Yoga Vasishta Ramayana for Moksha Seekers

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Vasishta Maha Ramayana or Yoga Vasishta is the most ancient work in Sanskrit on

the Vedic Principle. This monumental work is definitely one without a second in

Sanskrit literature. Sage Vasishta, is teaching principles of Vedanta to his

royal pupil, Sri Rama, the conqueror of Ravana and hero of the ancient epic,

Ramayana. He talks through beautiful and interesting stories to illustrate the

principles. The book is written in the language of Valmiki.

 

It is undoubtedly, the crest-jewel of all the works on Vedanta. A study of the

book raises a man to the lofty heights of divine splendor and bliss. It is

really a vast storehouse of wisdom. Those who are bent to the ways of knowledge

and not worship will find a priceless treasure in this marvelous book. He who

studies the book with great interest and one-pointedness of mind cannot go

without attaining Self-Realization. The practical hints on yoga and breath

control are unique. Even the most worldly-minded man will become dispassionate

and will attain peace of mind, solace and consolation.

 

The Yoga Vasishtha was once one of the most widely read books in India. It

greatly influenced the general philosophical thought. The late Pundit Brindawana

Saraswati of Benares had read the Yoga Vasishtha one hundred and sixty-five

times. It is a comprehensive, deep, systematic and literary philosophical work

of ancient India. The name is derived from the sage Vasishta. Though the book is

called Yoga Vasishtha, it treats of Jnana only. Practical Yoga is dealt with in

two stories. The word " Yoga " is used in the title of this work in its generic

sense. It is known by the name Jnana Vasishtham also. Rishi Valmiki, the author

of the Ramayana, compiled this remarkable book. He related the whole of Yoga

Vasishta to Rishi Bharadwaja as it passed between Sri Rama and sage Vasishta.

 

There are two books, namely, the Brihat Yoga Vasishtha and the Laghu Yoga

Vasishtha. The former is a big book containing 32,000 Granthas or Slokas or

64,000 lines. " Brihat " means big. The latter book contains 6,000 Granthas.

" Laghu " means small. The Yoga Vasishtha contains a system of ancient

philosophical thought unique in its kind. This is a valuable heritage from the

hoary past of this sacred land known as Bharatavarsha or Aryavarta. The system

of thought that is presented in this book is a highly valuable contribution not

only to Indian philosophical thought but also to the philosophical thought of

the world at large.

 

Those whose minds are turned from this world, who have become indifferent

towards the objects of this world and who are thirsting for liberation, will be

really benefited by a study of this precious book. They will find in this book a

vast mine of knowledge and practical spiritual instructions for guidance in

their daily life. The Yoga Vasishtha first enunciates a doctrine in its various

aspects and then makes it very lucid through interesting stories. This is a book

for constant study as many times as possible. It must be read and re-read,

studied and mastered. The Yoga Vasishta deals with the subject of effecting

union of the individual soul with the Supreme Soul amidst all the trials and

tribulations of life. It prescribes various directions for the union of the

Jivatman and Paramatman.The nature of Brahman or Sat and the various methods of

attaining Self-realization are vividly described in this book. The main enquiry

regarding the final beatitude or summum bonum is beautifully dealt with. This

book embodies in itself the science of ontology, the knowledge of the Self, the

principles of psychology, the science of emotions, the tenets of ethics and

practical morality, discourses on theology, etc. The philosophy of Yoga

Vasishtha is sublime.

The book consists of six Prakaranas or sections, namely: 1. Vairagya Prakarana

(on dispassion or indifference); 2. Mumukshu Prakarana (on longing for

liberation) 3. Utpatti Prakarana (on creation or origin); 4. Sthiti Prakarana

(on preservation or existence); 5. Upasanti Prakarana (on dissolution or

quiescence); and 6. Nirvana Prakarana (on liberation). According to Yoga

Vasishta, this world of experience with various objects, time, space and laws,

is a creation of the mind, that is, an idea or Kalpana. Just as objects are

created by the mind in dream, so also everything is created by the mind in the

waking state also. Expansion of the mind is Sankalpa. Sankalpa, through its

power of differentiation, generates this universe. Time and space are only

mental creations. Through the play of the mind in objects, nearness seems to be

a great distance and vice versa. Through the force of the mind, a Kalpa is

regarded as a moment and vice versa. A moment of waking experience may be

experienced as years in dream. The mind can have the experience of miles within

a short span and miles can also be experienced as a span only. Mind is not

anything different and separate from Brahman. Brahman manifests Himself as mind.

Mind is endowed with creative power. Mind is the cause of bondage and

liberation.

 

The doctrine of Drishti-Srishtivada is expounded in the Yoga Vasishtha. In some

places Vasishtha speaks of the Ajativada of Sri Gaudapadacharya, the great Guru

of Sri Sankara. You begin to see and then there is creation. This is

Drishti-Srishtivada. This world does not exist at all in the three periods of

time. This is Ajativada or non-origin of the universe.

 

This is a most inspiring book. Every student of Vedanta should keep this book

for constant study. It is a constant companion for a student on the path of

Jnana Yoga. It is not a Prakriya Grantha; it does not deal with the Prakriyas or

categories of Vedanta. Only advanced students can take up this book for their

study. Beginners should first study the Atma Bodha, Tattwa Bodha and Atmanatma

Viveka of Sri Sankara, and the Pancheekaran before they take up the study of

Yoga Vasishta.

 

Moksha, according to Yoga Vasishtha, is the attainment of the essence of the

bliss of Brahman through knowledge of the Self. It is freedom from births and

deaths. It is the immaculate and imperishable seat of Brahman wherein there are

neither Sankalpas nor Vasanas. The mind attains its quiescence here. All the

pleasures of the whole world are a mere drop when compared to the infinite bliss

of Moksha.

 

That which is called Moksha is neither in Devaloka nor in Patala nor on earth.

When all desires are destroyed, the extinction of the expansive mind alone is

Moksha. Moksha has neither space nor time in itself; nor is there in it any

state external or internal. If the illusory idea of " I " or Ahamkara perishes,

the end of thoughts (which is Maya) is experienced, and that is Moksha.

Extinction of all Vasanas constitutes Moksha. Sankalpa is only Samsara; its

annihilation is Moksha. It is only Sankalpa destroyed beyond resurrection that

constitutes the immaculate Brahmic seat or Moksha. Moksha is freedom from all

sorts of pains (Sarva-Duhkha Nivritti) and the attainment of supreme bliss

(Paramananda Prapti). " Duhkha " means pain or suffering. Births and deaths

generate the greatest pain. Freedom from births and deaths is freedom from all

sorts of pain. Brahma Jnana or knowledge of the Self alone will give Moksha. The

quiescence produced in the mind by the absence of desires for objects is Moksha.

 

Moksha is not a thing to be achieved. It is already there. You are in reality

not bound. You are ever pure and free. If you were really bound you could never

become free. You have to know that you are the immortal, all-pervading Self. To

know that, is to become That. This is Moksha. This is the goal of life. This is

the summum bonum of existence. That state of non-attraction of the mind, when

neither " I " nor any other self exists for it, and when it abandons the pleasures

of the world, should be known as the path that leads to Moksha. The Absolute,

according to the Yoga Vasishta, is Satchidananda Para Brahman, who is non-dual,

partless, infinite, self-luminous, changeless and eternal. He is the ultimate

substance. He is the unity behind the subject and the object of experience. He

is one homogeneous essence. He is all pervading. He is beyond description. He is

nameless, colourless, odourless, tasteless, timeless, spaceless, deathless and

birthless.

 

He whose mind is calm, who is endowed with the " Four Means " of salvation, who

is free from defects and impurities can realize the Self intuitively through

meditation. The scriptures and the, spiritual preceptor cannot show us Brahman.

They can only guide us and give us a hint by way of analogies and illustrations.

Shanti (quiescence of mind), Santosha (contentment), Satsanga (association with

sages) and Vichara (Atmic enquiry) are the four sentinels who guard the gates of

Moksha. If you make friendship with them, you will easily enter the kingdom of

Moksha. Even if you keep company with one of them, he will surely introduce you

to his other three companions.

 

The student should have an unshakable conviction that Brahman is the only

Reality, that everything is Brahman, that Brahman is the very Self of all

beings. Then he should realize this truth through direct cognition or intuition

(Aparokshanubhava). This direct knowledge of Brahman alone is the means of

liberation.

 

There is no difference between the waking and dream experiences. The waking

state is a long dream. The dream experiences become unreal as soon as man comes

back to his waking state. Even so, the waking state becomes unreal for a sage

who has attained Self-realisation. For the man who dreams, the waking state

becomes unreal.

 

If you attain knowledge of the Self or Brahma Jnana, you will be freed from

the trammels of births and deaths. All your doubts will vanish and all Karmas

will perish. It is through one’s own efforts alone that the immortal, all

blissful Brahmic seat can be obtained.

 

The slayer of the Atman is only the mind. The form of the mind is only

Sankalpas. The true nature of the mind consists in the Vasanas. The actions of

the mind alone are truly termed actions (Karmas). The universe is nothing but

the mind manifesting as such through the power of Brahman. The mind

contemplating on the body becomes the body itself and then, enmeshed in it, is

afflicted by it.

 

The mind manifests itself as the external world in the shape of pains or

pleasures. The mind subjectively is consciousness. Objectively, it is this

universe. By its enemy, discrimination, the mind is rendered to the quiescent

state of Para Brahman. The real bliss is that which arises when the mind,

divested of all desires through the eternal Jnana, destroys its subtle form. The

Sankalpas and Vasanas which you generate, enmesh you as in a net. The self-light

of Para Brahman alone is appearing as the mind or this universe. Persons without

Atmic enquiry will see as real this world, which is nothing but of the nature of

Sankalpas. The expansion of this mind alone is Sankalpa. Sankalpa, through its

power of differentiation, generates this universe. Extinction of Sankalpas alone

is Moksha.

 

The enemy of the Atman is this impure mind only which is filled with excessive

delusion and hosts of worldly thoughts. There is no vessel on this earth to wade

through the ocean of rebirths other than mastery of the antagonistic mind. The

original sprout of the painful Ahamkara, with its tender stem of rebirths, at

length ramifies itself everywhere with its long branches of " mine " and " thine "

and yields its unripe fruits of death, disease, old age and sorrows. This tree

can be destroyed to its root only by the fire of Jnana. All the heterogeneous

visibles, perceived through the organ of sense, are only unreal; that which is

real is Para Brahman or the Supreme Soul.

 

If all objects which have an enchanting appearance become eyesores and present

the very reverse of the former feelings, then the mind is destroyed. All your

properties are useless. All wealth lands you in dangers. Freedom from desires

will take you to the eternal, blissful abode. Destroy Vasanas and Sankalpas.

Kill egoism. Annihilate this mind. Equip yourself with the " Four Means " .

Meditate on the pure, immortal, all-pervading Self or Atman. Get knowledge of

the Self and attain immortality, everlasting peace, eternal bliss, freedom and

perfection.

 

Source Reference: DivineLifeSociety

 

http://www.divineaim.org/yogavasishta.htm