Deliberation on touching the Inside
Sri Vasista
O Rama, thus they conversed. After a while, in course of time they obtained the pure knowledge and attined liberation.
And so, O mighty Rama, there is no other way to cross the ocean of 'samsara' except attainment of knowledge through mind.
Thus it is simple for a person of intelligence and discrimination to over - come the grief (of this world). For a large eagle it is easy to cross the ocean while for a small bird, it is almost impossible.
Those great people who have gone beyond their bodies and who are abiding in the transcendent Self look at (their bodies) from a distance like a spectator looking at a mass of people.
What does it matter to us even if body is damaged? If a chariot is broken what is the harm to the charioteer?
If mind is troubled what does it matter to consciousness. A sea is not bothered by the waves generated in it.
In what way water is related to a swan or a stone? Similarly what relationship does the Supreme Self have with pleasures?
O prosperous Rama! there may be many mountains in the wide spread of an ocean. But the ocean does not have any relationship with them. Similarly consciousness is not bound by any of the hill-size trouble inside a person.
A lotus is held in water. Yet it has no relationship with lotus. Similarly Self does not have anything to do with body.
When water is beaten by a log of wood, large number of water bubbles arise. Similarly when body appoints itself as Self, all kinds of thoughts and mental activities arise.
When a piece of wood touches water (or comes near water) the reflection of the piece appears in water. Similarly bodies appear in Self.
When reflections appear in a mirror or in the ripples of water, these reflections are neither real nor unreal. Similarly bodies, which are reflections in Self, are neither real nor unreal.
When wood is split, it does not grieve. Similarly water and stone do not grieve when they are split. In the same way the five elements do not feel any damage by separtion or union.
When water is beaten by a piece of wood, waves will be created in water and sound emanates. Similarly when a body is enlightened by consciousness, both sound and movement are created in the body.
Such movements or sound do not occur to pure Self or inconscient body. They belong to ignorance only. When ignorance is destroyed, all is consciousness.
A piece of wood and water do not feel the embrace or union when they meet. Similarly a body and the embodied soul do not experience any union.
This world appears real and true to an ignorant person, not to a jnani (who understands truth).
When stone and water come together, there is no (real) contact inside. Similarly for one whose mind is detached, pleasures are not experienced.
-20 . A piece of wood and water (on which piece of wood floats) have no internal union. Similarly a body and the soul embodying it do not have any internal union. However a piece of wood is reflected in water. Similarly the body is reflected in the embodying soul.
Pure consciousness is all pervading. It has no sentience (feelings or sensenousness). There is nothing like bad or impure consciousness unless it is touched by duality.
This (consciousness) is sorrowless till it conceives of sorrow internally. A demon will expansively arise when the nature of demon is imagined.
Even if there is no external relationship, a relationship arises if it is decided so in the mind. It is like cohabiting with a lady-in-dream.
Relationship between water and piece of wood is improbable. Similar is the relationship between body and self.
Water will not receive the fall of a piece of wood into it (as anything worthwhile or difficult) due to lack of internal union. Similarly, Self does not feel or is warmed up by any of body's woes.
Self comes under the grip of body's woes due to identification with body. If such identification is abandoned, Self is liberated from sorrows. This is the opinion of wise people.
-28 . Becauce of lack of internal affinity or union, pieces of wood, leaves, garbage do not feel any sorrow from each other. Similarly body, mind and Self do not feel each other's sorrows in spite of being together.
O Rama, old age, death and such delusions are due to the internal union of the beings (the embodied ones) with the world. Seed is the cause of trees.
A being who feels the relationship inside drowns himself in the ocean of 'samsara'. One who overcomes the internal union becomes liberated.
A mind that is internally attached spreads wild into multitude of branches. A mind that is detached vanishes.
O Rama, please know that an attached mind is impure like a broken crystal 'linga'. A detached mind is pure like a whole 'linga'.
A detached, pure mind is liberated even if it is active in the world. A sensuous mind is bound even if it is involved in long penance.
An attached mind is bound (to this world). A detached mind is liberated. And so internal union (with world) is the cause for bondage and liberation.
One who is detached (internally) is not active even if performs works. Water is not associated with the qualities of things that it carries (that float on it).
When a person is internally attached, even if he is inactive, he is considered active. A person is perplexed by the happenings in a dream and feels the consequent sorrows and joys.
If mind is active, body acquires that activity even if it does not do anything by itself. It is like carrying the feelings in a dream to the waking state.
If mind is inactive, there is clearly no ownership of action (for a person). One with an empty mind is as if inactive even if he is performing works.
Whatever you do with your mind, you will get only that. You will not get anything that is not done by the mind. Body is not the reason for activity.
A detached mind is deemed to be inactive even if it is active. Even the cousequent fruits of action do not reach it.
A person, who is immersed in the thoughts about a lady far away, does not notice or get touched by what is before him or the actions before him. Similarly a detached person is not touched even by sins and merits acounting from killing a brahmin or performing an Aswamedha sacrifice.
-43 . A person who is free of internal attachments is a person of sweet disposition and activity. Whatever he may do or does not do, he is neither the enjoyer nor the owner of that action. Such a mind is liberated, peaceful and united (with the Absolute).
And so all internal union with all worldly/ external things is cruelly sorrow- causing. It should be given up.
Relinquish all evil internal union with the external impurities Peace will then ensue and the mind will be like a luminous sky. Free from all impurities, mind will become one with the Self. It will be like the luminously white waters joining the blue sea.
