Appearance versus Reality

384916_web_R_by_Pascal Willuhn_pixelio.deI am posting this quote vom Yoga Vasishta because it perfectly fits the topic of this month.  Unfortunately I do not have the exact references, so I am asking anyone who has it to let us know and possibly fix the translation if it is not correct (dear readers, please check the comments).

O Rama, you have reached that state of satva and your mind has been burnt in the fire of wisdom. What is that wisdom? It is that the infinite Brahman is indeed the infinite Brahman; the world-appearance is but an appearance whose reality is Brahman. Page 328

Because the substratum (Infinite Consciousness) is real, all that is based on it acquires reality, though the reality is of the substratum alone. The universe and all beings in it are but a long dream. To me you are real, and to you I am real; even so the others are real to you or to me. And, this relative reality is like the reality of the dream-objects. Page 71

Whatever there is here which exists and functions here is real to the self and not to another who does not perceive it and is unaware of it. Therefore, all these creations and creatures that exist within the field of the energy of consciousness are true to the perceiving self and are unreal to the non-perceiver. All the notions and the dreams that exist in the present, past or the future are all real, because the self which is the self of all is real. Page 574

One can say that this world-appearance is real only so far as it is the manifestation of consciousness and because of direct experience; and it is unreal when it is grasped with the mind and the sense-organs. Wind is perceived as real in its motion, and it appears to be non-existent when there is no motion: even so this world-appearance can be regarded both as real and unreal. Page 88

 

from: http://www.yogavasistha.com/ptoy.htm

Photo credits:  Pascal Willuhn@pixelio.de

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About Sitara

Sitara was born in 1954, she became a disciple of Osho in 1979. In 2002, she met Dolano and from then on,discovered Western-style Advaita teachings, especially those of Gangaji. After reading Back to the Truth by Dennis Waite in 2007, Sitara started to study traditional Advaita Vedanta (main influences being Swami Paramarthananda, Swami Dayananda and Swami Chinmayananda). She teaches several students on a one-to-one basis or in small groups (Western-style teaching inspired by Advaita Vedanta). Sitara is highly appreciative of Advaita Vedanta while at the same time approving of several Western Advaita teachers. She loves Indian culture and spent many years in India.

3 thoughts on “Appearance versus Reality

  1. Hello Sitara
    The Ref. is Vasistha Yoga by Swami Venkatesananda. State Univ. of NY.
    Page 328: Section 6-1-2
    Page 71: Section 3-42
    Page 574 – Section 6-2-84
    Page 88: Section 3-61
    The only knit-picking correction is on Page 71: This universe and all beings in it are…
    Great Pick!
    Vijay

  2. Very good and appropriate selection!

    This is about Perception (seeing), rather than conception-perception, is it not?

    What would be the nit-picking suggested by Vijay?

  3. I think that Vijay pointed out that he liked either the photo (Pick= picture) or the choice of quotes (Pick = choice).

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