Chapter 205

“Manu said, ‘Upon the appearance of the physical and mental sorrow, onedoes not become able to practise yoga. It is advisable, therefore, forone not to brood over such sorrow. The remedy for sorrow is abstentionfrom brooding over it. When sorrow is brooded over, it comes aggressivelyand increases in violence. One should relieve mental sorrow by wisdom,while physical sorrow should be cured by medicaments. Wisdom teachesthis. One should not, while under sorrow, behave like a child. The man ofwisdom should never cherish a desire for youth, beauty, length of life,accumulation of wealth, health, and the companionship of those that aredear, all of which are transitory. One should not grieve singly for asorrow that affects a whole community. Without grieving, one should, ifone sees an opportunity, seek to apply a remedy. Without doubt, themeasure of sorrow is much greater than that of happiness in life. To onewho is content with the objects of the senses, death that is disagreeablecomes in consequence of his stupefaction. That man who avoids both sorrowand happiness succeeds verily in attaining to Brahma. Such persons, whoare possessed of wisdom, have never to grieve.[691] Worldly possessionsbring about sorrow. In protecting them thou canst not have any happiness.They are again earned with misery. One should not therefore, regard theirloss.[692] Pure Knowledge (or Brahma) is regarded (by ignorance) asexisting in the diverse forms that are objects of Knowledge. Know thatmind is only an attribute of Knowledge. When the mind becomes united withthe faculties of knowledge, then the Understanding (which bodies forththe forms of things) sets in.[693] When the Understanding, freed from theattributes of action, becomes directed towards the mind (after beingwithdrawn from outward objects), then does it succeed in knowing Brahmaby meditation or Yoga ending in complete absorption (samadhi)? TheUnderstanding flowing from Ignorance, and possessed of the senses andattributes, runs towards external objects, like a river issuing from amountain summit and flowing towards other regions. When theUnderstanding, withdrawn into the mind, succeeds in absorbing itself intocontemplation that is free from attributes, it attains to a knowledge ofBrahma like the touch of gold on a touchstone. The mind is theapprehender of the objects of the senses. It must first be extinguished(before Brahma can be attained). Dependent upon the attributes of objectsthat are before it, the mind can never show that which is withoutattributes. Shutting up all the doors constituted by the senses, theUnderstanding should be withdrawn into the mind. In this state, whenabsorbed in contemplation, it attains to the knowledge of Brahma. As thefivefold great creatures (in their gross form) upon the destruction ofthe attributes by which they are known, become withdrawn (into theirsubtile form called Tanmatra), after the same manner the Understandingmay dwell in the mind alone, with the senses all withdrawn from theirobjects. When the Understanding, though possessed of the attribute ofcertainty, dwells in the mind, busied with the internal, even then it isnothing but the mind (without being anything superior to it). When themind or consciousness, which attains to excellence through contemplation,succeeds in identifying attributes with what are considered as theirpossessors, then can it cast off all attributes and attain to Brahmawhich is without attributes.[694] There is no indication that is fitenough for yielding a knowledge of what is Unmanifest (Brahma). Thatwhich cannot form the subject of language, cannot be acquired by any one.With cleansed soul, one should seek to approach the Supreme Brahma,through the aid afforded by penances, by inferences, by self-restraint,by the practices and observances as laid down for one’s own order, and bythe Vedas. Persons of clear vision (besides seeing the Supreme withinthemselves), seek him in even external forms by freeing themselves fromattributes. The Supreme, which is called by the name of Jneya (i.e., thatwhich should be known), in consequence of the absence of all attributesor of its own nature, can never be apprehended by argument. When theUnderstanding becomes freed from attributes, then only it can attain toBrahma. When unemancipated from attributes, it falls back from theSupreme. Indeed, such is the nature of the understanding that it rushestowards attributes and moves among them like fire among fuel. As in thestate called Sushupti (deep and dreamless slumber) the five senses existfreed from their respective functions, after the same manner the SupremeBrahma exists high above Prakriti, freed from all its attributes.Embodied creatures thus betake themselves to action in consequence ofattributes. When they abstain therefrom, they attain to Emancipation.Some again (by action) go to heaven. The living creature, primordialnature, the understanding, the objects of the senses, the senses,consciousness, conviction of personal identity, are called creatures (forthey are subjected to destruction). The original creation of all theseflowed from the Supreme. Their second or succeeding creation is due tothe action of couples or pairs (of opposite sexes) and is confined to allthings save the primal five, and is restrained by laws in consequence ofwhich the same species produce the same species. From righteousness(living) creatures obtain a high end, and from sinfulness they earn anend that is low. He who is unemancipated from attachments, encountersrebirth; while he who is emancipated therefrom, attains to Knowledge (orBrahma).'”