The Yoga-Vasishtha Maharamayana of Valmiki, Vol 4 (of 4), Part 1 (of 2)Valmiki
Religion
The Yoga-Vasishtha Maharamayana of Valmiki, Vol 4 (of 4), Part 1 (of 2)
Valmiki
Hinduism -- Doctrines -- Early works to 1800; Religious life -- Hinduism -- Early works to 1800
19. It is the nature of a thing, that agrees well with it at all times;
and the invariability of any thing, can never admit of variety under any
circumstance.
20. All that is natural, is attended with ease and delight; but the
unnatural, is full of pain and misery; know and consider it well, and do
what you think best (_i.e._ prefer the one or the other).
21. A minute seed containing a large tree, is an instance applying to
the formless spirit of God, containing the form of the universe in
itself. This is a dictum of the Veda.
22. Hence visual sight and sensations, mental thought and understanding,
consciousness of ego or self, and all other properties belonging to
intellectual man, are the original types of the transcendent spirit, as
fluidity is immanent in water. All these intellectual and spiritual
properties are of an airy or vacuous nature. (The properties of the
_adhyatmá_ or intellectual soul, are but reflexions of the
_pratyangatmá_ or the spiritual soul of God).
23. As an embodied being discharges his bodily functions, by means of
his material members and limbs, so doth spirit and spiritual beings
conduct their spiritual functions like the air, without actually doing
them? (Here hangs a long note on the mode of the spiritual actions).
24. It is by force and power of the spirit, that we mute creatures are
enabled to utter the words I, thou &c.; which are mere meaningless
sounds, as those emitted by a drum and bear no sense. (Sound is the gift
of God, but its sense is conventional, and determined by consent of a
people).
25. An appearance which vanishes on our insight into it, must be held as
no appearance at all; so the formal and phenomenal world, which vanishes
into the formless and invisible spirit of God, is nothing real or
substantial of itself.
26. Those who are possessed of the dream of the world, are dreaming men,
who being joined together with their dreams, are never united with the
spirit of God, nor do they join the society of holy divines like
ourselves.
27. All these men are identic with myself in spiritual light, being one
with Brahma in the tranquil and vacuous nature of the selfsame spirit
(pervading alike in all). But physically considered they are different
from me, in as much as they are fluctuating in their busy course, like
the vacillating winds in air (while the spirit of yogis is calm and
quiet).
28. I who am full of the True One, appear as a dream or dreaming man to
these day dreamers; while they are in reality as _nil_ and naught to me,
as the dream of a man drowned in the depth of his sleep. (A deep or
sound sleeper, sees no dream at all).
29. Whatever be their conduct in life, my business is but with Brahma,
and my living and reliance in Brahma only. Let others think and see
whatsoever they like and do, they are all nil and nothing to me. (Care
not about what others may think of or do to you).
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account