O Rama, you are indeed the best among all seekers, for you have duly reflected over the truth and you are inspired by the best form of dispassion.
Rama there are four gate-keepers at the entrance to the Realm of Freedom, moksa. They are self-control, spirit of enquiry, contentment and good company. The wise seeker should diligently cultivate the friendship of these, or atleast one of them.
With a pure heart and a receptive mind, and without the veil of doubt and the restlessness of the mind, listen to the exposition of the nature and the means of liberation, O Rama. For, not until the supreme being is realised will the dreadful miseries of birth and death come to an end. If this deadly serpent known as ignorant life is not overcome here and now, it gives rise to interminable suffereing not only in this but in countless lifetimes to come. One cannot ignore this suffering. But one should overcome it by means of the wisdom that I shall impart to you.
O Rama, if you thus overcome this sorrow of repetitive history, you will live here on earth itself like a god, like Brahma or Visnu. For when delusion is gone and the truth is realised by means of enquiry into self-nature, then the mind is at peace and the heart leaps to the supreme truth, when all the disturbing thought-waves in the mind-stuff have subsided and there is unbroken flow of pealce and the heart is filled with the bliss of the absolute., when thus the truth has been seen in the heart, then this very world becomes an abode of bliss.
Such a person has nothing to acquire, nor anything to shun. He is untainted by the defects of life, untouched by its sorrow. He does not come into being nor go out, though he appears to come and go in the eyes of the beholder. Even religious duties are found to be unnecessary. he is not affected by the past tendencies which have lost their momentum: his mind has given up its restlessness, and he rests in the bliss that is his essential nature. Such bliss is possible only by self-knowledge, not by any other means. Hence one should apply oneself constantly to self-knowledge - this alone is one's duty.
He who disregards holy scriptures and holy men does not attain self-knowledge. Such foolishness is more harmful than all the illnesses that one is subject to in this world. Hence, one should devoutly listen to this scripture which leads one to self-knowldedge. He who obtains this scripture does not again fall into the blind well of ignorance. O Rama, if you want to free yourself from the sorrow of repetitive history receive the wholesome instructions of sages like me, and be free.
In order to cross this formidable ocean of worldly life, one should resort to that which is eternal and unchanging. He alone is best among men, whose mind rests in the eternal and is, therefore, fully self-controlled and at peace. He sees that pleasure and pain chase and cancel each other, and in that wisdom there is self-control and peace. He who does not see this sleeps in a burning house.
He who gains the wisdom of the eternal here is freed from samsara and he is not born again in ignorance. One may doubt that such unchanging truth exists! If it does not, one comes to no harm by enquiring into the nature of life, for seeking the eternal will soften the pain caused by the changes in life. But, if it exists, then by knowing it one is freed.
The eternal is attained neither by rites, rituals pilgrimages nor by cultivation of wisdom. Hence everyone - gods , demons demi-gods o rmen - should constantly seek ( whether one is walking, falling or sitting) the conquest of the mind and self-control, which are the fruits of wisdom.
When the mind is at peace- pure, tranquil,free from delusion or hallucination and free from cravings - it does not long for anything nor does it reject anything. This is self-control or conquest of mind - one of the four gate-keepes to liberation which I mentioned earlier.
All that is good and auspicius flows from selfcontrol. All evil is dispeled by self-control. No pleasure in this world or in heaven is comparable to the delight of self-control The delight one experiences in the presence of the self-controlled is incomparable. Everyone spontaneously trusts him. No one hates him.
self-control, Or Rama, is the best remedy for all physical and mental ills. When there is self-control the food you eat tastes better. He who wears the armour of self-control is not harmed by sorrow
He who even while hearing, touching, seeing, smelling and tasting what is regarded as pleasant and unpleasant, is neither elated nor depressed- he is self-controlled. He who looks upon all beings with equal vision, having brought under control the sensations of pleasure and pain, is self-conrollded. He who, though living amongst all is unaffected by them, who does not feel elated nor hates-even as one is during sleep-he self-controlled.
Enquiry ( the second gatekeeper) should be undertaken by an intelligence that has been purified by a close study of the scripture, and this enquiry should be unbroken. By such enquiry the intelligence becomes keen and is able to realise the supreme; hence enquiry alone is the best remedy for long-lasting illness known as samsara(worldly life).
The wise man regards strength, intellect, efficiency and timely action as the fruits of enquiry. Indeed, kingdom, prosperity, enjoyment as well as final liberation, are all the fruits of enquiry. The spirit of enquiry protects one from the calamities that befall the unthinking fool. When the mind has been rendered dull by the absence of enquiry, even the cool rays of the moon turn into deadly weapons, and the childish imagination throws up a goblin in every dark spot. Hence, the non-enquiring fool is really a storehouse of sorrow. It is the absence of enquiry that gives rise to actions that are harmful to oneself - and to others- and to numerous psychosomatic illnesses. Therefore, one should avoid the company of such unthinking people. They in whom the spirit of enquiry is ever awake illumine the world, enlighten all who come into contact with them, dispel the ghosts created by an ignorant mind, and realise the falsity of sensepleasures and their objects. O Rama, in the light of enquiry, there is realisation of the eternal and unchanging reality; this is the supreme. With it, one does not long for any other gain nor does one spurn anything. He is free from delusion, attachment; he is not inactive nor does he get drowned in action; he lives and functions in this world and at the end of a natural life-span he reaches the blissful state of total freedom.
The eye of spiritual enquiry does not lose its sight even in the midst of all activities; he who does not have this eye is indeed to be pitied. It is better to be born as frog in the mud, a worm in a dung, a snake a hole, than to be one without this eye. WHAT IS ENQUIRY ?To enquire thus: " Who am I? How has this evil samsara come into being? is true enquiry. Knowledge of truth aises from such enquiry; from such knowldedge there flows tranquility in oneself; and then there arses supreme pace that passeth understanding and the ending of all sorrows.
Contentment is another gatekeeper to liberation....
Rama there are four gate-keepers at the entrance to the Realm of Freedom, moksa. They are self-control, spirit of enquiry, contentment and good company. The wise seeker should diligently cultivate the friendship of these, or atleast one of them.
With a pure heart and a receptive mind, and without the veil of doubt and the restlessness of the mind, listen to the exposition of the nature and the means of liberation, O Rama. For, not until the supreme being is realised will the dreadful miseries of birth and death come to an end. If this deadly serpent known as ignorant life is not overcome here and now, it gives rise to interminable suffereing not only in this but in countless lifetimes to come. One cannot ignore this suffering. But one should overcome it by means of the wisdom that I shall impart to you.
O Rama, if you thus overcome this sorrow of repetitive history, you will live here on earth itself like a god, like Brahma or Visnu. For when delusion is gone and the truth is realised by means of enquiry into self-nature, then the mind is at peace and the heart leaps to the supreme truth, when all the disturbing thought-waves in the mind-stuff have subsided and there is unbroken flow of pealce and the heart is filled with the bliss of the absolute., when thus the truth has been seen in the heart, then this very world becomes an abode of bliss.
Such a person has nothing to acquire, nor anything to shun. He is untainted by the defects of life, untouched by its sorrow. He does not come into being nor go out, though he appears to come and go in the eyes of the beholder. Even religious duties are found to be unnecessary. he is not affected by the past tendencies which have lost their momentum: his mind has given up its restlessness, and he rests in the bliss that is his essential nature. Such bliss is possible only by self-knowledge, not by any other means. Hence one should apply oneself constantly to self-knowledge - this alone is one's duty.
He who disregards holy scriptures and holy men does not attain self-knowledge. Such foolishness is more harmful than all the illnesses that one is subject to in this world. Hence, one should devoutly listen to this scripture which leads one to self-knowldedge. He who obtains this scripture does not again fall into the blind well of ignorance. O Rama, if you want to free yourself from the sorrow of repetitive history receive the wholesome instructions of sages like me, and be free.
In order to cross this formidable ocean of worldly life, one should resort to that which is eternal and unchanging. He alone is best among men, whose mind rests in the eternal and is, therefore, fully self-controlled and at peace. He sees that pleasure and pain chase and cancel each other, and in that wisdom there is self-control and peace. He who does not see this sleeps in a burning house.
He who gains the wisdom of the eternal here is freed from samsara and he is not born again in ignorance. One may doubt that such unchanging truth exists! If it does not, one comes to no harm by enquiring into the nature of life, for seeking the eternal will soften the pain caused by the changes in life. But, if it exists, then by knowing it one is freed.
The eternal is attained neither by rites, rituals pilgrimages nor by cultivation of wisdom. Hence everyone - gods , demons demi-gods o rmen - should constantly seek ( whether one is walking, falling or sitting) the conquest of the mind and self-control, which are the fruits of wisdom.
When the mind is at peace- pure, tranquil,free from delusion or hallucination and free from cravings - it does not long for anything nor does it reject anything. This is self-control or conquest of mind - one of the four gate-keepes to liberation which I mentioned earlier.
All that is good and auspicius flows from selfcontrol. All evil is dispeled by self-control. No pleasure in this world or in heaven is comparable to the delight of self-control The delight one experiences in the presence of the self-controlled is incomparable. Everyone spontaneously trusts him. No one hates him.
self-control, Or Rama, is the best remedy for all physical and mental ills. When there is self-control the food you eat tastes better. He who wears the armour of self-control is not harmed by sorrow
He who even while hearing, touching, seeing, smelling and tasting what is regarded as pleasant and unpleasant, is neither elated nor depressed- he is self-controlled. He who looks upon all beings with equal vision, having brought under control the sensations of pleasure and pain, is self-conrollded. He who, though living amongst all is unaffected by them, who does not feel elated nor hates-even as one is during sleep-he self-controlled.
Enquiry ( the second gatekeeper) should be undertaken by an intelligence that has been purified by a close study of the scripture, and this enquiry should be unbroken. By such enquiry the intelligence becomes keen and is able to realise the supreme; hence enquiry alone is the best remedy for long-lasting illness known as samsara(worldly life).
The wise man regards strength, intellect, efficiency and timely action as the fruits of enquiry. Indeed, kingdom, prosperity, enjoyment as well as final liberation, are all the fruits of enquiry. The spirit of enquiry protects one from the calamities that befall the unthinking fool. When the mind has been rendered dull by the absence of enquiry, even the cool rays of the moon turn into deadly weapons, and the childish imagination throws up a goblin in every dark spot. Hence, the non-enquiring fool is really a storehouse of sorrow. It is the absence of enquiry that gives rise to actions that are harmful to oneself - and to others- and to numerous psychosomatic illnesses. Therefore, one should avoid the company of such unthinking people. They in whom the spirit of enquiry is ever awake illumine the world, enlighten all who come into contact with them, dispel the ghosts created by an ignorant mind, and realise the falsity of sensepleasures and their objects. O Rama, in the light of enquiry, there is realisation of the eternal and unchanging reality; this is the supreme. With it, one does not long for any other gain nor does one spurn anything. He is free from delusion, attachment; he is not inactive nor does he get drowned in action; he lives and functions in this world and at the end of a natural life-span he reaches the blissful state of total freedom.
The eye of spiritual enquiry does not lose its sight even in the midst of all activities; he who does not have this eye is indeed to be pitied. It is better to be born as frog in the mud, a worm in a dung, a snake a hole, than to be one without this eye. WHAT IS ENQUIRY ?To enquire thus: " Who am I? How has this evil samsara come into being? is true enquiry. Knowledge of truth aises from such enquiry; from such knowldedge there flows tranquility in oneself; and then there arses supreme pace that passeth understanding and the ending of all sorrows.
Contentment is another gatekeeper to liberation....
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment