The Yoga Vasistha is a fabulous scripture and fortunately there is a resource avaiilable on net for a daily reading.
Yoga Vasistha | Daily Readings | Swami Venkatesananda
Yoga Vasistha | Daily Readings | Swami Venkatesananda
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The Yoga Vasistha - daily readings
- Thread starter atanu
- Start date
Wannabe Yogi
Well-Known Member
I love the Yoga Vasistha. The mythological stories seem work much like a Zen Koan. It rips the very construct of the mind.
Yes. Yoga Vashista rips away the notions of mind effortlessly. We may bump this from time to time or we may request this to be made a sticky in the Vedanta forum?
The story of Lila is the centre piece of Yoga Vasistha. The story begins on Feb21 continues through March. The beginning page is lnked:
Yoga Vasistha | Daily Readings | Swami Venkatesananda
The story can also be heard. The story continues from Chapter 15 of Section 3 to Chapter 42. Chapter 18 is linked below:
[youtube]YGKbjkx_7Bw[/youtube]
0082 Section 3, Chapters 18-21 Yoga Vasistha - YouTube
The links to further chapters are in:
story of lila yoga Vasistha - YouTube
Yoga Vasistha | Daily Readings | Swami Venkatesananda
The story can also be heard. The story continues from Chapter 15 of Section 3 to Chapter 42. Chapter 18 is linked below:
[youtube]YGKbjkx_7Bw[/youtube]
0082 Section 3, Chapters 18-21 Yoga Vasistha - YouTube
The links to further chapters are in:
story of lila yoga Vasistha - YouTube
Wannabe Yogi
Well-Known Member
Good story!!!!
Thanks for linking to this. I have never heard of the Yoga Vasistha; im enjoying reading it (more than one at a time though).
Beware though. It is said that a family man should not read it.
Amrut
Aum - Advaita
DreadFish
Cosmic Vagabond
I ain't no family man. Im a Dapper Dan man!
Union jack
Member
Coincidentally Rama's utter defeat of Khara and his mighty demon army in the
Valmiki's Ramayana - Daily Readings
Takes place on the Feast of Beltane, May 1st.
Valmiki's Ramayana - Daily Readings
Takes place on the Feast of Beltane, May 1st.
What do mean? Will you kindly elaborate a bit?
DreadFish
Cosmic Vagabond
Hmm, well the teachings dont seem to be strictly "Hindu". They come from a Dharmic perspective, but thats about it as far as being limited to a specific school of thought.
Like this quote:
It might as well be from a Buddhist text as it is from a Hindu text.
From this page: Yoga Vasistha | Daily Readings | Swami Venkatesananda
Wannabe Yogi
Well-Known Member
I have always thought of the Yoga Vasistha as a text that works kinda like a Zen Koan.The continuous pondering of this text leads to the break-through that goes beyond the subject-object relationship of duality.
I cite only one example from Veda to show that what Veda means by one Truth.
Aupmanyav
Be your own guru
That is worship/praise verse of Indo-Aryans, before the Upanishads and codification of RigVeda and probably when they were living in the valley of the disappeared river Sarasvati (around 1,900 BC).
My connection with RigVeda (the verse which is credited among others to my supposed ancestor, Upamanyu):
1. Loud neighs the Tawny Steed when started, settling deep in the wooden vessel while they cleanse him. (Steed, it is not a horse that they are cleaning, but the leaves of Soma)
Led by the men he takes the milk for raiment: then shall he, through his powers, engender praise-songs. (Soma was mixed with milk, as they do now for marijuana, bhang)
2. As one who rows drives on his boat, he, Gold-hued, sends forth his voice, loosed on the path of Order.(Now, Soma speaking, order lost)
As God, the secret names of Gods he utters, to be declared on sacred grass more widely. (speaking tongues, babbling)
3. Hastening onward like the waves of waters, our holy hymns are pressing nigh to Soma.
To him they come with lowly adoration, and, longing, enter him who longs to meet them. (Soma meets its admirers)
4. They drain the stalk, the Steer who dwells on mountains, even as a Bull who decks him on the upland. (? Did they use stalks to drink from the bowl?)
Hymns follow and attend him as he bellows: Trita bears Varuṇa aloft in ocean. (Soma is having its effect)
5. Sending thy voice out as Director, loosen the Invoker's thought, O Indu, as they cleanse thee.
While thou and Indra rule for our advantage, may we be masters of heroic vigour.
http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/rigveda/rv09095.htm
My connection with RigVeda
(the verse which is credited among others to my supposed ancestor, Upamanyu):1. Loud neighs the Tawny Steed when started, settling deep in the wooden vessel while they cleanse him. (Steed, it is not a horse that they are cleaning, but the leaves of Soma)
Led by the men he takes the milk for raiment: then shall he, through his powers, engender praise-songs. (Soma was mixed with milk, as they do now for marijuana, bhang)
2. As one who rows drives on his boat, he, Gold-hued, sends forth his voice, loosed on the path of Order.(Now, Soma speaking, order lost)
As God, the secret names of Gods he utters, to be declared on sacred grass more widely. (speaking tongues, babbling)
3. Hastening onward like the waves of waters, our holy hymns are pressing nigh to Soma.
To him they come with lowly adoration, and, longing, enter him who longs to meet them. (Soma meets its admirers)
4. They drain the stalk, the Steer who dwells on mountains, even as a Bull who decks him on the upland. (? Did they use stalks to drink from the bowl?)
Hymns follow and attend him as he bellows: Trita bears Varuṇa aloft in ocean. (Soma is having its effect)
5. Sending thy voice out as Director, loosen the Invoker's thought, O Indu, as they cleanse thee.
While thou and Indra rule for our advantage, may we be masters of heroic vigour.
http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/rigveda/rv09095.htm
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It covers all schools but it upholds ajAtivAda, which means 'the doctrine of 'no birth'' approximately.
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Vasistha continued:
Enquiry (the second gate-keeper to liberation) should be undertaken by an intelligence that has been purified by a close study of the scripture, and this enquiry should be unbroken.
By such enquiry the intelligence becomes keen, and is able to realise the supreme.
Hence enquiry alone is the best remedy for the long-lasting illness known as samsara.
The wise man regards strength, intellect, efficiency and timely action as the fruits of enquiry.
Indeed, kingdom, prosperity, enjoyment, as well as final liberation, are all the fruits of enquiry.
The spirit of enquiry protects one from the calamities that befall the unthinking fool.
When the mind has been rendered dull by the absence of enquiry, even the cool rays of the moon turn into deadly weapons, and the childish imagination throws up a goblin in every dark spot.
Hence, the non-enquiring fool is really a storehouse of sorrow.
It is the absence of enquiry that gives rise to actions that are harmful to oneself and to others, and to numerous psychosomatic illnesses.
Therefore, one should avoid the company of such unthinking people.
They in whom the spirit of enquiry is ever awake illumine the world, enlighten all who come into contact with them, dispel the ghosts created by an ignorant mind, and realise the falsity of sense-pleasures and their objects.
O Rama, in the light of enquiry there is realisation of the eternal and unchanging reality; this is the supreme.
With it one does not long for any other gain, nor does one spurn anything.
He is free from delusion, attachment.
He is not inactive, nor does he get drowned in action.
He lives and functions in this world and, at the end of a natural life-span, he reaches the blissful state of total freedom.
The eye of spiritual enquiry does not lose its sight, even in the midst of all activities.
He who does not have this eye is indeed to be pitied.
It is better to be born as a frog in the mud, a worm in dung, a snake in a hole, but not be one without this eye.
What is enquiry?
To enquire thus:
"Who am I?
How has this evil of samsara (repetitive history) come into being?'' is true enquiry.
Knowledge of truth arises from such enquiry.
From such knowledge there follows tranquillity in oneself.
And then there arises the supreme peace passeth understanding, and the ending of all sorrow.
Enquiry (the second gate-keeper to liberation) should be undertaken by an intelligence that has been purified by a close study of the scripture, and this enquiry should be unbroken.
By such enquiry the intelligence becomes keen, and is able to realise the supreme.
Hence enquiry alone is the best remedy for the long-lasting illness known as samsara.
The wise man regards strength, intellect, efficiency and timely action as the fruits of enquiry.
Indeed, kingdom, prosperity, enjoyment, as well as final liberation, are all the fruits of enquiry.
The spirit of enquiry protects one from the calamities that befall the unthinking fool.
When the mind has been rendered dull by the absence of enquiry, even the cool rays of the moon turn into deadly weapons, and the childish imagination throws up a goblin in every dark spot.
Hence, the non-enquiring fool is really a storehouse of sorrow.
It is the absence of enquiry that gives rise to actions that are harmful to oneself and to others, and to numerous psychosomatic illnesses.
Therefore, one should avoid the company of such unthinking people.
They in whom the spirit of enquiry is ever awake illumine the world, enlighten all who come into contact with them, dispel the ghosts created by an ignorant mind, and realise the falsity of sense-pleasures and their objects.
O Rama, in the light of enquiry there is realisation of the eternal and unchanging reality; this is the supreme.
With it one does not long for any other gain, nor does one spurn anything.
He is free from delusion, attachment.
He is not inactive, nor does he get drowned in action.
He lives and functions in this world and, at the end of a natural life-span, he reaches the blissful state of total freedom.
The eye of spiritual enquiry does not lose its sight, even in the midst of all activities.
He who does not have this eye is indeed to be pitied.
It is better to be born as a frog in the mud, a worm in dung, a snake in a hole, but not be one without this eye.
What is enquiry?
To enquire thus:
"Who am I?
How has this evil of samsara (repetitive history) come into being?'' is true enquiry.
Knowledge of truth arises from such enquiry.
From such knowledge there follows tranquillity in oneself.
And then there arises the supreme peace passeth understanding, and the ending of all sorrow.