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Yoga Vashisht or Heaven Found, by Rishi Singh Gherwal, [1930], at sacred-texts.com
"Why is it that many Jivanmuktas (emancipated persons) do not have higher psychic powers developed, such as levitating in the air, etc.?", asked Ram.
Rishi Vashisht replied: "Those whose wisdom is not pure, but desire psychic powers are slaves of the world. The higher psychic powers are developed through Mantras, Postures, Mudras, etc., but the true Jnani (truth seeker) does not seek or need the higher psychic powers. The truth seeker will ever try to attain the true vision of the Atma. The Jnani always tries to rest in wisdom but never goes in quest of psychic powers, levitation, etc.. Desire for worldly things or possessions are mere Maya (illusion).
"These Jnanis (truth seekers) who have risen above Maya (illusion) will never sink into it again. Jnanis who desire psychic power may develop it by Mantras, Postures, Mudras, etc., but psychic powers in their development will never bring beneficent liberation. That is the goal of the true Jnani (truth
seeker). Desire for psychic powers tends to bondage; for that reason it will never appeal to the truth seeker.
"To those who have given up all desires, the Atma Jnana (Wisdom of Self) will arise without any doubt. But those who are after Sidhas (psychic powers) only, which is the seed of desire, will never attain Atma (the Self) ."
"Please explain the secret of the Yogis who live as long as a Kalpa", (4,380,000 years) asked Ram, of Rishi Vashisht.
The Master answered: "As long as Prana is moving, the Yogi is moving, but When movement or Prana ceases, the Yogi becomes as immovable as a rock. Those Yogis who can control Prana (vital force) may live as long as they desire. By controlling Prana (vital force), the mind also is controlled, externally and internally. He who controls Prana and mind arrests old age and death. Old age and death will never come near him. As the body becomes spiritualized, it will never retrograde.
"Those Yogis only can be said to have found the Reality, who always follow the path of Atma Jnani (wisdom of the Self). They, who have
given up all their desires and have been liberated from mental bonds, are free."
"By giving up all desires, the mind is merged into its Reality; then what becomes of the four gunas (qualities)?" asked Ram, of the Master.
Rishi Vashisht answered: "There are two ways in which the mind may be controlled, as the mind consists of the formless and the formed. By controlling the Rupa (with form) mind, one will bring about the Jivanmukti state (embodied emancipation or liberation in this life). By controlling Arupa (formless) mind, one will bring the Videhmukti state (emancipation of the Soul).
"Uncontrolled Rupa (with form) mind, generates all kinds of pain. But by control bliss will come. You must master Rupa (with form) mind, as it identifies itself with matter. Then it is not able to find its Reality, and therefore it brings pain. This form mind is the ego. This form mind is ever involved in pleasures and pain. It is the seed of Maya (illusion). This will give you the idea of the Rupa (with form) mind.
"Now I will deal with the controlling of the
mind. Please listen. It is said by the wise that the fruitless mind can be controlled by looking with equal eyes upon all, and not being affected by pleasure or pain. As the mountain is not affected by the storm, also one is able to retain his poise in the presence of riches or poverty, joy or sorrow. Of such a person it may be said; he has control over his mind; he has overcome ignorance, which is the lower mind itself. Through control it brings out high spiritual intelligence. Such a mind does not subject itself to rebirth. By the desires of the four gunas (qualities), one will come to the state which belongs to the Jivanmukta (embodied emancipation) or (liberation) in this life.
"This Rupa (with form) mind, is the destroyer of the peace of mind. In this mind the four gunas (qualities) will grow as the lotus in the lake. By controlling the Arupa (formless mind), one may gain the state of Videhmukti (emancipation of the soul.) This state will be attained by overcoming the four gunas (qualities) known as: Sattva (truthfulness), Raja (ambition for name and fame), Tamas (evildoing), etc..
"There is no other way of controlling the
[paragraph continues] Arupa (formless) mind, than doing away with differences. The Brahmic state is that in which one does not see differences. What has or has not been, that which has or has not qualities, which has or has not wealth, contentment or discontentment, light or darkness, day or night.
"This state is the home of those who have conquered all desires toward this universe. One becomes like Akasa (ether) or air, which is not affected, but takes odors. These great Yogis, living as if their bodies were Akasa (ether) are in the Brahmic state, that is all bliss. Pain, pleasure, name or fame does not affect them in any way. These great ones have controlled their minds."
"What is its seed? "What is the seed of this seed? And what is the seed of the last one?", asked Ram. "Please explain to me."
Rishi Vashisht answered: "The body is the first seed, it generates all pleasure and pain. It gives rise to the ever revolving Samsara (universe). The seed of this seed is the mind, which always pursues the track of desires and is the cause of pleasure and of pain, birth and death. By the mind, hosts of bodies are generated, which
seem to exist though they do not exist. It enjoys these bodily objects as in a dream.
"To this mind, which is always surrounded or encircled by the worldly action, there are two seeds. One is desire, the other is Prana (life force). These are the four seeds. O Ram, the all-pervading one wisdom becomes the visible wisdom, by the motion of Prana (life force). If this Prana (life force) stopped expanding in every direction, then it would attend one's welfare and progress.
"The intelligence becomes attached to the visible world by desire. The visible world is the root of all misery. If the intelligence could always remain in the dreamless state, without lapsing into the dreaming state, that would be the real Nirvana or the Atma. It would result in liberation, or freedom from rebirth.
"If the desire for sensual objects, which arise through the Prana movement are gradually controlled, the accumulation of these thoughts will constitute mind. With such a mind alone, people live in this world. For controlling this kind of mind, the wise and the Yogi practice or perform Pranayama. Pranayama is the practice
of controlling Prana (life force) and concentration. The wise say, that the benefit of control of the Prana (vital force) brings the equality of mind—the ability to look upon all as one. This generates blessed joy and not pain.
"The seed of the mind seed is the ego, which with its partner, desire, enjoys the external objects. The desires make people slaves of the sensual objects. The power of true discrimination is developed through firm determination. If this power is lost, the ego or false self binds itself to the mercy of desires, which make it see, that which is real as unreal and regards that which is unreal, as the real. The power of desire makes everything appear in an illusory light. This mind is most disgraceful, as it identifies the "I" with that which is not "I". Through this mind, old age, death and birth are brought about.
"As the oscillating of the mind arises through its confusion with objects, birth and death, also arise. It is only when this mind is subdued and has no more attraction or repulsion toward objects, that it will cease oscillating.
"If thoughts are controlled by giving up desires,
the result will surely be peace of mind. If there is no desire for worldly things, then how can this mind go roaming in the sky? O Ram!
"I think so long as sensual thought exists in the mind, so long will desires remain. The idea of their reality, and the enjoyment of pleasure therein, can be said to be the thought of the mind. All thought or desire makes karma.
"How can mind oscillate in the wise, who are purer than ether, and have risen above desires? It is said, that the realization of Reality by one who understands true discrimination, is that he is not in this material world, and the world is all Maya (illusion), made by the mind.
"The wise say that the mind denudes itself of its form, even though engaged in actions. When mind has dissolved all things into itself, then it becomes as cool and refreshing as ambrosia. Those Jivanmuktas (liberated in this life) who have freed themselves from desires, will live to wear out their past karma. Those Jivanmuktas are in possession of pure desires, without any pain or rebirth. It is these emancipated ones, whose minds have found the Reality of Being, and have reached the highest wisdom. It is these
[paragraph continues] Jivanmuktas (bodily emancipated) who, when they give up the body, attain the highest state, as they are the lofty ones.
"The two seeds of mind as has been stated before, are the desires, and the movement of Prana, and if one of them is controlled, both are controlled. By desire, Prana is moved, and by Prana desire is moved. Therefore, we may say that these seed motions of Prana and desire are the dried fruits of the mind, and their roots are in the external world. Hence, if they are released from the external world, then the movement of Prana and desires are also controlled. The mental actions are the seeds of the eternal world. If the intelligence does not play its part in the external world, then the external world will cease to exist. As the sesame oil cannot exist without the sesame seed, so the existence of the external and the internal are not different.
"The awakening of pure wisdom will produce a kind of creation, through which pure wisdom will see in itself the external objects. As in a dream, though one forgets himself, still he sees things in himself by some inherent power:
so the external is known by mental knowledge. Those who by their knowledge of discrimination control this reflected mind, whether they have analyzed it or not, will also control disease and death. It is the non-control of the reflected of the external, that puts us into the great universe, but through its control the goal is attained. Who can say that the external does not bring great pain upon us, O Ram?
"Through the absence, of the external and the nonrelation of objects, arises divine bliss. You may stop your mind from oscillating, give up all love for worldly enjoyment, forget the objective world, and still not be in a dull state. Thou art above the Paramatma (universal soul). In the wisdom state, the external is not seen. This is true, without doubt."
Ram asked: "How can non-intelligence arise, where there is no visible or external? How can the external or visible vanish, from where there is no wisdom?"
'Master Vashisht answered: "Atma (the self) is the All-pervading One, without any attraction. It has no power of knowing nor not-knowing. Any inert object is without the visible or intelligence.
[paragraph continues] If Atma attains, then that wisdom will not be mixed with the visible or objective. It will stand alone. Though engaged in all actions, it will not be affected by the visible or objective. He, alone, is the Jnani (True wise); he alone, is the Jivanmukta (emancipated). Such a person by controlling all desires is as a child in intelligence. At this stage when all external subjects are given up, he attains full Atmic Wisdom, without any mental knowledge. Then he will not be attached to any object, but liberated front pain through Divine Bliss, or Samadhi. He will have all bliss. A truth seeker should always cling to such meditation, without longing for the unreal, and he will always enjoy himself in his own Blessed Atma, whether walking, talking or working. He will be above all of those conditions, as they have no attraction for him. He is not attracted by the external with its enjoyment, but lives in consciousness of perfect bliss.
"Understand thoroughly this wisdom, and you become conscious of the truth that you are the All-pervading Wisdom itself, after rising above the sea of pain, although engaged in worldly activities.
"To this wisdom the Eternal Absolute is the seed. Out of this One-ness, wisdom arises as the light from a flame. The One-ness has two appearances. Now, I shall explain them; jars, vases and other objects appear to be different, but still they are all one, as they are all made of earth. The seat of the Truth is in One-ness alone, non-dual, without any attributes. Therefore, you should be free from the three elements—time, space, and causation, and sink thyself into the Eternal Absolute. Time, space and causation seem to be three different elements in their action, but they belong to One-ness. These three elements are the cause of creating diversified action, in this world.
"Meditate alone upon the Non-dual or One-ness which is common to all. You may pervade everywhere with the Self-bliss, that which is the goal of One-ness. That state is the seed of this pure One-ness. From this One-ness the universal consciousness arises. From this point all thought of doubt vanishes, and one gains a blessed consciousness, of ever present joy. This is the primal seed, but there is no seed to the state of Pure Wisdom. He, who is capable of holding
the Pure Wisdom without wavering, will never sink himself into illusion. This is the cause of al, but it is a causeless cause, it is the essence of all, but there is no essence to it.
'In this great glass (the Self), all things will appear as images, as do the trees in the bank of a lake, where they are reflected in the water. This is the Pure One. It alone is the ageless; it alone is the Atmic Reality. By attaining this state, the mind will become peaceful. May you, after realizing it firmly, become that Atma. May you attain that Nirvanic state."
Ram said to the Master: "Thou hast been kind enough to explain about the nature of four seeds. With what effort, can one attain that state of bliss and wisdom?"
Master Vashisht replied: "By proper efforts in the direction of overcoming those seeds, and the cause of the pains, which I have explained, the state of bliss and wisdom may be attained. To reach that state is the highest of all other states, and is the common goal of all. You will have to give up the entire host of desires, for if any are left lingering with you, it may be a hindrance to your progress. Realize your Higher Self,
and at that very moment, you will have attained that highest state. Should that One-ness, just referred to, be first attained by you, then, with a little more effort you will attain the highest state. Therefore, direct your meditation toward attainment of this state of One-ness, and the rest will follow.
"O Ram, it is difficult indeed, to reach this blissful state, as long as one clings to the external world. With all your might you should endeavor to give up the idea of duality and desires, then, all mental discord, disease and pain will vanish. One will find it as difficult to control the desires, as to remove the mountain. As long as the desires are not controlled, the mind will be uncontrolled. As long as the mind is not mastered, so long desires will not be mastered, as they are one. As long as Pure Wisdom has not arisen, so long the desires will be uncontrolled. Pure Wisdom, the controlling power of mind and mastery of desires, is naturally dependent upon no other cause than it-self, for its control or mastery. It is by effort of his will, that the Yogi walks in the right path."