[world-vedic] "Yoga Vashista"

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Aniruddha Avanipal

The Story of the Great Forest from Yoga Vasishtha

 

The book "Yoga Vasishtha" is an exceptional example of Hindu

philosophy. The most unique aspect of this book is the fact that it

contains the teachings of Rishi Vasishtha as narrated by him, in

response to the philosophical questions asked by a young Lord Rama. The

primary theme of his teachings are to illustrate that this entire

existence as we know it is nothing other than the manifestation of the

Supreme Consciousness itself. In other words, it explains how even our

physical existence at this very moment is nothing less than a

reflection of the divine Self that rests within each and every living

being. One of the most wonderful aspects of this book, is in the

reader's identification with Lord Rama. Just like each of us who

questions this existence and its source, Lord Rama too once had the

same questions to ask of his Guru Vasishtha and the lessons which he

learned have been preserved for immortality for all of us to gain

wisdom from. Rishi Vasishtha explains many of life's mysteries through

small parables which help to understand abstract concepts such as

"Self", "Soul" and "Consciousness".

 

Here is one of the most profound fables from this great book titled

"The Story of the Great Forest"

 

Vasishtha begins:

 

"O Rama, whatever might have been the origin of the mind and whatever

it might be right now, one should constantly direct this mind towards

liberation through self-effort. The pure mind is free of latent

tendencies and therefore attains self-knowledge. Since the entire

universe is inside the mind, these notions of bondage and liberty are

also within it. In this connection, listen to the following legend,

which was told to me by the creator Brahma himself. Listen to it

attentively.

 

There was a great forest, so large that millions of square miles were

like the space within an atom inside it. In it there was just one

person who had a 1000 arms and limbs. He was forever restless. He had a

big stick in his hand, with which he kept on hitting himself on the

head, and afraid of the beating, he began running helter skelter in

panic. Suddenly he fell into a blind well. Slowly he managed to get

himself out of the well. But after getting out, he again fell prey to

his tendency and began hitting himself on the head with the big stick

again. Once more this led him to flee in panic and this time he found

himself in a lush forest full of luscious fruits. Though there was no

one else to fear there, he wept and cried aloud in fear. And he kept on

running away as before, all the time beating himself on the head with

the big stick.

 

Brahma witnessed all this silently, and finally out of curiosity could

not restrain himself and asked the man, "Who are you?". But he was in a

panic as always and shirked from me, calling me his enemy. Then he

began weeping and then laughing aloud in an insane fit of panic.

Suddenly, he began to abandon his body, limb by limb dropping off him.

Immediately after this, I was amazed to see another person just like

that first one. He too was beating himself on the head with a big stick

and in the same way, he too kept crying and running. When I similarly

restrained him, he began to abuse me and ran away intent on his own way

of life.

 

Like this, I came across several persons. Some of them listened to my

words and abandoning their previous way of life, became enlightened.

Some others ignored me or even abused me contemptuously. Others refused

to come out of the blind well or the dense forest.

 

Such is the great forest, O Rama - no one finds a sure resting place in

it, whatever be the mode of life that they adopt. Even today, you see

such people in the world and you yourself have experienced this

restlessness firsthand, due to your previous ignorance and delusion.

Because you were young and ignorant, you did not realize it.

 

O, Rama, this great forest is not far away, nor is that strange man in

a strange land! This world itself is that forest! It is in reality a

great void, but that void is seen only with the light of true enquiry.

This light of enquiry is the "I" in the parable. This wisdom is

accepted by some and rejected by others who continue to suffer. They

who accept it are enlightened.

 

The person with the thousands of arms is the mind with its countless

manifestations and distractions. This mind punishes itself by its own

latent tendencies and restlessly wanders in the world. The blind well

is self-created hell and the fruit forest is the self-created heaven.

The dense forests of thorny bushes is the life of a worldly man and the

thorns represent his numerous attachments. The mind now wanders into

hell, now heaven, and now into the world of human beings.

 

Even when the light of wisdom shines on the life of the deluded mind,

it foolishly rejects it, considering that that wisdom is its enemy.

Then it weeps and wails in distress seeking a way out. Sometimes it

experiences an imperfect awakening, and it renounces the pleasures of

life without properly understanding why - such renunciation itself can

prove to be a source of great sorrow. But when such renunciation arises

out of the fullness of understanding, of wisdom born of enquiry into

the nature of the mind, such renunciation leads to supreme bliss. Such

a mind may even look at its past notions of pleasure with great

puzzlement. Just as the limbs of that person fell down and disappeared

suddenly, so too do the latent tendencies of the person who wisely

renounces the world, also vanish from the mind.

 

Behold the play of ignorance! It makes one hurt oneself out of one's

own volition and which makes one run helter skelter in panic. Though

the light of self-knowledge is shining in every heart, yet we wander in

this world driven by our own latent desires. And the mind itself

intensifies this sorrow and goads one to go round and round in circles.

By its own whims and fancies, thoughts and hopes, this mind keeps on

binding itself. And when it has to face the sorrow of self-limitation,

this mind despairs and becomes restless.

 

Only one who realizes this reality, gains the wisdom to overcome it. He

who persists in the practice of enquiry, will not experience sorrow. An

uncontrolled mind alone is the source of all sorrow, when this truth is

thoroughly understood, the clouds of doubt are dispelled and sorrow

vanishes like the mist at sunrise..."