PROOF OF THE FUTILITY OF MIND.
Argument. Lavana’s return to his Palace and the interpretation of his
dream by Vasishtha.
The Chandála continued:—O lord of men! After lapse of sometime, there
occurred a dearth in this place owing to the drought of rain, which
broke down all men under its diresome pressure.
2. Pressed by extreme scarcity, all our village people were scattered
far abroad, and they perished in famine and never returned.
3. Thence forward O lord! we are exposed to utmost misery, and sit
lamenting here in our helpless poverty. Behold us lord, all bathed in
tears falling profusely from our undrying eyelids.
4. The King was lost in wonder, at hearing these words from the mouth of
the elderly lady; and looking at the face of his follower the faithful
minister, remained in dumb amazement as the figure in a picture.
5. He reflected repeatedly on this strange occurrence, and its curious
concurrence with his adventures in the dream. He made repeated queries
relating to other circumstances, and the more he heard and learned of
them, the more he found their coincidence with the occurrences of his
vision.
6. He sympathised with their woes, and saw them in the same state, as he
had seen them before in his dream. And then he gave suitable gifts and
presents to relieve their wants and woes.
7. He tarried there a long while, and pondered on the decrees of
destiny; when the wheel of fortune brought him back to his house,
wherein he entered amidst the loud cheers and low salutations of the
citizens.
8. In the morning the King appeared in his court hall, and sitting there
amidst his courtiers, asked me saying:—“How is it, O sage, that my dream
has come to be verified in my presence to each item and to my great
surprise”?
9. “They answered me exactly and to the very point all what I asked of
them, and have removed my doubt of their truth from the mind, as the
winds disperse the clouds of heaven.”
10. Know thus, O Ráma! it is the illusion of Avidya, that is the cause
of a great many errors, by making the untruth appear as truth, and
representing the sober reality as unreality.
11. Ráma said: Tell me sir, how the dream came to be verified; it is a
mysterious account that cannot find a place in my heart.
12. Vasishtha replied:—All this is possible, O Ráma! to the illusion of
ignorance (Avidya); which shows the fallacy of a picture (pata) in a pot
(ghata); and represents the actual occurrences of life as dreams, and
dreams as realities.
13. Distance appears to be nigh, as a distant mountain seen in the
mirror; and a long time seems a short interval, as a night of
undisturbed repose.
14. What is untrue seems to be a truth as in dreaming one’s own death in
sleep; and that which is impossible appears possible, as in one’s aerial
journey in a dream.
15. The stable seems unsteady, as in the erroneous notion of the motion
of fixed objects to one passing in a vehicle; and the unmoving seem to
be moving to one, as under the influence of his inebriation.
16. The mind infatuated by one’s hobby, sees exposed to its view, all
what it thinks upon within itself. It sees things in the same light, as
they are painted in his fancy, whether they be in existence or not, or
real or unreal.
17. No sooner does the mind contract its ignorance, by its false notions
of egoism and tuism, than it is subjected to endless errors, which have
no beginning, middle or end and are of incessant occurrence in their
course.
18. It is the notion that gives a shape to all things; it makes a kalpa
age appear as a moment, and also prolongs a moment of time to a whole
Kalpa.
19. A man deprived of understanding, believes himself as he is said, to
have become a sheep; so a fighting ram thinks himself to be a lion in
his ideal bravery. (The word sheep is a term of derision, as the lion is
that of applause).
20. Ignorance causes the blunder of taking things for what they are not,
and falling into the errors of egoism and tuism: so all errors in the
mind produce errors in actions also.
21. It is by mere accident, that men come in possession of the objects
of their desire; and it is custom that determines the mode of mutual
dealings. (The gain is accidental and the dealing is conventional).
22. Lavana’s remembrance of the dream of his having lived in the
habitation of the Pukkasa, was the internal cause, that represented to
him the external picture of that abode, as it was a reality. (The mind
shows what we think upon, whether they are real or unreal ones).
23. As the human mind is liable to forget many things which are actually
done by some, so it is susceptible to remember those acts as true which
were never done, but had been merely thought upon in the mind. (The
forgetfulness of actualities as well as the thoughts of inactualities,
belong both to the province of the mind. Here Lavana did not remember
what he had not done, but recollected the thoughts that passed in his
mind).
24. In this manner is the thought of my having eaten something while I
am really fasting; and that of my having sojourned in a distant country
in a dream, appears true to me while I think of them.
25. It was thence that the king came to find the same conduct in the
habitation of the Chandálas at the side of Vindhyá, as he had been
impressed with its notion in his dream as said before.
26. Again the false dream that Lavana had dreamt of the Vindhyan people,
the same took possession of their minds also. (The same thought striking
in the minds of different persons at the same time (as we see in men of
the same mind)).
27. The notion of Lavana as settled in the minds of the Vindhyans, as
the thoughts of these people rose in the mind of the king. (If it is
possible for us to transfer our thoughts to one another, how much easier
must it be for the superior instrumentality of dreams and revelations to
do the same also. This is the yoga, whereby one man reads the mind of
another). Again the same error taking possession of many minds all at
once, proves the futility of common sense and universal belief being
taken for certainty, hence the common belief of the reality of things,
is the effect of universal delusion and error.
28. As the same sentiments and figures of speech, occur in different
poets of distant ages and countries, so it is not striking that the same
thoughts and ideas should rise simultaneously in the minds of different
men also. (We have a striking instance of the coincidence of the same
thought in the titles of Venisanhára and Rape of the Lock, in the minds
of Vhattanarayn and Pope).
29. In common experience, we find the notions and ideas to stand for the
things themselves, otherwise nothing is known to exist at all without
our notion or idea of it in the mind. (All that we know of, are our
ideas and nothing besides. Locke and Berkeley).
30. One idea embraces many others also under it, as those of the waves
and current, are contained under that of water. And so one thought is
associated by others relating its past, present and future conditions of
being; as the thought of a seed accompanies the thoughts of its past and
future states and its fruits and flowers of the tree. (So the word man,
comprises almost every idea relating to humanity).
31. Nothing has its entity or non-entity, nor can anything be said to
exist or not to be, unless we have a positive idea of the existent, and
a negative notion of the in-existent.
32. All that we see in our error, is as inexistent as oiliness in sands;
and so the bracelet is nothing in reality, but a formal appearance of
the substance of gold.
33. A fallacy can have no connection with the reality, as the fallacy of
the world with the reality of God, and so the fallacy of the ring with
the substance of gold and of the serpent with the rope. The connection
or mutual relation of things of the same kind, is quite evident in our
minds.
34. The relation of gum resin and the tree, is one of dissimilar union,
and affords no distinct ideas of them except that of the tree which
contains the other. (So the idea of the false world, is lost in that of
its main _substratum_ of the Divine Spirit).
35. As all things are full of the Spirit, so we have distinct ideas of
them in our minds, which are also spiritual substances; and are not as
dull material stones which have no feelings.[13]
36. Because all things in the world are intellectually true and real, we
have therefore their ideas impressed in our minds also.
37. There can not be a relation or connection of two dissimilar things,
which may be lasting, but are never united together. For without such
mutual relation of things, no idea of both can be formed together.
38. Similar things being joined with similar form together their wholes
of the same kind, presenting one form and differing in nothing.
39. The intellect being joined with an abstract idea, produces an
invisible, inward and uniform thought: so dull matter joined to another
dull object, forms a denser material object to view. But the
intellectual and material can never unite together owing to their
different natures.
40. The intellectual and material parts of a person, can never be drawn
together in any picture; because the intellectual part having the
intellect, has the power of knowledge, which is wanting in the material
picture.
41. Intellectual beings do not take into account the difference of
material things as wood and stone; which combine together for some
useful purpose (as the building of a house and the like).
42. The relation between the tongue and taste is also homogeneous;
because _rasa_ taste and _rasand_ the instrument of tasting, are both
watery substances, and there is no heterogeneous relation between them.
(And so of the other organs of sense and their respective objects).
43. But there is no relation between intellect and matter; as there is
between the stone and the wood; the intellect cannot combine with wood
and stone to form anything. (The mind and matter have no relation with
one another, nor can they unite together in any way).
44. Spiritually considered, all things are alike, because they are full
with the same spirit; otherwise the error of distinction between the
viewer and the view, creates endless differences as betwixt wood and
stones and other things.
45. The relation of combination though unseen in spirits, yet it is
easily conceived that spirits can assume any form _ad libitum_ and _ad
infinitum_ (but they must be spiritual and never material. So also a
material thing can be converted to another material object, but never to
a spiritual form).
46. Know ye seekers of truth, all things to be identic with the entity
of God. Renounce your knowledge of nonentities and the various kinds of
errors and fallacies and know the One as All _to pan_. (The omnipotent
spirit of God, is joined with all material things, in its spiritual form
only; and it is knowable to the mind and spirit of man, and never by
their material organs of sense).
47. The Intellect being full with its knowledge, there is nothing
wanting to us; it presents us everything in its circumference, as the
imagination having its wide range, shews us the sights of its air-built
castles and every thing beside. (The difference consists in the
intellect’s shewing us the natures of things in their true light, and
the imagination’s portraying them in false shapes and colours to our
minds).
48. To Him there is no limit of time or place, but his presence extends
over all his creation. It is ignorance that separates the creator from
creation, and raises the errors of egoism and tuism (_i.e._ of the
subjective and objective. The union of these into One is the ground-work
of pantheism).
49. Leaving the knowledge of the substantive gold, man contracts the
error of taking it for the formal ornament. The mistake of the jewel for
gold, is as taking one thing for another, and the production for the
producer.
50. The error of the phenomenon vanishes upon loss of the eyesight, and
the difference of the jewel (or visible shape), is lost in the substance
of gold.
51. The knowledge of unity removes that of a distinct creation, as the
knowledge of the clay takes off the sense of puppet soldiers made of it.
(So the detection of Æsop’s ass in the lion’s skin, and that of the daw
with the peacock’s feathers, removed the false appearance of their
exteriors).
52. The same Brahma causes the error of the reality of the exterior
worlds, as the underlying sea causes the error of the waves on its
surface. The same wood is mistaken for the carved figure, and the common
clay is taken for the pot which is made of it. (The truth is that, which
underlies the appearance).
53. Between the sight and its object, there lieth the eye of the
beholder, which is beyond the sight of its viewer, and is neither the
view nor the viewer. (Such is the supreme Being hidden alike from the
view and the viewer).
54. The mind traversing from one place to another, leaves the body in
the interim, which is neither moving nor quite unmoved; since its mental
part only is in its moving state. (So should you remain sedate with your
body, but be ever active in your mind).
55. Remain always in that quiet state, which is neither one of waking,
dreaming nor of sleeping; and which is neither the state of sensibility
or insensibility; but one of everlasting tranquility and rest.
56. Drive your dullness, and remain always in the company of your sound
intellect as a solid rock; and whether in joy or grief, commit your soul
to your Maker.
57. There is nothing which one has to lose or earn in this world;
therefore remain in uniform joy and bliss, whether you think yourself to
be blest or unblest in life. (“Naked came I, and naked must I return;
blessed be the name of the Lord”).
58. The soul residing in thy body, neither loves nor hates aught at any
time; therefore rest in quiet, and fear naught for what betides thy
body, and engage not thy mind to the actions of thy body.
59. Remain free from anxiety about the present, as you are unconcerned
about the future. Never be impelled by the impulses of your mind; but
remain steadfast in your trust in the true God.
60. Be unconcerned with all, and remain as an absent man. Let thy heart
remain callous to everything like a block of stone or toy of wood; and
look upon your mind as an inanimate thing, by the spiritual light of
your soul.
61. As there is no water in the stone nor fire in water, so the
spiritual man has no mental action, nor the Divine spirit hath any.
(There is no mutability of mental actions in the immutable mind of God).
62. If that which is unseen, should ever come to do anything or any
action; that action is not attributed to the unseen agent, but to
something else in the mind. (But the mind being ignored, its actions are
ignored also).
63. The unselfpossessed (unspiritual) man, that follows the dictates of
his fickle and wilful mind, resembles a man of the border land,
following the customs of the out-cast Mlechchás or barbarians.
64. Having disregarded the dictates of your vile mind, you may remain at
ease and as fearless, as an insensible statue made of clay.
65. He who understands that there is no such thing as the mind, or that
he had one before but it is dead in him to-day; becomes as immovable as
a marble statue with this assurance in himself.
66. There being no appearance of the mind in any wise, and you having no
such thing in you in reality except your soul; say, why do you in vain
infer its existence for your own error and harm?
67. Those who vainly subject themselves to the false apparition of the
mind, are mostly men of unsound understandings, and bring fulminations
on themselves from the full-moon of the pure soul.
68. Remain firm as thou art with thyself (soul), by casting afar thy
fancied and fanciful mind from thee; and be freed from the thoughts of
the world, by being settled in the thought of the Supreme Soul.
69. They who follow a nullity as the unreal mind, are like those fools
who shoot at the inane air, and are cast into the shade.
70. He that has purged off his mind, is indeed a man of great
understanding; he has gone across the error of the existence of the
world, and become purified in his soul. We have considered long, and
never found anything as the impure mind in the pure soul.