Here is an excerpt from the Advaitin classic called the Yoga Vasistha. It explains the unreality of mind and its creations, namely ego and world, and it provides a good overview of Advaita as well. I like this text for its clarity and eloquence. It was appreciated by Ramana Maharshi among others. Its origins are obscure. The written text may date to the 9-11th centuries AD, but the words are supposed to have been spoken by the great sage Valmiki, who is also the traditional (and prehistoric) author of the great Hindu epic called the Ramayana. Others, such as Dr. B. L. Atreya, have questioned this, pointing out obvious similarities to Buddhist thought. This would place the origin of the work no earlier than the 5th century AD.
Indeed, this excerpt helps to buttress my view that Advaita and Mahayana Buddhism are quite similar in spirit. To briefly recapitulate, the original Theravada Buddhism denies the reality of the ego, and the later Mahayana Buddhism denies the reality of ego and external world, both of which are described by the suggestive but ambiguous word 'emptiness'. I have argued that emptiness is synonymous with the Pure Consciousness of Advaita, since nothing but Pure Consciousness remains after ego and world are dissolved. (See also here.)
Consciousness itself is undeniable, so the accusations of 'nihilism' sometimes levelled against Mahayana are baseless. Emptiness refers not to 'nothing' but to the vast clarity, like empty space, of pure infinite consciousness devoid of all mind-discriminated objects such as egos and things. Indeed, the mind itself is non-existent, notwithstanding that it is the source of the trouble, however paradoxical that may seem! This is similar to the 'emptiness of emptiness' often mentioned in the Mahayana. All these themes are raised in the Yoga Vasistha.
(As always, I must emphasize that the disappearance of ego and objects, to the enlightened sage, does not mean blindness! How then could Buddha, Shankara and Ramana preach to disciples? Rather, the discriminating mind of the sage is merely neutral and quiescent, so that he realizes everything as one vast and pure consciousness, notwithstanding all the shapes and colors. The rational mind is still used unconsciously as a practical tool to navigate the world, but the sage does not believe any of its suppositions, much less identify with any of them.)
Notice that the Vasistha makes the interesting point that the discriminating tendency of the mind inherently contradicts the fundamental unity of consciousness. This fundamental unity is reflected in our use of the word 'I', though that very 'I' becomes a source of delusion when objectified by the mind. Also, the idea that even bondage and liberation are merely notions created by the mind is found in the Mahayana as well.
Yoga Vasistha, trans. Swami Venkatesananda, p. 454-456
SIKHIDHVAJA said:Holy one, pray instruct me in such a way that it will be perfectly clear to me that the mind is non-existent.
KUMBHA said:
O King, there is not and there never has been an entity known as the mind. That which shines here and is known as the mind is indeed the infinite Brahman (consciousness). It is ignorance of its true nature which gives rise to the notion of a mind and the world and all the rest of it. When even these are insubstantial notions, how can 'I', 'you' etc. be considered real? Thus, there is no such thing as the 'world', and whatever appears to be is uncreated. All this is indeed Brahman. How can that be known and by whom?
Even in the beginning of the present world-cycle the world was not created. It was described as creation by me only for your comprehension. In the total absence of any causative factors, all these could not have been created at all. Therefore, whatever there is is Brahman and naught else. It is not even logical to say that the Lord who is nameless and formless created the world! It is not true. When thus the creation of the world is seen to be false, then surely the mind that entertains the notion of such a creation is false, too.
Mind is but a bundle of such notions that limit the truth. But, then, division implies divisibility. When the infinite consciousness is incapable of division, there is no divisibility and hence no division. How can mind, the divider, be real? Whatever appears to be here is perceived in Brahman, by Brahman, and such perception is, by courtesy, known as the mind! It is the infinite consciousness alone which is spread out as the universe. Why then call it the universe? In this plane or dimension of consciousness, whatever slight appearance there seems to be is but the reflection of consciousness in itself: hence there is neither mind nor the world. Only in ignorance is all this seen as the 'world'. Hence the mind is unreal.
Only creation is negated by this, not what *is*. The reality that is seen as this world is beginningless and uncreated. [. . .]
When the world does not exist as such, where is 'I' or 'you'? Hence, remaining at peace with yourself, engage yourself in non-volitional actions as are appropriate from moment to moment. All this is but Brahman which is peace; 'I' and the 'world' are but words without substance. When the insubstantiality of such expressions is realized, then what is seen as the world is realized as Brahman.
The creator Brahma is but an idea or notion. Even so is 'self' or 'I'. In their right or wrong comprehension lies liberation or bondage! The notion 'I am' gives rise to bondage and self destruction. The realization 'I am (is) not' leads to freedom and purity. Bondage and liberation are but notions. That which is aware of these notions is infinite consciousness which alone is. The notion 'I am' is the source of all distress. The absence of such a feeling is perfection. Realize 'I am not that egosense' and rest in pure awareness.
When such pure awareness arises, all notions subside. There is perfection. In the pure awareness, perfection or the Lord, there is neither causality nor the resultant creation of objects. In the absence of objects, there is no experience nor its concomitant egosense. When the egosense is non-existent, where is samsara (the cycle of birth and death)? When thus samsara does not exist, the supreme being alone remains. In it the universe exists as carvings in uncarved stone. He who thus sees the universe, without the intervention of the mind and therefore without the notion of a universe, he alone sees the truth. Such a vision is known as nirvana.
Even as the ocean alone exists when the word 'wave' is deprived of its meaning, Brahman alone exists when when the word 'creation' is seen as meaningless. This creation is Brahman; Brahman alone is aware of this creation. When the word-meaning of 'creation' is dropped, the true meaning of 'creation' is seen as the eternal Brahman. When one enquires into the word 'Brahman', the ALL is comprehended. When one similarly enquires into the word 'creation', Brahman is comprehended. However, that consciousness which is the basis and the substratum for all such notions and their awareness is known by the word 'Brahman'. When this truth is clearly realized and when the duality of knowledge and known is discarded, what remains is the supreme peace which is indescribable and inexpressible.