Day 274 - Vasistha's Teachings on the Illusion of the World and True Liberation

Day 274 - Vasistha's Teachings on the Illusion of the World and True Liberation

The Nature of Ignorance and Wisdom

Vasistha begins by explaining that those who are free from ignorance and desire shine with pure intelligence, illuminating the world around them. Their wisdom dispels darkness, and those who come into contact with such individuals are also purified. Vasistha stresses that the notion of the reality of objects arises only in ignorance. Once we realize that objects are unreal, desire for them naturally ceases. The concepts of creation and liberation are merely words, lacking true meaning. In essence, the entire world is simply consciousness.

Real peace is attained when one moves beyond the notions of egosense, world-appearance, and sorrow. These are all just mental constructs. The only truth is the self—pure and indivisible. If we stray from our real nature, sorrow arises, but resting in the self brings peace and self-control.

The Illusion of the World

Vasistha highlights the illusory nature of the world. While some consider the world real, they lack self-knowledge. To an enlightened being, the world appears non-different from the one cosmic consciousness. The external world and its activities are no more real than wind in the air. This enlightened person does not identify with their body, and the world appears like a dream or hallucination. They have no desire for pleasure or even liberation—the realization that "I am not, nor is the world" leaves no room for such desires.

The Nature of the Self

Vasistha teaches that the self is the true knower of both external forms and internal psychological states. When the not-self is weakened, and one's self-nature is expanded, the world appears as nothing more than an experience. Fully established in the self, the world-appearance disappears like a dream during deep sleep.

He encourages us to view pleasures as diseases, relatives as forms of bondage, and wealth as a source of unhappiness. To rest in the self is to rest in supreme good. The world-appearance is nothing more than an illusion, and the enlightened person sees both Brahman and the world as two sides of the same coin—neither one inherently real or different.

The Dance of Cosmic Consciousness

The essence of cosmic consciousness is everywhere, dancing in every atom of existence. Vasistha uses the analogy of a person dreaming—just as a sleeper becomes the field of dreams, the self, when not in self-knowledge, becomes the seed of the world-appearance. To awaken spiritually, we must live as if in deep sleep while fully awake, free from psychological distress.

Once spiritually awakened, a person experiences no division between subject, object, and action. They live in a world without creating any distinctions, resting in the supreme peace of Brahman.

Worship of the Self

Vasistha instructs that true worship is the worship of the self through wisdom, self-inquiry, and self-control. Worship of external gods like Rudra and Vishnu is insignificant compared to worshipping the self, which immediately bestows moksha (liberation). The highest form of worship is the perception of reality—realizing that the self is all there is. Through this realization, one can get rid of body-consciousness and enter a state of supreme peace.

The State of Nirvana

The cessation of egosense is the true state of nirvana. Vasistha uses the analogy of waking from a dream to explain that, just as the dreamer derives no lasting pleasure from dream objects, we too derive no real pleasure from the objects of this world-appearance. The fourteen worlds—the different levels of existence—are like phantoms in the darkness of ignorance. When one investigates the truth of these worlds, they are revealed as pure consciousness.

When the world-appearance is rejected, what remains is truth—but this truth has no name. Liberation, therefore, is the abandonment of the notion of "I" and "mine". It is a state of peace, free from all conditioning and distress.

The Enlightened State

The knower of truth experiences the world as a blind man experiences his dreams: it is present, but it does not impact him. Their mind is undisturbed, even without the need for constant meditation. They abandon the illusory distinctions of matter and mind, understanding that both are forms of the same consciousness. What remains, after the objects of the world are discarded, is the indescribable consciousness. The notion of "I" is a false appearance, and once it is dispelled, peace prevails.

Liberation and Self-Knowledge

Vasistha concludes by teaching that self-knowledge is the key to liberation. By eliminating the desire for objects, the egosense dissolves, and one is freed from sorrow. The world-appearance is an extension of one's own mind, but through self-inquiry, this illusion is dispelled. The enlightened person remains untouched by desire and lives in the infinite consciousness, recognizing that everything—both matter and mind—is an expression of the same reality. Through this wisdom, they transcend duality, experiencing the world as a reflection of their own consciousness, yet they remain rooted in the supreme peace that is Brahman.