Sri Vasista
-3 Thus, O Rama, this maya is vast and most bewildering, very hard to understand and of evil content. It is extrmely deceiving. It is based in the Supreme. Where is a dream seen in a single instant and the agitations and excitements seen during that time? Where is the kingship of a chandala? Where is mere excitement? Where is the light of actual reality? Where is truth without any confusion? Where is excitment and confusion?
O mighty Rama, it is for this reason I have been saying that 'maya' is very difficult to understand. It will land on unguarded, inattentive person and he is in great calamity.
Sri Rama
O sage, how can one restrain and control the speed of this revolving wheel of maya? It breaks all limbs of person.
Sri Vasista
O Raghava, realize that the centre and hub of this wheel of maya, which appears in the shape of 'samsara', is 'mind' alone. While turning around, it creates perplexities.
-8 There are two ways of restraining this movement: by personal effort and by strong and wise (application of) mind /intelligence. When the very hub and centre are restrained, the wheel cannot move forward. It is like some thing on leash.
O sinless one, you are an adept in the wielding of a disc. Why don't you realise that a disc comes into one's control by holding its centre?
-12 . And so, O Raghava, restrain your mind and thus bring the disc/wheel of maya under control. With such strategy unhappiness can be dispelled in a trice. Otherwise it becomes endless. Conquest of mind is the best medicine for the disease of 'samsara' It will not cease by any other intervention.
And so, O Rama, give up all these activities like piligrimages. For your good, get the mind under your control.
The entire 'samasara' is embedded in the mind like the space inside a pot is enclosed by the pot. When mind is annihilated, 'samasara' disappears like the sky in a pot when pot is broken.
The space in mind - pot is a hollow in the eternal space. The unequalled formless space takes a form.
Mind sheds its nature when the past and future do not possess it and when the present (above) participates in the external activity at a given instant.
You will acquire the sacred freedom from mind if association with all mental wills is abandoned at any given moment.
Mind prospers to the extent mental willing and resolutions are engaged in. So long as clouds exist there will be drops of water.
So long as mental consciousness exists, wills and determinations, imaginations and designs exist. As long as moon-beams exist there will be dew.
If consciousness is free of mental aberrations, then all imaginations, and movements will simply be burnt off. Know this clearly.
Consciousness that is free of mind-stuff is called inward consciousness (pratyak-chetana). Its nature is free of mind and as such is free of the impurity of imagination.
Where mind is not, that is the state of truthfulness, state of auspiciousness of the Supreme Self. That is the all knowing state and perfect vision.
Where mind is, there surely is desire; joy and sorrow. Like crows which crowd on to a cremation ground, they flow out (from the mind)
When the essential nature of things is understood, the very seed of all wills and imaginations, -which is the cause of all mutable states and existence, - does not arise.
The essential nature of things will be revealed and known by scriptural studies along with wise people and unrelenting practice of yoga (of mental control)
Thus the mind stuff should be seized only of non-discrimination, by which mind is damaged/struck. And reunited with Self compulsively.
Individual self alone can cause the vision of Paramatama. It is like a pearl which is lost into an abyss. It can be located only with the help of another luminous pearl.
Self alone wants to cast off the self -experienced joys and sorrows. In the same way only a Self can cause the knowledge of Self.
And so become the possessor of transcendent knowledge by rejecting all thinking whether you are talking, giving or taking, whether eyes are closed or open.
One that is born is destined to die and should indulge in action. Even so making yourself pure, become stable in that transcendent state.
Discard all vasanas, the mental tendencies like 'I am this body, this is mine, that is theirs'. And thus become focussed on to that transcendent state with a single minded attention.
-33 . Always be united with your tanscendent Self whether it is present or future. With such single mindedness, be in a state of equality. Be in that state in all conditions of childhood, old age, youth, dream state, waking state and deep sleep.
Dissolve your mind into Self. Be rid of the impurity of dualities and desires. Be directed to the Transcendent.
Be rid of the poisonous fever of good or bad, profitable or non profitable. Avoid classification as happy or unhappy. Be directed and devoted to the transcendent.
Without your actions, the (idea) of ownership of actions touching your internal self, be devoted to the self-transcendent, being deformationless and (seeking) no support (from anything).
Think that you are in the most stable state of deep sleep even while in the waking state. And think that 'Everything is'. Thus become the embodiment of all existence.
Become liberated from all states (of existence) and thus become one with the light of integral understanding and comprehension. Thus become focused on the Transcendent.
Discard the distinctions and divisions like 'mine and yours or theirs'. Thus abide in the world devoid of divisions. Become steadfast and stable holding on to the disamond -hard. pillar of Self.
Even while in the midst of net of desires and hopes maintain a courageous, generous and noble conduct. Thus go beyond 'dharma' and 'adharma'.
When one has absorbed the nature of Self with a snese of equality, even poison assumes the quality of nectar.
-43 . When one forgets or is unmindful of the divisionless and pure transcendent, grand delusion, which is the cause of all mutuality and illusion, arises. The reverse happens when one is conscious of the Transcendent.
When one crosses the great ocean of desires and hopes, one's own nature and stature will come to the fore. Then the rays of knowledge will spread on him like sunshine on a mountain.
-47 . When once the nature of Self is comprehended and appreciated, the state of nonduality will abide. Then even the most relishing nectar will taste like poison. We worship such people. The rest are like asses in human form. To such realised souls people flock in hundreds, like herds of elephants which move from one hill to the other.
The brilliant lights of millions of suns will not be useful in revealing the internal unseen invisible regions that can be revealed by the eyes of Self knowledge.
Before one who has attained self-knowledge even the great sunworlds are like tiny lamps in midday. They look non existent.
One who is aware of Truth and its nature is the best among all who are strong and great under the influence of the rays of huminous soulforces.
The entire world stays luminous because of the great jnanis who know what is to be known. It is like the suns and stars which shine because of the luminous Lord.
Those who are ignorant of the nature of truth are worse than donkeys, the mosquitoes in the holes in earth and animals.
-54 . As long as one does not possess his Self (does not understand), he will be ensnared by the ghoul of delusion. Only the one with knowledge of Self is one with consciousness. The next are unconscious. The latter alone are struck by sorrow. They move around like corpses.
Greater the distance from knowledge, stronger becomes the mind. Light reduces as a cloud spreads.
One should sink and shrivel the mind by rejecting all enjoyments and non- enjoyments in a gradual manner, like a leaf which shrivels in time.
By getting a feeling of Self in things which are not self, like body, family, wife and children, one's mind becomes stronger and stronger.
-63 . Egotism, attachment and such feelings mind becomes stronger and stronger. Same thing happens due to worrying aging, death, physical and mental ailments, by feelings like acceptable and unaceptable. Friendships, gread for money and diamonds, interest in women, all of which appear attractive for a short while - mind becomes strengthened. The serpent of mind grows strong by drinking the milk of greed, breathing the air of pleausre, Mind breaths divisions and duality. It entertains birth and death. Such a one gets stronger and stronger by enjoyments.
-65 . This mind stuff is like a tree nourished in the abyss of body. It is enveloped by creepers called sorrows. It is laden with friuts called aging, death and discease. It is full of flowers called lust. Desires are its long branches. Modifications and deformations are its leaves. Uproot this with the axe of inquiry without any hesitation.
-67 . This mind is like an elephant. Its looks are intoxicated. It is very efficient in enjoyments, laziness. It is very secretive with doubting looks. It is very excrtid and angry. It lives in the terrible and fearsome forest called body. Its tusks are long and represent lust and intense desire. Tear this away like a lion with its sharp nails.
-69 . This mind is like a crow. It is always interested in places where it can get the flesh called lust. It indulges in evil deeds. Its has eyes called selfishness. Its voice is loud and intolerable. Throw this out of the nest called body.
-71 . This mind is like a ghoul, always served by intense desire. This ghoul rests on a tree called ignorance. This ghoul wanders about in a forest called millions of bodies. By discrimination, dispassion and varieties of intense effort chase this ghoul out of the body. Otherwise there will be no liberation for Self.
-73 . This mind is a serpent. It has two poisonous fangs called good and bad actions. It kills humans with its poison called grief. It dresses itself in the castable skin called body. It scares people with death. It nests in the hollow of the heart - tree. Kill this dangerous serpent with the Garudamantra called 'consciousness'.
-75 . This mind is like an eagle. It is inauspicious with its penchant for feeding on dead bodies. It is tired with constant tendency to wander about. It hovers around cremation grounds. It feeds on flesh called pleasures. It is a coward though flying about with uplifted neck. Skillfully drive this away from the tree called body where it nests.
-77 . Mind is like a monkey. It is gluttonous and is fickle and unsteady. It jumps about field called births. It makes faces at people (without realising its ficklesome nature). Drive this monkey out.
-79 . This mind is like a cloud which arrives untimely to destroy, ripe fruits, called happiness. It is always thundering and sending out lightnings. It rains water called catastrophe. It makes people shiver with huge winds called vasanas. This cloud called mind strays in the heart -space. Shake this off and obtain the great fruit of liberation.
-81 . This mind is like a rope. This rope is strenghtened with threads called good and bad actions. It can not be loosened by mantras. Nor can it be burnt by fire. It harasses the self. It binds and runs through millions of bodies. With the arrow called non-willing, cut this asunder, and move about in happiness without any hesitations.
-83 . That will of mind is like a python. It blows off travellers called beings with its hissings called anger and such. It has no understanding, called Self- knowledge. It holds poison called sense objects. It opens its mouth called desire to swallow flesh called objects. Burn this fearsome python, called will, with the fire of dispassion and become master (of knowledge).
O Rama, quieten the mind with the help of mind, like one weapon overwhelming another weapon. Discard fickleness forever. Become like a tree without monkeys.
O Rama, Thus make the mind tranquil and silent. Treat this entire body and the world as a play (of the Lord). Consider this whole affair of mind as undesirable. Reaching the ends of this ocean of mutable world, enjoy this play of world.
