The Supreme Yoga: Yoga VāsiṣṭhaThe Yoga Vasistha has been a favourite book of spiritual seekers in India these several centuries. Its special appeal lies in its thoroughly rational approach, and in its presentation of Vedanta as a philosophy to bridge the gulf between the secular and the sacred, action and contemplation, in human life, through a comprehensive and lofty spirituality. This monumental scripture is the greatest help to the spiritual awakening and the direct experience of the Truth. This is certain. If this is what you want, you are welcome to the Yoga Vasistha. An oft-recurring expression in this scripture is kakataliya'-a crow alights on the coconut palm tree and at that very moment a ripe coconut falls. The two unrelated events thus seem to be related in time and space, though there is no causal relationship. Such is life. Such is 'creation'. But the mind caught up in its own trap of logic questions why, invents a 'why' and a 'wherefore' to satisfy itself, conveniently ignoring the inconvenient questions that still haunt an intelligent mind. Vasistha demands direct observation of the mind, its motion, its notions, its reasoning, the assumed cause and the projected result, and even the observer, the observed and the observation-and the realisation of their indivisible unity as the infinite consciousness. |
Contents
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2 | |
21 | |
The Story of Ākāśaja The holy man 367 | 61 |
The Story of the Sons of Indu Ten Young Men 7778 | 77 |
The Story of the Great Forest 8586 | 85 |
STHITI PRAKARANAM | 104 |
The Story of Dāma Vyāla and Kata 118120 | 118 |
The Story of the Hundred Rudrā 275279 | 275 |
The Story of the Vampire | 285 |
The Story of Sikhidhvaja and Cūḍālā 288334 | 288 |
The Story of the Philosophers Stone | 300 |
The Story of the Cintamani 307309 | 307 |
The Story of the Foolish Elephant 308310 | 308 |
The Story of Kaca 334336 | 334 |
The Story of the Deluded Man | 336 |
The Story of Dāśūra 130134 | 130 |
Kacas Song | 136 |
Discourse on Brahman 231236 | 139 |
The Story of King Janaka 142148 | 142 |
The Story of Punya and Pāvana | 155 |
The Story of Bhuśunda 237247 | 156 |
The Story of Prahlada 163175 | 163 |
Description of the Lord 250254 | 175 |
Deva Pūjā Worship of God 255259 | 255 |
The Story of the Woodapple | 264 |
The Story of the Rock The Nature of Consciousness 265266 | 265 |
The Story of Arjuna | 272 |
The Story of Vipaścit 337339 | 337 |
The Story of the Hunter and the Sage 340348 | 340 |
The Story of Kālāratri | 348 |
The world Within the Rock 351354 | 351 |
The Story of the Sage from Outer Space | 356 |
The Story of Bhṛngisa | 357 |
The Story of Ikṣvāku 358359 | 358 |
The Story of the Hunter and the Deer | 360 |
The Seven States of Yoga | 361 |
Thus Spake Vasistha | 367 |
Index | 376 |
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Common terms and phrases
abandon able action activity appears arises asked attained became become birth body born Brahman cause ceases comes conditioning contemplation cosmic craving created creation creator darkness death delusion demons desire destroyed diversity division dream duality earth ego-sense engaged enjoy enlightened enquiry entered established everything exists experience experienced eyes fire forest fruits function gain give gods happiness heart heaven Hence holy ignorance infinite consciousness intelligence jīva king knowledge known liberation light living Lord manifest Māyā means mental mind mountain movement nature ness notions objects ocean once one's pain peace perception person physical pleasure practice pure Rāma reach realised reality reflected regarded remain replied rest rise sage Sarasvati scriptures seed seen self-knowledge senses sleep sorrow space subtle suffering supreme surely things thinks thought tree truth universe unreal VASISTHA continued vision wisdom wise wish world-appearance worship
Popular passages
Page xv - CONSONANTS: gutturals k kh g gh ñ palatals c ch j jh ñ cerebrals t th d dh n dentals t th d dh n labials p ph b bh m semi-vowels...