Bhagwad Geeta 2

Sage story Turiya

Devotee: “It (the story of the only lie Bhagavan ever told his aunt in order that he could depart to Arunachala) means that for doing a great thing, sometimes a lie has to be told!”

Bhagavan: “Yes. When it is for the welfare of the world and when the exigencies of the situation demand it, it has to be done. It can’t be helped. Where is the question of telling a lie? Some force makes one say so. So long as there is a purpose, there is need of action. When there is no purpose, no action is needed. In this case, we can avoid action in the same way as was done by the sage in “The Sage and Hunter” story in the Yoga Vasishtam.”

Devotee: “What is that story?”

Bhagavan: “In a forest, a sage sat motionless and in silence. His eyes however were open. A hunter hit a deer and as it was running away, he began pursuing it and when he saw the sage, he stopped. The deer had run in front of the sage, and hidden itself in a bush nearby. The hunter could not see it and so asked the sage: ‘Swami, my deer has come running this way. Please tell me where exactly it has gone.’ The sage said he did not know. The hunter said, ‘It ran in front of you. Your eyes were open. How could you say you do not know?’ To that the sage replied, ‘Oh my friend! We are in the forest with universal equality. We do not have ahankara (the 'I'-sense, ego-self). Unless you have ahankara, you cannot do things in this world. That Ahankara is the mind. That mind does all things. It also makes all the sense organs work. We certainly have no mind; it disappeared long ago. We do not have the three states, the states of waking, dream and deep sleep. We are always in the fourth or Turiya state. In that state nothing is seen by us. That being so, what can we say about your deer?’ Unable to understand what the sage was saying, the hunter went his way thinking they were all the words of a mad man.”

(From 'Letters from Sri Ramanasramam' 230)

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Jnanayoga

Jnanayoga or the Yoga of knowledge 18 - b
Even here is the mortal plane conquered by those whose mind is established in unity ; since the Absolute is untouched by evil and is the same to all , hence they are established in the Eternal . Just as a ghost remains amongst people without being seen , he is not recognized by the world , although he dwells in the body . Just as when water is kissed by the wind , it dances on water and gets a different name , namely a wave , so he bears a name and a form , but he has truly become Brahma { supreme soul } , in as much as his mind has attained equanimity towards all . The Lord said O Arjuna , I shall tell you in brief the characteristics possessed by a person with equable mind . He who , with firm intellect and free from doubt , rejoices not on obtaining what is pleasant and does not feel perturbed on meeting with the unpleasant , that knower of Brahm lives eternally in identity with Brahm . Just as mountain is not carried away by a flood of mirage , he is not moved by good  or bad happenings . He has truly known the essence of equanimity ; he has become one with Brahm , so said Krishna to Partha .
He whose mind remains unattached to sense -objects , derives through meditation the Sattvika { good } joy which dwells in the mind ; then that Yogi , having completely identified himself through meditation with Brahm , enjoys eternal Bliss . As his mind is surfeit with the boundless joy of the Self , he does not turn to the external sense organs . Tell me , if the Chakora bird has feasted on the sweet rays of the moon from the plate of lotus petals , will it deign to chew the desert sand ? So if a person who has attained to the bliss of Self , forsakes sense - objects , is there any need to talk about it ? Now think very clearly as a matter of curiosity about those who are dazzled by the sensuous pleasures . The pleasures which are born of sense - contacts are verily a source of suffering only { though appearing as enjoyable to worldly - minded people } . They have a beginning and an end { they come and go } ; Arjuna , it is for this reason that a wise man does not indulge in them {5 / 22 } . Those who have not known the Self and are ignorant of Bliss , alone think these sense - objects to be delectable . But if you still maintain that one derives happiness from sense - objects , then why cannot worldly affairs be carried on in the flash of lightning ? Tell me , if one can ward off the sun , the wind and the rain by taking shelter under a cloud , then why should one build three - storeyed houses ? Just as the planet Mars is called auspicious { mangala } or the mirage is called water , likewise misleading is the talk of happiness from the sense - objects . Tell me , can the shadow of the cobra's hood give a cooling sensation to the mouse ? Just as the bait is good so long as the fish does not swallow it , so is the contact with the sense - objects . Know this to be undoubtedly true .
He alone , who is able to withstand , in this very life before casting off this body , the urges of lust and anger , is a Yogi , and he alone is a happy man . He who has happiness , joy and light within , that Yogi becomes one with Brahm and finds eternal Bliss . In Brahm the Sages find Bliss , with their sins destroyed and doubts cleared , who after controlling their minds , devote themselves to the good of all beings . Beatitude of God is near to the austere souls , who are subdued in mind , who are free from desire and anger and who have known the Self . Those who have withdrawn their minds from the sense - objects and subdued them , they do not wake up again from the state of Bliss . Know that they are the persons who have become the Supreme Brahm itself , which is the mainspring of the knower of Self .
He who sees that all actions are performed in every-way by nature { Prakriti } and the Self as the non - doer , he alone verily sees {  13 / 29 } .

Yogi

What action remains to be done by that great yogi whose mind has been extinguished, and who rests in his own true and transcendent state of Being?

('Upadesa Saram', v. 15)