Sri Rāma

1. O Bhagawan, O Knower of all dharmas, a great doubt of fundamental philosophical principle is wheeling around in my heart like a disturbed sea in tide.

2. Why and how what is called mind with its languid and feeble consciousness and understanding is abiding in that undifferentiated, eternal, unstained, Abnsolute?

3. There is nothing else in that like mind neither in the past nor will be in the future.  How and why such a stain is manifest in the Absolute?

Sri Vasista

4. Well said, O Rāma.  What you said is worthy of liberation.  What has flown out of your great mind is like a bunch of flowers in the heavenly ‘Nandana’ garden.

5. Now your mind is completely engrossed in understanding positive and negative aspects of a problem.  Soon you shall attain that state which Sankara and others have attained.

6. Even so, this is not the appropriate time for this question.  When a doctrine is stated later, then you shall ask this question.

7. -8. When the doctrine (of self) is proposed then this question will be understood easily by you.  The answer will be as clearly evident as an ‘amalaka’ fruit in your palm.  It will be as evident as the pleasing cry of a peacock in rainy season or that of a swan in autumn.

9. The blue colour of the sky will be delightful to watch at the end of rainy season.  During rainy season, a cloudy sky is appropriate.

10. O man of good vows, now let us talk of determination of mind which lead to sequence of births.  Listen to that.

11. Those who are desirous of liberation have decided/agreed that works and mind, whose nature is reflection and thinking, are forms of Prakriti, nature.

12. Those who orate on scriptual perceptions and philosophical diversities have given varieties of interesting names and forms to Nature/mind/works.

13. Whatever thought this mind entertains within itself, it becomes that like air which internalises or accrues the fragrance it carries.

14. Thereafter (people) determine themselves what should be and what variations and distortions there should be driven by the sense of ego and please themselves within.

15. Taking such determining decisions they derive joy out of them.  Whatever constitutes the senses and intellect, the same constitutes the body too.

16. Whatever fill the mind, the same fills the body since body is in the grip of mind.  It is like air acquiring a fragrance (and be in its grip).

17. When intellect and sense organs ramble on, the organs of action become active like dust particles in air.

18. When the organs of action get agitated, their power and energy get kindled and works flow out.  It is like dust particles flying around in air.

19. Thus ‘manas’ (the sense mind) is action and works.  It should be said that the source/origin of works is mind.  These two are the same like fragrance and flower.

20. The way a mind accepts a state of existence due to intense practice, similarly a branch called action/works-which is a vibration – is released (from mind).

21. Then action/work and associated fruits from it are produced.  When these are relished and enjoyed, it binds one immediately.

22. Whatever thought/idea it (the mind) accepts, it becomes aware of it as a material object.  Then the sense of that being good or bad is generated firmly.

23. People attempt to achieve the four ‘purusharthas’ – dharma, artha, Rāma and moksha – with intelligent perceptions and ideas of different kinds.

24. Kapila and his associates believed in mind and structured all their scriptual texts around that thesis.

25. They felt that liberation can be possible only through their ways and reflected this in their philosophical writings.  They got caught in the whirl of their own rules.

26. From the perception of Vedantins, ‘this world is Brahman’ is the settled truth.  Accordingly they created rules and regulations based on tranquility and self control to achieve liberation.

27. They also believed that their path is the only one to achieve liberation.  ‘It cannot be achieved by any other way’ – with this belief they also got caught the whirl of their rules (set by themselves).

28. -29. ‘Vijnana Vadins’ also believed in liberation through peace and self-control.  They think that theirs is the only path to liberation and got caught in the whirl of the rules laid by themselves.

30. ‘Ārhats’ and such others also framed their rules according to their understandings and perceptions and laid down their doctrines and methods accordingly in numerous formats.

31. Without any immediate motivation or cause, innumerable bubbles arise in quiet waters.  (Similarly) many ordinances, practices and rules have emerged from different kinds of perceptions and beliefs (about the world) and took root (became firmly current).

32. O man of mighty shoulders, for all these various beliefs, perceptions and ideas, mind is the rich source.  It is like a sea being the source of pearls and diamonds.

33. (In fact) a lemon is not sour; Nor a sugar-cane sweet.  Moon is not cool, nor fire hot.  These are obtained the way habits grow intensely.

34. Human beings desire and look for pure and unadulterated bliss.  This can be obtained only by total identification of mind with bliss (Brahman).

35. One then gives up all lowly and mean attractions, that a child has for visible things.  And so the consequent joys and sorrows do not take hold of him.

36. O sinless one, do not therefore entertain such which is impure, unreal, delusive phenomena which resembles  a serpent.  It is a cause of bondage.

37. Wise men call identification with such relative knowledge as ‘māya’, ignorance.  Such knowledge is frightening.

38. Unwavering attention directed towards phenomena by a person is mere mental self-delusive infatuation.  Wash off O Rāma such filth of unreality (from your mind).

39. Identification with phenomena is experienced as natural consequence of enjoying the liquor called mutable world.  Wise men call this as ‘avidya’ – lack of knowledge/ignorance.

40. People of this world who are struck by such calamity can never attain prosperity and happiness.  They are like people who can not see the sun covered by clouds.

41. O one of great intelligence and discrimination, thoughts, ideations and fancies arise both out of intention and also unintendedly like a tree in the sky.

42. These fancies and thoughts die, decline/subside by one’s own natural strength, inquiry and grace (of the Divine).  Then non-attachment  for material things of all kinds will get firmly established.

43. If one takes refuge in true perception, untruth declines.  Undeformed and unchanged pure consciousness-self is then gained.

44. In that Supreme Self, there abides only a feeling of being Absolute and Alone.  There will be neither existence nor non-existence, neither happiness nor sorrow.

45. The Absolute cannot be obtained by unbecoming thoughts and by mind-directed perceptions.  Only when these are given up the Self is obtained.

46. Vāsanas are like rows of clouds in the sky.  It is doubtful that one can understand (or attain) the Self though them.  It is like trying to understand the nature of a serpent with the help of a rope.

47. Consciousness-ether binds itself in the self.  This bondage is artificial and fictitious.  From this all things are made as reflections and copies.

48. Self accepts thus such division like sky which accepts night and day.  This is merely an illusion into which the Absolute Self gets into (by itself).

49. Self is blissful.  It is beyond any fictions and fabrications.  It is like imagining and fearing the existence of a lion in an empty kitchen.

50. While the Corporeal body is empty, one fears that ‘I am bound’.  In an empty kitchen, one cannot find a lion even on search.

51. If one (critically and deeply) looks at the those which bind one to ‘samsāra’, they are not available.  When one thinks ‘I am’, this mutable world arises.

52. Because of imagination, shadows act as summoners of demons for children.  In the same way due to imagination, men get feelings of being nonbeing, good and bad.

53. In an instant one feels something as existing and immediately it feels non-existent.  Even a mother when embraced with the thought of being a wife, it sounds to be so.

54. A wife who gives a great feeling of conjugal joy, will appear and feel like a mother when embraced with such thought.

55. So, indeed, through a feeling of mother, the sense of lust and cupidity is completely forgotten.  Things give fruits according to the way they are thought about

56. It is for this reason Jnanis do not talk of things as having only one form.  By persevering thought and imagination mind can turn the same into other forms.

57. Fruits, forms are temporary and are to be seen as such.  What is existing need not be true.  What is not need not be false.

58. The way things are contemplated that way they are seen.  If a mind thinks of an elephant in the sky, so the elephant will be visible.

59. Thus O Rāma everything is mere contemplation and mental conception, ideation.

60. -61. And so O Rāma, give up all thoughts and contemplations as if you are in deep sleep.  Abide in your self and be your self.  None of the reflections will affect you.  It will be like a diamond which is not affected by reflections in it.  What is in you, that is the world which is reflection?

62. -63. If you decide ‘this is not different from Paramātma’ believe that as true and enjoy.  Think of that beginningless and endless  infinite in the self and by the self.  This O Rāghava, will be reflected in your heart and pleases you.

64. A crystal manifests all those colourful things that enter it without any thinking.  You also manifest without any wish or desire all that enter from this world into you without any thinking.