Day 287 - Story of Hermitage in Space

Day 287 - Story of Hermitage in Space

In this passage from the Yoga Vasistha, Vasistha continues sharing his experiences with Rama, discussing his return to a hermitage in space, encounters with a sage, and the nature of consciousness, ghosts, and liberation. Here are the key points and insights:

1. Return to the Hermitage in Space:

• Encounter with the Sage: Vasistha returns to his hermitage in outer space but finds an old sage meditating there. He assumes that this sage had taken over the hermitage in his absence. When Vasistha abandons his desire to stay there, the hermitage and the sage disappear. This highlights the teaching that when thoughts or desires cease, the objects associated with them also vanish, indicating the illusory nature of reality.

2. The Sage’s Perspective on Life and Samsara:

• Tiredness of Samsara: The sage explains that he had wandered through various realms, experiencing the repetitive cycle of worldly existence (samsara), and had grown weary of it. He reflects on the fleeting and deceptive nature of pleasures, the impermanence of life, and the inevitability of death. His insights suggest a deep dispassion for the material world.
• Nature of Desires and Pleasures: The sage emphasizes that sensual pleasures are delusory and transient, leading only to pain and suffering. The pursuit of worldly gains and pleasures is compared to a river rushing toward self-destruction in the ocean. This underscores the futility of seeking happiness in transient things.

3. The Sage’s Realization and the Nature of Awareness:

• Attainment of Egolessness: The sage shares that he had attained a state of egolessness and disinterest in heavenly pleasures, leading him to seek seclusion in the hermitage. His experience highlights the value of self-inquiry and detachment from worldly distractions.
• Awareness of Past, Present, and Future: The sage notes that the ability to perceive the past, present, and future arises when one directs attention to these facts with inner intelligence. This suggests that the nature of the mind and awareness is flexible, even among gods.

4. Vasistha’s Ethereal Body and Siddha Realms:

• Exploring the Siddha Realms: Vasistha recounts how he and the sage ascended into space and went their separate ways. He roamed the celestial realms with a "spatial body" or subtle body, which was not made of matter but was a form created by pure thought (sankalpa). This is likened to dream experiences where bodies and forms appear real but are non-material.
• Subtle and Material Bodies: Vasistha explains that from his perspective, there is no difference between the subtle body and the physical body—both are ultimately pure consciousness. Even as he engages with the world in various forms, his realization of Brahman remains constant.

5. The Nature of Ghosts and Disembodied Beings:

• Existence and Varieties of Ghosts: Vasistha confirms that ghosts (pisacas) do exist in the world. They can take various forms, such as ethereal bodies with limbs, shadowy forms, mist-like bodies, or entities made entirely of air. Some ghosts influence the minds of humans, cause harm, or exist in isolated places.
• Origins of Ghosts: In the infinite consciousness, certain notions condense and become entities like gods, humans, or ghosts based on the nature of their desires and purity. Ghosts are considered those with thick veils of impurity and lack of material forms, yet they too are expressions of consciousness.
• Nature of Their Existence: Ghosts experience sensations like heat, cold, pleasure, and pain, but cannot eat or drink. They thrive in ignorance and are repelled by knowledge. Vasistha also notes that they communicate among themselves as if in a dream, highlighting the dream-like nature of their existence.

6. Vasistha’s Visibility to the Gods and His Many Names:

• Revealing Himself to the Gods: At one point, Vasistha decides to make himself visible to the gods, and his wish becomes reality. This illustrates the power of realized beings to control their experiences and manifest their will.
• Various Names Given by the Gods: Based on the gods’ perceptions of how he arrived, Vasistha was given different names. For example, he was called Parthiva Vasistha (Earth Vasistha), Taijasa Vasistha (Light Vasistha), Vata Vasistha (Air Vasistha), and Vari Vasistha (Water Vasistha). This shows how diverse perspectives give rise to various labels for the same underlying reality.

7. The Reality of Notions and the Nature of Brahman:

• The Illusory Nature of Perceptions: Vasistha explains that all forms and experiences are essentially notions arising in the infinite consciousness. These notions, like "I" and "you," persist because they haven’t been fully investigated. Upon realization, the apparent world vanishes just as a mirage disappears when understood not to be water.
• The Power of the Maharamayana (Yoga Vasistha): The study of this scripture can lead to the direct realization of reality, liberating one from the illusion of the world. It encourages self-inquiry and the pursuit of liberation, which leads to inner peace and freedom from psychological suffering.

8. Conclusion – The Teaching Ends:

• The Seventeenth Day Concludes: Vasistha wraps up this segment of his discourse, emphasizing the importance of seeking liberation and realizing the illusory nature of worldly experiences. He encourages continued study and reflection on the teachings to attain supreme peace.

This passage illustrates profound teachings on the nature of reality, the impermanence of worldly experiences, and the importance of self-realization. The story highlights the illusory nature of all forms and experiences, encouraging the seeker to go beyond appearances and realize the non-dual truth of pure consciousness.