On the value of examples and illustrations
Sri Vasista
Just like the way good fruits are obtained by sowing a seed (at the proper time in good soil), awakening to truth occurs when this conpendium is studied.
Even if a `sastra' is enunciated by a human being , it should be followed if it leads to awakening. If not, it should be rejected even if it comes from a Rishi. One should adopt and follow a proper, logically acceptable path.
One should receive proper and logical statements even if they come from a child. If the statements are not proper they should not be accepted even if said by Brahma.
Who can order a fellow to drink the water from Ganga, which is in front of him, who says `this is the well dug by my ancestors. I shall drink only the water from this well'.
When it is dawn, light shines (on the world) spontane- ously. Similarly discrimination comes naturally to one who studies this compendium.
If this scripture is heard through the mouth of a master of knowledge and grasped by self effort, the discrimi- nating intelligence will get chastened and knowledge will get impressed upon it after repeated deliberations.
Later as much as this knowledge gets internally pol- ished, purified and sculptured into sacred speech, this speech will become a decoration to an assembly like an adorning creeper (when delivered to a gathering).
With the impeccable quality (of speech) a sense of urbanity will be acquired. Many kings and scholars will become friendly to the speech and its content.
Then a person will become wise about the various aspects of things like a lamp which gives the ability to see things clearly in darkness.
When autumn arrives, the fog disappears. Similarly knowledge of this scripture reduces the faults of delu- sion and avarice in a person.
Your mind now requires the acquisition of discrimina- tion. Without practice no action will yield any (proper) result.
Mind will then acquire a sense of delight like a great lake in autumn. Great calmness will come to it like a sea without the Mandara mountain.
Like a pearl- white lamp which dispels darkness and reveals the things (the study of this scripture), makes one's intelligence radiant and effulgent enabling the understanding of difference between various things (in the creation).
The stained perception of the world with all its impuri- ties of poverty, misery will not cut into the internal aware- ness of the person (with the knowledge of this scrip- ture) like an arrow which cannot hurt one who is well armoured.
The heart of a master of knowledge and wisdom will never stoop (or break or roll) before the fear of the world, just as an arrow can never pierce a strong stone.
`What or who is first -birth, actions, god, man-?' -such questions and doubts vanish (when truth is known) like darkness before day.
When a holistic all -wise intelligent perception arises, quietitude arises always and in all dispositions of the mind, the way night passes (on the arrival of sun).
One who studies this scripture will become grand and sublime, deep and majestic like an ocean, firm, steady and composed like Meru. Moon-like coolness will arise in his heart.
He will attain liberation while in life ascending through various stages of accomplishment. He becomes com- pletely calm-which is beyond description-in many of his attributes.
His mind becomes cool and pure in everyway and sur- renders to the perfect perceptions and Supreme light. Like the moonlight in autumn, his intelligence becomes extremely radiant and effulgent.
When the sun of viveka illuminates the heart - space with the pure light of divine quiet and peace and makes the incoherent (phenomena of the world) meaningful, there is indeed no need for judgements (and subjec- tive understandings).
These people of (divine) sweetness, quenched of the thirst by waters (of knowledge) become peaceful. They attain purity -white like the chain of autumn clouds-and stay aloft imperturbed.
These people will desist from unregenerate and cruel behaviour. They never belittle people. It is like the ces- sation of the activity of misery-stricken `pishachas' on the advent of day.
Mental afflictions will not sway those who become bold and courageous in thought and mind holding on fer- vently to the foundation and support of `dharma'. He is unswayed like a creeper in a picture.
Knowingly he will not jump into pot-hole of sensuous living. Who will, indeed, knowingly run into a deep hole on a road?
He takes delight, like a palace - bound chaste wife, in the works that occur to him and which are in tune with scriptural ordinances and accepted noble traditions and practices.
He sees with a detached mind creations ( and beginings) in each one of the atoms in the trillions of the world.
To those whose inside (the heart and mind) is pure and clean due to the knowledge of Reality, worldy plea- sures do neither cause grief nor joy.
In each one of the atoms there are infinite number of universes. They rise and fall like waves and ripples in a sea. A ` Jivanmuktha' can see all of these.
He does not despise worldy activity ad actions.He nei- ther desires freedom from them. Engrossed in (wordly) action knowingly (with awakened mind) he remains un- touched and firm like the stem of a tree.
Engaged in the works that come to him, he behaves like an ordinary man of the world, remaining unvanquished in the heart either by desirable or unde- sirable fruits (of actions).
One can understand what is said in this scripture only when one experiences it. It is like knowing the power of curses and boons (which are understood only when they are experienced).
Embellished and bejewelled with rhetoric, figures of speech, similies and stories, this scripture is easy to grasp and understand. It is full of epic like enjoyable aesthetics.
(Normally) this scripture can be understood by one who knows a little of the syntax and word- meanings (and interpretations). If not, (whatever is beyond oneself) can be understood through a scholar.
`Japa', dhyana and tapas' are of no use to attain lib- eration for those who have heard this scripture and internalised the knowledge.
By constant practice of (what is said in) this scripture, and the insights developed by repeated study, one can acquire an extraordinary, and brilliant scholarship ac- companied by a highly refined heart and mind.
`I and this world' - such a strong demon of perception and perview will disappear by itself as the demons which disappear on the (rise) advent of the sun.
Even if such an illusion like `I and the world' exists, it will be dispelled like the attachments in a dream which dis- appear on waking.
Just like people who are not bothered about happiness and grief in a city of imagination, they will also be unaf- fected by the world - illusion once they are aware of it.
One is not afraid of a snake in a picture. Similarly when the serpent of phenemenon is known, phenomena will cause neither grief nor happiness.
When the reality about serpenthood of the serpent in the picture is known, the serpenthood is destroyed. Similarly about the world- the world is unreal though firmly existing (to the naked eye).
When wheat grains are separated from the leaves, some slight damage occurs. Not so when the Supreme state is attained. Not even the slightest damage is done (to the person).
When wheat grain is separated from the leaves, some body movements are required. Not so to attain Su- preme state. Only mind is to be silenced. There need be no body movement.
-46 . (To attain the Supreme state) the required things are : to sit in a comfortable posture : to eat whatever is avail- able or obtained; not to indulge in any pleasures which are against noble tradition or practice; to get happi- ness and to enjoy study and discussion of scriptures in every company at anytime and at any place. Such a living will give great knowledge. It gives great peace in the world. There will be no affliction of living in future in more and more wombs (There will not be any rebirths).
If people can not meet these simple requirements and stay in a sinful and pleasure seeking life, they are like people dumped in the excrete of their mothers. They are not worthy of any thought.
O Raghava, listen to this vast body of knowledge to be narrated by me. It is the acme and essence of all intel- ligence.
Now hear the technical terminology used in this dis- course and the various bases to know and grasp the inquiry into Reality.
To teach that which is not experienced (by the students) through something that is evident (and known)and which gives the benefit of understanding is called (teaching) through an example or illustration.
O Rama, without illustrations and examples, new, un- common and out of the-ordinary things can not be grasped. It is like the difficulty in seeing things in a house in the night without a lamp.
O son of Kakutsa dynasty; whatever I will be teaching you now with examples, all those have reasons (for their existence).Only the non-existent,the Supreme has no cause(for its existence).
The similie and the subject and object therein exist witha cause- effect relationship. Except the Absolute Brah- man, this applies to all the rest (in the phenomenal world).
In this Brahmopadesa ( teaching about Brahman) the illustrations hold good (or valid) only in part - aspects of Brahman (not to the whole).
Whatever examples and illustrations are cited here, for purposes of clarity, they are associated with the dream- world. (world itself being one such).
`How can the illustrations (which are with form) be valid for a formless Brahman?'- such a foolish comment, therefore, does not arise.
The corruptions and unacceptabilities in the percep- tions and examples like `unproved, contradictory' etc do not arise because of the dream -like character of the world.
The antecedents and succedents of this non-object, that is the world, should be discussed as at present since the equivalence of waking and sleeping states and the things therein is well known since our childhood. If one examines dream, `sankalpa' (determination, will,
imagination), meditation, boon, curse, medicine - and such things, it will be evident that the example state- ment `this world is like a dream'.
In all the other treatises about the Supreme Absolute and in all corresponding teachings, by the author of this scripture followed the same rules and regulations.
It can not be said that the fact of the dream-nature of the world will become evident immediately after listen- ing to this scripture. It is a gradual process.
This world is similar to a city in a dream, or fabricated or imagined or meditated upon. And so in this treatise only they are taken as exmples and similies and not any other.
-64 . Since Brahman is the prior cause (of this world) this Brahman is always compared in similies. But the simi- larity is only in parts-never in full. And so, a wise and thoughtful person accepts only that aspect without any controversy.
-67 . To see things only the light from the lamp will be useful, definitely not the container, not the oil and not the wick.And so, only one aspect of a similie will be useful to clarify the compared subject. Even the `Maha vakyas' (great statements) are understood by this single as- pect acceptability.
It is not proper to throw away the philosophical and spiri- tual knowledge, making an illogical argument that is against experience.
On examination, (it turns out) that the literature on the experiences of people like us, - though looking like in- imical to normal experience-is worthy of following.The words uttered by even our most beloved ladies should be considered as mere prattle if they do not concern the knowledge about the Absolute.
We have the mind (and intelligence) to get benefited by the great pronouncements and statements in the scriptures. We have decided that those scriptures which deal with these celebrated statemets are authori- tative and standard works ( dealing with knowldege of the Absolute).
