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
52. I thought myself as asleep, notwithstanding my power of intellection
(which lay dormant in me); and being thus overtaken by the conception of
my sleepy insensibility, how could I cogitate of anything otherwise;
which is of a transcendental nature.
53. He whose soul is awakened by knowledge, loses the sense of his
corporeal body, and raises himself to his _átiváhika_ or spiritual form,
by means of his purer understanding.
54. A man having his sentient and spiritual body, either in the form of
a minute particle or larger size as one may wish, remains perfectly
liberated from the fetters of his body and his bondage in this world.
55. With his intelligent and spiritual body, a man is enabled to enter
into the impenetrable heart of a hard stone, or to rise to heaven above
or descend to the regions below.
56. Hence, O Ráma, I having then that intelligent and subtile body of
mine, did all that I told you, with my essence of infinite
understanding.
57. In my entrance into the hard stone, and my passages up and down the
high heaven and the nether world, I experienced no difficulty from any
side.
58. With my subtile and intelligent body, I passed every where, and felt
everything, as I used to do with material body.
59. One going of his own accord in one direction, and wishing to go in
another, immediately finds himself even then and there, by means of
his spiritual body.
60. Know this spiritual and subtile body, to be no other than your
understanding only; and now you can well perceive yourself to be of that
imperishable form, by means of your intelligence also.
61. Thinking one’s self as the vacuous Intellect, abiding in the sun and
all visible objects; the spiritualist comes to know the existence of his
self only, and all else that is beside himself as nothing.
62. But how is it possible to view the visible world as inexistent, to
which it is answered that it appears as real as the unreal dream to the
sleeping person, but vanishes into nothing upon his waking (scholium).
Reliance in the inexistent world, is as the belief of the ignorant man
in falsehoods; and this reliance is confirmed by habit, although it is
not relied upon by others that know the truth.
63. But this reliance is as vain as the vanity of our desires, and the
falsity of our aerial castle building; all which are as false as the
marks of waves, left on the sea sands; or as the marking of anything
with a charcoal, which is neither lasting nor perceptible to any body.
64. We see the woodlands, blooming with full blown flowers and blossoms;
but these sights are as deluding, as the sparks of fire, presenting the
appearance of a flower garden in fire works.
65. These pyrotechnical works, which are prepared with so much labour;
burst on a sudden at the slight touch of fire, and then they are blown
away as soon, as the prosperity of sharpers (which is transient).
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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