Shri Yogvasishtha Maharamayana Shibir 10 Summary

Pravachan 3 (16.11.2019 Evening)

Please Note: This is an English summary of the pravachan by a seeker, Rimaben Dhanky from Dubai and
has been uploaded here for the benefit of the English reader.

Shri Valmikiji created the scripture, ‘Shri Yogvasishtha Maharamayana’, we are doing the
second chapter- prakaran, we are on Sarg 18. It has 70 shloks. We have done 32 shloks
so far and the rest of it will be done here. 19th sarg is about contemplating about the self
till the seventh level of the soul- starting from good desire (shubhechchha) to the final
stage of self-realisation (Turya avastha). There are 35 shloks in 19th sarg. In the 20th sarg,
types of intellect and characteristics of great souls are described in 15 shloks.

We are discussing the benefits of reading, contemplating and applying this scripture in
the day to day life.

Sarg 18 (cont.)

“It is a poem full of flavours and embellished with beautiful similes. One who has
a slight knowledge of words and their meanings may be self-taught in it, but he
who does not understand the meanings well should learn from a pundit. After
hearing, thinking and understanding this work, one has no more need to practice
austerities or meditation or repeating mantras or performing other rites. A man
requires nothing else in this world for the attainment of his liberation. By the
deep study of this work and its repeated perusal, a man attains an uncommon
scholarship and the purification of his soul. The ego and the non-ego, that is, the
viewer and the viewed, are both only imaginary monsters of the imagination.
Only their annihilation leads to the vision of the soul. The error of the reality of
ego and the perceptible world will vanish away like visions in a dream, for who
that knows the falsehood of dreams will fall into the error (of taking them for
truth)? As an imaginary palace gives no joy or grief to anyone, the false
conception of the world is the same. Just like nobody is afraid of a painting of a
serpent, to one who knows, the sight of a living serpent neither terrifies nor
pleases. Our knowledge of a picture removes our fear of a painted serpent. Our
conviction of the unreality of the world must disperse our mistake of a snake’s
existence. Even the plucking of a flower or tearing of its leaflet requires a little
effort, but no exertion whatever is required to gain the blessed state. Plucking or
pulling off a flower involves an act of the body, but with yoga, there is no physical
action.”

This scripture is decorated with many beautiful words and examples. This scripture is
very interesting because of many examples. Shri Atmasiddhi Shastra is also very
interesting because of so many examples and beautiful words. In 142 stanzas, there are
many examples. In Shrimad Rajchandrai’s (Prabhu’s) writings and speech, whether it is
Mokshmala or Updeshchhaya, Shri Atmasiddhi Shastra or Vyakhyansaar, we can find
examples.

A new topic is starting now, how to get the essence of the scripture from examples is
described. In Shri Atmasiddhi Shastra also, there are many examples like, “Pan te banne
bhinna chhe, jem asi ne myaan.” It means it is distinct and different like a sword and its
sheath. Or “Koti varshnu swapna pan, jagrat thata shamay, em vibhaav anaadino, jnaan
thata dur thay.” It means as a dream of even millions of years subsides at the instance of
waking, the delusion prevailing since infinity disappears with the advent of
enlightenment.
Examples make a deep and mysterious topic interesting and easy. Even if a person has
got very less knowledge of scriptures, he can understand this scripture easily. But if you
want to understand the essence of the scripture, you have to go to the Enlightened One.
In Vachanamrutji, the importance of Enlightened One is described again and again. We
cannot expect examples in Patranks of Prabhu, Patranks give us only spiritual guidance,
as they were written to the people, who did not need examples, they found it interesting
and important without any examples.

There will be a lot of obstructions when you go from examples to the essence of
supreme reality. If you find faults in examples, then you may find faults in the supreme
reality too, this is dangerous. To avoid that fault, you have to listen to it from the
Enlightened One.

Guru Nanak and Kabirji were contemporaries and both of Them tried their best to unite
Hindu-Muslim. But on Kabirji’s dead body itself, they fought and made two places. Guru
Nanak also tried His best, but a new religion, ‘Sikhism’ started. We have to be very
thoughtful before having any differences of opinions. Once there are two lines of
succession, they never become one in this fifth era. If you understand the scripture from
the Enlightened One, you will have the right determination and you will get the glory of
the scripture. We have got a lot of understanding, but we don’t have the glory of that
thing. We don’t have the glory of the soul, that’s why our instincts do not go towards the
soul. We love worldly matters, we have importance of them, so we go towards the world
many times. Instincts that are there in subconscious mind pull you towards worldly
matters as if the mind is not in your hands. That’s why, till the preaching of scriptures
does not reach the subconscious, this state of the soul will remain as it is. If you are only
listening, you will feel that after listening to satsang for 20 or 30 years, still, the mind is
restless. You think that listening is enough, you put in all your effort in listening, as you
don’t like satsang that much and your efforts end at the listening level only. Your effort
should start with listening. Whatever is done in your subconscious, that becomes your
nature. To change the nature, your instincts have to be changed, you have to eradicate
those impressions. You must have the importance of the scripture, you must get
different feelings and thoughts by reading or listening to them again and again, for which,
a lot of churning and repetition are required.
If you want to understand the essence of the supreme reality, you need to go to the
Enlightened One. Having faith in this essence of supreme reality is samyag darshan.

In Patrank-335, Prabhu has said, “The one, who has recognised the Enlightened One in
a right way, he will not have a desire for meditation, this is my internal and trustworthy
opinion.” He does not need meditation at all because if the person recognises the
Enlightened One, he will contemplate on His inner state, what must be His soul
consciousness etc. The one who contemplates on this scripture, he will not need
chanting, rituals or austerity. This is because of the fruition that you get from chanting
and austerity, the same fruition is attained with the contemplation of this scripture. This
scripture has to be read time and again to remain in those feelings and thoughts. You
have to change the direction of liking. If you keep reading scriptures, again and again, the
mind will be purified to go ahead in the path, your eligibility will increase.

The moment there is sunrise, all the devils become quiet on their own. Instincts are more
powerful when there is the manifestation of faith-delusion. Character delusion is like
daylight, so efforts can be observed as a witness. With the study and contemplation of
this scripture, the dualities will become peaceful. Whatever we have seen in our dreams
about persons or things, these illusions are annihilated the moment we get up, become
aware. In the same way, the moment you get up from your ignorance, whatever intellect
of happiness was there in the worldly matter will get annihilated and you will get
self-realised. When you meet the Enlightened One, you can develop a knowledge filled
consciousness. More this consciousness develops, more the illusion and delusion will get
annihilated. There will be no dualities created. There is no pendulum effect of moods.
The moment you go into regret, you will overdo with your emotions. The moment an
awakened consciousness is developed, you will realise that I am in a bad mood today, so
I will find faults in him only. There will be no flaws seen in the other person. I will keep
checking my moods and I will increase my subsidence.

Just like nobody is afraid of a painting of a serpent, to one who knows, the sight of a
living serpent neither terrifies nor pleases. Our knowledge of a picture removes our fear
or perspiration of a painted serpent. Once you know in the intellect that the world is
false, then there is no happiness or sorrow. Once you know the Supreme Soul as the
powerful adhishthata, then this imaginary world will not give any happiness or sorrows.
Vedanta says, “The more your inner level increases, the world does not exist anymore for
you.” Jainism will say the same thing in different words, “What you thought about the
world at the time of ignorance, it will no longer be the same when you get enlightened
and because of that, you won’t have bad instincts, feelings or afflictions. Prabhu also said,
“Upje moha vikalpathi, samasta aa sansar, antarmukh avlokta, vilay thata nahin vaar.” It
means the whole world arises out of delusion, the moment you go into witness mode and
have inward focus, everything gets destroyed within no time. The only truth is the
Supreme Reality.

The moment there is self-realisation, you have liberation from ignorance. Vedanta
believes that once your faith delusion is annihilated, there will be liberation only. Prabhu
also wrote in Shri Atmasiddhi Shastra, “Vardhmaan samkit thai, taale mithyaabhaas, uday
thay chaaritrano, vitaraagpad vaas.” It means as the perception grows, the illusion comes
to the end; with the advent of right conduct, one abides in the detached state. In one
stanza, Prabhu covered 4th to 12th Gunasthanak (stages of purity). Prabhu has given
theory first in 108 stanzas, then from 109th to 113th stanza, He showed us practically.
“Te jignaasu jivne, thaay Sadgurubodh; to paame samakitne, varte antarshodh.” It means
if such a truth seeker gets enlightenment from a true Guru, he can acquire the right
perception and would turn introvert. (109). “Mat darshan aagrah taji, varte Sadgurulaksha;
lahe shuddha samakit te, jemaan bhed na paksha.”It means giving up beliefs, ideology,
and strong opinion, if one acts as directed by a true Guru, he attains pure perception.
This is beyond all differences and disputes. (110). “Varte nij swabhaavano, anubhav
laksha pratit; vrutti vahe nij bhaavman, paramaarthe samakit.” It means when there
prevails the experience, awareness and conviction of one's nature; and when the tendency
flows inward, it is termed as right perception in the absolute sense. (111) “Vardhamaan
samakit thai, taale mithyaabhaas; uday thaay chaaritrano, Vitaraagpad vaas.” It means as
the perception grows, the illusion comes to the end; with the advent of right conduct,
one abides in the detached state. (112) “Keval nij swabhaavanun, akhand varte jnaan;
kahie kevaljnaan te, deh chhataan nirvaan.” When there prevails uninterrupted awareness
of one's nature exclusively, that is termed as omniscience, which is liberation despite
embodiment. (113). Then He just said, if you contemplate on it, you will attain it.

To pluck the flower and leaves, you need hands. But for self-realisation, the intellect also
has to become unwavering, you have to go from doing to non-doing. Do not get stuck in
‘doing’. Sobhagbhai went from one chakra to the other. When Prabhu wrote that Sobhag
is in reveling in divine love, He is remembering Prabhu all times, it means that
Sobhagbhai was at the Heart chakra. After a while, Prabhu asked Him, why He had not
gone to the next step, where He had to go on the Throat chakra, which is a purer form
of energy. This way, Sobhagbhai’s journey got over within seven years. Prabhu asked
Sobhagbhai to become a witness to all these chakras and inner states.

1. Once you attain knowledge, no time or efforts are needed in the annihilation of the
worldly matters. 2. It won’t happen with doing, it will happen with witnessing, non-doing.
Your intellect also has to become unwavering because self-realisation is not the result of
any karma and you won’t attain it with any rituals. Once you stabilise in non-doing, you
will attain self-realisation. The soul is always there, you have to become aware of it in
your knowledge. Purity of mind requires a lot of efforts, but self-realisation is about
non-doing only.

“You only have to fix your mind. It can be practised with ease by anyone sitting
in his easy seat and fed with his usual food who is not addicted to gross pleasures
or breaching the rules of good conduct. You can derive happiness from your
observations at any place and time, as you can from your association with the
good whenever it is available. This is an optional rule. These are the means of
gaining knowledge of the highest wisdom, conferring peace in this world, and
saving us from the pain of being reborn in the womb. Those who are afraid of this
course and are addicted to the vicious pleasures of the world are to be reckoned
as to base, no better than faeces and worms in their mother’s bowels. Attend now,
Rama, to what I am going to say in another way about advancing in knowledge
and improving one’s understanding. Hear now a new method in which this
scripture is learned, and its true sense interpreted to people utilizing its
exposition. A simile or example serves to explain the unapparent meaning of a
passage by illustration with something that is well known and which may be
useful to help understanding. It is hard to understand a meaning without an
example, just as it is useless to have a lamp-stand at home without setting a lamp
on it at night.”

Remain satisfied with what you get because of your destiny, your past effort. Do not ask
for changes in it. Do not go against the people or scriptures. If you go against the people,
they will judge you, they will go against you. They may condemn you, which will touch
your ego and you will feel like taking revenge. Do not go against the scriptures at all.
Attend the satsang by contemplating about the place and time, make your thoughts
subtle. We say the same thing in Kshamapana Paath, “Jem jem hun sukshma vicharthi
undo utru chhun, tem tem tamara tattvana chamatkaro maara swarupno prakash kare
chhe.” As I ponder minutely and deeply, I get the glimpse of my true self in light of the
miraculous impact of your enlightened state.” I am becoming subtler and going deeper.
Dig deeper. Then you will know, “Tame niraagi, nirvikaari, sachchidanand swaroop,
sahajanandi, anantjnaani, anantdarshi ane trailokyaprakashak chho.” It means You are
unattached; pure; of the nature of existence, consciousness and bliss; innately blissful;
infinitely enlightened; infinitely percipient and illuminator of the three worlds.

With self-realisation, you won’t have to take new births. You won’t have to go in the
womb of the mother any more, you won’t have to reckon in the faeces and urine. You
won’t have to be a partner of the labour pains. You will get rid of transmigration. You
only have to fix your mind. It can be practised with ease by anyone sitting in his easy seat
and fed with his usual food who is not addicted to gross pleasures or breaching the rules
of good conduct. If you don’t study this scripture, you will be called the lowest of the
low. If you are giving more importance to other things than satsang, you should not be
remembered by anyone. Attending satsang with a lot of faith and liking are very
important. Make your satsang and the Enlightened One the most important. This faith
also comes only when your transmigration has come to almost an end when your
delusion has become weaker and milder. You should know the importance of satsang.

A simile or example serves to explain the unapparent meaning of a passage by illustration

with something that is well known and which may be useful to help understanding. It is
hard to understand a meaning without an example, just as it is useless to have a
lamp-stand at home without setting a lamp on it at night. Shri Yogvasishtha has many
examples. When you need to understand the not experienced substance and that
substance cannot be experienced with the help of five senses, to understand that
substance (soul), you are given the example of something that you have experienced and
there are similarities with it. Knowing the unknown by knowing the known. This way,
preaching becomes easier and simpler. Tough things have to be diluted with easy things,
examples.

When the example is given, two things are always there. 1. Upmaan- means similarities
and comparison, analogy is given. 2. Upmeya- subject of comparison. The one for which
the example is given is upmeya and the one that is given is upmaan. To understand this,
let’s take the example of Rama’s eyes, we say, He has lotus like eyes. Lotus becomes
upmaan and eyes become upmeya.

This scripture is filled with many examples, which has many similarities. To understand
the constant, pure soul, many examples are given in this scripture. To understand the
soul, we are given the example of the sky. The way the sky is formless and invisible, the
soul is also formless and invisible. We can understand that the sky is motionless and the
soul is consciousness. This is the limitation of the example. If you take too literally, you
will make the soul also motionless. The whole world is false, and all the examples are
given from the world only, so if you try to fit the whole example in the soul, you will
make mistakes in knowing the supreme truth. Don’t become illogical. You must
determine the essence of the soul. You should know what to accept and what to leave.
With the example of sky, you can say that the soul is like the sky, as it cannot be seen and
has no shape. You have to be cautious.

In Shri Atmasiddhi Shastra, body and soul are compared with the sword and sheath.
Here we have to understand that they are similar in terms of when the soul is in the body,
the soul prevails in every molecule of the body. The soul is not all-pervading or it is not
like a molecule. They are different in the following way. The sword and the sheath are in
two different places, whereas the soul and the body are in the same place (ek kshetra
avagaahanaa).

If there is no light in the night, you can’t see the pot and the cloth. If you don’t have
examples, your ignorance will not be waived.

“The similes and examples I have used to make you understand are all derived
from some cause or other, but they lead to knowledge of the uncaused Brahma.
Whenever comparisons and compared objects are used to express cause and
effect, they apply to all cases except Brahma (who is without a cause). The
examples that explain the nature of Brahma are to be taken in their partial sense.
The examples given to explain divine nature are to be understood as referring to a
world seen in a dream. In such cases, no material example can apply to the
incorporeal Brahma, and no optional and ambiguous expression can give a
definite idea of him. Those who find fault with examples of an imperfect or
contradictory nature cannot blame our comparison of the appearance of the world
to a vision in a dream. Earlier and later developments of this non-entity (the world)
are considered to exist in the present moment.”
Vasishthaji said, “Whatever examples I will give you, they are wrong. But you have to
understand what I am trying to show you, that ‘Brahma’, ‘Pure Soul’ is the truth. We get
the example of gold, the soul is like gold and karma is like mud. But gold is born, it is
temporary, it is false, if we take these three characteristics of gold and compare the soul,
you will be making a mistake. You will say that the soul is born, it is temporary and it is
false. With one ounce similarity, understand the essence of the soul. You cannot take the
whole example of sharad ritu, otherwise, you will see the problem in the soul. Don’t be
illogical. The knower is only the truth. You cannot say that the soul is like a rope, the
rope is temporary but the soul is permanent, the rope has no bliss, the soul is blissful.
The rope is not living, the soul is always living. You have to understand the point of view
of the Enlightened One so that you don’t make mistakes in the determination of the
essence. One substance cannot do anything for the other substance. But at the same time,
we say, “Te to Prabhu e aapyo” It means even that has been bestowed by You Lord.
Now do not get confused with these two statements. You have to understand that with
the blessings of the Enlightened One only, I have benefited a lot. Don’t make your
knowledge and faith false. Your bhakti should not be against the essence. You have to be
clear. You have to understand what is the material cause (upaadaan) and what is an
instrumental factor (nimitt) from the Enlightened One only. You have to understand
what preaching should be taken from the rope for the soul. Every example is taken from
the non-living world (paudagalik). The soul is like a sword and the body is like a sheath.
But the sword is non-living, it can be seen and it is temporary. You have to use your
intellect.
“Waking and dreaming states are known from our boyhood. The comparison of
the existence of the world with the dreaming state is exact in all instances
because our desires, thoughts, pleasures and displeasures, and all other acts are
the same in both states. This work and all others composed by other authors on
the means of salvation have pursued the same plan in their explanation of the
knowable. The resemblance of the world to a dream is found also in the scriptures
and the Vedanta. It is not to be explained in a word but requires a continued
course of lectures. Such writings also cite comparisons of the world to the images
in a dream or an imaginary paradise of the mind in preference to other similes.
Whenever a causality is shown by a simile of something which is no cause, there
the simile is applied in some particular and not all its general attributes. The
partial similarity of this comparison with some property of the compared object is
unhesitatingly acknowledged by the learned in all their illustrations.”

In giving the example, the science of logic and reasoning (tarkshstra) will ask you to
prove it and it should not go against the theory. But Vasishthaji said that in His examples,
you will find flaws. When we give the example that if you put dirty water in the coconut
tree, still the coconut water will be sweet only. In your heart and mind, The Enlightened
One is also like a coconut tree, if you go to Him with your dirty mind, your love will be
purified. You cannot set the whole thing from one example.

Once you know the principles, learn spirituality, then you can go-to languages. Languages
will help you understand the principles. After that, if your intellect is allowing you to go
ahead, go for Nyaya, it will polish your knowledge. After that, if your intellect is allowing
you to go ahead, go and learn different philosophies. In the end, stabilise in spirituality.
The world is not existing, for this, you should know the principles. Understand the main
thing which is the soul and then forget about the example. Don’t think about what are
the mistakes in the example. Just understand the significance of the example.

A person is dreaming while he is sleeping. But the moment he gets up, he knows that it
was false. In the same way, the worldly matters are false. “Athava swapna saman.” It
means the entire world is like a dream. The meaning of this sentence is the worldly
matters are illusory, they are temporary, they keep changing. But in dreams, nothing
existed. In reality, things exist, but attachment has to be removed from it. Every example
has its limitations. Without the guidance of the Enlightened One, your belief of truth will
go in the other direction only. You just have to take one learning- the way world looked
at the time of ignorance, when you became focused inwardly, it does not look the same
after attaining knowledge. During ignorant times also, the same thing does not look the
same. Just now, you may love pizza and once you overeat them, you won’t like it. Once
the desire is fulfilled, the wife does not seem the same. Once the knowledge is attained,
the true nature of things is understood and they remain as it is. “Upje moha vikalpathi,
samasta aa sansar, antamukh avlokta, vilay thata nahin vaar.” It means the whole world
arises out of delusion, the moment you go into witness mode and have inward focus,
everything gets destroyed within no time.

All the darshan are accommodated in the speech of the Enlightened One. Remove the
terminologies, everyone will accept spirituality. If someone asks for an example of
Brahma, which is unique and is beyond cause and effect relationship, it is not possible
only. All the examples have a cause and effect relationship for sure. All the examples are
false, still, in this scripture, examples are given to explain Brahma.

“When the light of the senses is compared with a lamp, the reference is to
brightness only and not its stand, holder, oil or wick. The compared object is to
be understood in its capacity of admitting a partial comparison, as in the instance
of sense and light. The simile consists in the brightness of both. When the
knowledge of a knowable thing is derived from some particular property of the
comparison, it is the subject of a suitable simile to understand the sense of some
great saying. We must not overshadow our intellect by bad logic, or set at nothing
our common sense by an unholy scepticism. We have by our reasoning well
weighed the verbosity of our opinionated adversaries and never set aside the holy
sayings of the Vedas, even when they are at variance with the opinions of our
families. Oh, Rama, we have stored in our minds the truths resulting from the
unanimous voice of all the scriptures, whereby it will be evident that we have
attained the object of our belief, apart from the fabricated systems of heretical
scriptures.”

The intelligent person should work towards the self-realisation. He should look at an
ounce of similarity between upmaan and upmeya and he should determine the truth. The
jewel is like a lamp. We should see it from the point of view that both have light. But we
don’t see the price of both things. Understand the meaning of the scripture. Think about
your spiritual welfare only. Do not take literal meaning. The intelligent person is definite
and undisputed. In the end, you have to leave the delusion of the worldly matters.
Scriptures will speak a very strict language and because you are in a lot of delusion, you
will feel as if it is your enemy. The Enlightened One is beyond the delusion and He talks
about scripture. Do not accept the sweet word of a woman, but accept and follow the
bitter words the Enlightened One. Don’t leave Him, even if you feel that He is like an
enemy. You have to think about liberation. The one with what your efforts arise and you
get liberation, that is the only aim of this scripture.