YOGAVASISTHA AND ITS PHILOSOPHY

Yogavasistha

The place of Yogavasistha in the philosophical literature of India: Uniqueness of the work;opinion of Svami Ram Tirtha and Dr. Bhagamana Dasa; opinion of the author of the work; authoritativeness of Yogavasistha: It is a source of a number of Minor Upanisads; neglect and misunderstanding of the work. The method of teaching in Yogavasistha; its fault; Vasistha sarsana; Publisher literature on Yogavasistha.

The probable date of composition of Ygavasistha

The orthodox view- The view current among modern scholars-Why it is not acceptable- Winternitz's view and its criticism-Why it is not regarded as a post-Samkara work-Why it is not to be regarded as post-Gaudapada work-An objection answered- why earlier than Bharthari- The current Yogavasistha not a work of Valmiki-Must have been written after Kalidasa and after the spread of Idealism and Nihilism of the Mahayana Buddhism- The prabable date of its composition.

The type of person for whom yogavasistha is meant

Consciousness of suffering- The cause and remedy of suffering-Self-effort versus destiny- Preliminary qualifications of the aspirant.

The Metaphysics of Yogavasistha

The sources of knowledge- The chief feature of Vasistha's philosophy- Knowledge presupposes Idea-listic Monism-Idealism-Similarity between waking and dream experience- Subjective Idealism-Objective Idealism-Worlds within worlds-Variety of world-experience- The general law of manifestation of objectives world-Individuality-Thought-power-Secret of supernormal powers-The Self-Death and after-The Cosmic Mind- The Creative Impulse- The Absolute Reality-Everything is Brahman-The world as unreal appearance-Accosmism.

Realisation of the Absolute point of view

Philosophy and life-The ultimate source of Happoness- Bondage and liberation-The way of attaining liberation-Ptactical Self-realisation-Seven stages on the path of Self-realisation- The life of liberation-Nirvana or the final liberation from the world-experience.