An Excerpt from Yoga Vasistha

[Guest guest]

Namaste.

One of the best presentations about the Path of Meditation is this

excerpt from Yoga Vasistha.

 

Enjoy.

 

regards

Sundar Rajan

 

YOGA VASISTHA

(Excerpts from Swami Venkatesananda's 'The Supreme Yoga',

 

A new translation of Yoga Vasistha)

 

Sage Vasistha to Lord Rama

 

Vasistha continued:

 

I shall now describe the tree known as Samadhana (equanimity) that

grows in the forest known as the heart of the wise.

 

Its seed is a turning away from 'the world', whether this is caused

naturally or otherwise by the experience of sorrow. Mind is a field.

It is ploughed by right action, the right feeling waters it day and

night, and the practice of Pranayama nourishes it. On this field

known as the mind, the seed known as Samadhi (turning away from the

world) falls of its own accord when one is alone in the forest known

as wisdom. The wise man should endeavor constantly to keep this seed

of meditation watered and nourished by intelligent methods.

 

One should seek the company of the wise who are one's own real well-

wishers and who are pure and friendly. Then one should water the

seed of Samadhi or meditation by means of hearing, reflecting on and

contemplating the scriptures, which bring about total inner

emptiness and which are full of wisdom, pure and cool like nectar.

Being aware of the precious seed of meditation or Samadhi that has

fallen in the field of one's mind, the wise man should carefully

cherish and nourish it by means of austerities, charity, etc.

 

When this seed begins to sprout, it should be further protected by

peace and contentment. At the same time, one should guard it against

the birds of desire, attachment to family, pride, greed, etc., with

the help of contentment. With the broom of right and loving action

the dirt of Rajasic restlessness must be swept away, whereas the

darkness of Tamasic ignorance must be driven away by the light of

right understanding.

 

The lightning known as pride of wealth and the thunderstorm known as

pursuit of pleasure strike the field and devastate it. These should

be prevented with the trident of magnanimity, compassion, Japa,

austerity, self-control and contemplation upon the significance of

the Pranava (OM).

 

If it is thus protected, this seed grows into wisdom. With it the

entire field of the mind shines beautifully. The sprout grows two

leaves. One is known as study of scriptures and the other is

Satsanga (company of the men of wisdom). Soon it will grow the bark

known as contentment with the sap known as dispassion or non-

coloring of mind. Fed by the rain of scriptural wisdom, it will soon

grow into a tree. Then it is not easily swayed even when it is

shaken by the monkeys known as Raga-Dwesha (attraction and

aversion). Then there arise in it the branches known as pure

knowledge that reach-out far and wide. Clarity of vision,

truthfulness, courage, unclouded understanding, equanimity, peace,

friendliness, compassion, fame, etc., are its other branches that

arise when one is fully established in Dhyana or meditation.

 

The tree of meditation casts a cool shade in which all desires and

cravings come to an end and all the burning distress ceases.

Meditation expands the shade of self-control that promotes

steadiness of the mind.

 

A deer known as the mind, which had been wandering in the wilderness

of countless concepts, notions and prejudices and which somehow

finds the right path, takes shelter under this tree. This deer is

pursued by its many enemies who covet its hide or covering. The mind

hides itself in thorny bushes known as the body to save itself. All

this effort wears out its energies. Running hither and thither in

the forest of Samsara, harassed by the winds known as Vasanas or

latent tendencies and scorched by the heat of ego-sense, the deer is

afflicted by interminable distress.

 

This deer is not easily satisfied with what it gets. Its cravings

multiply and it continues to go out far in search of satisfaction of

those cravings. It gets attached to the many pleasure-centers known

as wife, children, etc., and it wears itself out in looking after

them. It is caught in the net of wealth, etc., and it struggles to

free itself. In this struggle it falls down again and again and

injures itself. Borne down by the current of craving, it is carried

far away. It is haunted and hunted by innumerable ailments. It is

also trapped by the different sense-experiences. It is bewildered by

its alternate rise to the heavenly regions and its fall into the

hell. It is crushed and wounded by stones and rocks known as mental

modifications and evil qualities. To remedy all these, it conjures

up by its own intellect various codes of conduct, which prove

ineffectual. It has no knowledge of the Self or the Infinite

Consciousness.

 

This deer known as the mind is made insensible by the poisonous

exhalation of the snake known as worldly pleasure and craving for

such pleasure it is burnt by the fire of anger. It is dried up by

worries and anxieties. The tiger known as poverty pursues it. It

falls into the pit of attachment. Its heart is broken by the

frustration of its own pride.

 

At some stage, this deer turns away from all this and seeks the

refuge of some tree already described (the tree of meditation) and

there it shines brightly. Supreme peace or bliss is not attained in

any other condition excepting the unconditioned state of

Consciousness, and this is attained only in the shade of the tree

known as Samadhi or meditation.

 

Thus having obtained rest, the deer (mind) delights itself there and

does not seek to go elsewhere. After some time, the tree known as

meditation or Samadhi begins to yield its fruit, which is the

revelation of the Supreme Self. The mind-deer beholds that fruit

above itself on the tree of meditation. Thereupon it abandons all

other pursuits and climbs that tree to taste its fruits. Having

ascended that tree, the mind-deer abandons the worldly thought

patterns and it does not contemplate upon the baser life again. Even

as the snake abandons its slough, this mind-deer abandons its

previous habits so that it might ascend the tree of meditation.

Whenever memory of its own past arises, it laughs aloud, "How was it

that I remained such a fool till now!" Having discarded greed etc.,

it rests on that tree like an emperor.