[Advaita-l] Yoga VaasishTa and Science

[m w]

Senaniji,
   
  As you say 
  >>Internal evidence shows that this was composed after the advent of the Buddha
   
  To me it doesn't seem so. Do you have any information based on which you said so? Please let me know. 
  Anyways, to me YV is from the time of Treta Yuga as they call it. When the bridge can stay for so many million of years, so can the scripture be.
          Also, one more question. Do you know as to where can we find the 32000 verse scripture with good translation preseneted as a good work. Please let me know if you have any idea. The one I have is very good, but I was looking for the unabridged work.
   
  Pranaams
  Manish
   
   
   
   
  

Siva Senani Nori <sivasenani at yahoo.com> wrote:
  m w wrote:

Amuthanji,

I would suggest you one good scripture to read, if you haven't before, and it will open up all the pores that are still to be opened yet. I know you don't want to talk to me still there is a point in it. The scripture is "Yoga Vasishtha." Another one is Ashtavakra Gita. Yoga Vasishtha by Swami 

---------

Yoga VaasishTam is a fairly long text, about 32,000 verses long. To put this in perspective, RAmAyaNa is about 24,000 verses long, and MahAbhArata about 100,000 verses long. So it is usually available in its 'laghu', small, version. A good extract, definitely one that supports Manishji's views, is Sri Roddam Narasimha's 'Verses for the Brave' (the original word is dheemAn) containing less than 150 verses in beautfiul sanskrit, and a good English translation. The import of those verses is:

1. adyatana - pertaining to today - karma is under our influence, prAktana karma or sanchita karma - the opening balance of karma in this janma so to speak - is not. So focus on the now, and try to do good.
2. adyatana is more powerful than prAktana because it can change the effects of the latter.
3. Daivam - or vidhi or Fate - is roundly rejected. What you are is as per your efforts.
4. na devo puNDarIkAxah ... Punadarikaksha is not a god, so is not Siva and so on (a pure purva-mimaamsaa-position).Only karma reigns. And of course, within that what you can do today and tomorrow is the only relevant part.
5. Similarly it states the advaitic position of pure essence (chaitanyam) being the only Reality. And yet, comes back to the action point in a sort of: So, what are you supposed to do? Not brood over some miseries that you (Rama) happened to see. Act, and for the Good.

In short, it is less about metaphysics and more about ethics, and within that on one particular aspect: no tradition, no scripture, no philosophy allows for your current state (Rama is initially portrayed in a Gautama-like state, whereupon VasishTa teaches him the text. This was suppposed to be before ViSvAmitra came to take Rama and Lakshmana with him). You can only act for the good, and hence do it.

The author is purported to be Valmiki. Internal evidence shows that this was composed after the advent of the Buddha (usage of buddhisht technical terms, Rama portrayed initially like Sidhdhartha etc.), and contemporary with the development of advaita, as the Truth as per the author corresponds to the advaitic position. Though the author in his introduction mentions otherwise, it is said that Sri Sankara refers to yogavaasishTam in his commentary on the SvetaaSvataaropanishad. Interestingly, in the YV, vedaprAmaanyata is kind of rejected, though I am not sure, directly. Definitely, an interesting and stimulating work.

Now, the second of my two cents. Science has been spoken of as a very fundamental thing with a lot of answers etc. Admittedly, I was trained as an engineer, but I find something very curious about science. Take for instance, the turbulent layer that forms around things (beyond the laminar layer) when they move through any fluid, most commonly air. A proper understanding of this is very important, given all the flying we do today, and the importance of satellites in modern life. Yet, this aspect is little understood from a fundamental point of view (the laminar layer is better understood). That is, the issue of 'why the turbulent layer has the properties that it has' is not understood from, say, the first prinicples of physics at the atomic level. However 'what the properties of the turbulent layer are', is well understood, and so all of us fly safely, use telephones, watch TV, check weather and so on. But all these activities are based on an understanding of only the
what, not how or why. Such being the case with purely physical things, is it a wonder that gentlemen like Sri Amuthan hold the views they do about Science, in relation of the Ultimate Knowledge?

Incidentally, Sri Roddam Narasimha, mentioned above, is a scientist at the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore.

Regards
Senani




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