloud, like the dark sky he is dark. Krishna has swallowed the darkness in the entire world and has become dark, said one mother to appease her child. No darkness is left in the world because he has given us the light of Bhagavad Gita.
Why does Siva hold the poison in the throat? Because the poison will burn the insides. The Lord has swallowed our dark ignorance. His neck is dark to warn us not to take in the poison of ignorance.
A sadhu will be happy and will distribute his happiness to others. Tukaram fell at people’s feet and held the feet begging them to sing God’s name. This state of Rama was there since several months. It was a family secret. Dasaratha did not tell Viswamitra. But because of the messenger the truth now got revealed. When we have problems, we must disclose them unhesitatingly to the Sadguru. He can instantaneously solve the issue. He, who is enlightened, knows everything. Self-Realization has to occur within oneself by Guru’s grace. It is not something that can be given.
We have big problems. But for Swamiji they are small problems. Viswamitra said, bring him here. I will solve his problem. Viswamitra is all knowing. Knowing the Truth enables one to know everything.
Rama was on his way, coming slowly with head bent. He offered obeisance to all. Dasaratha wanted Rama to sit on his lap. Rama declined. Rama sat on the floor on a cloth that was spread for him. Rama expressed his dilemma in five questions.
Rama has not fully attained Self-Realization. That is his problem.
We send children to school. We sacrifice our attachment to the children by willingly leaving them at school. Otherwise we would prefer to have them always within our sight, close to us. This way parents develop detachment. Because of detachment devotion develops. Without detachment nothing can be done in the world. Doctors perform surgery for hours on end. For their livelihood, fame, and satisfaction, they sacrifice rest and recreation to engage in the strenuous effort required for performing surgery.
99% of life is detachment and dispassion. Only 1% is worldliness. We are in illusion and we are raising our children also in delusion. We are afraid that the children will begin to question why they should put in any effort. Why should I study? Why should I work? The children may question. The result of not developing dispassion is that it breeds unrighteousness/adharma.
Why do we pray to God? We can absorb the mind in God only if we give up our attachment to the world. Developing concentration is vairagya/dispassion. I declare categorically that great attainments are not possible without dispassion. I am not talking about eating and sleeping but achieving great things.
Visweswaraiah said, when he built the dam, his concern was how long this dam will hold up. He knows the truth that one day this will collapse. Whatever is seen will perish. Everything in the world has a lifespan. Not even a full life of 100 years do we all live. Truth remains the truth whether or not we accept it. If we accept it, it helps us. If we reject it, we are the losers. How to succeed in our efforts? Because of our ignorance we suffer.
Dharma is most important. The conviction about Dharma comes only out of dispassion, not desire. In this day and age a teacher who is supposed to teach, abuses a six year old child. Children wear T Shirts, boys and girls with messages printed on them. Some print good messages in English. What about those who cannot read English? If the messages are printed in the regional language or mother tongue, more people will benefit from the inspirational messages. Even in cities and villages bad behavior is prevalent now. Demons have always existed, let us ignore it, you may say. A beast looks at the flesh. A man looks at the mind. We use a sifter/sieve to save whatever we can. We have to put in the effort. In a basket of fruits, if we search we may find a good mango.
Are rituals alone sufficient? Do we not need spiritual knowledge? An enlightened person can achieve anything. His powers are immeasurable. We pray to Lord Venkateswara. What was the reason that He came to earth? He renounced Vaikuntha to come to the earth. He came here out of dispassion. Brahma Jnana is no small matter. Do not distance yourselves from this.
A rare opportunity has come to us to learn of this. We have to stimulate an interest in it.
Rama was teaching those who came seeking him. He was dispersing wisdom. He was giving away all his possessions. Yesterday Appaji commented that the Japanese have least amount of possessions. Wealth creates fear. Rama was generously giving away wealth and gifts. Wealth is dangerous he warned the recipients. During the Yaksha Prasna episode Yudhishthira was asked, what is the most wondrous thing in the world? Yudhishthira had observed the world keenly. He noticed that people see death occurring all around and yet, they think that it will not affect them. To him that was of utmost wonder.
People are in sorrow and yet, they are not developing dispassion. That is so surprising, felt Rama. Fire burns. Once we realize it, we do not touch it again. A knife cuts the skin. We are careful and avoid touching the sharp edge. Rama expresses his wonder to everyone at the ignorance displayed by people.
Rama is a mighty tree in the forest called Raghu vamsa, the lineage of Raghu. The messenger says, I am troubled to see Rama like this. Many elders told Rama, you have to prepare yourself to rule the kingdom in the future.
Rama says, all that appears will vanish. It is not going to stay with us forever. When devotion increases, God’s grace will be obtained. God makes our life’s journey smooth. Jnana increases Bhakti. Which leads to which, of these two, is unimportant for us. We are interested in the fruit. The fruit of this is happiness.
Our world is created by us. All that is seen is transient. Then what is permanent? We must begin to search. Two truths cannot exist. Lawyers will not compromise. The clients have to compromise. How can truth and untruth be mixed? To search for Truth, we must have the urge to seek.
We search and determine what gives us happiness and what gives us sorrow. That is the way of the world. Rama is totally absorbed in an internal search. I am upset to see this in a future prince, says the messenger.
Svetaketu says, my Guru has not mentioned its existence. So it must not exist.
The guard says, Rama is not showing interest even in regular prescribed duties. Niraasa is good – absence of desires. Duraasa – greed is bad. It is born from selfishness. It harms us and others.
Niraaspada – Rama is not experiencing the bliss of resting in his soul. When in deep sleep you find deep rest. But
to experience this deep rest while awake is dhyana/meditation. In sleep all limbs are at rest. Rama is yearning for the soul to be at rest. Rama is neither ignorant, nor is he liberated. He is hanging in the middle. Seeing this state is giving us worry. Rama is at such crossroads.
What does Sadguru do in our lives? The messenger says: Mind is kindness, compassion, noble thoughts. Such is a Maha Manaaha. Sadguru removes delusion from the mind and destroys grief and ignorance. He fills the mind with gentleness and nobility. Sadguru destroys ignorance which is like darkness destroyed by the Sun. Now where is such a Sadguru who can help Rama and get him out of this state? The messenger poses the question.
Vasishtha has his head bent down. He is Rama’s guru. He has been witnessing this transformation in Rama. Viswamitra is sitting there in the audience. He said, bring Rama here. In an instant, I will dissolve his sorrow and give you relief.
Dasaratha became confident at hearing the reassuring words of Viswamitra. Up until now, he was afraid to bring Rama into the public view. How to show him to people in this state? Rama came. He looked around. He greeted the elders. He took his seat along with his two brothers.
Viswamitra asked him what his problem was. Vasishtha also asked Rama. Viswamitra assured Rama that unhesitatingly he can express all his doubts. Rama felt happy. Till now he had not revealed his state to anyone because he felt that no one would understand.
Rama now began to speak: We will continue tomorrow.
Sri Guru Datta