Friday, August 03, 2012

Yogic tale from Yoga Vashishtha on tamas and rajas

Tamas and rajas are two traps of the ordinary mind, says Ramana Maharishi. Below a story from Yoga Vashistha where the Brahma rishi (after whom this treatise) is named is advising a youthful Lord Rama about the problems of the ordinary mind in the path: 

 In a city with nine gates (our human body), there is a ghost (Ahamkara or the ego or I-consciousness) which flits about being chased by its own fear of the Brahmic meditation. Its entire ghostly existence lies in resisting this high achievement for which human birth is granted. Giving this ghost company is the king of this city (Jiva) who is distracted and engrossed with the games and dangers that come at him relentlessly, like the waves (our thoughts, actions, karmic debts).   This king actually has three bodies, made of the three gunas. 


The dull guna or tamas which pushes him back to patala (netherland) where the king (our own little self) suffers disease, pain, suffering or forgetfulness from our Brahmic goal.
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The rajasic one (of action) keeps him tied to the mundane world (of pleasure and pain), while the pure sattvic body leads us towards dharma or liberation. All thoughts must be completely destroyed before the ghost, its ghost town and its ghost king stop their restless, misdirected quest. When  thoughts (vrittis and vasanas) come to a halt, Brahmic reality shines through. In its light the ghost town (Maya) vanishes and we become one with the god.

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