This book changed my life: Laghu Yoga Vasistha, by K Naryanaswami Aiyer.
I breezed through it, breathlessly, so elated, that something that cannot be defined was finally discussed. Not in riddles, as can happen in some Vedantic treatises which will be incomplete without translations and interpretations, but as stories that spoke of it in little tales, so that the image of that came out, wonderfully, clearly, with a lucid fullness ...
It remains one of the most exhilirating books I have ever read.
After that, all confusion ceased:)
This, then, was yoga!!
(Image from this site.. It also gives u a free download of the book. But I suggest u read the translation by Aiyer first, if you want it compact, neat and digestible. Other wise, it can be a rather heavy book for first time study of Vedanta philosophy).
"There is a beautiful country which is unlimited, all-pervading and without any precincts. That is the source from which all mundane eggs arise and into which all are absorbed. In this country, there exist neither the five grand elements,nor hills, nor forests, nor holy places, nor the pure Devas, nor the other anicent souls. Great Luminosity is the name of the king existing there. He is omniscient, all-pervading, the cause of all and perfectly quiescent and all full. He is Silence itself. Without fail he causes all acts to be performed through the minister appointed by him. The moment the minister thought of a thing, though non-existent, it arose instantaneously as a tangible object; though existent, it disappeared mysteriously. this minister has not the power to enjoy anything of his own right; nor does he know anything by himself. As he acts always in concert with the king, he is able to do all things. Though the minister does all acts in the prescence of the king, yet the latter is always alone."
From a tale, from Laghu Yoga Vasistha, by K. Narayanaswami.
I breezed through it, breathlessly, so elated, that something that cannot be defined was finally discussed. Not in riddles, as can happen in some Vedantic treatises which will be incomplete without translations and interpretations, but as stories that spoke of it in little tales, so that the image of that came out, wonderfully, clearly, with a lucid fullness ...
It remains one of the most exhilirating books I have ever read.
After that, all confusion ceased:)
This, then, was yoga!!
(Image from this site.. It also gives u a free download of the book. But I suggest u read the translation by Aiyer first, if you want it compact, neat and digestible. Other wise, it can be a rather heavy book for first time study of Vedanta philosophy).
"There is a beautiful country which is unlimited, all-pervading and without any precincts. That is the source from which all mundane eggs arise and into which all are absorbed. In this country, there exist neither the five grand elements,nor hills, nor forests, nor holy places, nor the pure Devas, nor the other anicent souls. Great Luminosity is the name of the king existing there. He is omniscient, all-pervading, the cause of all and perfectly quiescent and all full. He is Silence itself. Without fail he causes all acts to be performed through the minister appointed by him. The moment the minister thought of a thing, though non-existent, it arose instantaneously as a tangible object; though existent, it disappeared mysteriously. this minister has not the power to enjoy anything of his own right; nor does he know anything by himself. As he acts always in concert with the king, he is able to do all things. Though the minister does all acts in the prescence of the king, yet the latter is always alone."
From a tale, from Laghu Yoga Vasistha, by K. Narayanaswami.
2 comments:
The Supreme Yoga (Yoga Vssistha), by Swami Venkatesananda, published by Motilal Banarasidass, is also a good read. It gives a sloka a day explanation, making it very readable.
Yes, and swami Venkateshwananda is a disciple of my Sadguru Swami Sivananda Saraswati. I have that book, too, and it is also very exhilarating. But in two volumes, for a beginner in Vedanta, it can be difficult. It is also in the form of translation, for which u need to already have some background in such studies... In Aiyer's book, the whole thing is meshed as a story, so it is easy to read it and understand. This is not a comparision of the quality of the books. Both are fabulous, but in terms of access to newcomers to the field.. just an observation. Just now I am actually focusing on Sw Venkateswananda's book. Thks for sharing, ev:)
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