“The realized being is awake even in deep sleep.”
The verse: Yoga Vasistha 5.77.8
The quote above is our paraphrase. This is the verse as it reads in the Vihari-Lala Mitra translation (1891–99):
“Sleeping he is awake, in his vision of heavenly light, and waking he is plunged in the deep sleep of his mental reveries; he does all his works with his external body; but he does nothing with his inward mind.”
About the text: Yoga Vasistha
The Yoga Vasistha is a long Sanskrit philosophical work, traditionally attributed to Valmiki, in which the sage Vasistha teaches Prince Rama through stories and dialogue. Its six books teach liberation through self-effort and insight. Scholars date it anywhere from about the 6th to the 14th century, and it probably grew over time.
More from the Yoga Vasistha
- “Living in the present moment dissolves worry.”
- “Liberation is not a destination but a realization.”
- “The state of liberation is one of supreme peace.”
- “Bondage is nothing but attachment to the mind’s creations.”
- “Right living paves the way to spiritual growth.”
- “The wise move through life like a lotus on water—untouched.”