Day 279 - The Nature of the Space-Body and Illusions

Day 279 - The Nature of the Space-Body and Illusions

Rama asks Vasistha how a formless woman could speak. Vasistha explains that beings with a space-body cannot produce audible sounds, much like how one cannot hear someone else's dream conversations. This analogy emphasizes that dreams and the waking state are both illusory projections of pure consciousness. The seeds of past experiences are embedded in consciousness, and new experiences sprout from these seeds, creating illusory worlds. These worlds do not interact or overlap, just as one person's dream is distinct from another’s.

Vasistha clarifies that this whole universe and every world within it exist only as consciousness. Even the existence of demons, gods, and humans in these worlds are merely dream-like creations that emerge from ignorance. These illusory creations are infinite, with countless beings living in infinite universes created by consciousness itself.

The Celestial Woman’s Story

A celestial being, who has been living inside a rock for countless aeons, recounts her story to Vasistha. She explains that she and her husband, bound by desire and attachment, have been living in the heart of a rock on the Lokaloka mountains. The celestial woman represents the desires and longings that keep souls trapped in the cycle of samsara. Despite her husband’s disinterest in worldly pleasures, she remained attached to him and burned with unfulfilled desires. Over time, her attachment turned into dispassion, and she sought Vasistha's guidance to attain nirvana.

This story illustrates how intense desires and attachments keep souls bound to illusion and suffering. The celestial woman, though initially attached to her husband, begins to see the futility of her desires and seeks liberation through self-knowledge. Vasistha emphasizes that both ignorance and attachment can be overcome through wisdom and persistent effort.

The Vision of the World Inside the Rock

The celestial woman invites Vasistha to visit her world within the rock. However, when they arrive, Vasistha only sees a solid rock and no world within it. The woman then realizes that her perception of the world inside the rock was an illusion created by her mind. Through Vasistha's wisdom, she gains the clarity to see that her world never really existed. It was a projection of her consciousness, much like a dream.

This episode highlights the illusory nature of the universe and the power of perception. Worlds that seem real to us are merely creations of our minds, projected onto consciousness. The celestial woman’s realization serves as a powerful metaphor for the process of self-realization, where one comes to see the unreality of the external world and recognizes the truth of Brahman—the infinite, indivisible consciousness that underlies everything.

The Power of Abhyasa (Self-Effort)

Vasistha then explains the importance of self-effort or abhyasa in attaining liberation. By persistent practice, one can dissolve ignorance and false perceptions. Just as repeated actions can create false relationships or delusions, these can be dismantled through repeated self-effort. Abhyasa is the key to overcoming conditioning and realizing the truth of the self.

Vasistha explains that with persistent effort:

• Ignorance is dispelled.
• Illusions lose their grip.
• Even the impossible becomes possible.
• Relationships that are false and illusory can be abandoned.

By consistent practice, one can bring the truth closer and attain it without obstacles. Abhyasa leads to fearlessness and self-realization, allowing the seeker to dissolve all false notions of reality and rest in the truth of Brahman.

Conclusion

Vasistha’s teachings to Rama in this chapter underscore that the world and all its experiences are like dreams—creations of consciousness that arise from ignorance. Through dispassion, self-effort, and wisdom, one can transcend these illusions and realize the non-dual nature of reality. The celestial woman’s transformation from attachment to dispassion serves as a powerful example of the journey toward self-realization. In the end, it is persistent effort (abhyasa) that leads to liberation and the dissolution of all illusions.