Day 293 - The Mystical Journey and Liberation of Vipascit

Day 293 - The Mystical Journey and Liberation of Vipascit

Vasistha continued narrating the extraordinary adventures of the four Vipascits, offering deep philosophical insights into the nature of consciousness and the material world.

Rescues Across Realms

Throughout their journeys, each Vipascit faced unique challenges, and it was often one of the other Vipascits who came to their rescue:

• When the Vipascit who ventured east was under the spell of water, the one who went west rescued him.
• The Vipascit in the west, when turned into a rock, was saved by the one in the south through unusual methods.
• The southern Vipascit helped again when the western Vipascit was transformed into a bull by a goblin disguised as a cow.
• When the southern Vipascit himself was turned into a celestial, a fellow celestial aided him at the western Vipascit’s request.
• Similarly, when the Vipascit in the east became a lion, it was once again the western Vipascit who provided the rescue.

The Nature of Yogic Powers

Rama inquired how yogis could perform actions across different times and places. Vasistha explained that from the enlightened perspective, only pure infinite consciousness exists, with the objective universe being illusory. The Lord, as pure consciousness, acts freely across time and space without restriction. This consciousness manifests wherever and whenever it pleases, creating both grand epochs and mere moments. Such manifestations are a play of Maya, the illusion, yet they appear very real.

Half-Awakening and Psychic Powers

Vasistha elaborated that the fourfold Vipascit was in a state of half-awakening, oscillating between ignorance and enlightenment. Although they had attained significant psychic powers through contemplation, they had not yet reached the supreme state. Their awareness allowed for incredible experiences, but their enlightenment was not complete, and thus, ignorance remained.

The Paradox of Enlightened Action

Rama questioned how the Vipascit could consider himself a lion, or anything else, if he were enlightened. Vasistha clarified that Vipascit was not truly enlightened but was in an intermediate state where signs of both bondage and liberation coexisted. In true liberation, the mind is transcended, and such illusions do not arise. However, those who attain psychic powers may still exhibit ignorance, as their contemplation focuses on what is other than the ultimate truth.

Liberation and the Unmoved Mind

Even those who attain liberation while still alive experience materiality as part of their daily activities. However, their consciousness remains unaffected. For such beings, pleasure and pain, life and death, joy and sorrow are mere superficial experiences that do not touch the core of their being. The liberated person, whether crowned as a king or cut into a thousand pieces, is inwardly unmoved.

The Fate of the Four Vipascits

Each Vipascit eventually met his end in unique ways:

1. One was killed by an elephant.
2. Another was dropped into blazing fire by celestials and perished.
3. The third was reduced to ashes by Indra’s curse after refusing to bow in heaven.
4. The fourth Vipascit was killed by a crocodile.

In their subtle bodies, these Vipascits perceived the entirety of their past experiences, witnessing the universe within their own consciousness. They even saw their former physical bodies as they roamed other realms.

Unique Paths to Liberation

Each Vipascit’s journey ended in a different form of liberation:

• The western Vipascit crossed continents and met Lord Vishnu, receiving the highest wisdom before attaining nirvana.
• The eastern Vipascit achieved the realm of the moon through constant contemplation of its rays.
• The southern Vipascit, having defeated all his enemies, continued ruling his kingdom, maintaining clarity and strength of mind.
• The northern Vipascit was reborn as a crocodile, ultimately journeying to a celestial lake, where he died and became a god.

The Boundaries of the World

Rama then asked about the existence of the earth and the universe. Vasistha explained that the notions of the earth, mountains, and stars are like a child’s imagination in empty space, mere appearances within the infinite consciousness. The universe is supported only by the experiencing of this consciousness. Concepts such as "above" and "below," "rising" and "falling" are constructs of consciousness and do not exist in any absolute sense.

The Nature of Existence and Reality

Vasistha concluded that the entire creation is a manifestation of consciousness, like colors in a rainbow or spatiality within space. This infinite consciousness is the ultimate reality, with all apparent diversity arising from a single source.