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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.
One should abandon all habits and tendencies that are unrelated to what one wishes to achieve. One should learn to close the apertures in the body and also learn the practice of different postures. The diet should be pure. One should contemplate the meaning of holy scriptures. Right conduct and the company of holy ones are essential. Having renounced everything, one should sit comfortably. If one than practises pranayama for some time without allowing anger, greed etc. to rise within oneself, the life-force comes under one’s perfect control. Nadi & Kundalini - Deep within the body there is a Nadi known as the Antravestika. It rests in the vitals and it is the source of a hundred other Nadis. It exists in all beings – gods, demons and humans, animals and birds, worms and fish. It is coiled at the source. It is a contact with all avenues in the body, from the waist right up to the crown of the head. Within this Nadi dwells the supreme power. It is known as kundalini, because it is coiled in appearance. It is the supreme power in all beings and it is prime mover of all power. When the prana or life-force which is in the heart reaches the abode of the kundalini, there arises within oneself an awareness of the elements of nature. It is the kundalini unfolds and begins to move that there is awareness within oneself. All the other Nadi (radiating flow of energy) is tied to the kundalini, as it were. Hence the kundalini is the very seed of consciousness and understanding (or knowledge). Diversity in Creatures - Latent conditioning produces insentient beings; patent conditioning gives rise to gods, humans etc. In some there is dense conditioning conducive to ignorance; in others there is attuned conditioning conducive to liberation. Conditioning alone is responsible for the diversity in creatures. Movement of Life Force - As the Apana is constantly flows downward, as Samana it dwells in the solar plexus and as Udana the same life-force rises up. On account of these forces, there is balance in the system. If, however, the downward pull is excessive and the downward force is not arrested by appropriate effort, death ensues. Similarly, if the upward pull is excessive and it is not arrested by appropriate effort, death ensues. If the movement of the life-force is governed in such a way that neither goes up nor down, there is unceasing state of equilibrium and all diseases are overcome. Otherwise, if there is malfunctioning of ordinary (secondary) Nadi one is subject to minor ailments, and if the principal Nadi are involved there is serious ailment. By the practice of Puraka or inhalation, if the kundalini at the base of the spine is ‘filled’ and made to rest in a state of equilibrium, the body remains firm. When through the retention of the ‘breath’ all the Nadi are warmed up, the kundalini rises up like a stick and its energies flood all the Nadi of the body. On account of this the Nadi are purifying and made light. Then the yogi is able to travel in space. When the kundalini arises through the Brahma-Nadi and reaches the spot known as dvadasanta (twelve finger-breaths from the crown of the head) during the Rechaka or exhalation. If the kundalini can be held there for a hour, the yogi sees the gods and perfected beings who travel in space. Ailments - What are Vyadi (illnesses), what are adhi (psychic disorders) and what are the degenerative conditions of the body? Physical malady is known as vyadhi, and psychic disturbance caused by psychological condition (neuroses) is known as adhi. Both these are rooted in ignorance and wickedness. They end when self-knowledge or knowledge of truth is attained. Physical ailments are caused by ignorance and is its concomitant total absence of mental restraint which leads to improper eating and living habits. other causes are untimely and irregular activities, unhealthy habits, evil company, wicked thoughts. They are also caused by the weakening of the Nadi or by their being cluttered or clogged up, thus preventing the free flow of the life-force. Lastly, they are caused by an unhealthy environment. All these are of course ultimately determined by the fruits of past actions performed either in the near of the distant past. All these psychic disturbances and physical ailments arise from the fivefold elements. Physical ailments are twofold: ordinary and serious. The former arise from day-to-day causes and latter are congenial. The former are corrected by day-to-day remedial measures and by adopting the proper mental attitude. But the latter (serious) ailments, as also the psychic disturbances, do not cease until self-knowledge is attained: the snake seen in the rope dies only when the rope is again seen as rope. Self-knowledge ends all physical and psychic disturbances. However, physical ailments that are not psychosomatic may be dealt with by meditation, prayers and by right action, as also by baths. All these have been described in medical treatises. There arise disturbances in metabolism, indigestion, excessive appetite, as also improper functioning of the digestive system. Food eaten turns into poison. The natural movement of food in and through the body is arrested. This gives rise to various physical ailments. Thus, psychic disturbance leads to physical ailments. Just myrobalan is capable of making the bowels move, even so certain mantra like ya, ra, la, va, can also remedy these psychosomatic disorders. Other measures are and auspicious actions, service of holy men, etc. By this mind becomes pure and there is great joy in the heart. The life-force flow along the Nadi as they should. Digestion becomes normal, diseases cease.
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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. In this world whatever is gained is gained only by self-effort; where failure is encountered it is seen that there has been slackness in the effort. Self-effort is that mental, verbal and physical action which is accordance with the instructions of a holy person well versed in the scriptures. It is only by such effort that Indra became the king of heaven, that Brahma became the creator, and the other deities earned their places. The fruit of the endeavours will be commensurate with the intensity of my self-effort and neither fate nor a god can ordain it otherwise. Indeed, such self-effort alone is responsible for whatever man gets here; when he is sunk in unhappiness to console him people suggest that it is his fate. Hence, renounce fatalism and apply yourself to self-effort. Every Jiva earns its own state by its own deeds. Every zealous effort is always crowned with fruition. Hence, do not abandon right effort. Weigh the worthiness of the end result. You will surely discover that self-knowledge alone is capable of utterly destroying all pain and pleasure. Self-Effort & Fate - Self-effort is of two categories: that of past births and that of this birth. The latter effectively counteracts the former. Fate is none other than the self-effort of the past incarnation. There is constant conflict between these two in this incarnation; and that which is more powerful triumphs. The lazy man is worse than a donkey. One should never yield to laziness but strive to attain liberation, seeing that life is ebbing away every moment. One should not revel in the filth known as sense-pleasure as worm revels in pus. As is the effort so being fruit. What is called fate or divine will is nothing other than the action or self-effort of the past. The present is infinitely more potent than the past. They indeed are fools who are satisfied with the fruits of their past effort and engage themselves in self-effort now. Righteous Self-Effort - One should free oneself from likes and dislikes and engage oneself in righteous self-effort and reach the supreme truth, knowing that self-effort alone is another name for divine will. That alone is self-effort which springs from right understanding that manifests in one’s heart which has been exposed to the teachings of the scriptures and the conduct of holy ones. One should, with a body free from illness and mind free from diseases, pursue self-knowledge so that he is not born again here. Self-effort is based on these three – knowledge of scriptures, instructions of the preceptor and one’s own effort. Fate (or divine dispensation) does not enter here. Hence, he who desires salvation should divert the impure mind to pure endeavour by persistent effort – this is the very essence of scriptures. Self-Effort & Past Incarnation - The tendencies brought forward from the past incarnations are of two kinds – pure and impure. The pure ones lead you towards liberation, and the impure ones invite trouble. You are not impelled to action by anything other than yourself. Hence you are free to strengthen the pure latent tendencies in preference to the impure ones. With a pure heart and a receptive mind and without the veil of doubt and the restlessness of the mind, listen to the exposition of the nature and means of liberation. Self-Control – He that is good and auspicious flows from self-control. All evils are dispelled by self-control. No gain, no pleasure in this world or in heaven is comparable to the delight of self-control. The delight one experiences in the presence of the self-controlled is incomparable. Everyone spontaneously trusts him. None (not even demons and goblins) hate him. He who even while hearing, touching, seeing, smelling and tasting what is regarded as pleasant and unpleasant, is neither elated nor depressed – he is self-controlled. He who looks upon all beings with equal vision, having brought under control the sensations of pleasure and pain, is self-controlled. He who, though living amongst all is unaffected by them, neither feels elated nor hates, is self-controlled led. |
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