The Great Sages

Sage Vasishtha

Established in this realization of the truth, the great sages lived forever in peace and equanimity. They were free from psychological predisposition and hence they did not seek not reject either life or death. They remained unshaken in their direct experience like another Meru mountain. Yet, they roamed the forests, islands and cities, they travelled to the heavens as if they were angels or gods; they conquered their enemies and they ruled as emperors -- they engaged themselves in diverse activities in accordance with scriptural injunctions as they realized that such was appropriate conduct. They enjoyed the pleasure of life; they visited pleasure gardens and were entertained by celestial damsels. They duly fulfilled the duties of the household life. They even engaged themselves in great wars. They retained their equanimity even in those disastrous situations where others would have lost their balanced state of mind.

Their mind had fully entered the state of sattva or divinity and therefore utterly free from delusion, from egoistic notion ('I do this') and from the desire from achievement, though they did not reject such achievement or the rewards for their actions. They did not indulge in vain exultation when they defeated their enemies nor did they give way to despair and grief when they were defeated. They were engaged in natural activities, allowing all actions to proceed from them non-volitionally.

Follow their example, O Rama. Let your personality (ego-sense) be egoless and let appropriate actions spontaneously proceed from you. For the infinite indivisible consciousness alone is the truth; and it is that which has put on this appearance of diversity, which is neither real nor unreal. Hence live completely unattached to anything here. Why do you grieve as if you are ignoramus?