CHAPTER L. INTENTIONS OF RÁMA.
Project Gutenberg EPUB edition
Valmiki and Mitra, Viharilala
Argument. On subjection of the mind and greatness of knowledge; and stoutness of the heart as the cause of all evil.
Vasishtha continued:—Know Ráma, this delusion to be as extensive in its form, as it is inexplicable in its nature; it is fraught with ignorance; it is a spiritual illusion and no sensible deception.
2. Look on the one hand at the erroneous dream of the Bráhman for a couple of hours, and his transformation into the state of Chandála which lasted for many years.
3. Observe how the false conception of the Bráhman, appeared as present to his sensible perception; and see how the false thought appeared as true to him, and his true knowledge of him-self vanishing at last into untruth.
4. I say therefore this illusion, to be utterly inexplicable in its nature; and how it leads the unguarded mind, to a great many errors and difficulties and dangers at last.
5. Ráma asked:—How Sir, can we put a stop to the wheel of delusion, which by its rapid rotation, is constantly grinding every part of our body? (Figuratively used for every good quality of the mind. Gloss).
6. Vasishtha said:—Know Ráma, this revolving world is the wheel of delusion, and the human heart is the nave or axis of this great wheel; which by its continual rotation produces all this delusion within its circle.
7. If you can by means of your manly exertion, put a stop to the motion of your heart, as it were by fixing a peg to the loop-hole of the wheel, you stop the rotation of the circle of delusion at once.
8. Again the mind is the nave of the wheel of ignorance; and if you can stop its motion, by binding it fast by the rope of your good sense; you escape the danger of falling into the vortiginous rotation of errors.
9. Ráma, you are well skilled in the art of fighting by hurling the discus, and cannot be ignorant of preventing its motion by stopping it at the central hole.
10. Therefore, O Ráma! be diligent to stop the nave of your mind; and you will be enabled thereby to preserve yourself, both from the revolution of the world and vicissitudes of time.
11. The soul that rejects this counsel, is exposed to interminable misery; while by keeping it always before the sight of the mind, it avoids all difficulties in this world.
12. There is no other medicine for any body, to heal the disease of his worldliness, save by restraining the mind to its own pivot.
13. Forsake therefore, O Ráma! your acts of holy pilgrimage, and observance of austerity and charity (which are of no avail to the peace of the soul); but keep the mind under your control, for attainment of your supreme felicity.
14. The world is situated in the mind, as the air is confined in a pot; but the mind being restricted to itself, the world is lost to it; as the pot just broken, lets out the air to mix in endless vacuity.
15. You who are for ever confined in the imaginary world of your mind, like a gnat confined in the hollow of a pot; will get your release only by breaking out of this confinement, like the gnat flying into the open air.
16. The way to get rid of the delusions of the mind, is to fix your attention only to the present moment; and not to employ your thoughts about the past and future events. (This will keep your attention close to yourself).
17. You will then arrive to the state of that holy unmindfulness called non-chalance, when you cease to pursue at once any of the objects of your desire or imagination.
18. The mind is obscured so long, as it has the mist of its desires and fancies flying over it; as the sky is overcast as long as the watery clouds overspread upon it.
19. As long as the intelligent soul is joined with the faculty of the mind, so long it is subject to its gross desires and thickening train of its fancies; as the sky is filled with bright moon-beams as long as the moon shines in it. (i.e. As there is no moon-light without the moon, so there is no fancy without the mind, nor is there any mind which is devoid of its fancies).
20. When the intelligent soul is known without the medium of the mind (i.e. when the soul is seen face to face) then the existence of the world, is rooted out from the mind, like trees burnt down to their roots.
21. Intelligence unappertaining to the mind, is called perspicacity (pratyak chetana); which is of a nature unconnected with intellectuality, and freed from the foulness of the fumes of fancy. (i.e. quite clear of all mental thought).
22. That is verily the state of truth and of true felicity. It is the true state of spirituality, and a manner of omniscience; having all-sightedness of its own, and seeing all things in itself. It is quite unconnected with any mental operation, and is enlightened by the light of the spirit.
23. Whenever there is the action of the mind, it is invariably accompanied with the train of desires and the sense of pleasure and pain; and the feelings and passions are its concomitants, as the ravens are accompaniments of the burning ground. (The mind is the sensorium of feelings).
24. The minds of the intelligent are not, without their action, but they are aloof of those feelings, by their knowledge of the vanity of earthly things. And though these feelings are contained like plants in the seed vessel of their mind; yet they are not allowed to germinate in its sterile soil.
25. They (the wise), have come to know the unsubstantiality and uncertainty of all worldly things and events, both by their knowledge of the natures of things; and by means of their acquaintance with the sástras; as also by their association with holy men, and their habitual observance of the practices of a pious and saintly life.
26. They have forcibly withdrawn their minds from ignorance, by their determined exertions to gain the true knowledge of things; and have strenuously applied them to the study of sástras, and the good conduct of righteous people.
27. But it is the purity of the soul only, that has the sight of the Supreme spirit; as it is the brilliancy of the gem itself, that makes it discernable amidst the waters of the deep, and enables it to be redeemed from darkness. (i.e. Human soul being a reflexion of the Supreme, lends its light to the vision of the other).
28. As the soul naturally desires to get rid of things, which it has come to know to be attended with pain to it; so the soul is the sole cause of knowing the Supreme (by its discarding the knowledge of the gross objects, which interposes between it and the Divine; and obstructs the view of the latter).
29. Be therefore freed from your thoughts of all other things, both in your waking and sleeping states, and when you talk to or think of any body, give or receive anything to or from another. Rely and reflect on your consciousness alone, and watch constantly its secret admonitions and intuitions.
30. Whether when you are born or going to die, or do anything or live in this world, be steadily attentive to your conscious self, and you will perceive the clear light of the soul (and have your clairvoyance).
31. Leave off thinking that this is I and that is another, because all are alike before the Lord of all; and give up wishing this for thyself and that for others, for all things belong to God. Rely solely on the one, and that is thy internal consciousness alone.
32. Be of one mind in your present and future states of life, and continue to investigate into its various phases in your own consciousness. (i.e. Know yourself in all the varying circumstances of your life).
33. In all the changes of your life from boyhood to youth and old age, and amidst all its changing scenes of prosperity and adversity, as also in the states of your waking, dreaming and sound sleep, remain faithful to your consciousness. (i.e. Never lose the knowledge of your self-identity (as the one and unchanging soul)).
34. Melt down your mind as a metal, and purify it of its dross of the knowledge or impression of external things; break off the snare of your desires and depend on your consciousness of yourself.
35. Get rid of the disease of your desire, of whatever is marked as good or bad for you; and turn your sight from all, which may appear as favourable or unfavourable to you; and rely on your consciousness of pure intelligence. (This is having perfect mastery of yourself).
36. Leave untouched whatever is tangible to the touch, and obtainable to you by your agency or instrumentality; remain unchanged and unsupported by any thing in the world, and depend only on your own consciousness (as the intangible spirit).
37. Think yourself as sleeping when you are awake, and remain as calm and quiet as you are insensible of any thing; think yourself as all and alone, and as instinct with the Supreme Spirit.
38. Think yourself free from the changing and unchanging states of life (i.e. from the states of life and death and of waking and sleep); and though engaged in business, think yourself as disengaged from all concerns.
39. Forsake the feelings of your egoism and nonegoism (as this is mine and that is others); and be undivided from the rest of the world, by thinking yourself as the macrocosm of the cosmos, and support yourself on the adamantine rock of your consciousness, by remaining unshaken at all events.