WHO AM I?
(Yoga Vasistha)
By Sri Swami Shyamendra
Paramahansa Maharaj
( Continued..)
"Hearing this I have
come here all the way running down really, please make
me a Realized soul,
kindly!"
"Holy Sire,"
Prince Rama said to the sage. "Please ask this Kundadanta, has
he become realized
now?"
Sage Vasistha
compassionately looked at the restless young man who was
sitting there in his utter
desperateness. Sage came closer and looked into his
eyes. His grace pierced,
mercy entered, his generosity imbibed deep into him, and
spoke aloud--
"Oh my, thank you,
thank you my lord, as like innumerable mirrors my own
face reflects in every
dust particle I see a whole series of universes. I myself am
appearing in and
throughout the diversity of creation. By the light of your words
darkness of my ignorance
has been wiped out. I am atma, pure, crystal clear,
infinite bliss I am and I
am all this entirety. World is in one ray of my experience
and I have innumerable
such rays. But withdrawing them all introducing them all
in my atma I am entering
into my Self. I am Bramha, aham Bramhasmi.
"Dear Prince,"
Kundadanta has found rest
in himself now. The entire world has now become to
him as hastamalakavat --
as myrabalan placed on one's palm. There are no two
just one. Nature of which
is cosmic-void. In dream you see a mountain that is
neither true nor not true,
same way world is beyond truth and nontruth. Light of
gem is there, same way
light of atma is the world. Waves are there in the ocean
world is here in the atma.
Visible only through lethargy of one's nature. As long
as it goes on there is no
end of the world.
As five senses of action
are parts of the body inert life is also part of the
Self, as five senses of
perceptions are part of the body alive beings are parts of
the Self.
"Holy Sire, how far
is the expiry of ignorance? How creation is born in
subtle atom? What is
mind?"
Ignorance slumber is
beginningless and eternal. As long as one is ignorant it
is always there but as
soon as you know the atma it is never to be found anywhere.
It is in the mind world is
projected. Mind is fractional eternity of atma. In the
Self vibrant I am-ness
that is sensatized is mind. Combined with chidanu mind
assumes innumerable forms
of bramhandas, universes, inert and alert beings which
are all nondifferent from
it.
As in the rays of the sun
millions of subtle dust particles are floating so
also in the subtlemost
chidanu each soul's billions of universes are expanding. As
long as the mind vibrates
there is no end of creations.
First ignorance was
violation of eternity of Bramha into Bramhaaji, then
assumption of creatorhood.
Then imagination and perception of sky, air, fire,
water and earth, then
place and time. Then right and wrong imagination. Then
imagination ingrained in
your brain and belief system all what parents, brothers,
sisters, friends,
neighborhoods, societies and nations think about you and expect
from you. All the abuses
and praises you receive made you persona. And that is
what one thinks of
oneself. This piling up from life after life has become thick
like an iron sheet.
When water falls from a
mountain it appears in billions of drops but when
flows down becomes rivers.
When all rivers unite become ocean but water is the
same. Same way when mind
vibrates world appears in billions of varieties, when it
becomes still it becomes
nondual advait Bramha.
Where puryastak is
available atma is alive nature and where it is not it is
inert nature. But in
Bramha both are the same and equal.
There are two kinds of
inert nature. Those which have puryastak still are
immovable and inert like,
such as trees, mountains and rivers. Clay and stones are
devoid of puryastak.
Therefore they are inert inert.
"Holy Sire, what is policy?
Why each object and person has one solid
quality if they are all
imagination projection? Why only sun is so bright, why day
and night go smaller and
bigger around the year? Why these special exceptions?"
The beginningless sankalp
which has insued forth and willed to stay until
particular time in
particular shape this decision is called policy. Since then
different elements stay in
their natural habits. Earth bears, water wets, fire
burns, air dries, sky
accommodates. These policies stay on to uphold the
existence. All these stay
on certain corner of Bramha. As bubbles, waves rise in
ocean not all over but in
some certain place at a time. Same way this world and its
elemental policies.
Like a child plays in his
imagination Bramhaaji played. And sky, earth, stars,
sun and moon appeared. The
planetary circle is made in two halves. When sun is
right on top the day and
night consists of 60/1 ghatika divide 2-1/2 equals hours.
And day is bigger than
night. By and by sun comes down day goes smaller and
night bigger. From Pousa
13th, sun moves up and day goes bigger. Asadha 12th,
night goes bigger and day
smaller. When sun is in the center both are equal. But
the entire show is luxury
of mind of Bramhaaji.
Whenever I am-ness
vibrated into sensations of seeing, touching, hearing,
tasting, smelling, those
and those senses of perception sprang up and wherever
the senses and objects
unite those places are called place, town, country, planet
etc. When these events
take place those are called time. Thus object, place and
time came into existence,
infact no one ever came or went just concocted,
projected, supposed. Thus
auspicious and inauspicious actions started happening
because by now everyone is
well programed and electrodified in certain auspicious
pattern. And ignorance's
ball started rolling.
You asked me how wanted
and unwanted events come upon individuals -- I
would say as in the thread
of ego beads of senses are joined together, same way
you project your I-ness
and my-ness upon senses and their actions. Conch does
not resound of its own
blower is compulsory. Same way movements of senses come
from ego. And ego is
illusory formation of impulse of ignorance. Therefore
transcend these all. It is
the first sensation which is known as Visnu, Shiva,
Tripur Bhairavi, Bramha
and then everyone. This appearance of universe is sudden
appearance and will vanish
suddenly one day.
During perceiving when
your sensation vibrates then while feeling person,
place or objects it is
known as heart. Thinking for or against it is mind. By
deciding it is intellect.
And being combination of all passion of past, present and
future it is puryastak.
Ultimately it is all like cosmic magic of cosmic magician.
Unimanifest will is known
as antavahak. When it identifies in sight with
strong ego then antavahak
transforms into gross physical body.
When the seer identifies
with sight then the ball of world starts rolling
down. It is I-you-me
notion through which the illusion of world commences.
"Holy Sire, from
where this illusion comes?"
"Dear Prince,"
This illusion comes by
sensation being vibrant. This illusion too is nondifferent
from the Self. It is
appearing due to not enough practice in Self actualization.
As soon as you rest in
your pure Self vibration calms down.
"Holy Sire, vibration
happens to one with form. But Bramha is formless
unmanifest how can there
be vibration of it or even light of it?'
Unmanifest itself as if in
dream appears as if with form and manifests. It
has no cause. Atma and the
world both are the same. Lighter and lighted,
triplicity all are
meaningless on the level of practicle reality. I see my Self and
my Self and my Self
everywhere as you see your face on mirror so clearly and
neatly. Sri Rama, consider
my word with anology of dream, will and illusion and you
will find it is experience
alone which if flickering, lurking and looming in the form
of this world as well as
your body, mind, intellect, heart and ego. Therefore
holding my word unto your
being feel it and drop talking like ignorants. Said sage
Vasistha.
And a pin drop silence
prevailed. A great light arose in the space and it
entered in the heart of
Sri Rama and each of all who were present in the royal
assembly as seeker of
Truth. Their eyes became half closed and consciousness
rested in eternal Self. A
great serene, placid and divine silence spread in and
out... throughout...
RAMA'S REST IN HIMSELF
Silence and divinity was
so intense in the atmosphere that everyone's eyes
became obviously closed.
All citizens, ministers, princes and queens on the
balconies. Rama, Laksmana,
Bharata and Satrughna and all sages even King
Dasaratha alone was
looking, watching all. Even steps of air could be heard, even
the leaf's waves could be
felt. One cosmic unity persisted. Time stood still,
history too along with it
entire existence too. All transcended the physical reality
and became one with
ultimate reality of all permeating Bramha. They remained in
the severe trance, no one
knows for how long, but everyone felt as if a divine
cuckoo had began to coo
again. Then beloved Prince Rama was speaking. They
became body conscious and
world aware.
"Oh my! So amazing,
Holy Sire, it is. All along I used to see the world only
due to my ignorance. It is
today I discovered only Bramha alone is here. He alone
existed and will exist
ever and ever. World never was, is and never will be. It has
been only an illusion out
of lethargy to my own Self. Oh, so completely I have
been fooled. As child
misconceives a ghost in his shadow, as rope is misconceived
as a cobra, flower in the
sky, water in the midday hot sands of the desert, world
appeared upon my own Self.
As one sees in dream death of one's own self and
being cremated and turning
into ashes as all these are illusion, same way ignorance
caused ever changing world
too is illusion.
"Evidence is that
which makes us know the true knowledge. But the
evidences which are
introduced by the world and well established in universities
and among scientists and
scholars are not the correct ones. Because they do not
identify the atma. Atma is
not illustrated and illuminated. Rather these
evidences turn our mind
upside down. Like on shell they prove to be siler. In
suffering they declare and
prove to be joy. In joy they demonstrate to be
suffering. They advocate
tamasic and rajasic understanding and intelligence to be
foremost. These evidences
devaluate and underestimate the satvic intellect and
satvic understanding.
Therefore now since I can see clearly through my Mystic
Torch why do I respect it
as evidence?
"O my beloved
Gurudeo, oh it's all imagination, hallucination, projection,
fantasy, whatever, it went
imbibed in being likewise they reflected as the world.
The one who is sitting in
the heaven, if he sank into worry and anxiety of an
unknown nature, heaven
feels like hell. Because feeling is all that counts. And
whatever counts that is
how the world appears. World is nothing else but vasana,
the passion, the cluster
of samskaras, that is what projects through the back of
your eyes.
"The world in the
atma is not created through Arambha-Parinam. No, not
at all. World is only in
the mind. Just in the mind's projection is all these it is.
As in the statue, however,
you conceive. As in the dot on a blotting paper,
whatever picture you can
conceive. That is not apart from blotting paper and ink
dot. Same way mind has
created this world in atma. As many, any how, however it
projects it appears as
that. As much, as like, in whatever extent one is obsessed
and intoxicated by his
vasanas and old samskaras which means passionate clinging
to objects and impressions
of past actions, exactly like that he sees person, place
and things and exactly
like that he feels.
"But even while
during all these happenings world has never occured, never
made, nothing is created,
now was, nor ever will be. Atma alone is, was and will be
ever and ever and ever
always.
"Holy Sire, the world
is appearing to me as my very own Self. This Self is
again unknowable by any
other means. It is known only by itself in itself for itself.
"Those who say, 'I
don't know atma' to them also this atma is attained.
Through intense ignorance
they are not feeling it. This is only a picular miracle of
thick headedness.
"No method can make
one know this, no man can make one know this, no
place, no time, no
condition can make one know this atma. When atma will let one
know it--
"yamevaisa vrnute
tena labhyo"
Whom, whenever he lets
know he knows and as soon as he knows he becomes
what he is. He knows he is
atma.
"Oh gurudeo, those
days are gone when midday of ignorance and body
identification used to
scorch me through burning heat of world's truthfulness.
This is and this is not,
these notions were terrible heat. Hankering was the
desert. Body obsession was
the pilgrim. With this background of mine I have
been fast asleep in the
bramhic reality of my Self. Now by your grace I have
become awakened in it.
Nothingness is one polarity, my nature fullness is next
polarity of my nature.
"Oh gurudeo, now I
understand. Oh, I can measure up myself as stone
cannot stand up and walk
as alive, likewise hankering cannot get me now, cannot
wake in me, cannot run me
now. Soulness is illusion, atmahood is the truth."
"Dear Prince, I am
glad, so glad you became enlightened. Oh my joy knows
no end today." Sage
Vasistha said, and thrilled and overwhelmed he stood up and
embraced Rama. They began
to celebrate the festival of enlightenment.
"Prince Rama, tell
us, tell us how are your experiences of enlightenment?
How are you feeling?"
King Dasaratha, Sumantra, all brothers and all citizens
asked.
"Uncountable are the
drops of water when clouds shower in rain. So in the
Self uncountable are the
universes. Many unite, many not. Still all are one and
the same. As waves rise in
ocean constantly but they are new, different and
unique. As innumerable are
flames and sparks in the fire. Innumerable are the
rays in the sun, in the
moon, in the gem and jwell, in the sunbeam reflection on
water, but all are one
with their beam. Same way all these cosmic eggs, these
billions and trillions are
one and the same, yet different and diverse and unique.
They are all absolutely
causeless, lawless, mannerless, inconsistence and
incoherent. Whatever law
and coherence one can assemble and turn into a national
constitution are fraction
or illusion upon lawlessness of the mighties incoherence.
"If a Chief Justice
of the Supreme Court or Attorney General of USA will
be sentenced to life in
Folsom prison and be treated unjustly and starved to his
capacity illegally, he is
bound to break the law of nonstealing, nonhurting and
speaking for the justice
system which he once so proudly stood for. It is the
same with the President of
a Nation, Vice Chancellor of a University, a supreme
authority in wealth and
power. This is the destiny. This destiny is the nature and
therefore it is direct
evidence the world in incoherently lurking in the Self."
"Dear Prince, tell us
what is samadhi?" All asked. "Samadhi is state of
consciousness where no
doership of performance ever arises." Sri Rama answered.
"Prince, what bothers
to this state of consciousness?" They asked. "It is
hankering, craving,
desiring which obscures the shine of understanding and
darkness of doership
becomes rock-like. As much this right of lust for objects is
reduced so much the
daylight of waking into atmic reality shines out and night is
gone." Prince Rama
replied.
"Bravo, bravo,"
all rejoiced and applauded and flowers showered...
"If this world does
not exist, why does it appear?" "How can I answer that
in the brilliant light of
bramhic reality. The world appearance has become like a
story of future unknown,
like a nightmare seen about a year ago. Like short,
hypnotic sights induced by
some magician many years ago. Exactly like that,
rather more, world has
lost its appearance to me. So let me be excused to answer
the irrelevent
question." Prince said.
"What about cosmic
form of God?" They asked. "Mountain of dream like
that is the cosmic Virat.
Dream mountain is nothing else but space, sky, ether, or
astral perception. The
clay of dream is also some sky or perception of sky as if
something is happening in
the sky. Then what to speak of the pots, pans and
vessels made of that clay
of dream? Sure those too are sky. If anything is
visualized in the sky,
perceived and felt then who is responsible? Of course,
crazyness of the seer, the
perceiver is responsible and no one else."
"Wow! Is that it,
Prince?" Crowd shouted in question. "Yes, that is it."
Said Prince Rama. And all
were amazed and applauded. Flowers showered.
"Then after all,
anyway Prince, what do you feel if you do not feel the
world?" They asked
again. "Do you feel your body in some warm winter sunshine
outside in the beautiful
garden when you happily stretch your body, how do you
feel? Like that I feel the
entire world, nay nay, entire solar system, entire
universe, entire cosmic
egg, the bramhad -- the innumerable bramhandas, I feel
my limbs like. They are
me, I am them." He said.
"Wow!, that is
wonderful. Then tell me, am I too in you, Prince?" Some
Princess from a
neighborhood state spoke up. She could not resist her emotion.
"Yes Princess, of
course you are in me. I am in you too. This entire
existence is in me, in
you, as well as you and me in them and they are not them, but
pure experience of
Bramha."
"Then can you keep me
Prince, all the time with you?" The Princess asked.
"Of course Princess,
hold onto Bramha. In Bramha we both are together, not only
us but none in the world
is outside us. Wherever you will be, wherever I will be,
we will be together. Just
stay established in Bramha." Prince Rama said.
The Princess was so
ecstatic that she entered into samadhi and remained
entranced for many
hours... and she became enlightened.
Following this
conversation many princesses, many young maidens from
among the citizens entered
into bramhic trance to stay ever and ever with Prince
Rama. And, so were many
friends of Rama, his brothers and citizens too. All
queens entered into
bramhic trance for hours and hours and hours... Like
Himalayan yogis they
became still, silent and a soothing light began shining on
their faces.
"Hello Holy Sire or
His Majesty, what shall I call you Prince Regent, kindly
tell me, Bramha is not the
object of mental and sensual perception then how it is
known by guru and
scriptures? Because it is not known without guru and
scriptures that is a fact.
So how through this form and name filled scripture and
flesh bound figure called
guru, the unmanifest reality of one Self is realized?"
asked another visiting
Princess.
"Let me explain you
through the story of the woodcutters. The woodcutter
tribe lived near a forest
and wandered everywhere cutting wood to go and sell at
the market to take care of
their families. After sometime a group of them
entered a bigger forest
and discovered sandal wood and when they sold it they
became rich. A smaller
group somehow entered a denser part of the forest and
discovered gems and
precious stones. When they sold them they became
millionaires and enjoyed
greatly. Those who remained home and never went out,
died in poverty and
hunger.
"You see all these
men! The entire human race is the woodcutter tribe. All
are suffering from
starvationm and poverty in the form of sex, rage, greed,
jealousy, grumbling --
these are spiritual starvation; natural disasters are natural
suffering; physical
diseases and afflictions are physical starvation. In order to be
happy people go to the
universities to be literate, scholars, so they can run a
business, a company or
have a trade, grow agriculture etc. In there what they
learn is part of scripture
-- mathematics, algebra and geometry are elementary
phases of Sankhya
philosophy. Music is Sama Veda, sound philosophy, yajna is
Mimansa philosophy. These
are the forest. Earning a livelihood is called wood
cutting.
"As long as your
literacy and higher education inspires you and ends up with
involving you in large
scale activities you are regular wood cutters. Through this
only, hell of hunger is
calmed down and nothing more. All you attain is heavenly,
sensual pleasure.
"If your education
takes you to the cultured state of asthetic love and
upasana worship and
meditation then you got sandal wood. Your are rich and enjoy
better and finer.
"If your education
leads you to wisdom of Bramha then you found gems and
jewels. Then you become a
tycoon and all sufferings are gone.
"Wood, Sandal and
gems all were in the forest. Action, love, knowledge, all
are in the scriptures, but
are inside hidden, so secret it is. You have to explore
the forest through
detachment and practice then you find the gem of right
cognition, correct
understanding.
"Through guru and
scriptures you have to dig down within yourself. Your
darknesws, your trouble,
your tough times are eliminated. Those who did not go to
the forest they died of
starvation. Those who went according to their reach and
work they attained and
became rich and famous.
"You are not to try
to fetch sunrays to bring in and poke into your eyes to
see, but you are to dispel
the darkness. By removing the clouds sunlight naturally
reaches to your eyes.
"By the words of guru
and scriptures the thick dark coverings of your eyes
called ego are removed.
And then atma, the Self, shines effulgently." Prince said.
"Oh, so wonderful
Prince. You are wonderful. Oh, you are now Vidit veda.
You are truly
enlightened." Thus the entire assembly spoke.
All the assembly members
entered into trance of wisdom. As in a windless
pond on the still lotus
flower bumble bee peacefully sucks the juice, same way
everybody was absorbed in
sucking the bliss of their atma. All knowing
themselves Bramha became
Bramha. Deer and birds in the courtyard nearby
became still and silent.
Queens and princes on the balconies looked as curved
statues of art galaries.
Even small babies with them became still, calm and
absorbed.
Then siddhas and
vidyadharas began to shower flowers of heavenly gardens.
Kadamba, tamal, parijat,
kalpvriksa flowers waved their perfumes not only in the
assembly hall but
throughout the city of Ayodhya. Cattle drum, conch, sitar and
flute sound echoed. People
began to elogize Sage Vasistha. Music echoed and joy
spread so loud and strong
that rivers, mountains and forests resounded. Then
King Dasaratha stood up.
He walked to the front of Sage Vasistha, with folded
hands he said--
"Holy Sire, adorable
Master, O gurudeo, by your mercy what else I have not
attained today. Oh, I want
to worship you but how shall I? All things are false. I
want to worship you by
Truth and that Truth you alone have. Still I worship you
with what I can afford,
kindly do not be upset. O Sage, all my sons, wife, state,
prosperity, fame and
meritorious deeds I have done all my life I offer them all at
your lotus feet."
Saying thus the king fell prostrate at the feet of Sage Vasistha.
Likewise did all the
citizens.
"Blessed and
fulfilled you all become, O dearest disciples of mine, please
accept all of them back as
my gift. Your sons are already mine ever since they
were initiated by me and
lived in my ashram. Considering all these as my gift
perform your duties and
responsibilities well. I am satisfied with your obeisances
alone." All four
brothers offered him obeisances. Tears were flowing out of love
and devotion. Then so many
flowers were showered that the whole form of Sage
Vasistha became covered
with flowers.
Tossing them out he spoke
in his merciful voice-- "O great Bramharshi
Visvamitra, O Vamadeo, O
Narada, O Atri, O Bhrigu, as is the color of gold fire
resembles likewise, please
you too kindly speak as you feel to enlighten my
disciples.
"Sage, very well and
full you have said. It is complete and perfect. Anyone
who will blaspheme and see
incompleteness will fall from the grace and eyes of the
Divine. We are all so glad
to hear your discourse. You are the brilliant sun of
wisdom. We all offer our
obeisances to you. What a great message you have
delivered. It will remain
immortal on the earth for thousands of years to come.
Millions will attain the
light on their path through you. We offer our obeisances
to Prince Rama in whose
form Lord Visnu himself has incarnated, and King
Dasaratha too whose home
he chose to sanctify by his appearance. Oh sage
Visvamitra, you too are
wonderful and powerful. Thank you for bringing this
situation."
Flowers showered again...
Nectar dropped. Meditation entranced, music
echoed. Then as if
awakened from slumber many stood up and began to laugh
wholeheartedly. Their
belly laugh echoed and reechoed in all directions. And then
it silenced.
"Dear Prince, I would
like to know, how are you feeling now and to what
would you like to
listen?" Said the Sage.
"O Holy Sire, I have
arrived in the eternal rest in myself. Waking world
appearing to me as dark
sleepy life. I have attained the Supreme Meditation in
highest benediction. I
offer obeisances to my that Pure Self. Now even if
thunder and storm of
deluge shakes the whole world, ocean flood and tornado
blows, earthquakes, my
mind won't be agitated and disturbed the slightest. Even
if empires of three worlds
are given to me no pleasure will occur to me. I am still,
merged and awake in
Absolute Bramha. I have no desire to hear anything more.
As air goes away forever
taking the perfume from the flower. Then he has
nothing left to do with
the flower, same way whatever is designed to be attained
by this body and this life
I have attained all. I have become established in my
Self. This body, this is
too distant now. Eating, drinking, sitting, sleeping, being a
king, governing the state,
renouncing, marrying or remaining celebate, all are equal
to me. Whatever I should
do, what should be the course of life -- just let me
know."
"Dear Rama,"
Stay established in your
Self forever and act according to dharma. That is my
blessing for you. But
dear, when a mirror is clean it requires to keep cleaning it
over and over again.
Therefore listen to my words again. These final messages of
mine, as last oblation
into the fire of your searching heart, let go deep in deepest
recesses of all of you.
King Prakpati ruled in
Kushadvipa continent. He inhabited in the west a city
of gold named Elavati. It
had huge minarets and pillars of gold. Enormous wealth
abounded in his capital.
Once I went to his city. As soon as I landed from the
space I found him fully
prepared to welcome me with arghya, padya and other
items of worship. He
adored me well and offered a gorgeous seat on the best
reddish gold throne. Then
he asked me a set of nine tough questions. He said,
'Holy Sire--
(1) Could you please tell
me at the times of deluge when cause and effects are all
merged and only chidakas
remains. Where speech cannot reach, indiscribable as it
is and inconceivable too.
Then how does new creation come into existence as
described in Vedas and
Puranas?
(2) When someone dies in
the desert of Africa, on snow of the North Pole, or by
bombardment of third world
war or in a car crash, anywhere his body is buried or
cremated. It becomes one
with the earth. Then how does, I mean, on what
grounds he suffers or
enjoys in the other life? Impression of his deeds are
obstract anyway. How does
it effect so gross a body?
(3) How the fruits of
meritorious deeds reach and influence the soul?
(4) Why Bramhaaji is
called svayambhu the self born? In the deluge only nondual
Bramha remains, that which
is born from it how can it be called self born?
(5) If someone is cursed
to die instantly and also benedicted to live his full life.
How can both be true
simultaneously?
(6) If a thousand people
are doing tapas with strongest will to become a moon in
the same universe. How
will their desire be fructified?
(7) If a thousand people
are doing austerity to marry with one woman. She is
very chaste and virgin.
How could it be that she would stay chaste and at the
same time wife of a
thousand men?
(8) A powerful sage cursed
somebody to die and another powerful sage blessed
him to rule the world.
Third one cursed him -- his soul won't be able to get out of
his little home of a slum
area. How the three would come true?
(9) There was a pillar of
wood. One yogi willed it to become of gold and it was
transformed into pillar of
gold. How did it become? We also will innumerable
things, why they don't
come out true?' King asked.
'Dear Prakpati,'
I shall dispel the
darkness of ignorance that is obscuring your heart. Please
listen--
There is neither effect
nor cause. All are chidakas like fantasy, like
hallucination, like
illusion, incoherent things are happening. All those laws, orders
and constitutions which
appear very scientific and systematic are based on those
laws and orders which are
far mightier than them, as well as incoherent in
themselves. Completely
chaotic in nature as they are I have seen. There, please
get out of this
hallucinational, childish concept of cause and effect. They are like
false. illusory, dark markings
on the orb of sun.
One who is of pure
sensation form, all objects are close to him. If you
imagine a world then all
continents are as near to you as your nose, but one who
lives in London in your
imagination, to him one who lives in Honolulu is very far. To
you, Greenland and Fiji
Islands are as close as your lips but those who live there
for them it is an entire
earth apart. All of this, this whole world is imagination
but it feels like this to
one who is finest and purest sensation and not one bound,
stuck and identified in
imagination web trap.
This pure sensation
Bramhaaji willed and it happened. Futility of your will is
only because you are not
working on purifying the sensation. If you do your will
also becomes as powerful
as his.
In Fact, when your will is
strong you find for the first time all are made of
will. And will is nothing
but hardified, ironified imagination. Religion is a process
to support the good
imagination so that one day you get to the will point and
discover yourself all are
imagination and only Bramha is the reality. Wood was
common imagination of
mediocre person. Now through ironified, strong
imagination it turned into
a gold pillar. So simple to get it.
In creation and
destruction of sensation the Bramha is all the same. Water
is the same even when
waves rise and merge. Fire is the same even when flames
and sparks appear and
vanish. When you imagine a city it is there in your will.
Then you drop it off. Will
made city is vanished but your will still remains. Light
of gem may radiate far and
wide. If you cover it by a blanket its rays will not
shine but gem is still
there. Whether it is wind, storm, breeze, mild air, air is
always there. It never
dies when storm is stilled. Therefore you have to shift the
meaning of creation and deluge
from sensation and submergence of sensation.
In answer to your fifth
question, I would say, sin is the curse, that is the
enemy. Virtue is the boon,
that is the friend.
The growing distance from
atmic reality is sin.
The growing nearness to
the atmic reality is virtue.
Sin intensifies your
illusion of death and torture. Virtue stops that. During
death you find you are
dying, all kinsmen are crying, then you look at yourself and
find you are not dead.
When you look at the body you feel dead; you see the
corpse and burial ground
you feel you are dead. Then you look at virtue you feel
you are not dead and never
will be dead. You look at sin you feel messengers of
Yama are dragging you
long, long away and dashed you in pit of hell. Then you look
at virtue and find -- No,
No, you are in heavenly abode. You look left is rorava
hell. You look right it is
golden heaven and Indra's garden. Both illusions are seen
by the same man due to his
passionate clinging.
This world is will woven.
As much the will is ironified so does it appear.
Going to other lokas are
appearances projected upon the ray of your will. Your
son, your daughter, your
wife, are also appearances projected upon your sin and
virtue, both or either of
them, or either one alternately.
In fact, no son, no
daughter, no wife, no home, no native place, no nation, no
my country as yours as
such. As is your passionate clinging to qualities of life, as
is your desperateness in
likings and dislikings among values of life so do different
appearances grab up your
attention. No matter how hard you try you never get
rid of them. Because you
are clinging hard to your dogmas related to the passion
you have rockified all
along.
What to speak of only one
thousand, actually if there are one hundred
billion trillion in the
same one place all can enjoy sovereignty of ruling all seven
continents of the world --
in one little home at the slum area of New York Bronx,
or Ethiopian poor huts.
Because dream never occupies any space at all.
Imagination never occupies
any time nor takes any time. You don't have to be even
chronological.
Same way, not only a
thousand persons can become moon at the same time
but also a billion and
trillion people at the same time, same place. Imaginary
cosmic egg does not occupy
any space nor time. You are confined in the immensely
conditional body that is
why it appears impossible.
Experience is like a
wishfulfilling tree. Perception is the desire tree. It
goes on fulfilling all
desires. As Sai Baba does.
Through boon one can be
sovereign king and through curse one's soul can
stay confined in the
little hut made of grass and dirt. No problem. Because both
are matters of
imagination. You can imagine any way, what does it make a
difference. The only thing
is -- the problem comes and difficulty of not
understanding the point
comes when you identify yourself by the objects of your
imaginary creations. And
thus make yourself confined and captive and encaged.
This imprisonment is self
created. No one can get you out until when you yourself
will have flung and broken
it open.
Not just a thousand men
can do tapas for one woman but one trillion men
can do it for the same one
woman. And all will succeed. At the same time. And
still the woman will
remain chaste. How? It is clear their strongest tool of
imagination will assume
similar form of a woman and she will become available to
each one of them. They
will feel they got their desired goal. They will feel same
beautiful wife she is who
is absolutely chaste, pious, amiable and unique. She will
be the lone empress of
their heart.
There is no earth, water,
fire, air, sky as such. Chidakas itself is
permeating all over. As
you project sensation upon it, likewise it vibrates and
materializes. Replied Sage
Vasistha.
'Holy Sire, without a base
flame does not stand. Without pot water cannot
be contained. For atma to
manifest, form is the base. Tell me, in which form the
atma was contained in the
beginning?' King asked.
'Dear Prakpati,'
All the forms of body,
pot, flame etc. you see are illusory as water in a mirage, as
cobra in a rope, as silver
in a shell, as son of a barren woman. They are extinct
entirely. Out of illusion
these appear upon those objects, same way, these five
elemental forms appear
upon Bramha -- out of illusion.
In dream you always see
how entire world arises from nondual experience.
Experience is running in
and through dream forms. If you ask through which
figure, through what form
the mountain of your dream is running, then how
ridiculous it is? Which
form of your experience came first in your dream, by
knowing it, what great
benefit you will derive? By knowing what form in your
dream your experience
assumed first? That is what you asked -- No form and all
forms at the same time.
Because these forms are not enough; there are plentiful
more, infinite.
Ascend, climb and mount
upon the minaret of your true nature and you will
find the world is the sky
of your experience. Only your passion is showing you
tough games in one of
which you have foolishly become identified and stuck.
As there are two aspects of
sleep -- dream and deep sleep. But in awake
both are just space. Same
way there are two aspects of illusion -- creation and
deluge. But in atmic
reality both are non-existent.
King, you just get
awakened in your nature and see both of them are the
same atma.
Telling him thus I stood
up to go. He worshipped me again and I flew in the
sky. I speedly moved
towards my Star where my wife Arundhati was waiting.
His questions and my
answers are still as fresh and useful now as it was
then. Whenever aspirant is
ready certain questions and their answers trigger
something within and light
openness flashes and great transformation takes place.
"Rama, I am telling
you this and will be telling you later. I don't feel
satisfied talking to you
all my life. And since now you are enlightened it has more,
more joyousness and
deliciousnesses."
"How come, Holy
Sire?" Asked Sri Rama.
"Long ago in former
cosmic day, you were my disciple and I was your
spiritual master. During
one of our long journeys, once you asked me, 'What is
perished in cosmic deluge
and what remains?' Then I said, 'All what is with form,
name and qualities are
perished exactly as city in dream merges in deep sleep.
Then only nameless,
formless bramhic reality remains. Bramhaaji, Lord Visnu,
Lord Shiva, Indra, Manu
and others, gods and goddesses who are causes of all
effects do not remain.
Even their names become unknown as it goes in America.
"That which is Truth
never perishes. That which is nontruth not only
perishes then, but it is
perishing even now every moment disappearing like flowing
water.
"Where this world
goes during cosmic deluge? It just goes there where it
is going now. Now it is
going in series, then it goes collectively. Because of its
collective, colossal
dissolution it appears like great deluge.
"On the level of
nontruth as if truth it just does not exist. On the level of
truth the nontruth it just
does not exist. But always ever and ever the truth
alone is. Because due to
illusion diversity of world keeps on looming, lurking and
flickering. As far is your
distance from reality that much nontruth appears to be
permanent and iron solid
and the only reality.
"In the same one body
you can be said to be white if one only looks at your
shining teeth. And same
one can find you dark black if someone would only see
your hair as the sole you.
"Same way, atma is
both. Creation and dissolution. Sleep is both dream and
slumber. But in waking
both do not exist. If the dream world is creation slumber
is cosmic deluge. In
waking of enlightenment both do not exist. Bramha alone is,
was and will be ever and
ever."
"Oh my, if seer alone
has become seen then world does not exist at all."
"That is right. That
is the case. You got it! Dear Rama, whatever I told
you before due to lack of
intensity in practice you could not hold on to it, but that
wisdom lingered on. Now
the time is ripe and you have attained it. Now remaining
established in the Self
enjoy Royal prosperity and perform your duty as ruler of
the world. As a piece of
that mighty duty another branch duty is awaiting you --
that is to accompany Sage
Visvamitra to his hermitage, Siddhasrama, and solve all
problems the sages are
confronting there.
"Prince Rama, for
family's pleasure sacrifice your personal comfort, for
social welfare sacrifice
your family, for welfare of the city sacrifice your society.
For the nation sacrifice
your city, and for international welfare sacrifice your
national confort. For
upliftment of your life in atmic reality you must sacrifice
the whole world.
"Prince, it is the
venerated duty of the Prince Regent to sacrifice even
one's family, palace,
personal comfort and rights for the welfare of the group,
assemblage or village who
are totally dedicated to awaken themselves in atmic
reality. I wish you to
proceed to fulfill your this sacred and superb obligation.
Upon your return govern
the empire of your Reverend father and by heart stay as
uninvolved as vast sky, as
lotus leaf in the water." Said Sage Vasistha.
As soon as Sage Vasistha
completed his discourse the siddhas and
vidyadharas, apsaras
danced in the sky and showered flowers as if white snow
flakes were falling, as if
stars are showering from the sky. Music echoed again.
King Dasaratha stood up
and gave final farewell to all sages who arrived
from other planets.
Rama stood up and gave a
discourse on his experiences and offered
gratitude to the master as
well as guest sages. He said, "My delusion born of
ignorance is dispersed
now. I have neither likes nor dislikes, nor attachment nor
hatred. I am in the ocean
of peace. No person, place, thing, situation can ever
disturb my peace. In fact
I am peace. I am feeling thrilled over and over... I see
nothing but Bramha."
Laksmana said,
"Sweeter than nectar of moon are your words, O sage, my
heart is sinking in the
ocean of peace and serenity."
Bharata said, "It is
your mercy, Holy Sire, that has descended as
enlightenment in my heart
and is permeating my life. I am blessed and attained."
Satrughna said, "The
fear of change which resided in the heart of all
beings you eliminated
totally, my lord, my all meritorious deeds fructified today."
Thus Visvamitra, Narada,
Dasaratha and all sages spoke and their
discourses reverberated
all over.
King Dasaratha inaugurated
a huge feasting ceremony for the wise men.
They ate most delicious
dishes of fifty-six items. Cattle drums, clarionets, flutes,
vinas resounded. Singers
sang songs in ecstasy. Nymphs danced. Thus for the
next seven days Ayodhya
celebrated their festival of Enlightenment. Then king,
all princes and queens
offered donations of gold dollars, clothes, ornaments,
jeweleries, horses, land,
cows, chariots and innumerable things of daily use.
On the seventh day all
quests who had arrived from different planets,
forests, lands and
Himalayas, offering blessings from all their heart proceeded
for their residences.
Celestial guests levitated and sped up in the sky going to
their planets and citizens
went to their abodes.
Sage Valmiki said,
"Dear Bharadvaj, this is how the extraordinary message
was delivered in the Royal
Assembly of Ayodhya. As Prince Rama became
enlightened and enjoyed
life in satchidanand so you too do. There is no misery as
ignorance. No joy as
wisdom. If someone contemplates on the message of this
book, even if he is a
great stupid will attain to understanding and find peace.
"One who will read,
speak, listen, write and distribute this master piece,
timeless literature to the
aspiring seekers of Truth and Peace his or her all
desires will be fulfilled.
He will attain to Bramhalok. He will attain the fruit of
Rajasuya yajna.
"After listening to
this, Prince Rama took up his ancestral duty or
government. You too pick
up your venerated duty. It is then you will be open to
subtle mysteries of life
and existence. It is then that the ball of evolutional
process will go on
rolling. It is then you will be able to be pure enough to
comprehend when bramhic
reality will flash in your heart.
"Dear Bharadvaj, let
me innumerate to you in sequence for your memory
what I have narrated to
you in this context--
"In Detachment
Section (Vairajna Prakarana) there are astounding
questions of Prince Rama
due to which he was so sad, despondent, life negative and
inactive.
"In Search of
Enlightenment Section (Mumuksu Prakarana) I have
described the story of the
Beautiful Shuka and his enlightenment.
"In Birth Section
(Utpatti Prakarana) there are eight stories: Story of
Akasaja, King Padma and
Queen Lila, Suchika, Sons of a Bramhin, Lover and
Beloved, Story of Valmiki
and Sambar.
"In Existence Section
(Sthiti Prakarana) there are four stories: Son of
Brigu the Shukra; Dam,
Byal and Kat; Bhima, Bhasa and Dat. At last Dasur story.
"In Introspection
Section (Upasama Prakarana) there are eleven stories:
King Janak and his Siddha
Gita. Punya and Pavana, King Bali, Pralhad, Gandhi,
Uddalak, King Suraghu,
Heaven Decision, Parigha, Bhasa and Vilasa, and Vitahavya.
"In Enlightenment
Section (Nirvana Prakarana) there are twenty-seven
stories: Kaka Bhusundi and
Vasistha, Lord Shiva and Vasistha, Silakosa, Arjuna
and Krishna, Rudra,
Vaital, Bhagiratha and Ganga Descendence, King Sikhidhvaj,
Vrihaspati and Kacha,
False Man, Sringi, Iksvaku, Deer and Hunter, Brihaspati,
Manki, Sad Vidyadhara,
Story of Vipaschit, Shibi, Shila, Eight Sons of a Bramhin,
Kundadant, Disciple Master
Festival and Farewell.
"In these four Sections
fifty wonderful gems of wisdom have been narrated
in the form of timeless
stories. Please apply them, think upon them, study, study
and study again until they
become an inseparable part of your life.
"Because then in some
unknown moment the explosion of sudden
Enlightenment is
awaiting."
Sri Swami Shyam
Paramahansa Maharaj
August 15, 1992
Om Tat Sat
Sri Swami Shyamendra Paramahansa
Maharaj for the collection)
