[8]
He remembered it all now; and
regretted for not having discussed the topic with his father for more time. He
had wasted a golden opportunity he felt with remorse.
After Virochana had left, the
young Bali had remained for a few hours
thinking of what his father had said. Though it was easy to intellectually comprehend
what he had said, Bali had understood that he
was not ready for the practice of it yet. His thirst for the conquering of the
three worlds could not be subdued so easily. He was still very young. The world
of pleasures was beckoning him with the doors wide open. Soon he had forgotten
the conversation with his father and was lost in the world of pleasures and
battles.
Now when all was done and
over with, his mind had remembered the conversation again.
So long he had been ignorant
and wasted all his life in the pursuit of pleasures and glory. He had never
tried to conquer the minister or see the king.
Thousands of years had passed
and still the expansive country of true bliss had remained untouched by him.
He wished he had listened to
his father and practiced what he commended at that time itself. Anyhow he had
woken up now to his faults. He decided to see the king now and reach the
topmost position above all.
But how?
His father was not there to
guide him now.
He decided to call on his
Guru Shukraachaarya.
[9]
Shukraachaarya, the preceptor
of demons appeared before him instantly.
“Lord! I am no more interested in pleasures any more!
What is all this?
Who enjoys? What gets enjoyed? What is the enjoyment?
Who am I?
What are all these worlds? Tell me!”
Shukra looked impatiently at
his disciple.
If this demon could not
follow his father’s words then at the prime of youth, what will he achieve now?
After all, Bali had understood everything
intellectually. Shukraachaarya did not want to waste time by giving a huge
discourse to a person who just needed a little effort to practice what he
already knew from his father.
He said hurriedly:
“What is there to say
anymore?
Here is a brief summary of
all; listen!
Chit alone is here.
All this is Chit.
Everything is in essence
Chit.
You are Chit. I am Chit. All
these worlds are Chit.
If you are really sincere,
this much is enough to lead you on.
Otherwise, however much I
discourse all will turn into ashes and waste away.
The conception of the mind
alone is known as bondage; freedom from it is liberation.
That is all! This is the
essence of all scriptures!
Just feel ascertained about
this; instantly you will be in the true state of the Self.
I am very busy. I have to
meet the Seven Sages on some important mission. They are waiting for me. Though
I am realized and liberated, I have to attend to my duties as long as this
body-appearance is there. I do not want to sit idle doing nothing.”
Shukraachaarya vanished from
sight.
[10]
The words of his Guru, though
very few, had shot at him like arrows.
He suddenly felt different.
His confusions were gone! His mind felt calm and peaceful. He was completely
absorbed in the analysis of the statements uttered by his Guru.
He pondered and realized
that-
‘Everything was Chit.
If Chit (consciousness) was
not there how can any object be cognized as that object?
Sky, wind, moon, sun etc etc;
even his own identity was possible because the chit cognized it to be so.
Chit was the essence of all;
and he was that Chit.
The limited identity of Bali vanished and he remained as the Chit which was all.
‘All’ was also not there!
Only Chit was there; silent
and blissful; and knowledge.
The minister was nowhere to
be seen!
He was the king.
He was the mightiest of all!
He was the Supremacy.
That mighty king had subdued Bali himself who was the ruler of all the three worlds.
Only THAT was there!’
But the body of Bali which was the center-stage of such a drama became
stone-like.
There was no movement.
A tiny wave of ‘Praana’ kept
the body away from death and decay.
[11]
When the king was not seen
for long time, the ministers searched for him all over the worlds and saw him
sitting like a statue in his private chambers of the palace on Meru Mountain
The servants and subordinates
became worried.
All the Gods and Sages
arrived there to see the wonder of the demon king absorbed in Samaadhi.
The ministers were anxious
about the state of the country without the king’s presence and called for their
Guru Shukraachaarya.
He arrived there immediately;
consoled the ministers saying that their king had just analyzed the truths of
existence and had attained the Supreme state of rest. He assured them that soon
Bali will wake up by himself after thousand
years. He advised the ministers to take care of the kingdom till that time.
After thousand years, Bali woke up from the Samaadhi state to hosts of drum
sounds made by the gods as instructed by Shukraachaarya.
No one was around. No one
knew that he had woken up.
‘Ah! What a wonderful state
it is!
A moment only elapsed, it
seems; and I feel so rested!
I will remain in that state
only!
What need do I have for
external experiences?’
As he was withdrawing himself
into the Samaadhi state again, all his demon subordinates arrived; saluted him;
stood there awaiting his instructions.
[12]
‘I have no mind at all! No
uncontrolled thoughts disturb me as before!
What is there for me do
discard?
What need do I have for
liberation? What has ever bound me?
It is just a child’s fantasy
that one is bound or one is liberated!
There is no bondage; there is
no liberation!
My ignorance is gone!
Whether I remain in
contemplation or not, what difference is there?
I am what I am!
Whatever happens happens; I
do not gain or lose anything.
Whether I remain
contemplating on the Self or whether I keep enjoying the pleasures of the
world, there is no difference to my true nature.
I do not live; nor am I dead!
I do not exist or non-exist!
Let this perception of the
kingdom continue and let me play the character of the king!
Whatever happens I need not
bother!
If I am not duty-bound, then
why not I do just what I was doing before?’
He acknowledged the
salutations of his people and got up from his seat.
Sometime, in the course of
life, he felt like performing a great sacrifice.
Lord Vishnu knew that he was
not after any achievement of the worldly nature.
He went there to bless the
desire-less emperor.
As Indra, his elder brother
(of Vaamana) was after the ruler ship of the heaven and was intent on the
pleasures only, Vishnu deceived king Bali and took away the heaven and earth
from him and gave them back to Indra.
He imprisoned Bali in the nether worlds like caging a monkey.
[13]
Sage Vasishta continued the
story:
“Rama!
Now
Bali remains in the Paataala Loka, as a
JeevanMukta.
He
has equal vision towards gain and loss.
He
is like the ‘space’ untouched by any event of his life, just experiencing
anything that comes to his lot, randomly.
He
will become the ruler of the three worlds again for thousands of years. He will
never feel excited by attaining anything nor will he suffer by losing anything.
Like
Bali Rama, you can also analyze by yourself the reality of the world and
develop dispassion. You can also attain the non-dual state by your own effort.
Rama!
You also understand by this story the worthlessness of the sense pleasures and
develop dispassion.
Making
all effort possible attain the Supreme state of the Self.”
END
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