June 7, Vasishtha
Discourse on Yoga Vasishtha
Day 142, June 7
Sri Sadgurubhyo namaha
Om santissantissantihi
Yesterday we saw how Sage Vasishtha began describing the process of Creation. Once we get involved with what we see, we get into bondage. Once we discard from the mind the visible world, we become liberated.
What are time and space? What is the longevity of Brahma? What happens when his lifespan is over? He also merges with the Supreme Consciousness, which is referred to as Sanmatra - the only existing entity.
Is it enough if I alone get liberated? Should I be concerned about others? Eka Jeeva - is the principle in Vedanta. Everything began with the 'I'. Therefore, I is the only concern one should have.
Suppose there is a curtain. But you see all that is there on the other side. Then, does the curtain or veil exist or not? Such is Maya. Mahat comes after Maya, and from it the five perceptions and the five elements arise. But the root for all is the Supreme Soul.
Whatever is seen will perish sooner or later. If all this will perish, then what is Truth? Scientists are now investigating. What perishes is not Truth. It is not the Soul. Therefore, this visible, perceptible creation is not the Soul. Then what is Soul?
Scientists are speaking about the Big Bang. They speak about a subatomic particle which is the cause of Creation. We believe whatever we read in textbooks. Once man gets hold of this particle, he will search for its root cause also. Otherwise, he will not be satisfied. Unless you get to the root of the matter, you are not contented. You keep questioning. Science cannot give you an answer. Now, on earth, you can dig a big tunnel and carry out experiments. But all these are limited. Where science ends, spirituality begins. Advaita Philosophy is the ultimate.
With much effort, the scientist has found the most subtle subatomic particle. But even that is not Truth. It cannot be. Since it is a visible entity, it will also be destroyed. Hence, it cannot be Truth.
Can anything come into being from nothing? Things in the world all have a visible source. No one drops down suddenly from the sky. He has to be born, and have a family lineage. Any object that comes into existence has to perish. Hence, it is not permanent. So, it is not Truth. Only that which is not born, will not die. That which is born will certainly die. Is there something that is never born? The search for that is the search for Truth.
In our experience, everything is born. We know that. We assume that what is born is true. There are many truths in this world. A judge may give a judgment. But he may realize later that it was a wrong judgment. He may reconsider and change the judgment. An umpire in a ball game may make a decision. But the slow motion video will prove him wrong. Then the decision is changed.
A signature is made. Sometimes, the signature may not match the original signature. But it is still the same person who has signed.
There are different degrees of truth. Truth, is that which has no other truths arising out of it. The science which leaves no further questions is Advaita Vedanta.
Once that is experienced, this creation will vanish.
We have the experience of good and bad people, intelligent and foolish persons. But once this creation is wiped out, then what happens? The process of creation is explained to us today in a scientific way.
When you see hot water, you say it is untruth. But if you touch the water, you burn your skin. Swamiji enters Fire. He does not get burned. It is referred to as Agni Stambhana in Yoga. But it is actually Jnana. Our willful thinking that heat will not burn will not change the effect of touching something that is hot. It is Brahma's Sankalpa that heat should scorch. Jnana can erase Brahma's Sankalpa. It removes it entirely from the system. It is not simply like deleting a file from a computer. Such a deleted file may still be retrieved somehow later.
Where is this thought process occurring, that heat burns? It happens in the inner consciousness. A man in a coma will not feel the heat of a hot object. It is the mind that feels sensations. But a man in a coma is not a Jnani. Once he comes out of coma, he will see the burn on his skin, and will protest the action of whoever caused the burn.
In deep sleep, one is in bliss. Think about that stage. What is there during deep sleep? There is nothing. But when you awaken, you recognize yourself. You have forgotten your identity during deep sleep. You have crossed all boundaries. In a temple you go through different doorways to have the darshan of the deity. In Sri Rangam, you go through seven compounds. They represent the seven dhatus (types of substances) present in the human body. You go through the seven layers and go deep inside during deep sleep.
You have the feeling, I am seeing. Therefore, you are also noticing the 'I', the aham, which is seeing. We are told to give up the ego. If you do, then you get Sadguru's grace, you are blissful, you get Self-realization.
Ego does not gain success in the world. It will always topple you down. Akankaaram/ego has a lot of kaaram in it, heat. Give it up. There is no greater comfort in life than what is experienced during deep sleep. That is the highest bliss. One who is totally exhausted, feels refreshed after good sleep. When you forget yourself, as in deep sleep, you experience the highest bliss.
'I' sees the 'I' also. But the 'I' itself is an illusion. It is Maya.
Yesterday we spoke about time and space. We have constructed this world, we think. We discussed about how to understand the concepts of time and space.
Sadguru takes us directly to the root cause. For everything there is cause. The Sun is causing this time concept that we have. Now, when we travel far out into space, the sun and the moon all get merged into one.
We say there is no time, if we are asked to do something. We use it as an excuse. We experience it. But in reality, there is no such thing as Time.
In the worldly sense, utilizing time properly is proper time sense. Once we practice doing that, then, we will comprehend the power of Time, which consumes this entire Creation.
The serpent of Time swallows this entire Creation. What happens to the swallowed Creation?
How can from one tsp. of curds you can make a bucket full of buttermilk? From a sub-atom how can this entire Creation come into being? That argument is not valid. It is not true.
Then, what is Truth? We have now accepted that all that exists merges into something beyond.
yadidam ...
This is a great example. Unless it is understood and experienced, questions will still arise. It is easy to understand that this universe with its moving and unmoving objects perishes at the end of the Kalpa. Kalpa is an imaginary concept of Time. The elephant's body, the ant's body, and the man's body are all different because the mind has determined them to be so.
A minute, a day, a month, a year, a decade, a century, a millennium, and so on, it goes to Yuga, Manvantara, Brahma's Yuga, and Kalpa and several Kalpas. At the end of it all, what happens to this Creation? Brahma is the Grandfather. Swamiji said the other day that He is the grandfather of Brahma Himself. It means He is the ultimate source, the Supreme Soul.
You may call that entity Brahma or a ***. It does not matter what name you give to something or someone. Brahma is just a symbol. We are asking about the fate of Brahma Himself. Then what is the fate of all these galaxies in their infinity held in the *** of His mind, if such a Brahma Himself perishes? Then, what?
We cannot even see our own eye or our own back, without the aid of a mirror. How can we then say that what we see is all true?
Time, like a vacuum cleaner sucks up everything. Even Brahma disappears and vanishes.
Like describing a cinema we are talking about all this. They show this in a cinema, that the world itself is destroyed. A deluge occurs, everything is shattered to pieces, and planets begin to collide. But seeing it in a cinema is not experiencing it.
The way a dream dissolves into your deep sleep, this entire cosmos, all that you can possibly imagine, all universes rolled into one, will dissolve into your own deep sleep. Your dream of this enormous world with armies, battles, birth, growth, and so on, has all simply melted into your deep sleep.
You have seen and experienced your dream. You alone are the witness to your dream.
This entire creation cannot merge into a sub-atom/Paramanu. How can you pack all your belongings into a matchbox? It is not possible. It is not in anyone's experience.
How can this entire Universe fit into a tiny particle? It is against our experience. What is greater than all this, which is beyond a manifested object, must exist. It is Consciousness. We say that the darkness that has filled this entire room has disappeared into a small lamp. It means that darkness has no existence whatsoever. So many examples may be given.
If you assert that your dream is real, then prostrations to you. If you say so, then, we will demand that you should give us a position in your kingdom, where you were king in your dream. You should give us a million rupees, since you were a millionaire in your dream.
Questions are endless. It is good to have questions. You have to search for answers. That is why Sadguru creates questions in your mind.
What you have to remember is, that a Creation that began, must have an end. Unless a story ends, another story cannot begin.
That is why Sri Rama first asked, what is it that dies?
In the Navavarana Puja, there are two systems. To begin from Creation and go towards Dissolution or the other way around.
No one asks, now that tonight's dream has ended, how can tomorrow's dream arise? Daily, our dreams have beginnings and endings. All dreams dissolve into deep sleep.
We have to first state that everything merges into the Pure Consciousness.
We have covered only one verse today out of 32, 000. One word is sufficient to understand the essence. Going through an entire field, simply touching all the grains will not help you. You must gather the grains. Grasp the words of Sadguru. I pray that we all should grasp the essence of Guru's teaching.
Please continue the chanting of Hanuman Chalisa.
Jaya Guru Datta
Sri Guru Datta
Om santissantissantihi