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
1 | |
21 | |
The Story of Ākāśaja The holy man 367 | 61 |
The Story of Karkati 6876 | 68 |
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 Woodapple | 264 |
The Story of the Rock The Nature of Consciousness 265266 | 265 |
The Story of Arjuna | 272 |
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 Dāśūra 130134 | 130 |
Kacas Song | 136 |
The Story of King Janaka 142148 | 142 |
The Story of Punya and Pāvana | 155 |
The Story of Prahlada 163175 | 163 |
The Story of Gadhi 176179 | 176 |
The Story of Uddālaka 184192 | 184 |
The Story of Suraghu 195198 | 195 |
The Story of Bhāsa and Vilāsa | 198 |
The Story of Vitahavya 209215 | 209 |
Discourse on Brahman 231236 | 231 |
The Story of Bhuśunda 237247 | 237 |
Description of the Lord 250254 | 250 |
Deva Pūjā Worship of God 255259 | 255 |
The Story of the Foolish Elephant 308310 | 308 |
The Story of Kaca 334336 | 334 |
The Story of the Deluded Man | 336 |
The Story of Vipaścit 337339 | 337 |
The Story of the Hunter and the Sage 340348 | 340 |
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 action apāna appears arises attained avidyā awakened become Bhagiratha birth bliss body bondage Brahman Bṛhaspati cause ceases contemplation countless craving created creation Creator Cūḍālā death deep sleep deluded delusion demons desire destroyed dispassion diversity dream earth ego-sense elephant enlightened enquiry equanimity ethereal body everything exists experience experienced forest gods happiness heart heaven Hence holy ignorance illusory Indra inert infinite consciousness inner inner light intelligence Janaka jīva king known Kumbha liberated sage life-force light Līlā live Lord Māyā meditation mental conditioning mind movement of thought nature ness non-different notions objects ocean one's perception pleasure Prahlada prāṇa pure consciousness RĀMA asked realised reality remain renounced Rudra samādhi samsara Sarasvati satva sciousness scriptures seed seen self-effort self-knowledge senses shines SIKHIDHVAJA Śiva sorrow space subtle subtle body Sukra supreme peace three worlds tree truth universe unreal vāsanā VASISTHA continued VASISTHA replied Visnu wisdom wise world-appearance worship yoga
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...