Day 276 - Vasistha's Teachings on Spiritual Progress and the Nature of Consciousness

Day 276 - Vasistha's Teachings on Spiritual Progress and the Nature of Consciousness

Stages of Spiritual Awakening

Vasistha describes the progressive stages by which a person, after being disillusioned with the material world, seeks spiritual refuge and ultimately reaches peace and rest. The first step in this transformation occurs when, either due to a specific event or a general weariness of life's pleasures, a person turns away from worldly pursuits. This seeker gravitates towards the company of wise and holy people and consciously avoids negative influences.

The blessings that arise from being in the company of enlightened beings are immeasurable. A wise person radiates peace, goodness, and purity, and their presence dispels fear and sin from those who seek it. The seeker who aligns themselves with the company of such a holy person finds their intelligence becoming clear, and the scriptures reveal their truth. The wise person, now focused on breaking free from the cage of ignorance, begins to distance themselves from the pursuit of material wealth and pleasure, embracing self-sacrifice and charity.

Detachment from Worldly Pleasures

Vasistha emphasizes that the pursuit of pleasure leads only to suffering, which the wise person begins to realize and reject. When the wise person no longer finds themselves in situations that tempt them with material pleasures, they experience immense joy and peace. They are uninterested in psychic powers or gifts of knowledge offered by yogis and saints, instead seeking deeper truths in the scriptures.

Gradually, the wise person abandons selfish actions, their attachments to wealth, and even their desire for worldly success. They realize that contentment is the best medicine for the soul and that only through inner dispassion and satsanga (the company of wise beings) can one attain the supreme truth.

Establishment in the Supreme State

As the seeker’s mind becomes established in dispassion and holy company, they naturally lose interest in the pursuit of wealth and pleasure, treating their worldly possessions and relationships with detachment. The wise person recognizes all things as part of a larger journey, and their mind remains centered in the supreme state, free from distractions or attachments to any particular place or experience.

Vasistha describes the supreme state as one of pure being, untouched by ignorance or false divisions. The enlightened person sees beyond the dualities of "I" and "the world," recognizing these distinctions as illusions. In this state, the mind becomes no-mind, transcending rajas (restless action) and even sattva (purity). The Lord, who is none other than the illumined self, blesses such an individual with the highest state of nirvana.

Wisdom (Viveka) as the Messenger of Enlightenment

Vasistha explains that the self sends a messenger for the inner awakening of a seeker—this messenger is viveka (wisdom or discernment). It dwells in the heart and gradually awakens the seeker from the conditioning of ignorance. Through self-inquiry and wisdom, the mind and ego dissolve, leading to the disappearance of the individual self (jiva), leaving only the universal consciousness.

The process of awakening continues through holy company, the study of scriptures, and the gradual unfolding of consciousness. When this wisdom is fully realized, the wise one shines with an extraordinary radiance, no longer perceiving the world as material or separate. Instead, everything is seen as Brahman, the infinite consciousness.

Overcoming Material and Mental Illusions

Vasistha asserts that both matter and mind are unreal; they exist only as persistent illusions created by thinking. The material body arises from the subtle body, and through right knowledge and self-inquiry, this process can be reversed. Once the gross and subtle aspects of being are realized as the one infinite consciousness, the wise person remains unshaken by calamities and enters into a state of adamantine meditation (vajra-samadhi), experiencing unparalleled inner peace.

The Nature of Consciousness and Worldly Perception

Vasistha describes seven different states of wakefulness experienced by different beings, ranging from the dream-wakeful state to the pure wakeful state. He explains that some beings remain in a state of deep sleep, dreaming the universe into existence, and all of us are their dream-objects. Others exist in various degrees of wakefulness, shaped by their notions and perceptions.

In the pure wakeful state, beings exist without the distractions of mind or ego, experiencing the world as consciousness alone. Vasistha explains that this state does not come into being through any cause, for nothing is ever truly created or destroyed—all that exists is the indivisible consciousness. Creation, destruction, and bondage are mere concepts used for instruction but have no true reality.

The Unchanging Reality

Vasistha concludes by explaining that consciousness alone appears as this universe, and when this is realized, the belief in the existence of matter ceases, as does the desire for it. The enlightened person, having crossed beyond the illusions of samsara (the cycle of birth and death), rests in the truth of the self, beyond all karma and suffering. This realization brings ultimate freedom and the end of all worldly desires, leading the wise to experience only the one infinite and unchanging consciousness.