Teaching on the way to rejest the senses

Sri Vasista

1. -8 O Rama, at the end of the day, the muni felt like entering 'samadhi' once again. Then he looked for a suitable cave and entered one on the slopes of Vindhya mountain. Without giving up his earlier attainment of unity with Self he mused about his senses. 'I have already investigated thoroughly about the senses earlier. What is the use of my further inquiry into them?' I shall tear off all fabrications about existence and nonexistence and sit steadfast like a mountain in lotus posture. I shall abide in a state of equality. If alive it is as if dead and if dead it is as if alive - I shall abide as such till the end of my life in the 'turya' state. I shall abide in the state of pure existence spreading myself all over like an Immobile. Alone and in myself without any modifications or deformations.' Thinking thus he remained in samadhi for six days and woke up like a traveller who wakes up after a little nap.

9. -11 After that Bhagawan Vitahavya, the great 'tapasvi' stayed on for a long time on the earth. He was free of happiness and sorrow. He did neither blame nor praise anything. Whether walking or sitting, there was an inquiry going on in his mind about mind.

12. -15 . O Lord of the senses, which are immutable, O mind, by quietening yourself, you will appreciate the happiness of bliss. It is not possible to do so if you remain the way you are. Remain the way you are (in me) without any attachments. Cast off your fickleness. Oh senses, you are robbers. Oh desire, you are disappointed. Your name is deprivation, depravity. This Self is not yours, nor do you belong to Self. Failed in your attempts, you are destroyed (in me). You are incapable of overwhelming and so you have lost your refuge.

16. -21 . 'We are Self' - this kind of your feeling has arisen due to forgetting of the nature and principle of Self. It is like seeing a snake in a rope. This is the Self-nature attributed to something that is nonSelf, existence attributed to something that is nonexistent. You are different from us. Other than Brahman who is the owner of action? Other than Brahman who is the enjoyer? Then whose fault is this (on the question existence and nonexistence)? Wood is coming from forests. A rope is made out of bamboo to tie this wood. Axe and such instruments are made out of iron. Carpenter is engaged in making things out of wood for his own livelihood and not for the purpose of house - building. Thus all these, which have their own purposes, are brought together by chance and a house is built. Similar is the case of this body. Senses have their own powers and purposes. By chance they are brought together and some action is done and a work is accomplished. Similar is the swaying of a bud in wind. Whose assemblage is this? What is there to refute in this?

22. Now all that is to be forgotten has been cast off to a distance. What is to be remembered or recollected is recollected single mindedly. What is real is clearly coming out as real. What is unreal is dissolved/destroyed in a trice. What is to abide is abiding.

23. -26 . O Rama, the great Vitahavya spent many years in this world ruminating like above. Afterwards he suspended all thinking and attained the Brahman state, having been delivered of all ignorance. He was constantly in meditation to avoid even the slightest evil influence of the phenomenal world. Vitahavya's mind was beyond all likes and dislikes.

27. -28 . He developed a wish to see the shape of the Absolute after being disembodied and leaving the association with the mutable world, the 'samsara.' He wanted to enjoy the resulting happiness and joy. He sat in lotus pose and started thinking within himself thus. He wanted to avoid even the sight of the world.

29. -30 . O attachment, please dissolve yourself. O hate, become your opposite. I have sported with you too long. O pleasures, salutations to you. I have been ruled by you over millions of births. You have lulled me into obedience like a boy by his parents.

31. -37 . Salutations to sensuous pleasures which made me forget the great state of Nirvana. O grief, I have been pained by you and I rearched for my Self. You have set me on the path of the Self. So my salutations to you. It is by your grace that I attained the supreme state of Self, O essential nature of grief, you give happiness (at the end). Salutations to you. O my friend body, may you be blessed. You live a sapless life in this world. I am now on the way to Brahman state. This separation between you and me is natural. Oh, the 'jivas' are really selfish! I have lived with you for millions of births and now I am separating from you. My friend, to leave you/ abandon you is really selfish. You have brought this on yourself. Because of knowledge of Self you have destroyed yourself. You have not been destroyed by anybody, you did it yourself.

38. -40 . O mother dear, desire, when I attain peace and quiet, you will be left alone. Do not shrivel and grieve. I am leaving. O Lord lust, to destroy you I adopted the ways of dispassion. Pardon me for any guilt of mine. O my mother desire, this is my last salutation to you. We are now parting ways permanently due to your wily nature.

41. -43 . O Lord merit, salutations to you. At one time you have lifted me from hell and put me in heaven. My salutations to the tree called sin. You are born in the soil of bad deeds. You have developed huge branches called hells. You are bearing flowers called hellish griefs. Because of association with you I have suffered many heinous and lowly births.

44. -46 . Salutations to bewilderments and delusions! From today these are vanishing. Salutations to the mediator, the Cave. The sounds of flute are its speech. Fallen leaves are its clothes. It is a fine companion during 'samadhi'. Because of your generous friendship, I could attain repose in the Absolute. I have been many times liquidated by the many calamities during samadhi. I have taken refuge in you and you have protected me.

47. -49 . Salutations to my staff. You have protected me by supporting in forests and slopes. O body, depart to your place of origin, the great Nature. Take with you the skeleton, the blood, the flesh, the intestines. These are your main equipment. Salutations to the many baths, which I did to purify you from all impurities and smells. Salutations to all the actions like eating, bedding and all the movements to accomplish them.

50. -55 . O pranas (vital airs), you are my natural friends. You have been honoured sufficiently during the sequence of these salutations. May you be blessed! I am now departing. I have rested with you in millions of wombs. I have roamed around many forests and hills. There is nothing in this world that I did in your company. Please, my dear pranas, depart to your Nature. I am leaving for the Absolute state. Oh my pranas, in this world everything has to go. High things will reach a low place. Things that are together will be separated.

56. -60 . Let my lustre in the eyes join the Sun's effulgence. Let my nose join the earth. Let the pranas and their vibrations mix with the great space. Let the ear join the womb of space/sky. Let the taste of tongue enter the waters of moon. I am the Self. I am like the ocean without the Mandara mountain. I am like the day without Sun. I am like the creation at the end of aeon. I am like fire without wood. I am like a lamp without oil. I am in repose in the Brahmic state. I am delivered of all actions and works. I am beyond all phenomena. Uttering Om, I am following the sound through the Brahmarandhra, (the hole on the head) and I am becoming Brahman. I am now fully in repose in my Self.