Sri Vasista
-3 O Rama, after thousand years Bali woke up from Samadhi hearing the celestial trumpets. His entire city looked splendorous with his enlightenment. Bali waited till all his people reached him. Meanwhile he mused about his experiences while in samadhi.
-8 'Oh what a delightful and attractive state is that perfect state! How quiet and peaceful! I have obtained great peace by staying there for a moment. I shall hereafter take refuge in it. What is the use of all these external pleasures and enjoyments? What I enjoyed in the Self can not be obtained even inside a moon' As he was recollecting thus, all his people arrived and surrounded him. Looking at them his eyes became sorrowful and he once again fell into a musing mood.
-18 'What is there for me that is acceptable (or otherwise). My mind has no options or alternatives. (Earlier) my mind felt that something is good or bad because I got attracted to it. Why should I seek liberation? By what am I bound? When I am not bound, why should I want liberation? All is like a child's inagination I am neither bound nor liberated. My stupidity is gone. Why should I engage in meditation and not meditating, I shall (engage myself) in witnessing that Self. Let things come when they come. Nothing is lost or gained. I am not interested in meditation nor am I interested in not meditating. I neither want pleasures nor am I interested in lack of them. I shall abide in all equally without any feverishness. I do not desire that Supreme State. Nor do I desire the wordly state. I have no use for being inactive sitting in meditation. I have no desire for plenitude of action. I am neither dead nor alive. I am neither existent nor nonexistent. I am not this worlds, nor other worlds. I am that Vast. To that I bow.If this worldly kingdom exists, I shall abide in in it. If it does not, I shall coolly settle in my Self. What is there for me in meditation. or in the glory of an empire? Whatever comes and whatever goes, I have nothing in anything. I have no duty for me now. Why not then I perform a little of the worldly act of ruling over this kingdom?
-20 . Having decided thus, the great Bali, the best of knowers of Truth, looked at his danava people, like sun looking at lotuses. He received all their greetings like breeze receiving the fragrance of a flower. 21.23. With his 'dheyavasana' discarded, he started performing the duties of the state. He worshipped brahmins, gurus. He treated his relatives and friends with gifts and pleasantries. He gave away many gifts to his servants. He entertained women with interesting pleasantries.
-25 . While he was ruling over the kingdom with success and prosperity, he wanted to perform a sacrifice. He invited the poeple of all worlds and made them happy. He performed the sacrifice in the presence of great sages like Sukra and other celestial sages.
Lord Vishnu also attended the sacrifice to give Bali what was good for him. He knew that Bali was not interested in any pleasures or riches.
-28 . Lord Vishnu wanted to give this jungle of world to the avaricious Indra. He then deceived Bali into incarceration in Patala. It was like chasing a monkey into a cellar.
O Rama, from that time onwards, Bali, the 'Jivan mukta' was staying there engaged in 'dhyan'. He is to become an Indra. in future.
-34 . Living in that netherworld, Bali is leading his life as a Jivanmukta looking upon prosperity and calamity as equal. His intelligence remains steadfast both in joy and sorow. It never reduces or increases. Having been through many lives, his mind has become strongly disgusted and disinterested (in worldly engagements / pleasure. Having ruled over the three worlds for ten crores of years, his mind was totally detached and is now composed. He had seen many ups and downs. He engaged himself in millions of dreams and fancies. He did not find any comfort or consolation in them.
-38 . Bali is fully relieved of all desire for pleasures. He is abiding in the delight of his Self with a perfect mind. He shall rule over the three worlds as Indra in the future. He will neither be excited with that nor will he grieve for the loss of his empire. He is equal in all dispositions and states of existences. He will enjoy whatever comes to him. He will abide as consciusness - pure and clear.
-40 . O Rama, I have now related to you every thing about the acquisition of knowledge by Bali. You also adopt the same attitude and rise. With discrimination, resolve that 'I am the Eternal' and arrive at that nondual state with your personal effort.
-42 . O Rama, King Bali ruled over the three worlds for ten crore years. At the end he developed a disgust for all that. And so O Rama, disgust and dispassion is a necessary condition. Relieve yourself of the load of pleasures. Ascend to that state of truth, bliss and harmony.
-44 . O Rama, all this visible phenomena will give you only ugliness. There is nothing worthy of knowing or charming in this. It is like a boulder at a distance. Stay the chase and pursuit of your mind towards worldly movements. And establish it steadfast in the cave of your heart.
-46 . When you become that consciousness-sun and pervade all over the world, who is your dear ones, who is your enemy? Why are you slipping wastefully form your high state? You are the Infinite. You are the primordial one. You are the supreme Divine Being. You are the one who is sparkling as these many bodies and material things.
-48 . All this mobile and immobile creation is woven into you. You are the string binding all the gems. You are neither born nor dead. You are the ever born Vast Being. Do not get into the delusion of death and birth.
-50 . Come to think of it, death and birth are diseases which increase and decrease depending upon the intensity of desire. Discard desire and pleasures. Be a witness to all. All this world abides in you, the Lord of the world, the consciousness - sun, the ever born. All this is a mere reflection, a universe of dream sequence.
-53 . Do not grieve wastefully. you have no desire for joy or grief. You are the Pure mind. You are the All-self. You are the illuminator of all things. Imagine that all that was not dear and not likable to you, and make it likeable by practice. And then throw they off. By that you shall gain permanent equality. When that equality settles down in your heart, a person will not be born again.
-55 . Pull out the mind from wherever it gets entangled like a child, and establish and engage it in the perfect divine principle. Practicing thus, the wild elephant of mind can be tamed and restrained in all aspects. Thus one can attain the prosperity of the perfect.
Do not get into the false perception of the body being real. Escaping from the deceptive play of 'sankalpas', ascend into the state of equality.
-58 . There is nothing foolish in this world more than the poverty of determinations which are far away from truth. They lead one to immense grief. O, Rama of great intelligence, blow off the clouds of nondiscrimination from the sky of your heart with the winds of discrimination.
-60 . Seeing the Self can not arise as long as one does not strive for it with one's own effort. This does not happen so long as inquiry into Self does not arise in a person.
O Rama, you have acquired the wide knowledge and enlightenment due to my teaching.
Because of the consciousness - sun, there is no modification or deformation in you. you have learnt that Supreme Self is widely pervading.
O Rama, you are now free of anguish with the fog of all curiosity dispelled with the perplexity of doubt subsided, and with all wills and volutions demolished.
Rama, whatever you find or attain, enjoy. With wonder and surprise it will increase. So destroy and move forward. Whatever then remains, that knowledge will be free of any stain and doubt.
