"In the vision of the knowers of truth, there is nothing other than the pure and infinite consciousness, and the objective universe is completely and totally non-existent. There is neither a creation nor its opposite. He who rests for ever in this pure and infinite consciousness is the omnipresent and omniscient Lord; he is the all and he is the self of all at all times. Tell me, who can restrain him, how, where and when. The omnipresent shines as and when he likes, for he is the self of all. What is not present in the self of all? Hence, he shines how, when and where he likes, whether it is the past or the future or the present and whether it is the gross or subtle field in which such action takes place. Without ever abandoning his reality as pure consciousness, he functions at a distance and near, creating an epoch or the twinkling of an eye. All this is in the self, but the appearance is Maya (illusory); he is unborn and uncreated and has not been restrained or inhibited. What IS is as it is. Whatever IS is a mass of consciousness; and that itself is the three worlds. It is the self of the world, it is the form of the world which has arisen on account of the polarisation of consciousness into the subject and the object. Who has created this seer of all, the subject of all -- how and when?"
- "The persons seen in a dream have no past karma.
- Even so, the jivas that arose in the beginning of creation have no karma, because they are pure consciousness.It is only when one becomes firmly rooted in the notion of this world-appearance as the reality, that the notion of karma arises.
- Then the jivas roam here, bound by their karma.
- If it is realised that this creation itself is no-creation, and that Brahman alone exists, then where is karma, whose is karma, and who belongs to that karma?
- Karma exists only in ignorance; the moment right knowledge arises, karma ceases to bind."
- "...this creation arises without desire and without psychological causation. The world order (niyati) exists within Brahman; Brahman does not exist without niyati. Thus, this creation has a cause, but only in relation to the one whose creation it is and as long as that creation lasts in relation to him. The ignorant think that Brahman shines or appears as this creation without a cause; and it is again the ignorant that are caught up in this cause-and-effect tangle or deluded notion that causality is inviolably real. The creation takes place as a coincidence -- the ripe cocoanut falls accidentally just when a crow alights on it. Then niyati determines 'this is this' and 'that is that'.
- "She is the wisdom that shines in the hearts of all. Since she is the essence (rasa) of intelligence in all, she is known as Sarasvati. She bestows immediately on all whatever is prayed for, for she is the self of all. Hence, one experiences the fruition of one's own prayers. You have not asked for liberation; you have only prayed for the destruction of enemies. You will say: Why have I not prayed for liberation? You say that she dwells in my own heart; why has she not inspired me to pray for liberation? The minister will say: It is because in your heart there was the impure habit of wishing for the destruction of enemies. Therefore, you did not pray for liberation, but you did pray for the destruction of enemies. Whatever be the citta (mind, heart), that a being is, and this is the experience of even a child. Whatever one knows in his own heart, and whatever one experiences again and again in his heart, so that it becomes a habit, materialises whether it be good or, not good."
- "This world-appearance is like a figure that has not been carved out of the tree. Only when a figure is actually carved out of the tree, does it become a figure; but, since the infinite consciousness is non-dual, such a thing does not happen. In the inert and insentient wood, the figure does not emerge until it is actually carved. But, since consciousness is full of consciousness, the world-appearance shines within itself. In fact, consciousness never ceases to be consciousness, nor is the world carved out of it; yet, it shines as this world."
- "Whatever one constantly contemplates, whatever constantly occupies one's mind, and to whatever one is devoted with all his life, that he knows to be real and obvious. When the mind is saturated with consciousness of Brahman, it becomes that; whatever the mind loves most, it becomes that. When one's mind rests in the supreme reality or the infinite consciousness, then one engages himself in righteous activity, without being interested in the activity itself for its own sake. When this objective universe itself does not exist, or when one cannot affirm or deny its existence, it is not possible to determine who is the doer of actions and the enjoyer of experiences. ...
Just as there is no definite sequence or order or causal connection in dreams, in this world-appearance there is no definite causal connection or sequence, though it appears to have one. There is no division in dream; nor is there a division in the objects of perception. It is the same Brahman or infinite consciousness that appears in front of you as this universe or creation. In dream, there is no recognition of the objects seen in the dream, nor is there samskara (mental impression), nor even memory, because the dreamer does not think, 'I have seen this before'. Similarly, in the waking state, too, when these three considerations are removed, there is the infinite consciousness alone, which the ignorant man identifies with memory. Affirmations and negations, injunctions and prohibitions, seem to exist in the supreme being, though they do not exist in it.
When a man is dizzy, he feels that the world is going around him, though the dizziness is in him. Even when one knows this, and knows that the objective universe is delusion or illusion, it does not disappear, except through persistent practice. Hence, this illusion ceases only through the devout study of this scripture - there is no other way. It is by self-knowledge or enlightenment that these three (the mind, the objects of perception, and the body) will reach a quiescent state of equanimity, not otherwise. For these three arise from ignorance.
By a mere study of this scripture, that ignorance is dispelled. The beauty in this scripture is that its student is not abandoned to his despair; if something is not clear in the first instance, a further study of the scripture makes it clear. This scripture dispels delusion, and enables you to realise that the ordinary life itself is the supreme state. Therefore, one should study at least a small part of this scripture daily. If, however, one thinks it is not authoritative because it is of human origin, one can resort to the study of any other scripture dealing with the self-knowledge and final liberation. But one should not waste one's lifetime."
- "There is nothing solid and resistant in this world. All things everywhere are for ever subtle and non-resistant. All this is pure consciousness, which experiences these apparent solid substances as one experiences dream-objects, earth, water, wind, space, the mountains and the oceans, etc., are all subtle consciousness only. Even so are the mind and all the rest of the inner instruments. ... This creation stands in the same relation to consciousness as radiance to a jewel. ... The one sleep is regarded as dream-experience at one time, and as deep, dreamless sleep at another; but, sleep is one and indivisible. Even so, consciousness is one, whether in it there is awareness of objects or not."
- "An effect arises from a cause, not otherwise.During the state of cosmic dissolution preceding the assumed creation, there is supreme peace in which there is no cause for the creation of a universe."
- "This samsara is full of sorrow; nirvana is absolute coolness. The latter alone is the reality; the former is not. Like the uncarved figures that exist in a piece of wood, this samsara exists in the infinite consciousness - which is indivisible, but experienced diversely by diverse beings, each of whom carves out of it, as it were, what he desires - whether it is pleasure or liberation. However, all these are in essence the reality itself, even as the carved figures are in essence non-different from the wood. The life or death of relatives seen in a dream has no effect on oneself after awakening from sleep; even so, the enlightened ones are unaffected by the world appearance."
- "I consider him a hero who, after having dedicated his whole heart and soul to the love of Lord Krishna, frees himself from worldly attachments, attains true knowledge and drops his body wherever it happens to fall -- unknown, unwept and unsung."
- "O Kali, you are the embodiment of unrighteousness and evil; hereafter dwell in gambling dens, intoxicating drinks, lustful women, slaughter houses and gold. Residing in these five abodes, you will manifest as falsehood, intoxication, passion, slaughter and animosity."
- "To be able to remember Lord Krishna (Narayana) at the hour of death -- this is the true goal of one's life, whether it is attained by knowledge of yoga or right living." "In truth, nothing exists except Lord Krishna: there is no substance, no activity, no time, no nature nor a living soul! Only the Lord exists."
- "The self which is consciousness itself can have no connection whatsoever with objects of this creation, except through the Lord's maya or power of illusion -- even as a man has no connection whatsoever with the objects perceived in a dream. Name and form are within maya; 'I' and 'mine' are within maya, too: they do not 'touch' the nameless, formless, infinite noumenon."
- "The Lord is neither far nor inaccessible. One's own illumined self is the Lord. From him are all things, and to him they return. All things here worship and adore him, at all times, in their own diverse ways. By thus being adored in diverse forms by someone, birth after birth, the self is pleased. Thus pleased, the self sends a messenger for one's inner awakening and enlightenment. The messenger thus sent by the self is viveka or wisdom. It dwells in the cave of one's heart. It is this wisdom that brings about the gradual awakening of one who is conditioned by ignorance."
- "This association of the spirit with matter is like the imagination or dream of the individual. The self, or the spirit, which is eternally free from materiality, succumbs to the charm of matter, as it were, and gets involved in it, just as the spectator of a play might get emotionally disturbed by the events on stage."
"Though the inner controller or the spirit dwells in the body, it is not tainted by the latter's experiences (pleasure and pain). It is devoid of doership and is beyond the reach of the three qualities of nature (prakriti). It is but a totally free witness of nature. Yet, on account of the spell cast by the play of these qualities of nature, the self imagines that he is the doer of actions, he loses his peace of mind on account of this delusion, and in that self- imposed state of ignorance undergoes birth and death. The objects do not exist as such, except in the imagination of the subject; yet so long as one thinks of these objects and is attached to them, he cannot escape the wheel of birth and death, just as even non-existent events cause unhappiness to the dreamer." "He rests in his own true being. He does not identify the self with the body, which continues to live as prompted by the destiny which created it." "Meditation destroys all that is undivine within oneself." "The Lord is neither far nor inaccessible. One's own illumined self is the Lord. From him are all things and to him they return. All things here worship and adore him at all times in their own diverse ways. By thus being adored in diverse forms by someone, birth after birth, the self is pleased. Thus pleased, the self sends a messenger for one's inner awakening and enlightenment."
- "The greatest of the noble ones...greatly magnify even small virtues in other people." "Do not entertain uncharitable thoughts towards others; for man reaps what he has sown; the pain he has inflicted on others returns to him in due course. Retaliation perpetuates the vicious circle of cause and effect: whole-hearted worship of the Lord wipes out sorrow from your heart in an instant."
- "Noble souls in this world bear no ill-will towards their fellows. Ill-will is an indication that one recognizes diversity, and diversity is born of wrong identification of the body with the self....[he who knows this] gradually turns away from worldliness and becomes established in supreme peace, which is my own formless state."
- "The foremost duty of a king, a father or a guru is to communicate this wisdom to those in his charge, without imposing it upon them and without rebuking them if they are not mature enough to understand the message and to act upon it."
- "...experiencing something by stabilizing our awareness on that level and thinking of something, immediately, all the structure of that thing, all the value of the thing, all the tendencies of that thing will simply show up as on a television screen to give us the exact, real, uncluttered, flawless knowledge of what the form is.
- This method of gaining knowledge is as faultless and flawless as scientific investigation from the objective side. This subjective system of gaining knowledge is as faultless and flawless as the objective method, the scientific method of gaining knowledge. Herein, in this system, the subjective system of gaining knowledge not only gives us the ability to have the knowledge of anything within the window of our own heart, but, even much before this ability is gained, life is elevated to great levels of satisfaction, fulfillment. Not only does one gain knowledge, but one gains the knower in his full glory, the knower in a much greater glory than ever before. This is the greater advantage of the subjective method of gaining knowldege, and this occurs by refining the subject.
- The subjective method of gaining flawless, faultless, real truth about anything is by refining the subject, and, in refining the subject, obviously the first thing to do is to take away all the blocks which hinder the normal functioning of the nervous system -- elimination of stress. This method of dissolving stress and allowing the nervous system to function normally, this procedure goes on, and then the nervous system becomes refined, becomes purer, and consciousness can be established on that fine level where one is face-to-face with truth alone. Nothing of untruth could dawn on that level of consciousness; only truth will dawn. This system of gaining knowledge occurs by subjective purification, subjective.
- This is the reason why, particularly in this Vedic tradition, the value of inner enlightenment was emphasized, and the value of the outer was not. The whole emphasis of the Vedic culture and civilization, the Vedic trend of life, had been to enliven this inner value whereby, not only would one comprehend the truth alone, and one would be saved from facing untruth, not only this, but along with that, greater fulfillment on all levels would dawn. Man would be fully-developed, and such a fully-developed man would naturally comprehend much greater and better values in relative life than in any other situation. And that is the reason why outside life, relative life, was not so much emphasized. The entire structure of society was so laid out that every man would be a fully-developed man, and with that, society would be increasingly progressive, and progressive for all time.
- The whole secret of not bothering much about outer development was based on the spontaneity of outer enrichment with this inner enlightenment of subjective value. But then, as time would have it, the reality, the real knowledge of this map of life brought to light by the Vedic hymns, became clouded over. All that can happen in ignorance has happened, has been happening. The whole world is in darkness, suffering. This can only result when the true value is lost. But Mother Nature is after all Mother Nature, Mother Nature. She can't possibly allow the thing to go on and on and on in a very unproductive way for man, so the wave turns and the revival comes."
- ~Maharishi
- ~Humboldt State University -- Arcata, California -- August 12, 1971
- ~The Flow of Consciousness -- Maharishi Mahesh Yogi on Literature and Language, 1971 to 1976 (pp.195-196)
- ~Edited by Rhoda F. Orme-Johnson, Ph.D. & Susan K. Andersen, Ph.D. -- 2010
- "As a matter of fact the Divine is equally present everywhere, but He gives recognition to His presence according to the degree of recognition that man gives Him in his life."