Sri Vasista
O Rama, if a person can restrain his mind even a little by even a little inquiry, he will get the fruit of his birth.
-3 Even if an iota of inquiry springs up in the heart of a person, by practice, it will spread its branches wide and far. Fish and birds take refuge in a full and grand lake. Similarly pure qualities take refuge in a person of mature inquiry and detachment.
-11 An intelligent and wise man, who can see the reality behind matter and phenomena through integral and holistic perception, will never be attracted by the enormous (seeming) wealth due to ignorance. What can objects, mental movements, and harassments and afflictions do to a man of wisdom? Can the huge aeonic clouds be held in the fist of a child? Could a lovely lady hold the moon in the sky in a pearl chest fearing that he is competing with her lotus like eyes? Could tiny mosquitoes, which are more tender than the breath of a lovely young lady, kill a wild elephant? Could deer kill a lion? Could small frogs swallow a python which could burn a huge tree by its poisonous droppings from its fangs? Could senses at any time vanquish or overwhelm a 'jnani' who has attained many stages in his journey towards the supreme goal?
-15 . Sensuous things overhelm a person who is not skilled or mature in inquiry. It is like a tender creeper being dragged along by strong and furious winds. Mature intelligence and discrimination can never be pulled along by movements of attachment. Meru mountain can not be unsettled even by aeonic winds. The typhoon of worry can root out a creeper that is not well rooted in soil. It can never uproot a great tree. He is dead whose mind is not constantly engaged in understanding the nature of mind even while he is walking, sleeping eating or doing anything.
-21 . O Rama, engage yourself in spiritual inquiry into questions like- 'What is this world? What is this body?' Do it along with good people. Pure, unadulterated inquiry reveals the supreme truth like a luminous lamp which dispels darkness. All sorrows will decline through knowledge. Because of the mirthful play of sunlight all darkness vanishes. When knowledge is evident, then truth, the thing to be known, will emerge into perception. Jnana is inquiry into scriptures which are same as truth to be known and which reveal the Brahman principle (through their revealing statements). Wise men call the knowledge of Self gained through inquiry as jnana, (tribe) knowledge. That which is to be known, 'the jneya' is embedded in jnana, like sweetness in milk.
-24 . Persons who are luminous with integral and holistic inquiry are full of that 'jneya' (that which is to be known). One who is drunk fully is always intoxicated. 'Jneya' is Brahman, the Supreme, the Pure and the Equal. This Brahman pours grace itself by the very approach made to know it. A 'jnani' is always in his beatitude. He will never attach himself to anything/will hence drown himself in anything (other than jnana). He will be like an emperor without any attachments.
-28 . A 'jnani' will not be interested even in the soulful tones and tunes coming out of instruments like flute, veena and the voices of amorous and lovely ladies, indulging in romantic activities. He will not take interest in the dance of peacocks or cloud-thundering. Moon is not interested in lotuses. Similarly a jnani is disinterested in sounds and music whether pleasant or unpleasant.
-39 . He will not be enticed by the lovely limbs of celestial women who sport in the heavenly play fields. He will not be interested even in those things which are in his possession and control. He is disinterested in all eatables and fruits. He will not be interested in the residential places of Yama, Moon, Rudra, Sun, Vayu and such gods. Nor is he interested in the enchanting flaura and fauna on the slopes of hills. He is always with a fulfilled mind, silent and unmoved even by enemies.
-45 . A wise man detests the smell of liquor. A 'jnani' is disinterested in all kinds and species of flowers and trees of wide variety. He never gets interested in aromatics like sandalwood, camphor kasturi etc. He is unmoved by any loud sounds. He is not afraid of any violent noises.
-49 . He is unmoved by the loud roars of elephants, lions and cries from pisachas and demons. He will remain calm even when he hears thundering sounds, or the rough rumbling sound from saws. He will neither be joyful nor grieving in either garden or cremation grounds.
-55 . He will be always directed inwards. He will be delighting in his Self and will always abide in repose. He will remain so whether in scorching sands and ashes of crematoriums or green pastures strewn with lovely flowers or while receiving hard slashes from swords or while lying on lotus spread beds or while on the peaks of mountains or while sitting on sun scorched stones. He will be equal with joy or sorrow when struck by calamities or loaded with riches. He will be always like one who is delivered of his burden, happy and rested. He will remain silent and courageous in fighting fields filled with rain of sharp arrows and killing weapons. He remains still like a mountain.
-58 . He can with ease cook and eat foods which are impure, unrelishing and poisonous. He will remain equal in all these situations. He is neither happy nor angry with wine, milk, dried bones, hair and intetines.
-60 . He will look at a person who saves his life and a person who wants to take his life with equal tenderness and sweet demeanour. He derives neither pleasure nor pain from the immortal bodies of gods or corporeal bodies of mortals. He remains equal in all these conditions.
-62 . Because he is liberated, he never stays on the world form. He is without mind due to his non attachment and knowing what is to be known. He never lays his eyes on sensuous objects. He always displays an affliction-free mind and intelligence.
-64 . Senses will devour a person who is without knowledge of Self and who is not reposed in Self. It is as simple as deer eating the tender grass. Senses are like crocodiles, which are eager to swallow a person who is enmeshed by vasanas and is weeping furiously.
-70 . One who is full of inquiry and who is stationed in that glorious state of Self will not be seized by willings and mental resolves and determinations. A mountain can not be displaced by mere floods. One who abides in that infinite state which is the end of all region of willing will consider ever a Meru as a trifle. This world is like a piece of tender leaf for him. An instant is like eternity and eternity is like a moment. Poison and nectar are same. Jnanis wander and ramble in this world with a delightful mind/consciousness knowing that all this world is mere sentient consciousness. They look at this world as a witness. There is nothing to be taken or rejected for them in this world so, O Rama, discard all illusions. There is nothing to reject or receive in this sentient world.
-76 . Sprouts emerge out of soil. Similarly all sentient things come out of the principle of sentience and the associated consciousness. What was not existing from the beginning will not exist even now. Whatever exists for a short time is only an illusion coming out of sentient consciousness. With such a firm belief, discard all becomings and nonbecomings, reach the end of all states and dispositions. Become the very embodiment of detachment. Because of such detachment, whatever you do with mind, body or intelligence will not touch you or stain you, unlike the situation when you were desiring with your mind.
-82 . When a child is looking at something, he is not aware of it if he is not interested in it. This is known even to a child. A person who is detached is as if he is not seeing even if he is seeing. It is as if he is not touching even if he is touching. It is as if he is not smelling even if he is smelling. Thus even though senses fall on their familiar objects of their interest (as determined by their nature), his Self will remain unconcerned. This is known even to immature stupids. Attachment is the cause of all phenomena and material objects and hence the world. It is the cause of all desires and calamities. To be free of attachment is liberation. And so O Rama, discard all attachment and become a 'jivanmukta'.
Sri Rama
O great sage, who is like the breeze in autumn which chases away all fog of doubts, tell me, O revered lord, in short 'what is attachment'?
Sri Vasista
O Rama, the impure vasana, the deformation of joy and sorrow generated by becomings and nonbecomings of material things, is called attachment.
A pure vasana is what resides in a 'jivan mukta'. It is free of all sorrows and joys.
This pure vasana remains till the decay of fate or destiny. This is called detachment. Any work done due to this does not create any bondage.
The vasana of people who are not 'jivanmuktas', who are stupid and miserable, will cause bondage and is full of joys and sorrows.
The vasana which causes rebirth is called attachment. Whatever work is done prompted by such vasana causes bondage.
-90 . O Rama, discard all attachment of that kind which causes modifications of Self. Then even if you perform works you will not be stained. Be detached without joys and sorrows.
-94 . O Raghava, when you do not decline due to sorrow and do not feel delighted with happiness, you will be considered detached. Cast off all grip of desire over you. If you do not free yourself from association with the Supreme, even when you are engaged in worldly affairs and in states of joy and grief, you will be considered detached. When your mind is conscious of the knowable and perceives everything as equal, you will be detached performing works that come to you. That state of detachment, which comes easy and is steady, is the firm state of 'jivanmukta'. O sinless one, take refuge in such a state and be at ease. Become detached.
-99 . A revered 'jnani' has the nature of a jivanmukta. He is a 'muni' who has ceased thinking. He has restrained his senses. He will be free of arrogance and sense of respect (for him by other). He may have everything in plenty. But he is equal and free of sense of misery. He will not do anything other than what is appropriate and natural to him. He will always remain in beatitude of Self. He will never leave his accomplished nature even if he is prosperous and is facing calamities. Milk ocean will never lose its whiteness even when churned by Mandara mountain. A 'jnani' will be unmoved even when he gets lordship of heaven, or becomes an insect. He will be radiant and luminous like moon under all circumstances.
-101 01. O Rama, discard all differentiations like setting and rising. Be settled in that highest work of liberation being free of myriad forms. Be devoted to the best of works. Engage yourself in inquiry into Self. With the 'samadhi' that comes out of such inquiry all vasanas will decay. It will lead you to that highest state. Then abide in that in nonecstatic beatitude and bliss. You will never be smitten by the cycle of rebirths. End of Book of Upasama
