CHAPTER XXIV. ON THE HEALING AND IMPROVEMENT OF THE MIND.
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Valmiki and Mitra, Viharilala
39. As long as one is swinging in the cradle of worldly affairs, it is hard for him to find his rest in the bower of peaceful tranquility.
40. It is hard for you to get rid of your serpentine (crooked) desires, without your continued practice of indifference to and unconcernedness with worldly affairs.
41. Bali rejoined:—Tell me, O lord of demons! in what manner, indifference to worldly enjoyments, takes a deep root in the human heart; and produces the fruit of longevity of the embodied spirit on earth. (By longevity is meant the spiritual life of man, and his resting in the divine Spirit, by being freed from the accidents of mortal life).
42. Virochana replied:—It is the sight of the inward spirit, which is productive of indifference to worldly things; as the growth of vines is productive of the grapes in autumn.
43. It is the sight of the inward Spirit, which produces our internal unconcernedness with the world; as it is the glance of the rising sun, which infuses its lustre in the cup of the lotus.
44. Therefore sharpen your intellect, by the whetstone of right reasoning; and see the Supreme Spirit, by withdrawing your mind from worldly enjoyments.
45. There are two modes of intellectual enjoyment, of which one consists of book learning, and the other is derived from attendance on the lectures of the preceptor, by those that are imperfect in their knowledge. (i.e. The one is theoretical for adepts and the other is practical for novices).
46. Those who are a little advanced in learning, have the double advantage of their mental enjoyment, namely: their reflection of book learning and consultation with wise preceptors on practical points. (Hence the practice of Yoga requires a Yogi guide also).
47. Those who are accomplished in learning, have also two parts of their duties to perform; namely, the profession of the sástras teaching them to others, and the practice of indifference for themselves. (But the last and lowest kind, only have to wait on the guru and reflect on what they hear from him).
48. The soul being purified, the man is fitted for Spiritual learning; as it is the clean linen only which is fit to receive every good tincture upon it.[10]
49. The mind is to be trained by degrees, like a boy in the path of learning; namely by means of persuasion and good lectures, and then by teaching of the sástras, and lastly by discussion of their doctrines.
50. After its perfection in learning and dispersion of all difficulties and doubts, the mind shines as a piece of pure crystal, and emits its lustre like the cooling moonbeams.
51. It then sees by its consummate knowledge and clear understanding, in both the form of its God the Spirit, and the body which is the seat of its enjoyments on earth.
52. It constantly sees the spirit before it, by means of its understanding and reason; which help it also to relinquish its desire for worldly objects and enjoyments.
53. The sight of the Spirit produces the want of desires, and the absence of these shows the light of the spirit to its sight; therefore they are related to each other like the wick and oil of the lamp, in producing the light, and dispelling the darkness of the night.
54. After the loss of relish in worldly enjoyments, and the sight of the Supreme Spirit, the soul finds its perpetual rest in the essence of the Supreme Brahma.
55. The living souls that place their happiness in worldly objects, can never have the taste of true felicity, unless they rely themselves wholly in the Supreme Spirit.
56. It may be possible to derive some delight from acts of charity, sacrifices and holy pilgrimage; but none of these can give the everlasting rest of the Spirit.
57. No one feels a distaste for pleasure, unless he examines its nature and effects in himself; and nothing can teach the way of seeing the soul, unless the soul reflects on itself.
58. Those things are of no good whatever, my boy, that may be had without one’s own exertion in gaining it; nor is there any true happiness, without the resignation of earthly enjoyments.
59. The Supreme felicity of rest in the state of Brahma, is to be bad nowhere in this wide world, either in this mundane sphere, or anywhere else beyond these spheres.
60. Therefore expect always how your soul may find its rest in the divine Spirit, by relying on the exertion of your manliness, and leaving aside your dependance on the eventualities of destiny.
61. The wise man detests all worldly enjoyments as if they are the strong bolts or barriers at the door of bliss; and it is the settled aversion to earthly pleasures, that brings a man to his right reason.
62. As the increasing gloominess of rainy clouds, is followed by the serenity of autumnal skies, so clear reasoning comes after detestation of enjoyments, which fly at the advance of reason.
63. As the seas and the clouds of heaven, help one another by lending their waters in turn; so apathy to pleasures and right reasoning, tend to produce each other by turns.
64. So disbelief in destiny, and engagement in manly exertion, are sequences of one another, as reciprocities of service are consequences of mutual friendship.
65. It must be by the gnashing of your teeth (i.e. by your firm resolve), that you should create a distaste even of those things, which you have acquired by legal means and conformably to the custom of your country.
66. You must first acquire your wealth by means of your manly exertions, and then get good and clever men in your company by means of your wealth (i.e. patronise the learned therewith, and improve your mind by their instructions).
67. Association with the wise produces an aversion to the sensual enjoyments of life, by exciting the reasoning power, which gains for its reward an increase of knowledge and learning.
68. These lead gradually to the acquirement of that state of consummation, which is concomitant with the utter renunciation of worldly objects.
69. It is then by means of your reasoning that you attain to that Supreme State of perfection, in which you obtain your perfect rest and the holiness of your soul.
70. You will then fall no more in the mud of your misconceptions; but as a pure essence, you will have no dependance on anything, but become as the venerable Siva yourself.
71. Thus the steps of attaining consummation, are first of all the acquisition of wealth, according to the custom of the caste and country; and then its employment in the service of wise and learned men. Next follows your abandonment of the world, which is succeeded by your attainment of Spiritual knowledge, by the cultivation of your reasoning powers.[11]