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The impure is the cause of birth; the pure liberates one from the birth. Both Work (Self-efforts) and Knowledge (Self-Knowledge) together lead to the supreme goal of liberation. The self-effort, neither fate nor a god’s order, is responsible for whatever man gets here. There are four gate-keepers at the entrance to the realm of freedom (Moksha). They are self-spirit, spirit of enquiry, contentment and good company.
The Yoga Vasistha, a profound spiritual text in Advaita Vedanta, outlines a progressive path to self-realization through what are known as the Seven Jnana Bhumika (stages of wisdom or knowledge). These stages describe the inner journey of a spiritual seeker towards liberation (Jivanmukta). Seven Steps of Self-Realization as per Yoga Vasistha:
These stages represent a progressive refinement of consciousness, leading from intellectual understanding to direct, experiential realization of the supreme truth. The Yoga Vasistha emphasizes self-effort, inquiry, and the guidance of a wise teacher as crucial elements in this journey. From Duality to Unity - Spiritual traditions, particularly Advaita Vedanta and various forms of Yoga refer to a fundamental shift in perception and identity, moving from seeing oneself as a separate individual in a material world to recognizing oneself as one with the underlying, all-pervading Universal Consciousness (Brahman, God, the Absolute, etc.). This process often involves overcoming what is known as Maya – the cosmic illusion that makes the diverse, phenomenal world appear real and separate from the ultimate reality. Key Principles - 1. Understanding the Nature of "World Appearance" (Maya) -
This "graduation" is not an intellectual exercise but a deep, experiential realization. It typically involves a combination of practices:
The Process is Gradual (usually): While sudden awakenings (like that of Ramana Maharshi) do occur, for most, the "graduation" is a gradual unfolding, often described in stages like the Yoga Vasistha's Seven Jnana Bhumikas. It involves persistent practice, self-observation, and a willingness to let go of deeply ingrained beliefs and identifications. Ultimately, graduating from world appearance to universal consciousness is the journey of remembering what you already are. It's not about acquiring something new, but about removing the veils that obscure the ever-present, infinite reality of your true Self.
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The book “The Supreme Yoga” is the teaching of the sage Vasistha imparted to Sri Rama. It contains true understanding about the creation of the world i.e. the world is nothing but the play of consciousness. the Yoga Vasistha is the greatest help to the spiritual awakening and direct experience of Truth. Vasistha demands direct observation of the mind, its motion, its notions, its reasoning, the assumed cause and the projected result. The book is a translation into English by Swami Venkatesananda of Divine Life Society, Rishikesh India. The article is primarily based on it.
All enjoyments in this world are delusion. All the hopes of man in this world are consistently destroyed by time. Time alone creates innumerable universes and in a very short time, Time destroys everything. All beings in this world take birth but to die, and they die to be born; these phenomena are the roots of suffering and sin. Egotism is the sole cause of mental distress. Egotism eclipses self-control, destroys virtue and dissipates equanimity. Non-egotism alone is truth. The notion ‘I am’ is the source of all distress. The absence of such a feeling is perfection. Realise ‘I am not that ego-sense’ and rest in pure awareness. When such pure awareness arises, all notions subside. When the ego-sense is non-existent, where is samsara (the cycle of birth and death)? When thus samsara does not exist, the supreme being alone remains. Egotism promotes cravings; without it they perish. Craving is the root of sorrow. The cravings dry up the good and noble qualities of the mind and heart, like sweetness and gentleness of disposition, and makes hard and cruel. Man is caught in the wheel of craving. The characteristic of this craving is that it has no direction. Despite eyes, it makes blind; despite full of joy, it makes miserable. One should abandon craving for pleasures (those that have been experienced in the past and others that have not yet been experienced but for which one craves) and thus gradually weaken the mind by the abandonment of taste for them. By the cultivation of the false relationship with what is not self (the body and those related to it such as wife, son, family etc.) the mind becomes gross. The notions of “I” and “mine” make the mind dense and ignorant. This is further aggravated by old age, sorrow, ambitions, psychological distress, efforts to acquire and to abandon, attachments, greed, lust for wealth and sex and by the enjoyment of sense-pleasures, all of which are based on ignorance and delusion. Neither in childhood nor in youth nor in old age does one enjoy any happiness. He is happy who is free from egotism and who is not swayed by craving for sense-pleasure. Even though the busy overcomes all his earthy enemies and surrounds himself with wealth and luxury, and even when he boasts that he is happy, death creeps in upon him. Renounce everything. “By ‘total’ is meant only the mind, for mind is the all. Renunciation of the mind is total renunciation”. Mind is the “I”. the ego-sense that arises within you is the mind. The relationship between the mind and prana is that of a rider and the vehicle. When the mind and the prana function in harmony, the person engages himself in various activities. When there is disturbance there is disharmony. When both are at rest there is sleep. When the Nadi are clogged by food or when there is weakness of fatigue, there is sleep, because the prana is unable to move properly. Body - This tree which is the body is born in the forest known as Samsara, the restless monkey (mind) plays on it, it is the abode of worries, it is constantly eaten by the insects (of endless sufferings), it shelters the venomous serpents (of cravings), and the wild crow (of anger) dwells on it. On it are the flowers (of laughter), its fruits are good and evil, it appears to be animated by the wind (of life force), it supports the birds (of senses), it is resorted to be the traveller (lust or desire) for it provides the shade of pleasure, the formidable vulture (egotism) is seated on it and it is hollow and empty. It is certainly not meant to promote happiness. This body is home of illness, the field of mental distress and changing emotions and mental states. Unmindful of old age and death that are common to the rich and the poor, it seeks wealth and power. This body passes through childhood, youth and old age. Helplessness, mishaps, inability, to express oneself, utter foolishness, playfulness, instability, weakness – all these characterise childhood. The child is easily offended, easily roused to anger, easily bursts into tears. He is at the mercy of others. Though the child may appear to be innocent, the truth is that all sorts of defects, sinful tendencies and neurotic behaviour lie hidden and dormant in it. The child’s mind is extremely restless which is the cause of unhappiness. Leaving the period of childhood behind, the human being goes to the stage of youth, but he is unable to leave the unhappiness behind. Rather he progresses from misery to greater misery and embraces the terrible goblin known as lust that resides in his heart. His life is full of desire and anxiety. Though youthfulness appears to be very desirable to the body, it is destructive to the mind. In youth, the man is tempted by the mirage of happiness and in its pursuit, he falls into the well of sorrow. Alas, even when youth is about to leave the body, the passions that had been aroused by the youth burn the more fiercely and bring about one’s quick destruction. In his youth, man is a slave of sexual attraction. Very soon the very flesh that contributed to the attractiveness, the charm and the beauty of the beloved is transformed first into the shrivelled ugliness of the old age, and later consumed by fire, or by worms, or by vultures. Roots of Suffering – Ignorant of the truth, we aimlessly wandering in this dense forest called the world. Equally useless is wealth which deludes the ignorant. Wealth gives birth to numerous worries and generates an insatiable craving for more. Both the good and the wicked can become wealthy. Wealth and happiness do not dwell together. Rare is that wealthy man who does not have rivals.
No-Mind State - All beings in this world are tainted with evil; all relationships are bondage; all enjoyments are great diseases; and desire for happiness is only mirage. One’s own senses are one’s enemies; one’s own mind has become one’s worst enemy. All these phenomena seem to have a transient reality, like dream experiences, visions in the state of delirium, hallucinations of a drunkard, optical illusions, psychosomatic illness, emotional disturbances and psychotic states. Lover suffers from the very imagination of his beloved’s separation. But, of course, this is not your fault; it is my fault that I still cling to the notion that you, my mind, are a real entity. When I realise that all these are illusory appearances, then you will become no-mind and all the memories of sense-experiences, etc. will come to an end. When the mind perceives the body as distinct from it, abandons its own conditioning (the concepts) and recognises its own transient nature, it is victorious. The mind gives birth to the body through its own thought-force and throughout the body’s life-time the mind feeds it with its (the mind’s) own sorrow. Thus, tortured by sorrow the body wishes to destroy the mind, its own parent! There is no friend nor enemy in the world; that which gives us pleasure is considered our friend and that which causes pain is our enemy! The body tries every day (in deep sleep) to destroy the mind. However, until self-knowledge is attained, one unwittingly promotes the strength of the other and they seem to function together for a common purpose – even as water and fire, though opposed to each other, work together for a common cause (e.g. cooking). One should strive to kill the mind. On account of the modification (thought), this consciousness is apparently veiled and is not realised. It is this self or consciousness that activates the mind even as wind rustles at leaves; it makes the senses function as the rider guides the horse. Alas, on account of your identification with the embodiment, you O self-had, as it were, forgotten your own nature. Hence, you had to undergo endless suffering in repeated births, experiencing external perceptions without self-knowledge. You (self) dwell in ‘me’ in a state of equilibrium, as pure witness consciousness, without form and without the divisions of space and time. He is fit to die who is sunk in ignorance and sorrow. Living is appropriate to one whose mind is well controlled by his self-knowledge and who is aware of the truth. He should live who does not entertain notions of egoism and who is unattached to anything, who is free from likes and dislikes and has a calm mind, whose mind has reached the state of no-mind. Self-Knowledge - Where there is self-knowledge there is neither mind nor the senses, nor the tendencies and habits (the concepts and precepts). The mind, body and senses are playthings. Purity, total fulfilment of all desires (hence, their absence), friendliness to all, truthfulness, wisdom, tranquillity and blissfulness, sweetness of speech, supreme magnanimity, lustrousness, one pointedness, realisation of cosmic unity, fearlessness, absence of divided consciousness, non-perversity – these are my constant companions. The holy word OM which bestows the highest state. He intoned OM in such a way that is vibrations filled his while being right up to the crown of his head.
The ultimate goal of life is “Bliss in all situation and times” and Moksha (liberation) from the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. In the Hinduism, there are several means and paths for liberation from the cycle of birth and death or re-birth viz. bhakti yoga, Kriya yoga, Spiritual wisdom, Selfless actions etc. Hinduism describes multiple paths to attain this goal, because each soul (Jiva) is different in temperament and spiritual maturity.
Rigveda says, “Ekam Sat Viprah Bahudha Vadanti” – "Truth is one, though the sages know it by many names,". Therefore, no single path is universally declared the "best" for all people in all eras. The ultimate goal is to become permanently happy and fearless. This is possible only when one is thoughtless or regulate the mind which experiences all types of feelings (pleasures, pains, miseries, sorrows, excitements, ambitions, expectations etc.). In case all the feelings, emotional disturbances or passions are arrested, the mind becomes still or calm bringing unbroken happiness or bliss. This goal can be achieved by four different paths prescribed in the Hinduism. The path of Bhakti is more suitable for the person of emotions; the path of Karma for the person of actions; the path of Jnana for the person of high intellect and the path of Dhayana for the focused person. All these four paths are inter-dependent and have goal i.e. Salvation or Liberation. However, certain scriptures and traditions emphasize a particular path as most effective, often depending on the time period or the individual's nature:
The various paths to purify the mind, body & wealth and salvation from the re-birth are as under - Charity (Dāna) – Preparatory means to facilitate Salvation Charity reduces attachment and ego; cultivates compassion and purity of heart — the foundation for higher sadhana (spiritual practice). It includes the offering of wealth, food, service, or knowledge selflessly for the benefit of others.
Salvation is achieved through intense, loving devotion (bhakti) and complete surrender to a personal form of God (Ishvara / Saguna Brahman) or a chosen deity (Ishta Devata). The Bhagavata Purana (or Shrimad Bhagavatam) prescribes nine forms of devotion. Bhakti transforms the heart. Through divine love, the ego dissolves, leading to union (sayujya) with the Divine. This includes total love, surrender, and devotion to God with mind, heart, and action.
Kriya Yoga / Raja Yoga – the Path of Liberation Moksha is achieved through the disciplined control of the mind and senses, leading to the superconscious state of Samadhi (absorption). The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali systematically outlines this path, known as Ashtanga Yoga (eight-limbed yoga) which includes Yama (External Discipline), Niyama (Internal Discipline), physical postures (asana), breath control (pranayama), Concentration (Dharana), meditation (dhyana) and Samadhi. Through meditation and control of prana, one stills the fluctuations of the mind (citta-vṛtti-nirodhaḥ) and realizes the Self. A systematic discipline of body, mind, and breath leading to inner stillness and direct realization.
Tapa burns karmic impurities (mala), preparing the mind for higher realization. Voluntary endurance of hardship for spiritual purification and control of senses.
Liberation is attained through the realization of the true nature of reality, primarily the unity of the individual soul (Atman) with the ultimate reality (Brahman). It requires intellectual discrimination (Viveka) and detachment (vairagya) to dispel the ignorance (avidya) that causes bondage. In the Upanishads and the Advaita Vedanta school of philosophy are fundamentally based on the tenets of Jnana Yoga. Through discrimination (viveka) and realization (ātma-jñāna), ignorance (avidyā), the root cause of bondage is destroyed. The path of self-inquiry and realization of the oneness of Ātman (Self) and Brahman (Supreme Consciousness).
Liberation is achieved through selfless performance of one's duty (dharma) without attachment to the results or rewards. Actions are performed as a sacrifice or offering to the Divine. In the Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna instructs Arjuna on the necessity of action (karma) but emphasizes Nishkama Karma, or desireless action. Gita quote: "You have a right to perform your prescribed duty, but you are not entitled to the fruits of action. Never consider yourself the cause of the results of your activities, and never be attached to not doing your duty." (Bhagavad Gita 2.47) It prescribes - Purifies the mind by removing ego and desire, turning work into worship. Performing one’s duty without attachment to the fruits, dedicating all actions to God.
We shall discuss the hymns, Sukta wise & Mandala wise. Our focus is on the implicit meaning of the various hymns instead of literal translations of the hymns. These purported meanings are based primarily on the English translations by Swami Dharmanand Saraswati of the works done by Swami Dayanand Saraswati.
Highlights – The learned persons should gain delight in praising, praying and meditating upon the Almighty. They should behave in friendly manner with all, discharge their duties with utmost care and spread good qualities, happiness & knowledge. The heads of institutions / assembly should remove injustice, destroy wicked, provide wealth, do welfare and protect their associates / people. They should set an example by their good conduct and gladden all by their knowledge and other virtues, by creating physical & spiritual force in all and by spreading knowledge, righteousness and fearlessness. The hymn wise, purported explanations – Mandala 1 – Sukta – 62
Mandala 1 – Sukta – 63
We shall discuss the hymns, Sukta wise & Mandala wise. Our focus is on the implicit meaning of the various hymns instead of literal translations of the hymns. These purported meanings are based primarily on the English translations by Swami Dharmanand Saraswati of the works done by Swami Dayanand Saraswati.
Highlights – The hymn wise, purported explanations – As the God upholds the entire world, the heads of the institutions, parents and teachers should properly protect and maintain people, children and pupils and do good. Learned and righteous persons should always be admired and all should renounce the evils. By associating with the learned, men can attain much knowledge. Persons should acquire knowledge under learned persons and easily accomplish Dharma (righteousness) Artha (Wealth) Kama (fulfilment of noble desires) and Moksha (emancipation). Heads of the institutions should gladden all people by his knowledge, humility and other virtues. They should make the righteous people happy by freeing them from the bonds of sorrow by protecting justice and disintegrating the enemies. A foolish person has no value before a highly learned man, possessing perfect knowledge. All human beings should be made scholars through good education and donation of knowledge through philanthropic scholars' daily efforts. Mandala 1 – Sukta – 59
Mandala 1 – Sukta – 60
Mandala 1 – Sukta – 61
We shall discuss the hymns, Sukta wise & Mandala wise. Our focus is on the implicit meaning of the various hymns instead of literal translations of the hymns. These purported meanings are based primarily on the English translations by Swami Dharmanand Saraswati of the works done by Swami Dayanand Saraswati.
Highlights – All boys and girls should study sciences and enter into wedlock after knowing merits of one another & should have mutual love for domestic happiness. If they are highly learned, they should teach boys & girls, otherwise discharge other duties according to their merits & temperaments. Husband & wife should be source of happiness to all by their good character and conduct. A humble righteous, mighty and industrious person should be selected for the position of head in the Assembly, Educational Institutes and Army. Men should constantly enjoy happiness by meditating up on the infinite power of God. The soul is ever pervaded by God who is eternal, Absolute Existence, Absolute Conscious, Perfect Bliss, Omnipotent, Self-refulgent, the Support, Creator of the world, Infinite, Omnipresent Supreme Being The soul is eternal, conscious, finite and not omniscient. The soul is the free doer of actions and enjoys soon the fruits of its good or bad actions in the form of happiness and misery. The soul in the body is the impeller of the body, its organs and inner senses, their upholder, controller, master, possessing desires, malice, volition, happiness. misery and consciousness. The knowers of the real nature of the soul get extreme happiness and joy. The hymn wise, purported explanations – Mandala 1 – Sukta – 56
Mandala 1 – Sukta – 57
Mandala 1 – Sukta – 58
We shall discuss the hymns, Sukta wise & Mandala wise. Our focus is on the implicit meaning of the various hymns instead of literal translations of the hymns. These purported meanings are based primarily on the English translations by Swami Dharmanand Saraswati of the works done by Swami Dayanand Saraswati.
Highlights – Unrighteousness causes suffering. Those, who take shelter of supreme being or head of state with universal virtues, tread on righteous path. Head of state like God should punish the wicked and protect righteous persons. Head of State should have good knowledge, humility, justice and strong army consisting of brave persons. Head of state and its ministers should be benevolent and provide good governance. A man most exalted on account of his virtues should be made the President of the Assembly or the Council of Ministers etc. And he being righteous himself should be terrifier of the wicked and giver of happiness to the righteous. Those persons are benevolent to all who earn industriously and enjoy wealth. Heads should acquire knowledge, intelligence, humility and righteousness; and should be fierce to the wicked but full of forgiveness and mild to the righteous. The duty of the teacher and the preacher to remove or set aside all superstition and to make all people happy by giving the light of knowledge and justice and to establish the observance of true conduct. The hymn wise, purported explanations – Mandala 1 – Sukta – 54
Mandala 1 – Sukta – 55
We shall discuss the hymns, Sukta wise & Mandala wise. Our focus is on the implicit meaning of the various hymns instead of literal translations of the hymns. These purported meanings are based primarily on the English translations by Swami Dharmanand Saraswati of the works done by Swami Dayanand Saraswati. Highlights – It is the duty of men to behave like the sun for dispelling the darkness of ignorance and spread happiness and peace. The President of the Assembly should be humble, meek and unassuming. The assembly should possess all noble virtues and should distribute wealth among the deserving and needy persons. The learned and righteous person who acquires the wealth of knowledge, kingdom, vigour, strength and the co-operation of men, enjoys good happiness. Those learned persons ever enjoy happiness who worship one God only. God is the Dispenser of justice giving the fruits of the good or bad actions done by the souls. A man cannot fulfil his desires without the Grace of God and the association with absolutely truthful learned persons. The hymn wise, purported explanations – Mandala 1 – Sukta – 52 Just as human beings drive chariots etc. by harnessing horses, in the same way, tasks should be accomplished by driving vehicles with fire et cetera.
Mandala 1 – Sukta – 53
We shall discuss the hymns, Sukta wise & Mandala wise. Our focus is on the implicit meaning of the various hymns instead of literal translations of the hymns. These purported meanings are based primarily on the English translations by Swami Dharmanand Saraswati of the works done by Swami Dayanand Saraswati.
Highlights – The Sukta 49 to 51 of Mandala 1 teaches about the value system and virtues. Whether women or married couples both should follow the virtuous values and appreciate these. All should keep the company of leaned & virtuous people. Highly educated people should marry with the righteous woman. All married couples should observe perfect chastity and faithfulness to each other without any default. King, head of the institution, commander, etc. all should be respected because of their virtues. Men should get rid of all diseases and acquire strength by adopting necessary means, using fruits, herbs and ointments etc. It is the duty of the President of the Assembly, the Commander of the army and other officers of the State to kill their enemies like the sun dispelling darkness, to protect the righteous, to tread upon the noble path, to bear infinite might and to increase their influence to put an end to their' foes. If the power remains in the hands of the righteous and noble persons, the happiness of all increases thereby, but on the other hand, if it is in the hands of the wicked, it causes suffering and misery to all. Men should give up the bad habits of wicked ignoble people and cultivate noble disposition. Men should become righteous, dispelling all darkness of ignorance of the people, they should accept Dharma and renounce Adharma (unrighteousness). Learned persons should bring about the welfare of all beings. All men should associate themselves with learned persons and enjoy happiness and bliss in this world by adoring God and keeping company with the wise learned people with perfect love. The hymn wise, purported explanations – Mandala 1 – Sukta – 49
Mandala 1 – Sukta – 50
Mandala 1 – Sukta – 51
We shall discuss the hymns, Sukta wise & Mandala wise. Our focus is on the implicit meaning of the various hymns instead of literal translations of the hymns. These purported meanings are based primarily on the English translations by Swami Dharmanand Saraswati of the works done by Swami Dayanand Saraswati.
Highlights – In Sukta 47, importance of knowledge and role of heads are defined. The heads should destroy misery and increase the prosperity of their juniors. They should construct aeroplanes & other vehicles to travel distant places. In Sukta 48, importance of dawn and women are highlighted. As dawn dispels darkness and brings light and happiness, chaste women bring prosperity and happiness in the family. It is highlighted that the marriage of the bridegrooms should be arranged with the brides of distant places, so that the love between them may ever grow. Those men who sitting in a quiet and pure solitary place, practice nine parts of Yoga including Sanyama, become siddhas, pure in mind word and deed. Those who associate with them and serve them also purify their minds and become seekers after Atma (God and Soul) and Yoga. The hymn wise, purported explanations – Mandala 1 – Sukta – 47
Mandala 1 – Sukta – 48
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