Moment to Speak

We are sold by none to anyone, and yet we remain as if enslaved to the world; and knowing this well, we are spellbound to opulence, knowing fully well that the enjoyments in this quintessence of this world are misery, and yet we are foolishly caught in its thoughts, as if clogged in honey like bees, terse statements by Yoga-Vasistha (1.12.12-13 ). The world of opulence, remarks Yoga-Vasistha (1.13.1-7) is reckoned as a blessing here is the cause of our troubles and errors, as it begets only evils in them (followers, princess, and ignorants) by their various acts of profligacy, as good milk given to serpents serves but to increase the poignancy of their poison. Enslavement to the world isn't about literal servitude but about being bound by Avidya  (ignorance), Ahamkara (ego), and Kama (desire), leading to suffering and separation from Brahman , or Supreme Self, or Absolute Existence. This bondage manifests as attachment to material possessions, the senses, and the illusion of a se...

The mind is something which is really nothing but does everything, a lucid definition by Swami Sivananda (Mind and Its Mysteries, by Swami Sivananda, Divine Life Society, Rishikesh). This is the mind, a piquancy difficult to decipher. He goes on to say that the mind is a bundle of thoughts, a collection of Samskaras (impressions), desires, feelings and ideas gathered from different objects. These collections of desires, feelings and ideas of mind are constantly rebranded and resuscitated, as often the objects of contact change.  The mind is indeed a thought-manufacturing machine that non-stop manufactures thoughts in a two-state, Jagrata (waking) as well as Svapna ( dreaming), dimensional process. Sage philosopher Swami Krishnananda (Disciplining the Mind, Swami Krishnananda, Divine Life Society) views the mind as the finitude of the finite. He maintains that finitude is the nature of the mind, but infinitude is its aim and objective. The finite has to rise from its limited existe...

Brahman (Cosmic Self, or Paramatman , or Absolute Existence) is complete and full in every respect and beyond, according to the invocatory verse of Ishavasya Upanishad . Brahman is beyond the comprehension, imagination and purview of any finite being, as He is the infinite of infinitude. He is the origin, expansion, contraction, and culmination of all that is manifest and unmanifest. Everything is in relation to Him; there is nothing beyond and outside of Him. He is the Supreme Divine Personality, the Supreme Abode, the Supreme Purifier, the Eternal God, the Primal Being, the Unborn, and the Greatest (Śrimad Bhagavad Gita, 10.12-13). Sri Krishna in Śrimad Bhagavad Gita (10.2) articulates that neither gods nor the great sages know of My origin. I am the source from which the gods and great seers come. The same Bhagavad Gita (Chapters 9 and 10) pronounces that He is the origin of all creation. Everything proceeds from Him only. The progenitor of mankind, the seven great Sages, the four ...

The state of insensibility, or unawareness, refers to the state of deep sleep (Sushupti) , characterised by an absence of sensory or mental activity, or a highly advanced state of spiritual detachment (Samadhi) . The Vedantic tradition essentially makes a distinction between the transcendental consciousness of the liberated sage, which is a state of profound, tranquil, and detached awareness, and the unconscious state of insensibility, which is a type of ignorance. In this tradition, the term "insensibility", or "unawareness", refers to either a highly developed state of spiritual detachment (Samadhi) or deep sleep (Sushupti) , which is characterised by a lack of mental or sensory activity. It includes Sushupti , a state in which the mind becomes dormant and submerged in unconsciousness. Second, it describes a condition that is frequently connected to deep sleep or trance, in which the mind is oblivious to outside objects. Because it resembles the distractions brou...

The Self, or Atman , is an essence of Universal Consciousness. It is also Paramatman, Brahman , or the Supreme Self.  According to Kaushitaki Upanishad (1.2), during the conversations between Sage Aruni and his son Svetaketu with King Chitra Gargyayani, "I am You" denotes "I" because "Atman" is the same as " Paramatman ". The Upanishad expresses the Vedantic idea of Atman and Brahman being one. The route to Brahman serves as the scene. After leaving the phenomenal frame in the worldly dimension, Atman , or Self, travels to the moon, where it may either continue its journey to higher elevations of consciousness up to the highest level of Consciousness, or Brahman , or be reborn in this world, according to Kaushitaki Upanishad (1.2). As one becomes more detached from the sense-perceived attachments of the phenomenal world, there is an increase in the ability to recognise Oneness, as expressed in various texts: "I am awareness" (Ashtavakra...

The remembrance of the past world is entwined with the activation of Vasanas , or the subtle state of desires carried across lifetimes, so holds Swami Sivananda . Vasanas are subtle desire-based imprints left on the mind from past experiences, objects, and actions. These imprints are considered the root of bondage, as they create desires and attachments that bind Jivatma , or embodied Self, to the phenomenal world and the Samsara Chakra, or  cycle of birth and death. These Vasanas influence present actions and create new ones, but they can be purified or weakened through inward movement, or meditative practices. The experienced world, including past lives and after-death experiences, is not a reality but rather a mental construct or projection based on these stored mental impressions carried over several lifetimes. This way our current experiences are shaped not only by present circumstances but also by the unfulfilled Vasanas , or subtle desires, and experiences of our previous ...

In the Yoga-Vasistha, the concepts of unity and duality are central to understanding Reality and the path to Moksha, or liberation. The text Yoga-Vasistha is attributed to Maharshi Valmiki, the author of Ramayana. Maharshi Valmiki, in the Yoga-Vasistha texts, presents conversations between Maharshi Vasistha and Bhagwan Sri Rama, discussing how the unchanging and limitless nature of Consciousness, known as Brahman or Cosmic Self, shows up as the separate world we experience. The Yoga-Vasistha asserts that this duality is ultimately an illusion, a mental construction, or projection of the mind, and that true understanding lies in realising the underlying unity. It postulates that our perception of a separate, dualistic world is a mental conditioning resulting from Avidya, or ignorance. This phrenic mode leads us to falsely perceive a separation between ourselves and the world, creating a sense of duality in our experience. It contends that Ultimate Reality is one, indivisible, imperishab...