Yoga Vasistha Vol. IV: Nirvana Prakarana Purvardha

Yoga Vasistha can bring a complete transformation in the human personality. Like the beggar in an old fairy tale who turned into- a King when a charmed golden ring fell into his hand, anyone who turns the pages of this book with an inquisitive mind and a heart searching for the truth will discover the infinite beauty of his inner Self. Yoga Vasistha nourishes the soul and awakens a yearning for freedom and an exquisite peace unknown before.

This unique book par excellence has been long awaited by advanced Vedantins and yogis of India be cause it is only available in rare editions of the last century. And it is what the enquiring minds of the West have been desperately needing since they heard the remarks of Schopenhauer: “In the whole world there is no study so beneficial and so elevating as that of the Upanishads. It has been the solace of my life; it will be the solace of my death.”

H.H. Sri Swami Jyotirmayananda, internationally known lecturer and writer of over fifty books on yoga and Vedanta philosophy, has been interpreting and commenting on Yoga Vasistha for over thirty years: first in India for nine years at the Yoga Vedanta Forest Academy, Sivananda Ashram, Ludhiana, and other parts of India, and also in the Dehradum Women’s College. Since coming to the West, Swamiji lectured in Puerto Rico for six years, and now gives weekly lectures here in Miami. Available on cassette tapes, these lectures are an undying treasure.

King Shah Jehan had the choice of only one type of food-grain while he was imprisoned for life, and he chose the garbanzo because of its nourishment and adaptability to a variety of tasty dishes. So too, if I could have only one book for some extraordinary reason to read for the rest of my life, I would choose Yoga Vasistha. After a brief encounter with Yoga Vasistha, the reader will feel that all other books of philosophy have become like old crumbs on the table, while Yoga Vasistha stands like the sweet and vitalizing elixir of life.

Unfortunately, however, due to the lack of knowledge of Yoga Vasistha, the intelligentsia of the West have been unable to realize the vast treasure of profound knowledge that lies hidden in this great work. For this reason, the wisdom of Vedanta has not been understood and assimilated by them.

Yoga Vasistha encompasses in its powerful literature the dramatic stories of the inner states of the mind, and like a brilliant advocate, presents it’s brief with a convincing voice and expert phrasing. Yoga Vasistha has a mystic strategy that convinces the mind to undermine its fancies and imaginations, leading to the realization that the world lies within the mind. Nothing is more inspiring and soul stirring than when the mind lifts itself from the quagmire of false perceptions of the senses and sees the contents of waking, dream and deep sleep as the refraction of the Light of Consciousness filtering through the layers of egoistic illusions.

The awe-inspiring awakening of the knowledge that “You are not this body, not this mind, and not this intellect” is uplifting and produces a vital change in the overall perception of the world. It is for this reason that sages warn immature aspirants against the wrong interpretations of this grand philosophy; they emphasize the fact that the wisdom of Yoga Vasistha must be received under the guidance of an illumined teacher. For those who are endowed with a mighty strength of intellect and intense dispassion, Yoga Vasistha brings for them the clouds of mystic understanding that burst into the flood of unique bliss.

The greatest scriptures of the world have always blended parables, illustrations and stories to bring about a striking impression—like a flash of lightning upon the sleeping mind in order to awaken it sharply to the light of the truth. Yoga Vasistha abounds with these. Yoga Vasistha, in its broad spectrum, encompasses topics such as the mysteries of the soul, death and reincarnation, the subtle operations of the unconscious mind which bring about repeated embodiments, the psychic powers, the mystic energy known as Kundalini, and the techniques of spiritual enquiry and meditation. A studious reader, therefore, will meet for the first time a challenge to his intellect to discover the secret wealth of the Self and to explore the mysteries of the mind.

It is to be noted that humor and wit permeate the writings and lectures of Sri Swami Jyotirmayananda, like a green creeper adorning the tree of Liberation. But behind this, Sri Swami Jyotirmayananda gives to the world his most memorable writing which has been guarded as a secret mystic wealth by the sages of India for along time. This book by Sri Swami Jyotirmayananda presents you with the key to heavenly bliss and perfection, and every page of this book is filled with his blessings.

May the golden sun of your eternal Self rise from behind the horizon of distractions and mental limitations and encompass you in the greatest of beauty and sublime love which are the very essence of your real Self!