The Yoga-Vasishtha Maharamayana of Valmiki, Vol 4 (of 4), Part 1 (of 2) — John Shaqi
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
3. Its original form is neither that of a minute atom, nor a bulky mass;
not an empty vacuity, nor anything having its solidity. It is the pure
intellect with consciousness of itself, it is omnipresent and is called
the living soul. (It is neither the empty space, nor anything contained
therein).
4. It is the minutest of the minute, and the hugest of the huge; it is
nothing at all, and yet the all, which the learned designate as the
living soul. (The preceding one is a negative proposition, and this an
affirmative one).
5. Know it as identic with the nature, property and quality, of any
object whatever that exists any where; It is the light and soul of all
existence, and selfsame with all, by its engrossing the knowledge of
everything in itself. (Because nothing is existent in reality but in its
idea, and the soul having all ideas in itself, is identic with all of
them).
6. Whatever this soul thinks in any manner, of anything at any place or
time, it immediately becomes the same by its notion thereof. (_i.e._
Being full with the idea of a thing, it is said to be identified with
the same). (The collective soul becomes all whatever it thinks or wills,
as the soul of God; but the individual soul thinks as it becomes at any
place or time—as the soul of man or any particular being. Gloss).
7. The soul possesses the power of thinking, as the air has its force in
the winds; but its thoughts are directed by the knowledge of things
(that it derives by means of the senses); and not by the guidance of
anyone, as the _appearance of ghosts to boys_.
8. As the existent air appears to be inexistent, without the motion of
the wind; so the living soul desisting from its function of thinking, is
said to be extinct in the Supreme Deity.
9. The living soul is misled to think of its individuality as the _ego_,
by the density or dullness of its intellect; and supposes itself to be
confined within a limited space of place and time, and with limited
powers of action and understanding. (Thus the infinite soul mistakes
itself for a finite being, by the dulness of its understanding).
10. Being thus circumscribed by time and space, and endowed with
substance and properties of action &c., it assumes to itself an unreal
form or body, with the belief of its being or sober reality. (Thus the
incorporeal soul, is incorporated in a corporeal frame).
11. It then thinks itself to be enclosed in an ideal atom; as one sees
himself in his dream to be involved in his unreal death.
12. And as one finds in its mind his features and the members of his
body, to another form in his dream; so the soul forgets her intellectual
entity in her state of ignorance, and becomes of the same nature and
form, as she constantly thinks upon. (It forgets its pure spiritual
form, and becomes a dull material body of some kind).
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