AvadhootaDatta Peetham

Discourse on Yoga Vasishtha
Day 188, November 18 2015

Sri Sadgurubhyo namaha
Om Santissantissantissantihi

Kannada

Change is constant in the world. In spirituality, it is stated that the constantly changing world cannot be Brahma. Brahma is unchanging. He is not subject to changes such as what occur in the body, as birth, growth, decay and so on. How then to justify the world that we see and experience? Only Brahma is Truth. Sri Rama asked a few questions. We learned the answers that he received.

There are enlightened individuals in this world, the Jeevanmuktas, who have experienced Brahma and declare to us their understanding.

The world that we see and experience, does not exist. The non-existent world is compared by them to a barren woman’s son or a forest in the sky which are both absolutely fictitious.

Telugu

We discussed some of the questions and answers from the 11th sarga.

Vasishtha said this world is like a barren woman’s son or a forest in the sky.

Sri Rama said the above can exist in our imagination. Similarly, even the world can exist in our imagination.
What does not or cannot exist will not be discussed about. We must understand the world also as such.
Sri Rama said: The world is directly being experienced by us, unlike the imagined son of a barren woman or a forest in the sky.

Vasishtha said:

verse

When a thing that has nothing that it can be compared with, what simile can we use? Who do you compare Guru with? Guru may be compared with a philosopher’s stone, which turns any base metal into gold. In the presence of Guru, a man comparable to iron will turn into someone like gold. Some disagree with this statement. Why? Guru is different. He turns another person to become like himself. Which is more valuable? A piece of gold or a substance that turns all that it touches into gold? Certainly it is the philosopher’s stone that is more valuable.

‘Karate aap samaana’, they say. Guru is incomparable. Guru can only be compared to Guru. In literature and in poetry they use similes to liken one object with another. Without the use of those, literature loses its charm.
The sky is like the sky. The ocean is like an ocean. It cannot be compared to a lake. The sky cannot be compared to air or earth. Here you cannot say that the world is like the world.

We experience the world. But it is not real. To speak of Guru as the Supreme, there is a benefit. It suggests that you should seek Guru.

But the world can only be compared with a barren woman’s son, the reason being that it does not exist.
What can you compare a forest in the sky to? You cannot say that it is like the Bandipur forest.
Just because the other things exist in your imagination, you cannot say that they exist. A fictitious story is fiction. It is not a true story. Some books declare that the events described therein had actually happened. The Ramayana, Mahabharatam, the Bhagavatam, and Sadguru’s Life History are all facts. They all actually happened. Fictitious situations are created in novels, such as the one where Ravanasura was made the hero in a story, by an author who perhaps was like Ravana himself and wished to glorify him. It is fiction. You cannot compare fact with fiction or vice versa.

Sri Rama was satisfied with the answer.

Vasishtha gave a further scientific explanation. It is a little difficult to follow. But if you are able to grasp his intent, you will be able to appreciate the thought process of Sage Vasishtha.

Yathaa sauvarna katake

Sri Rama, your father is wearing a bracelet. How do you perceive it? Sri Rama said he was seeing it as a bracelet. Vasishtha said he is seeing it as gold. We also have this experience in a certain sense. When you refer to it as a gold bracelet, you are giving value to the gold content in the bracelet.

In the bracelet, Vasishtha is viewing the true substance that it consists of, while Rama is seeing its shape and form.

In this world, I am seeing Brahma. You are seeing the world. If you see it only as Brahma, then the world does not exist. This is the difference in our perspective. To see Brahma in everything that appears in the world is a different view. You see a pillar and then you see Brahma in that pillar. That is not the same as seeing only Brahma. (you are also seeing the pillar).

This is one level lower and is the path of devotion. Jnana is one step above. It should be experienced as nothing exists but Brahma. There is a song composed by Ramadas, ‘Antaa Ramamayam ee jagamantaa ramamayam’. When it says Rama fills the entire world, does it mean that we should see the pillar, and then see Rama inside it? Or should we not see the pillar at all? What do we mean by ‘all’? We separate ourselves from the world and in the world that we see, we say everything is Rama. What is the use of that? We should see Rama inside us also. What is the use of seeing him outside of ourselves? He exists whether or not you perceive him. What is essential is that you should see him in yourself. To see him in yourself, first of all, you cannot see yourself. Only some parts of your body are visible to you. You need a mirror to see your back.

What is all? You must first understand that properly. Swamiji has composed a bhajan: ‘Alloo Rama illoo rama, alloo illoo ellaa kadeyu tumbida rama’. Rama is here, there and everywhere. All is filled with Rama.

The *** is full of water. It means inside the *** only water is there. There is no air.

He, who is everywhere fills everything. Then, other than He, nothing else can exist. If He is everything and He is Truth, nothing that is untrue can exist. Therefore, I see the entire world as being Brahma, said Vasishtha. Similarly, in the bracelet I see only gold.

If you take such a bracelet to a gold merchant, he does not care whether it is a bracelet, necklace, or an ankle chain. He will be only interested in finding out whether it is in fact gold.

Vyaapaari is one who works. We do all kinds of work, except what is most important. The most important thing to do is to see Paramatma everywhere. It is not even work. Generally different types work or any type of work has the feature that it gives less or more happiness or satisfaction, or strain. But this particular activity gives only bliss. It involves no bondage. It makes you absolutely free. You avoid getting yourself bound. Dhyana may be considered work, but Jnana can never be considered as work. It is not Karma. It never give unhappiness. It only gives supreme bliss.

I see only gold in the bracelet. I see no world in Brahma.

If the bracelet in the gold is real, then, when melted, it should not disappear. Think about it, even though on the face of it, it may appear like crazy logic. Sastra is like that. The jewel is not real. It is not permanent. You got the ornament made, yes. But the ornament is not real. Only the gold is real.

What is in Brahma? What is in you? What is in me? What is in Subbaiah? Only his own nature is there. What is in Truth? Only Truth is in Truth. Only Brahma is in Brahma. This is my experience, said Vasishtha.

He wishes to give further examples.

A gold bracelet is an accepted object, as long as you do not call a fake jewel as a gold one. It contains only gold. No one objects to that.

Another example is given. In the sky, there is no separate emptiness. Sky is not created by itself and some void pumped into it. Sky is not void. It gives space for everything to be placed in it. Void does not allow that. Just because in our view space appears to be empty, we say that it is empty, but it really is not. When you are on a flight, when you look down you sometimes see a carpet of clouds. You are surprised because you thought the sky would be empty. If you go up in a rocket, you will see so many planets and stars. You will agree then that space is certainly not empty. Man is attempting to go higher and higher and will find more things. In the light of the sun, during the day, most things in the sky are not visible to us. Hence, we cannot assume that the sky is just free and empty space. In the night, in the dark you do not see anything.

Because we cannot see, we say that the sky is empty. But there is no separate emptiness inside the sky that is different from the sky itself.

The world will not be found inside Brahma. It does not exist inside Him. Brahma consists only of Brahma. Truth consists only of Truth. Truth will not be truth is untruth is mixed in it. Would you drink the water if in a barrel of water you see a mosquito floating? Perhaps some people would drink it. But generally, we will remove the insect or filter the water before consuming it. Even if one extraneous particle falls in it, it will cease to be a pure substance, whatever it may be.

Brahma is absolutely pure Truth. Not even a minute particle of this world resides within Him.

What is wrong in accepting that the world exists? The world is ever changing. Change is modification. How can Brahma be subject to modifications? He cannot be. He has to remain unchanging. What happens during Maha Pralaya? Everything merges and becomes one with Him. What is left thereafter, that can possibly be subject to change? Because He is changeless, it cannot be said that the world exists in Him.

In the path of devotion, at a certain level, we say that He is everywhere in the world. This is at an initial stage of spiritual progress.

Now it has been established that the world cannot be found in Brahma.

If there is a pillar with a door and we enter into the pillar through the door, do we become the pillar? We know that we are the ones who have entered into the pillar (and will remain separate from it). Similarly, if the world were to enter into Brahma, how can it become Brahma?

Brahma is everywhere – is a statement that has to be properly understood. Imperfect understanding is not acceptable to Guru. That is why he explains further.

Verse

Yet another example is given here. We have been told of gold bracelet and the sky. Now, the black paste that is applied in the eye (black eyeliner substance), which used to be a black liquid, but now they make it more solid. It used to be made fresh daily. Now they sell it in containers. It is traditionally jet black. Kajjalam, Kan kappu, or Kaatuka is equated with black color only, not red or any other color like lipstick.

An ice cube cannot be separated from cold temperature. Some fake look-alike objects are different. This picture of Mount Kailas is not cold, because it is only a picture. But in the Himalayas it is very cold.

Brahma is Truth and nothing else.

Verse

There is no separate world as an entity inside Brahma.

Verse

Another example is the moon. Cold and the moon are inseparable. Himalayas and cold climate are inseparable.
There is nothing separate that is in existence other than Brahma.

This statement, if merely verbalized, it does not give us the complete knowledge.

Brahma is unchanging. Creation’s attribute itself is change. Mysuru city has changed. The hills and rivers have changed. Change is constant in this world. But can Brahma go through changes? Can he love us one day and hate us the next? No. If there is nothing besides Brahma, and if Brahma is unchanging, what is this changing world? He alone is Truth.

He and she are not proper usages here. Brahma is Truth. That is all. Brahma is neither male, female nor neuter gender. Even the Upanishads cannot describe Him. How can we? For purposes of communication we use the word He. But do not wonder whether Brahma is a He or a She. He is neither. Avoid such confusions. In the Sanskrit language, Brahmaa with a long ending vowel, refers to the Creator, the four-faced Brahma. Here we are speaking of Parambrahma, the Ultimate Entity. The last vowel here should be short. Parambrahma is correct. Parabrahma is also incorrect. In Sanskrit language it is neither a he nor a she. We are limited by the usage of the language.
Parambrahma transcends all.

Even great pundits struggle to explain this concept. But in the Yoga Vasishtha, it has been stated very clearly, and has been explained with ease. That is the specialty of this work. Elaborate discussions take place to explain this point in scholarly circles.

To get sweet jaggery, a long process takes place. The ground is ploughed, the saplings are sown, and the sugarcane is harvested. There will be serpents in the area. The juice is extracted, and processed.

Here the final result is handed to us without much difficulty. To study this work with all the commentaries, will take a year.

Another example also is given.

If Brahma alone is true, then what about this world with all its goings on? What we perceive is not real. We know that. If we believe it to be real, who or what is responsible for it? We are responsible, our ego and our ignorance are responsible. All that we see with our eyes cannot be relied upon as being truth.

A mirage, a flowing river that appears but does not exist is another example. In a hot, dry desert region these are seen from a distance. But there is nothing there. You cannot fill a *** of water from there.

When there is a problem with one’s vision, one may see doubles. But do the dual objects really exist? Are there two moons? No.

Naastye

Although this world is being experienced by you, the world does not exist even for namesake in Brahma.

There is no confusion here. But our mind clings to what it favors. It creates a tendency, a belief that what it believes is true. It puts a coating on itself and lives by it. This is a science relating to the mind. It likes to believe that everything is Brahma, but refuses to accept that the world does not exist in Brahma. Why? The mind does not like to accept that. If Sadguru is everything, he alone should exist. When one reaches that level, it is the ultimate stage of devotion. Meera saw Krishna in everything, including in pots and dirty utensils. She transcended all perceptions of difference. She would jump as readily into a river as into fire. To one in such a state, all that exists is Brahma. It makes no difference to such a one, whether you say that there is nothing other than Brahma, or that there is no world existing inside Brahma. When He alone exists, there is no need to do mathematical calculations of plus and minus. Only Bliss exists. That is what is being handed to us. The world has absolutely no existence.

Aadau

A previously explained concept is reiterated. We are reminded of a previous conclusion.

May all of you experience the ultimate bliss.

Jaya Guru Datta
Sri Guru Datta

Om Santissantissantihi