The Yoga-Vasishtha Maharamayana of Valmiki, Vol. 2 (of 4), Part 2 (of 2)Valmiki
Religion
The Yoga-Vasishtha Maharamayana of Valmiki, Vol. 2 (of 4), Part 2 (of 2)
Valmiki
Hinduism -- Doctrines -- Early works to 1800; Religious life -- Hinduism -- Early works to 1800
18. Some of these bodies have to act their parts for a long while,
while others make their exits in a short time. They are covered with
caps of black hairs, and others with those of white and grey on their
heads.
19. All these bodies are furnished with nine crevices, consisting of
the two earholes, two sockets of the eyes, and two nostrils with the
opening of the mouth, which are continually employed in inhaling and
exhaling cold and hot air by their breathings. (These airs are the
oxygen and nitrogen gases).
20. The earholes, nostrils and the palate, serve as windows to the
abode of the body; the hands and feet are the gate ways, and the five
inner organs are as lights of these abodes.
21. The mind then creates of its own will the delusion of egoism, which
like a _yaksha_ demon takes possession of the whole body, but flies
before the light of knowledge.
22. The mind accompanied by this delusive demon, takes great pleasure
in diverting itself with unrealities (until it comes to perceive their
vanity by the light of reason).
23. Egoism resides in the body like a rat in the barn-house, and as a
snake in the hollow ground. It falls down as a dew drop from the blade
of a reed, upon advance of the sunlight of reason.
24. It rises and falls like the flame of a lamp in the abode of the
body, and is as boisterous with all its desires, as the sea with its
ceaseless waves.
25. The Mind constructs a new house for its future abode, by virtue of
its interminable desires in its present habitation; and which are
expected to be realized and enjoyed in its future state.
26. But no sooner it ceases to foster its desires, than it ceases to
exist, and loses itself in that state of Supreme bliss of which there
can be no end. (Freedom from desire, is freedom from regeneration).
27. But it is born and reborn by its repeated desires, as the child
sees the ghost by its constant fear of it. (Every desire rises as a
spectre to bind).
28. It is egoism (or the belief of one’s real entity), that spreads the
view of this miserable world before him; but absence of the knowledge
of self-entity, removes the sight of all objects from view, as the veil
of thick darkness hides all things from sight. (Without the subjective
there can be no knowledge of the objective).
29. It is by one’s own attempt in this way, that he exposes himself to
the miseries of the world; and then he wails at his fate like the
foolish monkey, that brought on its own destruction, by pulling out the
peg from the chink of the timber (which smashed its testes. See
Hitopadesa).
30. The mind remains in eager expectation of the enjoyment of its
desired objects, as the stag stood with its lifted mouth, to have a
drop of honey fall into it, from a honey-comb hanging on high.
31. The wistful mind now pursues its desired objects, and now it
forsakes them in disgust; now it longs for joy, and then grows sulky at
its failure like a fretful child.
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