Laghu YOGA VASISHTHA - HolyBooks.com

LAGHU YOGA VASISTHA
(initiation into Brahman). The pure and unalloyed
intelligence of the disciple is alone the means of
attaining to the rare Atma-Jnana.‟ Here again Rama
asked the Muni why an Acharya s words should be
necessary for the development of Atma-Jnana, if
the disciple s pure intelligence is alone the means
of it? At which Vasistha continued thus: * In a
certain forest in the Vindhya Mountains, there
lived a hunter, who was a man of great pedigree.
One day, having lost a cowrie-shell whilst
travelling along a grassy road in the forest, he went
in quest of it, filled with grief. Having vainly
searched for it three days, he came at last in contact
with a gem radiant with the lustre of the fullmoon-
But the hunter passed by the gem a gem so
invaluable as to purchase even the seven worlds in
his anxiety to find the lost cowrie. Similarly, Jnana
will come to a man in due season through the
initiation of a Guru. When the mind is
concentrated on one thing, there will arise in it,
through the action of the Guru, another kind of
know ledge, not anticipated. Though the initiation
by an Acharya cannot by itself enable a person to
obtain Jnana, it will be the rowans of developing
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