Yoga Vasishta-1

Hari Om.  I am reading Yoga Vasishta and will try to write here the key points and my understanding.  The intention is to read and contemplate ('mananam' ) on the deeper meanings of the lines and absorb it into us as part of our daily life.  So only a few lines are read & written here at a time.

Yoga Vasishta, written by Sage Valmiki, is the spiritual teaching to Lord Rama by his Guru Vasishta.  The main theme of the teaching is that our association and identification with the world and external objects is a dream that the soul must awake from.  It will then realize its true nature.    The key step for this is to destroy our ego or I-ness!  Extinction of all psychological conditioning constitutes liberation or Moksha.  When all the desires are destroyed and the mind is kept controlled and subdued, we reach a state of bliss and freedom with no psychological restrictions.   This is done by controlling the mind and the resulting thoughts that keeps longing for & on external objects.  An example in modern day world is our usage of a car.  We use our car (or any automobile) specifically for a journey only. Before and after the journey, the car is kept shut off and in the garage. We do not want use the car to live or as a dining place or bedroom!   We do not want our mind to dwell on the car all the time and be addicted to it! (some folks are like that and keep cleaning and updating their car all the time!).  Similarly, realize that you are different from your mind or body.  You are the subject  - the Atman or the supreme power.  The BMI (body, mind, intellect) are all objects separate from you.  Use your mind ONLY as and when needed.  At other times, END the mind and be in the pure awareness of the supreme Self or Divine!   When this illusory I-ness or ego perishes, the end of the thoughts to the Maya is called Moksha.  Hari Om.

Yoga Vasishta

Hari Om. I Have started reading Vasishta Yoga written by Valmiki, which is said to be the spiritual teachings of sage Vasishta to Lord Rama.
Yoga Vasishta is the essence of all the Hindu Philosophical texts – Bhagawad Gita, Vedas and Upanishads.
The nature of the ParaBrahma, Supreme God consciousness and the methods to attain Self Realization are vividly described in this book.
"This Atman (Eternal Self) is certainly different from the body, senses, mind, and prana. It is blissful, supreme, non-dual, permanent, formless, sinless, and pure. The moment this realization comes to you, you are liberated."

I will post the key teachings from this sacred book, as I read and understand them. Hari Om.

Om: Sound of the universe.

Hari Om.  Many centuries ago, Our Rishis discovered the original sound of the universe . They defined it as the 'Pranava mantra', the OM.

Watch this amazing 3 min video clipping that shows how NASA through their research have confirmed that the Hindu Pranava mantra 'Om' aligns with the sound of the sun travelling as bio-energy!

https://youtu.be/nSlnHxGFNfs

Transcending BMI

The key goal of meditation is to transcend our dependency and slavery to our body, mind and intellect (BMI). Vedanta has outlined clear paths with steps to achieve this goal.

To move away from the attractions of external objects by our senses is the transcending of the body. This can be achieved through Karma (yoga) or selfless service. Karma takes a person from his/her bodily (gross) awareness to the subtle layers of mind and intellect. Regular breathing exercises (Pranayama) tremendously aids in this approach as well.

The next challenge is the mind, which has enormous power to control all our senses.  Unless the mind is kept controlled, all other successes will be futile and temporary. Mind control can be achieved through Bhakti (yoga).  Bhakti is selfless devotion with faith to an higher ideal (concept) or idol (GOD). Bhakti yoga stills the mind in one direction and makes it easy to be transcended.

The final challenge is to transcend the intellect who is the decision maker for all our actions and thoughts in us.  Intellect is the twin of mind, but working at a slightly higher maturity than the mind. The direct technique for crossing over the intellect is through Jnana (yoga).  Jnana is knowledge on the eternal truths of this life and universe (Maya) and their purpose. Vedanta leads us to attain this knowledge through our reading & understanding of its priceless information contained in the Upanishads, Sutras, Agamas, etc.   Once this Jnana is acquired, the intellect renounces all its fluttering and enters into a tranquil state of  stillnes, which is the supreme awareness or Consciousness.

Any person who has achieved the above three and has an integrated personality will be very well on way to be a Jnani ready to face this world without any dependency, worries or expectations.

Hari Om.

Significance of 'Aswattha' tree in Hinduism

Significance of Aswattha tree in Hinduism

The Aswattha tree, which is known as peepal tree (Ficus Religiosa) or well known as banyan tree or ‘kalpa vriskha’ is considered the ‘king’ of trees in Hindu culture. It symbolizes Trimurti – Lord Vishnu is believed to be the bark(trunk),  Lord Brahma its roots and Lord Shiva, its branches.  There is a moola mantra signifying this concept an meaning in Hinduism which is as below.

Moolatho Brahma Roopaya

Madhyato Vishnu roopine

Agratha Shiva roopaya

Vriskha raajayave namaha.

 In Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna declares that among trees,  HE is the aswattha tree.  Bhagawan Buddha is supposed to have attained enlightment under an aswattha tree, which is called Bodhi tree in Buddhist culture.  It is also the tree that sheltered Sita in Lanka, hence this tree has a special place in the heart of Lord Hanuman.

According to Gurudev Sw. Chinmayananda,  the vriksha (tree) got its name Aswattha because horses (Ashwa) used to stand under its shade.  Gurudev also says that “according to Shankara, this tree has been chosen to represent the entire cosmos because of its derivative meaning – ‘Shwa’ means tomorrow, ‘Stha’ means that which remains; therefore ‘Ashwattha’ means that which will NOT remain the same till tomorrow.  In short, the word indicates the ephemeral, the ever-changing world”. 

Hari Om.

Mastering the mind

In our vain ego, we try to adjust, change or remove the external objects in order to have a control over them. However it will all be in vain if we don't have control on our own minds.  Sw. Chinmayananda  says: "Instead of unnecessarily wasting our energies in regulating the world of objects and environments, or controlling our sense organs, let us attend to the mastering of our minds.
Just as to one who is wearing shoes, the whole world is covered with leather, control the mind and go wherever you will!

"By following the ethical & moral codes of confuct, by cultivating devotion to the Lord through worship and prayers, by penance and surrender, through study and reflection, by dispassion and meditation upon self, through sacrifice and service, we strive to bring our mind into a quiet and total silence, and the quieter the mind gets, the more thoroughly conquered the mind becomes",  exhorts Sw. Chinmayananda.