Laghu YOGA VASISHTHA - HolyBooks.com

LAGHU YOGA VASISTHA
man and the universe in their innate condition are
Brahman only and this phenomenal universe is but
an outcome of the Divine Will seeming to be real
through the workings of the mind. In the technical
phraseology of this work, the ideation reflected in
the Lila-Sankalpa of Brahman is the origin of the
world; its manifestation, the preservation of the
world; and its disappearance, the destruction of the
world. These are the three aspects that are dilated
upon in the second, third and fourth Prakaranas. In
other words, the old Hindu philosophers held that
the universe is nothing but states or modes of
consciousness reflected through the Sankalpa or
will of Para Brahman which is said through its Law
to evolve the universe out itself for its Lila or sport.
The word Sankalpa is rather a difficult word to
translate. Originally it is the Divine Will in
manifestation and in man in his present stage
becomes the will-thought pertaining to his
Antahkarana or the lower mind. It is through the
Sankalpa of our Manas that the universe appears to
be and it is this Sankalpa that is asked to be given
up by one who wishes to soar to the one Reality
beyond this universe. The author of this work
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