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From the Archives of Swami Jyotirmayananda
“The highlight of the philosophy is always: man eva manushyanaam karanam bandha-moksha. Mind is the cause of bondage AND release. The same mind that created bondage has a subtle passage. Utilize the mind, and that passage opens, leading you to enlightenment.”
What if the very thing you are fighting against is the thing that will set you free? In this lesson from the Upaśamaprakaraṇa, Sri Swami Jyotirmayananda reveals one of Vedanta’s most profound and paradoxical truths: the mind is both jailer and liberator. The question is not how to destroy the mind, but how to use it wisely.
oṁ pūrṇam adaḥ pūrṇam idaṁ pūrṇāt pūrṇaṁ udacyate pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya pūrṇam evāvaśiṣyate ॥
oṁ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ ॥
oṁ brahmānandaṁ parama-sukhadaṁ kevalaṁ jñāna-mūrtiṁ dvandvātītaṁ gagana-sadṛśaṁ tattvamasyādi-lakṣyam ॥
ekaṁ nityaṁ vimalaṁ acalaṁ sarva-dhī-sākṣibhūtam bhāvātītaṁ triguṇa-rahitaṁ sadguruṁ taṁ namāmi ॥
oṁ
Adoration to Sadguru is Brahman, the giver of supreme bliss, embodiment of pure consciousness, one without a second, vast as the ether, infinite, eternal. Beyond the three guṇas and their modifications, the supreme preceptor.
We are commencing a special chapter of the Yoga Vāsiṣṭha: the Upaśamaprakaraṇa. The term Upasham means the quiescence of the mind. While shama signifies ordinary serenity, Upashama denotes ultimate serenity, the highest goal of mental peace and stillness.
The Allegory of the Sky and Clouds
Consider the sun: its illuminations might appear in turmoil, unstable, and shaking, yet the sun itself remains unshakable. This analogy helps us understand that all your experiences are merely expressions of pure awareness. This awareness operates through your senses, mind, intellect, and ego, bringing about countless variations and refractions.
However, if you attain enlightenment, you realize, “I am.” You are not confined to the body, mind, intellect, and senses. Therefore, whatever the mind says, unmind it. Whatever your sentiments suggest, shake it off. Whatever your ego expects, ignore it, because the ego is not your real self.
This isn’t an easy concept, but it’s what you must assimilate on the spiritual path. The real “I am”, the absolute “I am”, that is the reality. When this becomes your reality, the entire mind bows down to it.
Think of it this way: all that your mind brings, thinks, or feels moves in the sky. The absolute Self-reality is like the sky. All that your mind does is merely shifting clouds. Is the sky afraid of the clouds? Does it keep a diary, offended by shouting clouds and storms, or is it anyway benefited by soft, shimmering clouds? The sky is simply the sky.
This profound experience and revelation await every soul. Though it can be experienced accidentally, every soul’s essential nature is like the pure sun or the pure sky. When that is realized, it is called Upashama. You are not just enjoying ordinary serenity; you have attained a state where you can truly say goodbye to the world forever.
The World Process as a Disease (Bhava Vyadi)
The whole world experience is never the healthiest experience for the soul. It’s called bhava vyadi, a disease of the world process. You are never truly fulfilled by it. You didn’t come from zero, and you won’t end at zero when you quit the body. If you seek perfection in this world, no matter how much “confection” you consume, there will be no perfection.
The Power of Satsaṅga: King Daśaratha’s Court
In an allegorical way, the setting of satsaṅga (spiritual gathering) is being described. King Daśaratha’s royal court, crowded with gods, sages, saints, kings, royal officers, and spiritual seekers, appears like the sky filled with shining stars. In this atmosphere, Sage Vāsiṣṭha teaches Rāma.
Every satsaṅga setting is similar, because there is only one absolute Rāma, that’s the reality in every soul. So, you are Rāma, you are Brahman, and therefore all satsaṅga is the same as what Vāsiṣṭha said to Rāma.
Who Attends the Divine Assembly?
- Gods: Those who have become highly advanced, very sensitive to developing divine virtues.
- Sages: Those who have gone to a high level, already enlightened, enjoying satsaṅga not for personal benefit, but for the collective good.
- Kings: Those who are exceedingly powerful and successful in the world.
- Spiritual seekers: Souls at various stages of their spiritual journey.
This isn’t just a story from Treta Yuga; it’s happening right here, at this very moment, as souls at different levels gather.
The Transformative Effect of Satsaṅga
As all listened to the illuminating teachings of Sage Vāsiṣṭha, such was the mysterious power of his words that everyone was spellbound. Even those who were Rajasic (driven by activity and desire) became like adept sannyasins, sitting still as if painted pictures.
What satsaṅga does is transform. People who have been Rajasic, whose minds chase countless worldly pleasures, suddenly experience a shift. Bells ring in their minds, switching their attention from external pleasures to the joy that awaits by attaining enlightenment.
As Tulsidasji famously said:
“If you were to collect all the pleasures of the world and bundle them, put them on one side of the weighing scales, and on the other side, just put a pinch of satsaṅga. That pinch of satsaṅga outweighs all the pleasures of the world.”
This is the transformation that occurs: the same energy previously directed towards worldly pursuits now switches its entire movement onto the spiritual path for attaining enlightenment. These Rajasic individuals, who once sought only worldly fascination, become captivated by the profound possibilities revealed within satsaṅga. They realize they can discover the infinite love of God in their very heart and turn the entire world into the glory of God.
The Aspirant’s Journey: Rāma’s Reflection (Manana)
As the atmosphere filled with profound stillness, even the birds ceased their warbling. Such was the mysterious power of the sage’s words that all were spellbound.
As the sun began to decline, conches blew, signaling the time for evening ablutions. Sage Vāsiṣṭha stopped his teachings and permitted the audience to depart. First the sage stood up, then the king and others prepared to retire. The assembly hall, all of a sudden, appeared like an agitated lake.
Following the storyline, Sage Viśvāmitra passed the night at Sage Vāsiṣṭha’s home. The others retired, including the gods and astral spirits. Finally, Sage Vāsiṣṭha, King Daśaratha, and all others performed their evening prayers and rituals and went to sleep.
But Shri Rāma, instead of passing the night in sleep, continued to reflect upon the teachings of Sage Vāsiṣṭha. These stories are always allegorical. Shri Rāma is the ideal aspirant, one who has listened to the teachings of scriptures in satsaṅga.
The Practice of Manana: Chewing the Cud
The first thing an aspirant does is to understand the teachings. If you hear something profound, you can write it down, and when you are still and those ideas are fresh, sit down and work upon it. Allow your mind to grasp it, assimilate it.
Think of it like this: you’ve quickly received delicious food in your tiffin; now, at home, find a restful place and consume it at your convenience. Or, to use a cruder illustration, consider the cow. It eats fast, but then when it relaxes, it chews the cud.
So, after listening, which is done very fast, spend your time chewing the cud. Develop a sensitive mind to figure out what you have listened to. This doesn’t have a time limit; any time during the day, even while working, keep the window open in your mind to gain an insight. This internal expansion and relaxation becomes a source of inspiration behind your actions.
If necessary, create space to sit down and focus, as this is most important for your life. Understand what you have heard, make notes, and if it benefits you, share it with others. Sharing is another trick to allow your own unconscious to become stronger in holding that insight.
This is how Shri Rāma practices manana (reflection). “Sleep” here means ignoring the teachings, allowing your mind to become procrastinating or dull. Instead, allow the mind to be vibrant and continue to reflect upon the teachings of Sage Vāsiṣṭha.
Rāma as a Baby Elephant: Strength of Faith
Just as a baby elephant constantly thinks of its mother, Rāma’s mind was focused on the sage’s words. You are not a baby horse or a baby goat; you are a baby elephant, an elephant allegorically representing a certain type of strength. This strength arises from your faith and profound understanding, giving you “elephant power.” Spiritual heroes are often described in terms of elephant power; for instance, Bhima had 10,000 elephants’ strength.
So, you start with baby elephant power, constantly thinking of the mother elephant (like Gaṇeśa’s head). Rāma’s mind was focused on Vāsiṣṭha’s face, listening to his words, which provided a divine milk for spiritual nourishment.
The Aspirant’s Deep Inquiries
Shri Rāma reflected thus: when a baby sits in its mother’s arms, looking at the world, the world is no longer a terrorizing situation. The baby begins to develop an objective view. Whenever there is trouble, it looks up to the Mother’s face, gets inspiration, and looks around. Apply this spiritually:
- “What is the nature of this world process?”
- “Who am I?”
- “How is all this happening?”
- “How can the mind be controlled?”
- “Whence is this mind, whence is this māyā or cosmic illusion, and how can I overcome it?”
- “What did Sage Vāsiṣṭha teach in order to control the mind?”
The highlight of the philosophy is always: man eva manushyanaam karanam bandha-mokṣa. Mind is the cause of bondage and release. Therefore, you must allow your mind to work. How does the mind lead you to bondage, and how can you use the same mind to attain liberation? You have to work with the mind; nothing else is there for you. The same mind that created bondage has a subtle passage. Utilize the mind, and the passage opens, leading you to enlightenment.
Restraining Thought Waves: Yoga Citta Vṛtti Nirodha
Yoga citta vṛtti nirodha defines yoga as the attainment of the highest goal, which is possible when all the thought waves of your mind are completely restrained.
We are talking from a very advanced level here. The disciplinary stage of yoga involves allowing thought waves to be cultured, controlled, and modified. But in the advanced state, the entire mind itself must move away. How can it be done?
The Intellect Soaring like a Swan (Hamsa)
The intellect must soar like a swan beyond the illusions of the world. For the intellect to do that, it must rid itself of intellectualism. All “isms” are bad.
Intellect has two aspects:
- Being satisfied with intellectual data, making people think they are very knowledgeable or great pundits, but this is not reality.
- Undergoing a transformation to allow your mind to become free of impurities. Then, the same intellect operates not intellectually, but intuitively.
Even in daily life, you’ll find a difference between an intellectual way of solving a problem and an inspiring way through quick intuition. At this ideal, intuitional level, your soul is no longer a prisoner. Relieved of all its fetters, the soul flies, allegorically, like a swan beyond the illusions of the world.
The Sanskrit word Soham (I am) turns around to become Hamsa, which means both “swan” and “I am that.” All these scriptures are presented allegorically. Otherwise, if you simply say, “Brahman alone exists,” “the whole world is a snake on the rope,” or “Tattvamasi (Thou art That),” how many would come to satsaṅga?
Cultivating Spiritual Hunger and Aspiration
“When will I abide in the Self and sport in the world as a liberated sage?” This is how an aspirant must internally develop an inner understanding and resolve.
It’s like when you are hungry, your mind says, “When will I get wonderful food?” Try to develop a spiritual hunger. Realize how wonderful it is to feel that hunger. If you’ve been sickly, not having good digestion, you’re missing a great sense of joy. But the moment you feel hunger, joy begins to come up. The masses often lack this appetite, this digestion.
When an aspirant develops a sense of great spiritual hunger and a taste for divine food, they ask: “When will I be able to cross the ocean of the world process, abounding with the sharks of desires and undercurrents of cravings?”
There are two types of hunger. Chor bhook is stealthy hunger, where your hungry process becomes trapped by negative forces. Instead of nourishing yourself, you satisfy cravings in strange ways, leading to indulgence even when your body says no.
“When will this apparent wave of my individuality, which is whipped by the storm of cravings, which abounds with the whales and sharks of desires and expectations, merge into the ocean of the Divine Self?”
The Goal: The Sorrowless (Ashoka) State
The first stage is to allow your whole personality to be as healthy and good as possible, that’s the purpose of Yoga. But when you are truly healthy, spiritually normal, your intellect undergoes a change, and you develop a deep insight: “I am not the body. The body is only an instrument, a vehicle. I am immortal.” The idea of being confined to the body moves away from your mind.
Choose the difference between being the sun or staying in a bucket. The idea of a bucket is more comfortable, but it’s ridiculous. So, “When will I be free?” That becomes the highlight for the soul that has good qualification. Rāma promotes this type of aspiration:
“When will I abide in this sorrowless state (Ashoka), which is the goal of all aspirants?”
The entire Gītā focuses on the word Ashoka. Kṛṣṇa starts his teachings to Arjuna with Ashochya Ananvashochastvam, meaning, “You are grieving over things not worth grieving for.” Eighteen chapters of the Gītā elaborate on this, culminating with the teaching, “Therefore, mā śuca, Don’t grieve.”
All your attainments through karmas, through your body, mind, and personality, are in the realm of Māyā (illusion). They do not impact upon reality. The reality remains untouched. Your real “I am” is not in trouble at all. So, if you are concerned with “Who am I?”, realize “I am” is not worth grieving for. You are the sun, not in the bucket.
This is an advanced ideal, but it becomes a source of inspiration as you follow the spiritual path:
- “When will this apparent wave of my individuality, which is whipped by the storm of cravings, and which abounds with the whales and sharks of desires and expectations, merge into the ocean of the Divine Self?”
- “When will I abide in this sorrowless state, which is the goal of all aspirants?”
- “When will I experience that state of enlightenment, which is even like the full moon flooding the heart with its cooling rays of bliss and peace?”
- “This fever of the world process is consuming every limb of my body. It is destroying my vitality and strength. When will I be rid of this awful malady?” (All experiences are a form of malady; listen to the awesome melody that comes from the universe).
- “When will my intellect shine like a serene lamp placed in a windless spot?”
- “When will my senses turn away from the objects of the world, thus enabling me to cross the ocean of the world process, even like the Garuḍa bird?”
- “When will I become free of the body idea, which is sustained by the impressions of previous karmas?”
- “When will I destroy the stream of karmas and become one with my essential self?”
- “When will I attain that glorious state of self-realization, compared to which even the pleasures of the Nandana gardens of the heavenly world become as insignificant as a blade of grass?” (All imaginative descriptions of immense pleasure become insignificant when you have the idea of attaining enlightenment).
Dialogue with the Intellect (Buddhi)
“Oh intellect (buddhi), I am even like your brother.” In Sanskrit, buddhi is feminine, so Rāma is talking to his sister. “Extend your sisterly affection to me. May you free yourself, as well as myself, from the world process.”
Spiritual enlightenment is attained by the intellect (buddhi). So, it is buddhi that works in two ways: it’s a “caterpillar state” that allows the soul to attain the revelation, “I am that.” The intellect works for itself and for promoting the soul’s enlightenment. But then the soul must urge the intellect to do both. All these are allegorical.
“O intellect, a teaching that has been thought of a thousand times but has not been accepted by you will disappear like the wintry clouds in the sky.” All the teachings you have heard a thousand times will give you no benefit if you keep your “sister intellect” behind the door. But allow the intellect to become involved with every teaching you hear.
“But the teachings that have been accepted by you will continue to shine brighter and brighter, like the rising sun.”
Thus, Shri Rāma continued to reflect upon the teachings he had heard from Sage Vāsiṣṭha. Again and again, he sought to persuade his mind, his intellect, and senses to promote the mystic movement leading to self-realization.
And we will conclude at this.