YOGA

VAASISHTA

A PHILOSOPHICAL TREATISE

COMPOSED BY

VAALMIKI MAHARSHI

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ESSENCE OF YOGAVAASISHTA
Compiled by
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Tejasvini


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FIRST HALF OF SECTION SIX

FINAL EMANCIPATION

PART FIFTEEN

/ SEVEN LEVELS OF YOGA

INTRODUCTION

In the previous episode of Manus discourse to King Ikshvaaku, a mention had been
made of the Seven levels of Yoga.
The term Yoga here refers to the state where the individual ego dissolves in the
Supreme Self.
This discourse on the seven levels of Yoga describes how a person slowly rises from the
Mumukshutva state to a realized state step by step.
Some may fulfill their goal in a single birth; some may take many births; but surely one
who has started on this path will never meet failure.
As Lord Krishna declares in Gita, A KalyaanaKrt (one who desires his supreme
welfare), never attains Vinaasha (destruction).
Who knows? Maybe the study of this great scripture composed by Vaalmiki might be a
direct opening to the doors of liberation; and this might be your last existence on earth!
Like Rama, many pure minds might dissolve as they absorb Vasishtas profound teaching
and attain the Sattva state in this very birth!
As Jeevan-Muktas they may adorn this earth for some days; and later remain as the
Brahman-state, after the projected image of the body vanishes!
No Jeeva is greater or lower in essence, as every one is a manifestation of Chit.
Any Jeeva, at any time mode, at any space boundary, can just analyze the Self and
remain as that! There is no bar!
The only question is that, whether you want to search for the Self outside like
ShikhiDhvaja, the whole of your life; or will you just find out who you are and realize the
Self, within a few days itself, like Chudaalaa!
OM TAT SAT

AATMAN

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Vasishta spoke

(Is the world made of three states of existence, a co-product of Avidyaa or is it the creation of the Supreme
divinity through Maayaa; with such a search in purpose, all the Shrutis, Smritis, Itihaasa, Puranaas and
other scriptures seek the Aatman concealed by the duality; yet their conclusions do not reveal the reality.
Aatman is self-revealing. Self does not need any proof for its existence.)

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The final conclusion arrived at by all the scriptures
revealing the
Truth of the Supreme Self which remains hidden from all the philosophies of duality,
is
There is no Avidyaa here.
There is no Maayaa.
The quiescent state of Brahman alone is there
which cannot be defined by the scriptures.

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In that appearance of the Chit,
which is a quiescent state,
which is pure,
which is equally everywhere,
which is the source of all powers,
which is referred to by the term Brahman,
the learned conceive many philosophies based on their own intellectual capacities;
some call it Shoonya;
some call it as Vijnaana;
some call it as Ishvara;
and debate among themselves.





{BE SILENT IN THE SELF-STATE AND ACT}

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You discard all these views and remain completely silent, O Anagha!
Be liberated. Be without thoughts;
Be with a dissolved mind. Be with a quiet intellect;
Remain in the state of the Self only.
Be quiet like dumb, blind, and deaf.
Remain always turned within,
fully absorbed in the Self.


{BE ASLEEP IN THE SELF-STATE WHILE AWAKE IN THE WORLD}

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Though awake, be in the deep sleep and do the work, Raaghava!
Renounce everything internally
and do externally whatever duties that belong to you.


{DESTROY THE MIND}

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Existence of the mind leads to great misery.
Non-existence of the mind leads to the Supreme bliss.
Therefore, remaining established only in the Self state,
take the mind towards destruction through the non-conception of pain and pleasure.




{BE UNPERTURBED BY THE EVENTS OF THE WORLD}

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One should stay like the stone when perceiving pleasant or unpleasant things.
By such a self-effort, the worldly existence gets conquered.

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(Do not expect that you will enjoy an object called Self in the final state.
You are the Self. There is nothing other than you to enjoy as a separate thing.
It is not a happy state or an unhappy state. It is not even the cogitating state which produces happy or
unhappy states.
It is a state bereft of the mind which produces and experiences happiness or misery.
It is a thought-less state where the entire joy of the perceived world is experienced as oneself.)

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One should meditate on that which is
not happiness, not non-happiness or not even the middle which leads to them.
By such a self-effort, the suffering ends; and the endless is obtained.


{BE THE NECTAR-FILLED FULL MOON, WITH ALL DIGITS COMPLETE}

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A knower of the Self who is oozing with the nectar of the Supreme,
attains the bliss within himself,
like the fully shining disc of the moon.

Having known the essence of all the objects of the three worlds,
he does not do anything though engaged in actions,
as he is established in the supreme state of Chit.



SEVEN LEVELS OF YOGA


Rama spoke

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How does one practice
the seven levels of Yoga(Union of the individual Self with the Supreme Self)?
What are the distinguishing characteristics of the Yogi (aspirant) in those levels?

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Vasishta spoke

(A man who is a follower of Vedic dictums can either do his ordained duties (Karma) and seek heaven; or
renounce all desires and seek the Self (Jnaana).)

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A man is said to be of two types-
one who is engaged in the performance of the rites ordained in the Vedas (Karma);
and the other renounces the actions and seeks only knowledge (Jnaana).
One desires the heaven and the other the final beatitude.
Listen to their characteristics.

(A man who is interested in the Karma and its results thinks like this-
What meaningless state is that final beatitude where there exists no sense object at all? This world where I
can obtain pleasures of the family etc is the best place for me.)

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What is that thing called Nirvaana (final beatitude)?
This world itself is the best place for me.
He who attends to the ordained duties of the world in this manner
is known as a Pravrtta.
(Such a man who is Karma-oriented is caught in the succession of births and deaths, for a long span of
time, as his mind is filled with attachments, desires, dislikes etc.

The term Karma in the ancient scriptures always refers to the performance of the Karma-Kaanda rites and
not the ordinary day to day actions of the world (Vyavahaara).
The Karma- followers desired a reward of heaven as a result of their Karmas. They fulfilled all the desires
of the earth-life also, through the performance of these rites. On the other hand some men who desired
complete cessation of actions and their results, and who were disgusted with the pleasures of heaven,
sought a higher state and attained the Self-state through enquiry and contemplation.
Sage Vasishta divides these two as Pravrttas and Nivrttaas.

First he describes the Pravrtta minds.
He compares a Pravrtta-Jeeva to a tortoise which is stuck in a hole situated in between two oceans. Getting
hit by the waves from both sides again and again, the tortoise keeps on withdrawing its head into the shell.
This popping of the neck up and down may go on forever till one fine day the tortoise wonders whether it
can somehow get out of that hole and fly away!)

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Like the neck of the tortoise instantly going inside the shell
when hit by the dashing waves of the ocean from both sides,
a man goes through many births.
After many such lives, a man will be born as a man of discrimination.


(Countless tortoises reside in the middle of two turbulent oceans and are always frightened of the dashing
waves. Slightest movement of the water, their necks will get withdrawn into the shells.
Similarly a man also enters inside countless death-holes and comes out like the tortoise head.
After many births, he gets discrimination in some birth, randomly.
Or,
The tortoise living in the salty ocean which withdraws its neck every time a wave hits, knows and likes
only the taste of the salt water. It does not know the joy of the milk ocean till the dissolution times.
At the time of dissolution all the oceans get mixed up; the tortoise gets both the salty water and milk inside
its mouth. At that time it comes to know of the taste of the milk and feels interested in it. Likewise a man
also gets the desire for liberation after many many births.
Or,
The tortoise living inside a hole in the tiny land stuck between two oceans, keeps on getting hit by waves.
It peeps out; a wave hits; it withdraws the neck inside; again peeps out; again a wave hits; ! There is no
rest for the tortoise like a man caught in between the two oceans of births and deaths.
Such Jeevas which get hit by waves after waves continuously, may in some birth, randomly get a desire to
get out of the reach of the two oceans.
Or,
What is the process of life for a man in this world? It is like the actions of the idiotic tortoise.
Seeking out pleasures, the tortoise-neck namely the mind peeps out. Suddenly a painful event occurs; the
neck goes inside the shell; the mind remains quiet for some time. Again the Vaasanaas push the mind out
like the tortoise neck peeping out; again a wave of pain hits; the mind goes inside like the tortoise neck.
The process goes on for ever and ever, till one day the mind understands that there are no pleasures outside
but only waves of pain. It wonders whether there is a chance of escape from such a painful existence. That
point in life is the dawn of discrimination in a man.)



(In some random birth, a Jeeva suddenly feels disgusted with the worldly existence and thinks-)

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Alas! The world activities are essence-less.
Enough of all this for me!
What do I have to do with these repeated actions?
The days pass off by doing them again and again.
What would be that Supreme restful state which is removed from all types of actions?

He who has such ascertained thoughts in the mind,
is known as Nivrtta.

(What does a man do when he gets such thoughts?
He begins to change! From being a Pravrtta, he changes to a Nivrtta.
He is like a man who was happily living in darkness all these days. Suddenly somehow he comes to know
of something called light and he starts searching for a lamp!)


FIRST LEVEL

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When will I get dispassion and cross over the ocean of worldly existence?
When the noble hearted one thinks like this,
he slowly develops disinterest in the sense enjoyments
within a few days itself.

He engages himself in actions leading towards the Self state
and slowly develops joy in those actions.

He always keeps away from the wasteful actions of sensuous pleasures.
He never discloses the weakness of other people.
He tries doing only meritorious acts.

He engages himself in light actions which do not excite the mind.
He fears sinful acts at all times.
He never hankers after pleasures.
He always talks words which are filled with affection and love,
which are not provoking,
which are suitable,
which are spoken with the sense of time and place.


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He attains then the first level (named Shubhecchaa).


(This level, the first step in the spiritual ladder is the development of Saatvic qualities.
The Yogi still is in delusion. He wants to change for the better. He starts looking out for some realized
Sages (difficult to find in the modern world!). He collects whatever books he can and studies them hard. He tries to
overcome his weaknesses, selfishness etc. He struggles hard to overcome the force of Vaasanaas and tries
to stabilize the mind in some meditation process or other, like Praanaayaama, Yogic postures etc.
It is equal to a struggle of a man on the shore, swimming hard towards the ship which is ready to move
away.
Life is short and the goal is far! The person aspiring for liberation has no time to waste!
Every moment is precious for him and he tries hard to develop good Vaasanaas.)

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He serves the noble knowers by mind, action and word.
He studies the scriptures of knowledge,
somehow gathering them from here and there.


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He who thinks in this manner towards the crossing over of this worldly existence,
is said to be established
in the Bhumikaa named Shubhecchaa (Desire for the highest good)
(the level which begins his spiritual journey towards Self-realization).




(If the real desire for liberation is not there and a man acts virtuous, only to impress others of his goodness,
or simply to get a good name among others or to cheat someone out of their wealth, then he is a hypocrite
and a selfish cheat.)

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If such qualities are not there,
then he is indeed acting spiritual only to fulfill his selfish needs.


SECOND LEVEL


(What does a man do when he becomes truly virtuous?
He begins to think!)

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Next he enters the level of Yoga called Vichaara (enquiry).

(In order to understand the scriptures, he seeks realized men who are in the state of the Self and takes
shelter in those Sages living in the solitude of forests. He serves them with devotion and studies the
scriptures under their guidance.
In the ancient times realized men lived only in the forests unapproachable to ordinary people of the world.
One had to search for them; live with them; serve them for long before they condescended to reveal the
knowledge.
In modern times where everything is in print and explained by any one who chooses to write a book, it is
difficult to find a realized Yogi. There are no forest-dwellers also. The only course left is to be skeptical
always and analyze the truths sincerely by ones own intellect and find the truth.)





(What are supposed to be the characteristics of a realized Yogi who can guide you towards the final
freedom? Seek not the self-proclaimed Gods; but take shelter in those Yogis who disregard wealth, name,
fame and pleasures as worthless, and who stay far from them.)

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He seeks highly learned men
who have expertise in giving instructions about self-realization;
who are well versed in Shrutis and Smritis;
who are of a noble conduct;
who are engaged in meditation and contemplation.

(After understanding the meanings of the statements given in the Jnaana-scriptures, the aspirant exactly
knows what he should do now and what practices he should follow next.
He is like man in search of a treasure in some unknown terrain with the correct map in hand given by his
Guru.
He is ready with all the equipments for the journey namely the Saatvic state of the mind.)


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Like the Master of the house has the complete know-how of the house,
he (the aspirant) also,
after listening to the teachings of the knowers,
is able to understand the exact meanings of the terms used in the scriptures.
He understands also which dictums are to be followed (Jnaana Kaanda)
and which should be avoided (Karma Kaanda).

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Like a snake discarding its skin,
he discards even the least of remaining traces of
arrogance, vanity, malice, attachments, greed etc
that may be there in his activities in the outside world.






THIRD LEVEL

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In such as state of mind,
he continues serving the knowers and studying the scriptures; and
attains fully the third level of Yoga known as Asamsanga (non-attachment),
without even being aware of it;
like a lover falls into the faultless flower-bed.


(As he serves the great Sages and learns from them with sincerity and devotion, he slowly feels
disinterested in all the pleasures of the world.
Non-attachment adorns him like garland, without even him being aware of it.

The aspiring Yogi falls into the third level like a lover falls on the flower-bed.
The Asamsanga state is like a flower-bed because the pain of attachments and desires will prick him no
more.
The lover falls on the bed with so many expectation of happiness which his beloved will offer him. Here,
the Yogis beloved is Self-knowledge or Self-state. He now can feel sure of attaining the Self realization
soon.
He reaches the level of Asamsanga/Non-attachment, the flower-bed of future bliss.)
_


(The Yogi, through such practices of studies and Gurus guidance gradually attains equanimity. He remains
calm at all situations, good or bad. He stops hankering after pleasures. Her treats a rock or a bed equally,
i.e. he treats both misery and joy with equanimity of the mind. Tragedies of life do not raise panic in him;
joys do not overwhelm him. He tackles all the events of life with a balanced mind.
He reaches the level of Asamsanga/Non-attachment.)

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The pious aspirant-
staying in the first level;
stabilizing his intellect in the scriptural statements;
by seeking hermitages of Sages;
and listening to their discourses about the faults of the worldly existence;
and practicing the methods leading to dispassion;
spends his days for some time
seated on the rock or bed with equanimity.

He then passes his time wandering in forests (solitary places)
in the peaceful and happy state of Asamsanga,
which shines forth with the subjugation of the mind.

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As he keeps himself engaged in seeking the company of the knowers
and the study of scriptures;
and keeps performing meritorious acts;
VastuDrshti (vision of the reality)
graces his life by itself.


TWO DIVISIONS OF THIRD LEVEL


SAAMAANYA ASANGA/ORDINARY TYPE OF NON-ATTACHMENT

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Reaching the third level of Yoga,
the wise aspirant experiences two types of Asamsanga.
Listen to their different characteristics.
This Asamsanga is of two types- ordinary and the excellent.

(The ordinary detached feeling is the first level of Asamsanga. It is the peak of Sattva quality. It is a general
detachment developed through constant practice of regular meditations, studies, Praanaayaama etc.
The Yogi is like a person at the threshold of a temple. He has thrown off his foot-wear of attachment and is
ready to step into the sanctum sanctorum. He has completely renounced all his desires and attachments
connected to the world.)

(This is the first level of detachment; the beginning of the journey.)

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I am not the doer; I am not the experiencer.
I do not affect others; nor am I affected by anything.

When one has such a non-attached disposition,
it is known as ordinary non-attachment.

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Happiness or sorrow is the result of the actions of past lives
and everything happens by the will of God.
Where do I cause anything?

Whatever pleasures are experienced are just great ailments.
Wealth is another name for calamity.
Unions are there only for separation.
Mental afflictions are viral fevers of the intellect.
Time is always engaged in consuming all objects without a break.

This is the ordinary type of non-attachment
where the mind has understood the statements of the scriptures.
The Yogi has no desires for the objects in his mind
because of not getting attracted towards them.

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Through various practices mentioned before;
by keeping the company of the Knowers;
by not getting attracted in the mind towards the unreal sense objects;
by following the ways of the Self-realized;
by taking recourse to utmost effort;
by constant practice;
he gets stabilized in the path leading towards
the other end of the worldly existence, the Supreme Cause;
like the gooseberry in ones palm.


(The Yogi in the first level of Asamsanga still has the ideas of God, individuality, past life, bondage,
liberation etc.
In the next level of Asamsanga, he is in the contemplation of the Self. He has discarded all the previous
ideas of individuality and practices the identity with the Supreme Self, the essence of all.)



SHRESHTA ASANGA/ EXCELLENT TYPE OF NON-ATTACHMENT


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I am not the doer; but the Lord is the doer of all things.
Past actions do not belong to me.
Even ideas about such words and meanings are kept away
and the Yogi remains established in the quiet silent seat.

Such a state is known as Shreshtaasanga (Excellent non-attachment).


(MOUNA- SILENCE- silence of the actions of senses, mind and speech
AASANA- SEAT contemplation on the Self)


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The state of Shreshtaasanga is said to be that (state of the Self)
which is
not inside, not outside, not above, not below, not in directions, not in the sky,
that which is not in the object, not in a non-object, not in the inert, not in the conscious,
that which shines by itself,
that which is quiet, not shining, equal to the empty sky,
that which is without beginning and end,
that which is unborn,
and that which is attractive.


(The Yogi who has developed a higher level of detachment is having now and then the blissful state of the
Self in his contemplation. He is more and more attracted towards contemplative states.
He at this level need not consciously withdraw the mind from sense pleasures. Naturally he does not feel
attracted towards them. Detachment has become a natural quality for him and not an effortful practice.)

THE FIRST THREE LEVELS OF YOGA

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This lotus of discrimination which is firmly rooted,
blossoms beautifully by the sun of rational enquiry.
It is sweet with the fragrance of unique happiness.
It has the leaves of noble actions.
The stalk of this lotus rises from the mind.
Many thorny weeds surround it in the form of Vaasanaas.
It yields the fruit of Asamsanga as this third level of Yoga.


(It is not so easy for every Jeeva to get a desire for liberation. Desire for liberation is not a verbal
announcement that you make when you meet any one to prove your greatness. The thirst for liberation
should be genuine. As Swami Vivekananda once said, one should strive for liberation like a man drowning
in the water who struggles for breath. If one cannot strive for liberation every moment of his life, it is not
Mumukshutva; but just a passing whim or a time-pass.
Such a desire can arise only as a result of the meritorious acts of many lives.
As Shankara says, to be born as a human with all limbs intact and with an ability to think is itself a very
rare event in the creation-dream. If such a human being does not strive for understanding the universe
around him, then he is no different from the dog or cow on the street who just are satisfied with the
fulfillment of their worldly needs. )



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The first level itself rises,
only as a random effect,
by the collection of meritorious actions many lives
and the carefully maintained purity by the company of the great knowers.

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The ground, the mind which is purified by the above mentioned acts
is ready now to give out the sprout of the first level
namely Shubhechaa (Desire for the ones welfare).

Like the cloud sprinkles water and makes the sprout rise up,
this sprout ( the inclination towards Self-knowledge)
should be sprinkled with the water of discrimination
and protected with great effort,
so that it does not wither away.

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This sprout which shines forth with the qualities of dispassion and calmness of the mind,
should be made to grow through Vichaara (enquiry),
like the farmer takes care of the sprout every day with great effort.


(First level is the very ground on which the tree of Yoga grows. Unless protected from weeds (Vaasanaas)
and watered regularly (study of the scriptures), the seed will dry off and not yield the fruit of self -
knowledge.)

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This level when properly maintained,
will become the source of other levels.
Through sincere effort, the second level will arise and then the third.

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This is the excellent non-attachment.
The aspirant will be completely removed of all sorts of conceptions,
in this third level.


Rama spoke



{WHAT ABOUT OTHERS WHO FAIL TO ENTER THE SPIRITUAL PATH?}

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How will a fool, or a man born in a lowly family,
or a man who is attached to the world,
or a worst type of man,
or a person who has no chance to meet the noble and pious men,
ever rise up in the spiritual path?



{WHAT HAPPENS IF ONE DIES IN THE MIDDLE OF HIS SPIRITUAL JOURNEY?}

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Suppose a person who has reached the first, second or third level dies,
what will happen to him?







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Vasishta spoke

(For the ignorant man of the world, who is completely imprisoned in his own little bubble of miseries and
joys, the succession of births and deaths continue for long, in various wombs - from a man-existence to a
plant or rock-existence, depending on his Gunaas of Tamas or Rajas. His Vaasanaas will be ever on the
increase leading him towards more actions and their consequent results. He will be carried away
uncontrollably in the flood of the Samsaara, like a straw piece in floods.
Maybe, by chance, by a random merit fructifying suddenly, in some future birth, he may develop an
inclination towards becoming good. Saatvic quality will slowly be on the increase and he may develop
dispassion towards the worldly pleasures.
This sprout of dispassion, if maintained properly and protected well, he will slowly enter the first level of
Shubecchaa or the desire for liberation.)

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The worldly existence will be there for a long span of time,
for a fool or a man of faulty disposition;
till after hundreds of births,
by a random chance, or by the company of the noble men,
dispassion makes its appearance!

When dispassion rises,
definitely the level (first one) will also arise.
Then gradually the worldly existence will be destroyed.
This is the summarized statement of the scriptures.





(If a Yogi aspiring for liberation dies when he is in first or second or any other level of Yoga, no harm gets
done. A person who has chosen the good path never meets failure anytime. His next birth will bloom up in
the same level he was in, in the previous birth. From childhood itself he will naturally be meditative and
know the meanings of the scriptures very easily. It is just a new identity he will have as a body; but his
AatiVaahika body with the same mind and same good Vaasanaas, will continue its journey from where it
was left back.)

(If the Yogi has subtle desires of enjoyments still hidden in the mind, then he will enjoy heavenly pleasures
for some time till those Vaasanaas finish away. Later he will be born again in a noble family conducive to
his spiritual disposition and continue his path of Yoga.)

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If a man loses his life when in some level of Yoga,
his wicked deeds of the past will perish according to the level of Yoga he was in.

After death, he will enjoy the company of heavenly damsels,
in the air-vehicles of gods, in the cities of Lokapaalas,
or in the flowery gardens of Meru Mountain.

Since the results of the wicked deeds are gone;
and the results of the meritorious deeds also have dissolved away
in the enjoyments of the heavenly pleasures;
the Yogis (who died in some or other particular level of Yoga)
take birth in noble families
which are renowned for their purity and prosperity,
and whose members are endowed with excellent virtues.

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After the birth,
these men of wisdom who had reached certain levels of Yoga,
will continue their journey of spirituality,
remembering (not the body-identities, but) the level of the Yoga
they had been practicing in their previous life,
and will rise naturally to the next level of the Yoga.









THE FIRST THREE LEVELS / JAAGRAT STATE OF YOGA


(What happens when you wake up while you are dreaming?
You know the dream as the dream; you will know that you are dreaming a dream; you will know that the
waking state is real and the dream state is unreal.
That is what happens to a Yogi in the first three levels.
He slowly wakes up in the dream; knows the dream of the world as illusory and unreal; and he will wake
up to the reality of the Self.)

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Rama! This set of the first three levels is known as Jaagrat (waking state);
as it is similar to the waking state
where one understands it to be different from the dream or sleep state.


{AARYAA / A MAN OF NOBLE DISPOSITION}

(The Yogi at the final stage of the third level is indeed a man of noble virtues. He is honored by the name
Aaarya, the most excellent of all men.)

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For those who are in the path of Yoga,
there rises a respectable nature,
seeing which even those of ignorant minds will aspire for liberation.

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He is known as an Aaarya,
who remains behaving normally,
performing all the dutiful actions belonging to him,
and avoiding those actions which are prohibited.

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He is known as an Aaarya,
who does his day to day action of the world,
as it is done by the elders;
as it is ordained in the scriptures;
as satisfactory to the mind;
and as it is to be done.

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The Aaarya-nature for the Yogi
sprouts in the first level;
blossoms in the second level;
and yields fruit in the third level.

(A Yogi in the Aaarya- level alone is fit to enter the dominion of Gods and enjoy the pleasures offered
there. Otherwise the Yogi in the first two levels continues his journey in the successive lives as explained
before.)

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The Yogi who dies when in the state of Aaarya,
enjoys those pleasures resulting from auspicious conceptions, for a long time;
and again gets born as a man of Yoga.



















FOURTH LEVEL

(The Yogi next enters the fourth level where the Sun of knowledge shines in his intellect.
His dream of the world is dissolving now like the darkness by the arrival of sun.
He is slowly waking up and seeing the world as just a dream.
The world looks like an illusory world seen in the empty sky. It looks meaningless and unreal like a dream.
Therefore the fourth level is known as a Dream level.)

7 H
+7 c 7g

q7 4

97 |

q 1 q 9
7 1~ |

By the practice of the first three levels,
ignorance perishes.
Correct understanding rises in the mind like the full moon,

Those Yogis whose minds are absorbed in the Self,
and who have reached the fourth level,
see everything equally as
the Self which is without divisions, without beginning or end.

The non-dual vision gets stabilized and the dual vision subsides.
Those Yogis who are in the fourth level see the world as if it is a dream.

0|

1
7H+ 9|

The first set of three levels is called Jaagrat.
The fourth level is known as Svapna (dream).
It shines with purity like the autumn sky cleared of all clouds.









FIFTH LEVEL

(The Yogi next enters the fifth level.
Here he is completely awake to the Self.
The world does not even get qualified here as a dream-existence.
What indeed gets left of the dream, when one wakes up?! The dream-world is gone the moment you wake
up! Nothing is left of the dream-world but emptiness!
When you wake up to the Self, you are like a person deep asleep; for, the world does not exist there for you
as in the deep sleep.
Therefore, this fifth level is known as Sushupti level or the Deep sleep level.)
(Yogis mind has dissolved here.
There are no Vaasanaas lurking back.
There are no desires.
The idea of duality is gone.
The world is seen as the manifestation of the Self.
Self, Self, and nothing but the Self!
Yogi is asleep to the world and remains awake in the Self-state.)
The mind of the Yogi here is in the Sattva state.)

c 1

The Yogi in the fifth state is
left with the remainder of the mind in the Sattva state.
He attains the fifth level which is named Sushupta (deep sleep state).

7 1*cq
q7

9@


The enlightened Yogi remains in the non-dual vision alone,
with all the divisions subsided without any residue;
with all the appearances based on duality dissolved off;
and feeling extremely blissful within.

*7 c

7 c g

+

The yogi, who has reached the fifth level, is like a person in deep slumber.
Though engaged in outward activities,
he is turned towards the Self within.
As he is peaceful and unaffected by the outer activities,
he looks like a man in slumber.

SIXTH LEVEL

(The Yogi, who now remains contemplating on the Self at all times, slowly enters the sixth level of
Turyaa. It is the final most level of JeevanMukti that can be had, by a man with the body.)

71

*| 7

HcH


As he becomes adept in this level,
he is freed of all Vaasanaas and enters the next level named Turyaa.

7 g

H1 q4

There is no idea of existence and non-existence;
there is no ego-sense; there is also no non-ego sense.
(He knows the real I!)

Removed of the concepts of both duality and one-ness
he remains (as Self) with all the thoughts silenced.

0 7 7 74

| 1

The tormenting knot of the heart is no more there.
Doubts are all cleared off.
The Yogi is a JeevanMukta without conceptions.
Though he is with the body held through Praarabdha, he is liberated already.
He remains like the picture of the lamp.


(The lamp looks like it is burning; but actually it is not; it is the canvas that appears as the burning lamp.
The lamp is unaffected by the outside.)






77

+
7|

+


+71c
* +

1c


Empty inside; empty outside; he is like an empty pot in the empty sky
(without world-perceptions).
Full inside; full outside; he is like a filled up pot in the ocean.
(filled with the bliss and knowledge of the Self).

He has attained something unique (which the ignorant cannot know);
or rather he has not attained anything; (he is just the Self which he was already)!

After being adept in the sixth level, he attains the seventh level.


SEVENTH LEVEL

(The Yogi, who is a JeevanMukta, now enters the extreme end of realization, after discarding the body.
He was a pot immersed in the ocean bottom when he was in the sixth level.
When his body dies-
he has no idea of the body living or dying; his body is seen only by others; not by him.
The ignorant alone, celebrate his death and cry for him; whereas the Yogis body died for him, long back
when he entered the Self-state. Later he lives as space only, like a man sleep-walking.)
- he is actually the ocean in which a pot broke!
In that ocean-level he has no idea of the pot existing or breaking.)


4

+ 7



The body-less liberation is the seventh level;
it is not for the Yogi who is living with a body.
It cannot be described by words.
It is a quiet state.
It is the end of all levels experienced in the world.

c c4

c[c(

c9


77 c~
c

Sometimes that level is known as Shiva;
sometimes called as Brahman;
sometimes understood as the knowledge of Prakrti and Purusha.

Though it is beyond any definition,
It is somehow explained by many others in different ways
as deduced by them.

94 q

Hey Best of Raghus!
I have explained to you the seven levels of Yoga.
By practicing them properly, you will never again experience any grief.

*
Vasishta spoke


{THE MAD COW-ELEPHANT}

1c77c 7


00 +

There is one cow-elephant.
She is highly intoxicated always.
She walks very slowly with soft steps.
She has the tendency to fight.
She is renowned for her huge tusks.

77 7

c 7
1cc



If that ever-harmful beast is killed,
then a man can become victorious in all these levels.
The cow-elephant is mad with intoxication.
As long as one does not conquer her in the battle-ground through valor,
what sort of a valorous soldier is he?


Rama spoke

9c

7 4

Who is that intoxicated cow-elephant?
Which are the battle-grounds?
How does she get killed?
Where does she wander always?


(What is the most dominating thought that binds a man to this Samsaara?
It is the desire for possession!
Man never can see anything, be it a flower or a beautiful piece of human creation without wanting to
possess it.
The moment an idea of an object comes, the next though is definitely I want to have it!
And he longs for that object; tries all good and bad ways to obtain it; gets angry if something obstructs his
away; falls ill; loses self-control; becomes a slave of emotions; destroys himself and others in fury; and is
doomed forever!
This idea of I want to possess it is described by the Sage as a mad cow-elephant.)


*
Vasishta spoke

1cF

Rama! She is the cow-elephant named Desire.
She is in the form of - Let this be mine!

She plays around madly, in the forest of the body.
The ever intoxicated senses are her rogue cubs.
Her tongue oozes out sweet sounds.
She is hidden in the dense darkness of the mind.
She has two tusks of actions. (good and bad)
The oozing rut is the hosts of Vaasanaas.
Its body spreads everywhere.
Her battle grounds are the perceived world-scenes, where the man gets victory or defeat.
This elephant called desire kills ruthlessly all the wretched Jeevas.


7c ~ 1

c +11

Vaasanaa, wants, mind, mental faculty, conception, cogitation, attraction,
are all the names borne by her,
which are hidden in the store-house of the mind.

+ 1 9

c c

Aman (who aspires for liberation),
should mercilessly kill -
this cow-elephant called desire;
who is in all the objects of the world;
who wanders wherever she likes without control;
- with the wonderful weapon called Courage,
by the identification with the Self which in all.

q1cc 7 +

As long as the idea This object is there! (I want it) (Vastu Idam) occupies the mind,
so long does the deadly virus of the painful Samsaara will shine forth.

1c 7
1

H c 70
9 1

7
+c


This is all the Samsaara is! Let it be as it is! (Idam Astu)
Such a mind dissolves off this Samsaara; and that alone is liberation.
This is the essence of all knowledge.
The mind then remains happy and pure.
In a desireless taintless mind, the instructions get stuck like the oil drop in the mirror.

q

c
1 1 q|

By not thinking about the existence of an object,
the sprout of the desire for the objects of the world does not arise.
Even if the desire pops up slightly,
it should be cut off instantly with the weapon of non-conception,
like cutting off the successive sprouts of the poisonous weed
which result in great harm.

|

A Jeeva bestrewed with desires does not ever come out of his wretched state.

1c1

*7

4

9c c

The method for remaining in the awareness of the Self is -
Make the mind silent first and
make it completely empty of thoughts
like a room with hundreds of dead bodies.

Then bind the desire-fish
with the hook of Pratyaahaara (withdrawal from sense objects).

1c

~c

1 cc~c
1 @ ~ 1

1c

1c

1*

That mad hankering that says This object should belong to me;
that alone is known as imagination by the excellent men of Self-knowledge.

Remembering it again and again is known as Conception.
Not remembering alone is said to be the proper course to be adopted.

In memory, both that is previously experienced and not experienced are remembered.
Like a dry piece of worthless stick,
throw away both the experienced and not-experienced memories;
forget everything; and remain hidden in the Self-state as a great knower.

+

~ 7

I lift up my two hands and scream with all my effort!
No one listens to me!

Non-conception is the best of all methods.
Why is it not practiced in the mind?

*

1 c 9
H7

If the mind is kept silent,
that Supreme state is easily achieved.
In that Supreme state of the Self, hey Rama,
even a kingdom looks like a worthless piece of dry grass.

+ *1 71
17 ~1 17 1

When a man is walking towards some place,
his feet keep moving without any conception of their own.
So one should remain (without conceptions)
when doing actions that belong to him.

~ 71

4

What more to say!
I will tell you this in brief.
Conception is the greatest bondage.
Absence of it, is liberation.





77 H

7 g

71


Remain peaceful, happy in your own Self,
seeing all as
the shine of Chit
which fills all the objects,
which is unborn, which is quiet, which is endless,
which is stable,
which is changeless.

|

7H
1

Non-conception is the proper method of Yoga.
It is the abode of quiescence and it never deteriorates.
Do all the actions established in the Yoga (Self-state),
freed of all Vaasanaas;
or do not do anything if you feel so.

|

cH

c7 7 c

*

Non-conception is the proper method of Yoga.
The mind gets destroyed and one remains in the natural state.
Remaining fully in the state of the Self,
stay like that only!
Be as you are!

7 c

c 1

Rama! The contemplation of that,
which is supremely good,
which is everywhere,
which rises out of enlightenment,
which is auspicious,
that alone is known as Renunciation of all!


7 1
7

|

Always contemplate on that within and do the actions that belong to you.
By holding on to the ideas of I and mine,
you cannot get out of the sufferings.
Without such conceptions, you will be liberated.
Now do whatever you like to do.



(As the discourse on Sapta-Bhumikaas ended, Rama slipped off into Nirvikalpa Samaadhi.
Sage Vasishta remained silent without saying anything more.
Sage Vaalmiki also remained silent without saying anything more.)









PART FIFTEEN OF
SECTION SIX - NIRVAANA PRAKARANAM
COMPLETE










About the Author:

Maa Tejasvini

The author spent many years doing research on ancient Sanskrit texts in the Himalayan
region. She was exposed to many unique spiritual experiences which are beyond human
comprehension.
Her mission in life was to translate all renowned spiritual texts and literature of Sanskrit
and bring them to the light of the public.