AvadhootaDatta Peetham

Discourse on Yoga Vasishtha

Day 157, June 26

Sri Sadgurubhyo namaha
Om Santissantissantihi

There is nothing more important than Bhakti/devotion in this world. Why is it so important?

Mokshasaadhana saamagryaam bhaktireva gareeyasee

Of all the means leading to Jnana, Bhakti is the greatest. It has been declared thus. Why? That *** has created this world, and that we are all a part of that creation, is our belief or feeling from the beginning. That is how initially our thinking began: *** is greater than us. Unless we praise Him, and understand His principle, we cannot obtain Jnana, we cannot realize Truth. Through Him we attain Jnana; through His help our sorrows are removed; because of His grace our diseases get cured, our problems get resolved; due to His compassion we enjoy comforts and pleasures.

Whatever we think, that we become. That conviction was with us at the very beginning. Therefore, it is not possible for any atheist to exist in this world. No one remain forever as an atheist.

One must learn the divine principle, the knowledge about Truth from the Vedas, and experience that 'I am Brahman' - Aham Brahmaasmi. Some have thought this way.

That is why the three stages we have mentioned: animal, human, and divine, exist in men. We all need the grace of *** to progress on this path of higher evolution. Therefore, other than bhakti, there is no other means. By abusing and blaming ***, and denying His existence, if one goes to the Vedas, it will not serve any purpose.

That is why, what Vasishtha does is, he explains to us the state of that divinity. He explains to us who Chaturmukha (four-faced) Brahma is. How should we understand Him? He is Mind. Do you not believe that you possess a mind? In the form of Mind He exists. In the form of intentions, He exists. Understand Him to be consisting of nothing but mind substance. Why?

To grasp the essence of what Brahma is, we must first understand the concept of mind. From there we may proceed towards Paramatma and Jnana. He is none other than Mind. Whose mind? His mind and your mind. The collective mind of all of us has become Brahma. We ourselves collectively have established a certain system. We cannot transgress it.
*** does not declare that He is great. We have given Him that exalted place. Now we cannot reduce His status and make Him small.

Even if it is you, yourself, who has planted a poisonous plant, still, you cannot eat it.

You have established a status called ***. Now how can you deny it? Therefore, devotion is indispensable. Devotion means faith, commitment, sincerity, dedication. Brahma is considered as the foremost Creator. But He does not engage in actions. It is we, who create this world using the mind.

Devotion is very important. Without devotion, you cannot get Jnana. Brahma does not create. We create with our mind. Only Soul is true. All else is unreal. The fabricated world constituting the five elements is all only a make-believe world. This Creation is false. Brahma alone is Truth. Both concepts are very important and powerful.

Sometimes it is stressed that the world is unreal. At other times it is stressed that Brahma alone is real.

What is Mind? Brahma. What is world? Mind. What remains? Only Brahma. Brahma alone is real. The world is only mind-stuff, with no substantial existence.

The second day's Upadesa by Vasishtha concludes thus. It is said that his Upadesa continued for seven days. To complete the study of the instruction given by him in two days, it took us ten months, starting from the beginning of last year's Chaturmasya, till today we have continued.

10 months were required to come to this stage in this teaching.

Then people in the assembly got up at evening twilight to do their sandhya vandana. How the environment was at that time, is described. The bird songs are mentioned. The Sun proceeded to light up other worlds. Everyone retired for the night. The next day the people reassembled in the court of King Dasaratha.

Sri Rama asked Vasishtha: What is Mind?

Yesterday we spoke about the principle of Brahma with four faces. Has Brahma created the world? If in fact, Brahma had created this world, this world must be real. We cannot have two realities.

We cannot say that both truth and falsehood are correct and coexisting. We have to determine with certainty what is real and what is not real.

It is our assumption that Brahma has created the world to protect Dharma and to help us follow its path. Sometimes we fail to follow Dharma. Unless we have the fear that a higher power is controlling us, we do not adhere to Dharma. Veda has prescribed a certain system or path for us all to follow. Hence, we tread that path. Not everyone in the world is capable of attaining Jnana at the same time. Only some can. The others who are following the path of devotion require a certain regulator. That is why the concept of Yama is created. He is depicted as wielding the Yama Danda, the staff of justice and he enforces just and proper behavior by meting out punishment to the wrong doers.

The path of devotion creates a creator and we follow the rules stipulated by Him. In the ashrama, we follow the rules set up by Swamiji. Otherwise, there will not be law and order. Therefore, we have set up the system of a creator, a controller.

Based on that premise that the world has been created by a higher source, our assumption follows that the world is real. It is understood (falsely) that the world came into being constructed from a certain already existing substance.

The explanation begins with how the original Creation was commenced. Many teachings are given about Brahma. Brahma is just mind. He has no physical body constituting of the five elements. We should not ascribe to Him such a body. If we do so, it is our foolishness. His body is most subtle with no physical element in it at all. He has no form. He is only Pure Consciousness. He has been called Akasaja, one born out of space. What does that mean? He is only space. We, who are born from Him, then, we are also only space. If four-faced Brahma is Paramatma, we, who are born from Him are also Paramatma. We are breaking Him up into fragments and giving Him different names and forms as Siva, Vishnu, Mother Goddess and so on. We are creating confusion and trouble for ourselves. Who is the cause for this? It is we.

Are there really 1000 Mother Goddesses, just because we address Her by so many names? Are there so many Vishnus because we call Him by a thousand names?

There is only one Pure Consciousness. Just because you have given so many names, there are not that many entities as gods and goddesses. The same Pure Consciousness is addressed by us through a thousand description names. This we do for our convenience.

We create something with a good intention. We create different countries for convenience because the earth is so huge. We do this for feasibility and for maintaining peace. What is the point in getting into battles with one another? We fight over Siva and Vishnu, and the other names of *** which we have created. The Pure Consciousness is one and one alone, one mountain. It does not get fragmented and differentiated.

The entire sacred hill is holy. You cannot spoil the soil of any part of the hill, be it Chamundi Hill, Srisailam, or Tirumala.

Can you treat only the sanctum sanctorum as ***'s home, and keep all the surroundings unclean? No. Although in your mind you have separated yourself from the four-faced Brahma, He has not separated Himself from you.

The fault lies with us when we differentiate. We cause ourselves harm by doing this. In the path of devotion, we should not create troubles. There is only one. It is Supreme. You call it by different names and you create troubles. You should be aware whether your creations are causing harm or benefit to others. While on the path of devotion, we should not be causing harm to others. Then it is not devotion.

If you insist that only Krishna, or only Datta is great, because of your devotion to that particular form or name, it will be very wrong. You cannot insist that only Ganapati is great. He himself will not endorse your idea. By doing this, you are imposing limits on the Paramatma, who is immeasurable and unlimited. If your mind gets steadied on a particular form, you may follow it, but do not impose your ideas upon others and enforce them to follow.

Only one Pure Consciousness exists. We have to correct the way we speak. Whatever comes from the source, will have to be of the same substance as the sources. Akasaja has no cause. You have come from Him. You are the same as all your ancestors and all your forefathers. You cannot reject one of them and his influence upon your genes.

This is an important subject. The world is only of the substance of the mind. Without mind, there is no world. When mind is Brahma, only Brahma exists, as Truth. Vasishtha has established this point by gathering all the different facts from different Sastras. He has made it easy for us to understand.

If you get stuck at this point, you cannot extricate yourself from certain Sastras. Some analyses become very elaborate and convoluted, and you tend to get caught in a maze. One has to be very careful, in the analytical discussions about Mind, Brahma, world and so forth. The questions will become endless.
Very easily a path has been created for us to get across this thick jungle.

ajasya ..

What has been taught thus far? The gist is given.
The grandfather is called thatha in our vernacular. But in Sanskrit, thatha is actually father. The Telugu word is derived from Sanskrit.

That is what is explained here. In Kannada, Ajja is a more common word for grandfather. Ajja is derived from Ajaha, the Chaturmukha Brahma, the four-faced Brahma who has no birth. There is no difference between father and son, or father and grandfather.

There are no karmas for Chaturmukha Brahma. He has no cause for His existence. He is the root cause for all.
Even for us, who have emerged from Him, there is no cause for our existence.

How can that be, we argue. You should remember that you are not the body. Your address, your family name, relatives, status and position are not you. You have to travel inward. Then you will receive your answers. You leave everything aside, as if you are peeling away all layers, including the mind.

As you proceed deeper and deeper, that which is left, that is you. Focus on that entity and merge into that.
This entire creation, let us assume for the time being, that Brahma, the creator has created. Brahma is Paramatma. Brahma alone exists. If you accept that the world is Brahma, still, He alone exists.

kaaranaat

There is absolutely not even a trace of cause and consequence. No relationship exists whatsoever between cause and effect, between action and consequence. It is all your own delusion. What you see in dreams is all your own creation. It is all falsely fabricated. There are no causes behind them. The city you see in a dream is only caused by your falling asleep. No other reason exists.

Okay, even if you insist that Brahma is the cause of this creation, then, If Brahma is pure, you have to also be as pure as He.

It is not like taking a bath to refresh yourself after becoming soiled or sweaty. you are ever perfectly pure.
Even the weather is similar to the subject matter being discussed. It is raining outside. It is raining nectar here for us from the teaching of Sage Vasishtha. Just as rain causes joy, this rain of wisdom gives joy to our hearts.
The cause is pure. Therefore, the consequence also has to be as pure. You, who have come from the pure entity are also as pure.

Cause and result concept is completely wiped out here. To accept that as true, in this context is very wrong.
All the three worlds are exactly the same as Parabrahma. They are all just as pure.

Some people are attracted by certain words. It is based on where you left off in your past life. As your Samskara grows, you graduate to another concept and you proceed further. What you were associated with in your past life will appeal to you now.

Sadguru therefore, teaches in countless different ways so that everyone gets benefited. Upanishads give many great statements. Not every listener or seeker is at the same level of spiritual understanding.

The visible world is all absolutely pure. We question: what is this world?

yaadrgeva Parambrahma taadrgeva jagatrayam ... is a Maha Vakya. Just repeating it is very beneficial. What I see as the Supreme Soul, is the same as the three worlds.

Hanuman Chalisa we are chanting constantly. But we are forgetting the meaning in the speed at which we chant it. Yet, we gain benefit. The sound itself is powerful.

All the three worlds are Paramatma and nothing else. Only He remains and everything else vanishes from sight.

When one's mind is filled with love, you overlook all faults. Ordinary people see dirt and grime there when they visit some temples. But the devotee sees only ***. He does not notice the imperfections. He only sees the Murti/image of ***.

manastaam

This is one way to proceed, to see the worlds as none other than Parmatma who is nothing but the Mind.
Brahma who is Mind itself, because of Him, this world has expanded. This world is Brahma. Mind has fabricated this world.

ananya

This world is not different from the Soul. It is the same as Paramatma. Chaitanya, Jnana is Paramatma. What you are witnessing, the universe made of the five elements, is an illusion, Maya. What you have to see is Paramatma.
When you see doshas/flaws in the world, vairagya/dispassion comes to you. You should be practicing it constantly, without any interruption.

Some like this next statement that the world is not different from Brahma, instead of saying that it is all Maya, an illusion. Different statements appeal to different persons, based on their level of spiritual progress.

manase

It is fine to call the three worlds as Brahma. But Mind shows the unreal as real. It has that nature. We see shapes in the sky that do not exist.

I leave it to you to figure this out. Just as you build castles in the air, the mind has the tendency to create things out of nothing. It shows what is untrue as if it is true.

aadi bhoutika

You see a rope and scream, "snake, snake". Once the light is switched on, you exclaim, "The snake has gone." Only rope has always existed. The snake was only in your mind. It never existed in the first place. To say that this is only rope and has always been only rope, is Jnana. To say, after turning on the light, that this is not a snake, is not correct.

You do not say, they are not bad people. Just say they are good. If you express a doubt, that means you are not certain about their good nature.

We all have experienced that we mistake one thing for another.
As there never existed a snake inside the rope, this world does not exist, except in your own mind. This is a very great example. But there are many such examples. We have all experienced this. Where we should see Brahma, we instead, see the non-existent world.

A piece of paper will not be accepted as a bill of value in a bank, just because you believe that it is money.
Brahma and other gods (created by the mind) are Jnana incarnate. There is no trace of the five elements in them. Their form is most subtle. There is no aspect of anything physical in them.

aativaahika

Go even more deeply into the nature of the form of Brahma. It transcends even a subtle form. Brahma does not even think that He exists. You give him an existence. It is you, who thinks that He exists. For the purpose of our interaction, we create and imagine for Him a form.

We create this gross body for our interactions. When even a subtle form is absent, how can there be any gross form? The question does not even arise.

Mind is Brahma. Brahma is Mind, which has the capacity to create the delusion as if the world is real, for those who are ignorant. Knowing that a dream is unreal, still there are those, who give credence to dreams. What can you say? Ignorance alone is responsible for everything.

manaseva virinchitvam

Brahma alone is mind. It sounds as if the teaching is repetitive. It is because we keep sliding down in our understanding.

virincho

Brahma is Mind. Mind is Brahma.

prithvi

No earthly element exists in Him. Actually all those elements such as earth are made up and illusory. They have no real existence.

If all beings emerged from Brahma, it means that all beings are none other than Brahma.

Four-faced Brahma who emerged from the navel of Vishnu represents all beings. He was in a lotus. He looked around. He searched for His source. He could not see the source of the lotus. He searched. He descended, holding the lotus stalk. It took Him eons to descend and still He could not see the beginning of the stalk. He could neither go up nor down. Then He prayed. O Lord, show me where my source is. He was exhausted, going down. He had no energy or hope of climbing up again because He did not know where the end was. As an answer to His prayer, the word with two syllables: Tapa, was heard.

There are three types of Tapas, penance. Sit in Padmasana. Do not move. Chant a mantra. This is one type. It is beyond the capacity of most, to do this type of penance.

second type: Attaining Jnana itself is tapas. Penance. It requires reaching a certain level of understanding in spirituality.

Enquire. Knowing itself is penance. Every karma you perform is penance. As long as you are constantly pondering on the source, that is dhyana.

Brahma remained where He was and did penance.

Some say that He remained at the same place; some say, He climbed up again, some say He went down, in different Puranas we see different interpretations.

Brahma symbolizes all beings. We are all searching for Narayana. We are all Brahmas. A mirror fell and broke to pieces. You see countless reflections of yourself in each of the pieces of the broken mirror. That is how we should see ourselves in all the beings around us.

Padmakshe

How this situation is, has to be understood. In the seed of the lotus is hidden a lotus. The entire world is hidden in the heart or the inner core of the mind. There is nothing separate from the mind. The vision and the scene are all in the mind. Remove the mind, to experience Truth.

To remove the unreal is the way to see the real. Surrender the mind to ***. We pray like that in the path of devotion. In Sivananda Lahari, that is the prayer. That is the devotional path.

What we see, and the sight itself, have to be given up.

We will continue tomorrow.

Now there is abhishekam to Sri Datta Venkateswara Swami. During Adhika Masa, it is very important to have darshan of the abhishekam. Everyone please attend.

Jaya Guru Datta
Sri Guru Datta

Om Santissantissantihi