Sri Vasista
O Rama, you are not born because body is born. You are not gone because body is gone. You are the pure Self. There is no relationship between body and you
-6 It is unwise imagination to say that when a pot breaks the space inside is also lost. Body is transient.When it breaks, it recovers its original state. To think that 'I am gone' is foolish. May such people be damned! What is the relationship between the leash of a rope and the chariot? Similar is the relationship between consciousness, and body and the senses. The relationship between body, the senses and Self/soul is the same as between water and a lotus in it. A traveller and the path on which he travels have no mutual feelings between them, like uniting and separating. There is no love lost between them. Similar is the relationship between body and soul.
-10 Ugliness is imagined about a demon. Similarly sorrow and joys are imagined for a soul. All beings are composed out of the five elements individually. It is like many different kinds of figures being carved out of the same trunk of a tree. In all bodies only the five elements are seen - nothing else. Like in a bundle of sticks, there will only be sticks and nothing else. O beings, why are you worried about the destruction of the five elements (that consists of a body)?
-15 . What excites men in what are called women? The latter is a mere pale collection of the five elements. Such collection will interest only a bunch of foolish people. For jnanis a woman is a mere collection (or putting together) of five elements. When two images are separately sculpted from a single stone, they do not have any love lost between them. Similar is the relationship between buddhi, the senses and the soul. Why grieve about them?
-18 . Waves of water wash many blades of grass floating on water into one place. Similarly a soul brings the five elements together to make up a body for it. These elements come together and part company in the time - space continu unlike blades of grass floating on water coming together and getting separated. Vortices perform these funclions for blades of grass. Similarly mind performs these functions for a soul.
-23 . A soul recovers back its character of Self by casting away the subjective nature through awakening and enlightenment. At that time people see their sepearted body like people flying in the sky who see the earth regions (as separate). A drunken person recalls/ remembers his antecedents after the intoxication slips off him. Similarly a Jiva witnesses his soul when he is free of all modifications and deformations. Self sparkles out this universe and the many things of matter in it.
-25 . Thus many great souls, teachers and jivanmuktas are active in this world. They have no interest in this world, being free from vasanas like waves in a sea which carry many gems without being interested in them.
-27 . Sky is not affected by the dust particles. Similiarly one who possesses Self does not get affected by worldly affairs. A sea is not attached or is it jealous of the movements of the waves. Their purity or impurity, their steadiness or otherwise, Similarly one who has attained Self is neither attached by pompous pleasures or sensuous enjoyments.
Wise people know that world abides because of the ideation of mind and that it is a play of the object-oriented consciousness.
All the time bound sensuous objects, the ego and the phenomena are the swellings of the mind.
Whether what is visible (in this world) is existent or non existent depends upon one's perception. Where is the possiblity for joy or sorrow?
Truth is always truth. Untruth is always untruth. Truth and untruth cannot exist together. Why do you get deluded by such a thing?
O perfect-eyed one! give up unwholesome perception. Perceive in an integral and holistic manner. When you mature with such perception, you will never be deluded.
When observer, observed and observation get widely related the soul comes into play in a swell manner. The happiness that arises out ot it is supreme.
-37 . And so the essence of all expereince is called Brahman. The relationship between observer, object and observation is the best of all knowledge of happiness. For ignorant people this gives the world and for 'jnanis' it gives liberation. The experience of such happiness is the very body of soul /self. If this joy is associated with phenomena, it is binding/bondage. Otherwise ir is liberating/liberation. If suh happiness (caused by the relationship between observer and observed) is deformation free and is changeless, then that is called liberation. Such experience reveals the Self.
-39 . Acquire such happiness that arises out of rejection of phenomena. Then the deep sleep kind of perception will be gained and then the Jiva will become Self perceiving. Thus the 'turya' state arrives. This is liberation. Mind will be united with the Absolute.
-44 . O Rama, in the liberated state Self is neither gross nor subtle, neither direct (visible) nor indirect, neither conscious, nor inconscient, neither existent nor nonexistent, neither with ego, nor egoless, neither unique nor many, neither near nor far away, neither gainable nor nongainable, neither all pervasive, nor immanent in all, neither material nor nonmaterial, neither the five elements nor their essence. However, whatever is captured in a phenomenon is mind which is the refuge of the six senses. To say that the Self, which is supreme, has no relationship with mind is not right. For one who knows the truth, all this world is Self only.
This world is Self. World is pervaded by Self. There is nothing that is not Self. Hardness, fluidity, vibration, emptiness, luminosity, the earth, the waters, fire, and air all are Self alone.
O great soul, O Rama, only one thing moves everything, keeps things alive all times, the aeons, the ages, what is gone and what is to go - and that is Self. There is no other aspect or fabrications or concoctions. Be with that realization and with that reach the Supreme.
