The Concise Yoga Vasishta

[amanpeter 0]

> From The Concise Yoga Vasishtha:

>

> "That Self is empty like space; but it is not nothingness,

since it

> is consciousness. It is: yet because it cannot be experienced

by the

> mind and senses, it is not. It being the Self of all, it is

not

> experienced (as the object of experience) by anyone. Though

one, it

> is reflected in the infinite atoms of existence and hence

appears to

> be many. This appearance is however unreal... But the self is

not

> unreal. It is not a void or nothingness: for it is the Self

of all...

>

> That Self or infinite consciousness is, from the ordinary

point of

> view, the creator, the protector and the overlord of all; and

yet

> from the absolute point of view, in reality, being the Self

of all,

> it has no such limited roles." (p. 101-102)

>

> "It does nothing, yet It has fashioned the universe.

Sustaining the

> entire universe, It does nothing at all. All substances are

non-

> different from It, yet It is not a substance; though It is

non-

> substantial It pervades all substances. The cosmos is It's

body, yet

> it has no body... that infinite consciousness is and is not.

It is

> even what it is not. All these statements about what is and

what is

> not are based on logic, and the infinite consciousness goes

beyond

> truth, beyond logic." (p. 377-378)

>

> "In my vision, It is pure and supreme peace. In this there

are

> infinite potentialities like figures in an uncut marble. Thus

the

> supreme self is at the same time diverse and non-diverse. It

is when

> you do not have direct self-knowledge that there arises in

you doubt

> concerning this." (p. 540)

>

> "The whole universe is filled with this infinite and

undivided

> consciousness." (p. 494)

>

> "Even as in a collection of a thousand pots there is space

within and

> outside of all the pots, undivided and indivisible, even so

the self

> exists pervading all beings in the three worlds." (p. 400)

>

> "Because the substratum (the infinite consciousness) is real,

all

> that is based on it acquires reality, though the reality is

of the

> substratum alone... To me you are real, and to you I am real;

even so

> the others are real to you or to me. And, this relative

reality is

> like the reality of dream-objects." (p. 71)

>

> "He sees the truth who sees that he is the omnipresent

infinite

> consciousness which encompasses within itself all that takes

place

> everywhere at all times. He sees the truth who knows that the

Self,

> which is as subtle as the millionth part of the tip of a hair

divided

> a million times, pervades everything. He sees the truth who

sees that

> there is no division at all between the self and the other,

and that

> the one infinite light of consciousness exists as the sole

reality.

> He sees the truth who sees that the non-dual consciousness

which

> indwells all beings is omnipotent and omnipresent." (p. 163)

>

> "Spreading the net of worldly objects of pleasure, it is this

egotism

> that traps living beings. Indeed, all the terrible calamities

in this

> world are born of egotism... When I am under the influence of

> egotism, I am unhappy; when I am free from egotism I am

happy.

> Egotism promotes cravings; without it they perish." (p. 10)

>

> "Regard your body and senses as instruments for experiencing,

not as

> Self." (p. 474)

>

> "The self is neither this nor that; it transcends whatever is

the

> object of experiencing here. In the unlimited and

unconditioned

> vision ... all this is but the one Self, the infinite

consciousness,

> and there is nothing which can be regarded as the not-Self.

The

> substantiality of all substance is none other than the Self

or the

> infinite consciousness." (p. 295)

>

> "Consciousness becomes embodied though it is truly like

space,

> incapable of being contained." (p. 561)

>

> "O Rama, you are not born when the body is born, nor do you

die when

> it dies. To think that the space within the jar came into

being when

> it was made and the space perishes with the jar is sheer

> foolishness..." (p. 294)

>

> "... when the inner light, kindled by a proper study of the

> scriptures and inquiry into their truth, illumines both

knowledge and

> the experience of it, their total identity is realized. This

inner

> light itself is regarded as self-knowledge by the holy ones:

and the

> experience of it is an integral part of self-knowledge and

non-

> different from it. He who has self-knowledge is for ever

immersed in

> the experience of it." (p. 321)

>

> "... abandon the false and fanciful notion of the ego-sense

within

> your own heart. When this ego-sense is dispelled the supreme

light of

> self-knowledge will surely shine in your heart." (p. 211)

>

> "He who sees the Lord, the sun, in one's heart, sees the

truth." (p.

> 357)

>

>

> Rama: "Lord, what is the heart that is spoken of by you?"

>

> Guru Vasishtha: "O Rama, two aspects of the "heart" are

spoken of

> here: one is acceptable and the other is to be ignored. The

heart

> that is part of this physical body and is located in one part

of the

> body may be ignored! The heart which is acceptable is of the

nature

> of pure consciousness. It is both inside and outside and it

is

> neither inside nor outside. This is the principal heart and

in it is

> reflected everything which is in the universe, and it is the

treasure-

> house of all wealth. Consciousness alone is the heart of all

beings,

> not the piece of flesh which people call the heart!" (p. 302)

>

> "He who sees the universe, without the intervention of the

mind and

> therefore without the notion of a universe, he alone sees the

truth.

> Such a vision is known as nirvana." (p. 455-456)

>

>

> "Liberation is but a synonym for pure mind, correct self-

knowledge

> and a truly awakened state. The complete absence of all

desires and

> hopes is liberation. Until one reaches this true inner

awakening or

> self-knowledge, one considers oneself bound and strives for

> liberation. Abandon these wrong notions of bondage and

liberation and

> become a man of supreme renunciation." (p. 296)

>

> "The knowers of truth rest in the infinite consciousness

alone: but

> that is indescribable and indefinable. Even expressions

like "that

> alone is" are inadequate and misleading... For one who rests

in his

> own Self and rejoices in the Self, in whom cravings have

ceased and

> egosense is absent, life becomes non-volitional and there is

perfect

> purity. One in millions, however, is able to reach this

unconditioned

> state of pure being." (p. 705)

>

> "Liberation is to realize that all this is pure

consciousness." (p.

> 61)

>

> "The enlightened one lives a non-volitional life engaging

himself

> spontaneously in appropriate action... He lives for the sake

of

> others, with a heart full of compassion for all beings." (p.

597-598)

>

> "The enlightened sage lives in a state of realization of the

truth

> even while he engages himself in diverse activities. In

diversity he

> experiences unity; he rejoices even in unpleasant situations.

Though

> he lives in the world he is really not in it. What more does

an

> enlightened person have to gain? Just as ice is ever cool,

the sage

> lives a natural life, doing what is natural to him, without

aspiring

> {to} or abandoning anything. The characteristic of the

ignorant man

> is that he strives to be other than what he is." (p. 671)

>

> "He is silent in useless arguments, he is deaf to useless

talk, he is

> a corpse in relation to unrighteous actions, he is very much

alive in

> righteous actions, he is brilliant in exposing what is

auspicious and

> in a moment he reveals the greatest truth. All this is

natural to the

> wise man. He does not have to strive to acquire these

qualities." (p.

> 669)

>

> "As long as there is the body, so long shall pain be painful,

and

> pleasure pleasant: but the wise are not attached to either."

(p. 155)