Sage Wisdom- Vashishtha

Concepts of the Yoga Vasistha

There is nothing except Brahman and its energy --

The Yoga Vasistha uses many names for Brahman -- Infinite Consciousness, the Self, the inner reality, witness consciousness, the homogeneity, the absolute, the eternal, the indivisible, CID (Sanskrit).

Brahman's energy (CIT in Sanskrit) has infinite manifestations including these three:

1) The movement which is the initial vibration of the 'creations' (the Big Bang and/or collision of branes)

2) Movement which is the atomic structure of the natural world (the string theory)

3) Movement in consciousness which is in a limited format (the Mind)

Movement (vibration) and limited consciousness (thought) are the same thing and are used interchangeably.

The Mind, in its creative aspect, is called Brahma. It is also the Ego. The Mind serves as a veil which prevents us from recognizing ourselves as Brahman, prevents us from recognizing everyone else as Brahman, and prevents us from recognizing Brahman as the underlying reality of every thing we see, hear, sense, etc. This veiling by the Mind is the root cause of sorrow.

The Mind seeks the Self (Brahman consciousness) only in order to dissolve itself in the Self. . .this is the supreme goal. p. 124 Yoga Vasistha

The following may help your initial reading of the book --

1) Distinguish Brahman (the infinite) from Brahma (the creator/mind)

2) Recognize that the development of dispassion is to take relationships, events, etc. beyond the limitations of the Mind/Senses to the unlimited Witness Consciousness.

You (Self) dwell in 'me' in a state of equilibrium, as pure witness consciousness, without form and without the divisions of space and time.  p. 248 Yoga Vasistha

3) Recognize that happiness/unhappiness are trivial compared to the bliss of the Self.

4) Understand that the word 'exist' is used in its classic sense -- which is to have separate reality -- hence, the Yoga Vasistha states: "The world does not exist".

5) Realize that the word 'awareness' refers to that state of mind wherein the Mind identifies some aspect of Brahman as being apart (that is, individual) and thereby creates a subject/object split.

6) About Stories. From the scripture --

    . . . when a truth that has not been personally experienced is expounded, one does not grasp it except with the help of an illustration. Such illustrations have been used in this scripture with a definite purpose and a limited intention. They are not to be taken literally, nor is their significance to be stretched beyond the intention. When the scripture is thus studied, the world appears to be a dream-vision. These indeed are the purpose and the purport of the illustrations. 

7)    A personal observation:

As a way to integrate the Yoga Vasistha into one's daily life, it may be beneficial to distinguish between "Witness Consciousness" and the "Knower of the Field". While the scripture at page 181 of Vasistha's Yoga would appear to equate these two terms, many other passages clearly attribute only "witnessing" to the absolute, indwelling self.

The recognition of the absolute "Witness Consciousness" by reference to this scripture --

"You (Self) dwell in me in a state of equilibrium as pure witness consciousness, without form and without the divisions of time and space."

gives one a touchstone for experiencing the Absolute. The recognition of the manifesting, self-experiencing, relativity-based "Knower of the Field" as

". . .the knower of the knowable and the doer of all actions, the experiencer of all experiences, the thinker of all thoughts. . ."

gives a reminder that one's ignorant identification with "individuality" is the basis of sorrow, so. . .

". . .liva as the sages of self-knowledge live. They know infinite consciousness and the world-appearance: hence they do not relish nor renounce activity in this world."

The Supreme Lord appears as Isvara, omniscient and omnipotent and as the jiva, of limited knowledge and power, both unborn. But this does not deny the phenomenal universe; for there exists further the unborn prakriti, which creates the ideas of the enjoyer, enjoyment and the object. Atman is infinite and all-pervading and therefore devoid of agency. When the seeker knows all these three to be Brahman, he is freed from his fetters. Prakriti is perishable. Hara, the Lord, is immortal and imperishable. The non-dual Supreme Self rules both prakriti and the individual soul. Through constant meditation on Him, by union with Him, by the knowledge of identity with Him, one attains, in the end, cessation of the illusion of phenomena. When the Lord is known all fetters fall off; with the cessation of miseries, birth and death come to an end. From meditation on Him there arises, after the dissolution of the body, the third state, that of universal lordship. And lastly, the aspirant, transcending that state also, abides in the complete Bliss of Brahman. [Yajur Veda, Svetasvatara Upanishad, Part I, Chapter 1, 9-11].

The enjoyer (jiva), the objects of enjoyment and the Ruler (Isvara)-the triad described by the knowers of Brahman-all this is nothing but Brahman. This Brahman alone, which abides eternally within the self, should be known. Beyond It, truly, there is nothing else to be known. Yajur Veda, Svetasvatara Upanishad, Part I, Chapter 1, 9-12]

Animals belong to him as objects of enjoyment and he becomes rich in animals who, knowing this, meditates on the fivefold Saman in animals.[Sama Veda, Chandogya Upanishad II,VI - Meditation on the Fivefold Saman in Animals, 2]

The most excellent objects belong to him, nay, he conquers the most excellent worlds who, knowing this, meditates on the fivefold Saman, which is the most excellent, as the senses. [Sama Veda, Chandogya Upanishad II,VII - Meditation on the Fivefold Saman as the Senses, 2]

Shorten our path, O God, remove all stumbling blocks, Deliverer. Be at hand to guide. Scare from our road the wicked wolf, the ill-intentioned one who lies in wait to harm. The robber lurking round our path, who cunningly contrives our hurt, chase far away. From you, wise wonder-working God, we claim today that selfsame aid you gave our Fathers. [Rk Veda I, 42, 1-5]

He who inhabits the mind, yet is within the mind, whom the mind does not know, whose body the mind is and who controls the mind from within-He is your Self, the Inner Controller, the Immortal. He who inhabits the skin, yet is within the skin, whom theskin does not know, whose body the skin is and who controls the skin from within-He is your Self, the Inner Controller, the Immortal. He who inhabits the intellect (vijnana), yet is within the intellect, whom the intellect does not know, whose body theintellect is and who controls the intellect from within-He is your Self, the Inner Controller, the Immortal. He who inhabits the organ of generation, yet is within the organ, whom the organ does not know, whose body the organ is and who controls the organ from within-He is your Self, the Inner Controller, the Immortal. He is never seen, but is the Seer; He is never heard, but is the Hearer; He is never thought of, but is the Thinker; He is never known, but is the Knower. There is no other seer than He, there is no other hearer than He, there is no other thinker than He, there is no other knower than He. He is your Self, the Inner Controller, the Immortal. Everything else but Him is perishable. Thereupon Uddalaka, the son of Aruna, held his peace. [Yajur Veda, Brihadaranyaka Upanishad III, VII-Yajnavalkya and Uddalaka, 16 (CONT)

Accept the healing remedy your mother and your father bring together with your sister and your brother. I make you one who reaches ripe old age. Live on, O man, with your spirit unimpaired. Do not follow the messengers sent by Yama! Remember the cities where the living dwell! Come back hither in response to our calls, you who know the path that lies ahead, the way and the ascent of every living person! [Atharva Veda V, 30, 5-7]