THE STORY OF BILWA FRUIT.
Summary In this story, an illustration is given that the expansion of the Bliss arising from the worship of Jnana stated in the previous story is the All.
Rama continued The nectary showers of thy words, though they have become full in me, are not yet to my heart s content. Please therefore throw more light on this all-full Jnana.
To which the Muni replied One thing which is sweet and pleasant to us at one moment produces the very reverse of that sensation in another. Whoever has not experienced this in this world ? Things, when longed for, are pleasant; but are bitter if not longed for. Hence desires are the cause of pleasures. Pleasures will cease, when satis faction arises in the same. But if desires cease, all else will be destroyed. Therefore, oh Rama who wishes to divest thyself of all associations with objects, mayest thou be free from all desires, from all thoughts, from thy (lower) mind. If thy Antahkarana (lower mind) be devoid of all Vasanas, then it will be never disturbed from its equilibrium, in spite of the many obstacles crossing its path.
The mind has the potency of creating or undoing the whole world in the twinkling of an eye. Therefore mayest thou slay this mind, either through the destruction of the Vasanas or the control of the Prana. The base Avidya (ignorance) has the property of expanding and contracting. Through these two (expansion and contraction), the ever- gyrating Karmas do take life and die. Therefore thou shouldst annihilate this mind of Ajnana (ignorance) through the power of constant association with Acharyas and Jnana books.
The mind will be destroyed through the control of Prana or the arrest of the fluctuation of the mind Such a distrac tion is termed by the wise to be the supreme Seat. The Bliss which arises, when the visibles and sight are merged into one (the seer), is the all-pervading Paramatta (Reality). Beyond “ That,” nought else is. Through such a vision (or direct perception), the mind will be destroyed and will generate infinite bliss. Such a Bliss has no increase or decrease, no appearance or disappearance. The mind of the discrimi native Jnanis cannot be termed mind but only Tatwa (Real ity).
That which gets differentiated through the diverse objects is the mind. It will become immaculate, like copper transmuted into gold. This Reality of Jnana, having become the mind, will sport once in this universe and then reaching the Turya (fourth) state will become that Eternal Verity which is above Turya. Hence Brahman can be one as well as many like this variegated cosmos. All are Brahman only. The differentiations of the mind, &c., do not in the least really exist and will appear as so many manufactured illusions of the brain. Now I will illustrate the same. Hear ken, oh Rama, to a small anecdote which will astonish even the learned.
A Bilwa fruit there is, of such huge dimensions that neither Kotis (crores) nor Maha-Kotis nor lakhs of Kotis of Yojanas can measure it. It will not decay even when a Maha-Kalpa closes. Though the ancient of ancients, its glory is such that it is more soft and delicious than the moon on the third day of the waxing fortnight. It will remain quite unruffled even amidst the fierce storms and gales at the end of a Kalpa and is the seed of Brahmas egg. It is indeed impossible to set a limit to the number of mundane eggs which generate out of, and are absorbed in, this fruit to which no words can do full justice.
Though ripe ever, it will never decay. It is the quintessence in full of all other fruits. The fleshy part of this fruit is illimitable and typifies but the all- pervading nature ofjnana. The marrow in the fruit is the fluctuating Chit-Sakti which, arising in the fruit (of Brahman) that is equal in all, produces, through its intelligential potencies, the heterogeneities of Akasa, the Kalas (parts) the imperishable Law, motion, the dome of Brahma s egg, of time, the several quarters, etc., which are represented by the different seats of marrow in the fruit.
Brama, at this statement of Vasishta queried him thus Oh first of Jnnis, I have understood thy allegory of Bilwa fruit. Oh Acharya, this Bilwa fruit is no other than the Supreme Seat of the Sat. Ahankara and others are no other than the base aspects of Jnna. Oh firm Achdrya, Jnana which appears as the one and the many, has never any differences per se. The marrow of the pumpkin of Brahma s egg is Maha-Meru, etc., while the rind of the Bilwa fruit of Jnana h; no other than Brahma s egg and all the universes.
THE STORY OF A GRANITE
Summaty In this story it is sought to exemplify the fact that all things, though appearing different, are no other than Brahmic Light.
Vasishta continued O Rama of exquisite beauty, again listen to another story. There is a glorious huge granite rock which is impartite, thickset, soft and endless in its dimensions. Out of it, have lotuses beyond number risen and bloomed. Their leaves are tacked on, one to another and close-set. Some are visible and some invisible; some became the higher ones and some, the lower Some are firm in their own state.
Innumerable are the shells cropping up in the middle of these lotuses having no root. Discuses also grow up in great numbers betwixt the lotuses. Here Rma remarked that he observed one such huge granite in the rock of Saliagrama whereon Vishnu stood.
The Muni continued The granite I referred to is not one that you have ever witnessed. I applied the word granite to the Chit in the heart in which are the different states of all the worlds. The granite is no other than the Jnana in the heart containing the worlds which are one and yet many. In this non-dual and obdurate Jnana- rock are the hosts of universes like the air pervading the Akasa- Earth, Akasa, Vayu, mountains and the quarters even when combined, will not make up even an infinitesimal small particle of this rock.
In this beautiful one are to be found the sacred marks of lotus, dis cus and conch. f It may be said to be in the Sushupti state. All the universes awe no other than Jnana itself, like parts of a rock which are no other than the rock itself. The wise say It will ever be as It was before. Though, like the granite rock, there are absorbed in the heart heterogeneous univer ses with their various marks, yet Chit is non-d .al without any differences. Like the analogy of a forest of lotuses ap pearing (at a distance) like one stone, all the universes with out being differentiated in Jnana are one replete Chit. Have you ever seen lotuses and the like hatched or generat ed out of a big rock ? Similarly are the three worlds, (not born out of and absorbed into Jnana) but the light of Jnana only.
As in fhe afore-mentioned illustration of the marrow of the Bilwa fruit, the many mundane eggs that have differentiat ed merge into the one Chit. But you should not conclude therefrom that it is many. The Sat-aspect of Brahman mani fests itself as this grand motley universe of forms which are like lotuses in a granite Then they will reach the seat of Atma conquered through Sushupti, quiescence and equality of mind and Jnana. All these ephemeral creations are of no avail and will not ever be composed of these diverse forms.
