When I lived in the ashram, back in 1991-92, my roommate, Richard, would read aloud from the Yoga Vasistha. This story was the first, in my recollection, that gave me the satori experience, and really defined what I had been experiencing in my meditations. Nondualism, nonexistence, existence, turtles all the way down. The nonesense of no sense.
I bring you a story from that holiest of holies, The Yoga Vasistha, so that perhaps it may serve as a koan with which to punch through and bring samadhi, THAT, Om, The Visitation of the Holy Spirit, what have you. Words… fuck em.
The Non-Existent Princes:
Once upon a time in a city which did not exist, there were three princes who were brave and happy. Of them two were unborn and the third had not been conceived. Unfortunately all their relatives died. The princes left their native city to go elsewhere. Very soon, unable to bear the heat of the sun, they fell into a swoon. Their feet were burned by hot sand. The tips of grass pierced them. They reached the shade of three trees, of which two did not exist, and third had not even been planted. After resting there for some time, and eating the fruit of those trees, they proceeded further.
They reached the banks of three rivers; of them two were dry, and in the third there was no water. The princes had a refreshing bath and quenched their thirst in them. They then reached a huge city which was about to be built. Entering it, they found three palaces of exceeding beauty. Of them two had not been built at all, and the third had no walls. They entered the palaces and there found three golden plates; two of them had been broken into two, and the third had been pulverized. They took ninety-nine minus one hundred grams of rice, and cooked it. They then invited three holy men to be their guests; of them two had no body, and the third had no mouth. After these holy men had eaten the food, the three princes partook of the rest of the food cooked. They were greatly pleased. Thus they lived in that city for a long, long time in peace and joy.
…. (I excised some stuff)
What is known as the creation of the world is no more real than this story. The world is nothing but pure hallucination. It is nothing more than an idea.
[THIS EXCERPT IS TAKEN FROM SUNY'S CONCISE YOGA VASISTHA TRANSLATED BY VENKATESANANDA]
Thanks for posting this, Mark. It’s true–it’s all a huge illusion, yet we take it so seriously. My own experience was one of pure silence, with the noise of life spinning around some distance away, like a great wheel. That’s why I always say, “get off the wheel” and feel the stillness. No sense getting dizzy over an illusion! Laugh at it, and play along,like you’re on stage, and retreat to the center when you’ve had enough.
I think that my favorite, and most life changing, is the house that the head god made and wanted it bigger than anything ever… when the Supreme god came to visit, he looked at all the rooms and make appreciative noises about it all. When we was done, he said, wow, this really is bigger than all the houses of all the other head gods!” of course the head god was perplexed, but right then he noticed a column of ants stretching as far as you can see from horizon to horizon. “What are these? Why are there ants in my house?” The Supreme god shook it’s head and said “you don’t want to know.” “oh! Yes, yes I do!” “Ok… those are all the head gods that have come before you. In an eternity, the head gods that will come after you will start.”
Very abbreviated… but I just love that each is important, for the columns would not be the same without each one, yet it doesn’t matter, because if you don’t get it right this time, there will be plenty more chances to make it right.”
Loves!
Liz, you’re thinking of the “former Indra’s all” story Joseph Campbell told in the Power of Myth. Yes. Same thing. Unreality as reality is really… unreal.
Brigid, the wheel analogy is perfect. Yes, the motionless hub around which the wheel rolls on. Samsara. Thanks for the comment. I love it.