Vasistha's Yoga by Venkatesananda

Vasistha's Yoga by Venkatesananda

Author:Venkatesananda
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: State University of New York Press
Published: 1993-03-14T16:00:00+00:00


The Story of Arjuna

continued: VI.1:51

Just as the cosmic body (composed of the intelligence-energy and the cosmic elements) or the first (cosmic subtle body) arose in the infinite consciousness as a notion, all the other bodies () also arise in the same manner. Whatever the (which is the or the subtle body) conceives of while still in the womb, that it sees as existent. Just as in the macrocosm the cosmic elements evolve, even so in the microcosm the senses corresponding to those elements evolve. Of course, they are not actually created. These expressions and descriptions are used merely for the sake of instruction. These ideas which are used in instruction are dispelled by the enquiry which they initially promote and prompt.

Even when you observe this ignorance very carefully and keenly you do not see it: it vanishes. The unreal is rooted in unreality. We only talk of water in the mirage. The water in the mirage, being unreal, has never been water at all. In the light of truth, the reality of all things is revealed, and delusion or illusory perception vanishes.

The self is real. , (the subtle body) and all the rest of it are unreal, and the enquiry into their nature is no doubt enquiry into their unreality! It is in order to instruct one in the real nature of the unreality that such expressions as ‘’, etc., are used.

This infinite consciousness has, as it were, assumed the nature of the , and oblivious of its true nature it experiences whatever it thinks of as being. Even as, to the child the unreal ghost it visualises at night is truly real, the conceives of the five elements which it sees as existing. These are nothing but notions of the ; however, the sees them as if they are outside it. It thinks that some are within and others are outside of it. And so it experiences them.

Knowledge is inherent in consciousness, even as void is in space. However, consciousness now believes knowledge to be its own object. The diverse objects are limited by time and space which are themselves but the notional division in consciousness brought about by this division (of consciousness and knowledge as subject and object) within itself. Such division does not exist in the self, which transcends time and space.

However, the infinite consciousness with the knowledge inherent in it conceives of diverse creatures. Such is its power, which no one can challenge. The inert space is unable to reflect itself within itself. But because its nature is infinite consciousness, Brahman reflects itself within itself and conceives of itself as a duality, though it is bodiless.

continued:

Whatever this consciousness thinks of, that it sees as existing; its concepts and notions are never barren. In a golden bracelet, there are these two—gold and bracelet, one being the reality (gold) and the other being the appearance (of bracelet). Even so, in the self there are both consciousness and the notion of material (inert) substantiality. Since consciousness is omnipresent, it is ever present in the mind in which the notion arises.



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