A young boy asked his nanny to tell him a story. and the nanny told him the following story to which the boy listened with great attention:
Once upon a time in a city which did not exist, there were three princes who were brave and happy. Of them two were unborn and the third had not been con-ceived. Unfortunately all their relatives died. The princes left their native city to go elsewhere. Very soon, unable to bear the heat of the sun, they fell into a swoon. Their feet were burnt by hot sand. The tips of grass pierced them. They reached the shade of three trees, of which two did not exist and the third had not even been planted. After resting there for some time and eating the fruits of those trees, they proceeded further.
They reached the banks of three rivers; of them two were dry and in the third there was no water. The princes had a refreshing bath and quenched their thirst in them. They then reached a huge city which was about to be built. Entering it, they found three palaces of exceeding beauty. Of them two had not been built at all, and the third had no walls. They entered the palaces and found three golden plates; two of them had been broken into two and the third had been pulverised. They took hold of the one which had been pulverised. They took ninety-nine minus one hundred grams of rice and cooked it. They then invited three holy men to be their guests; of them two had no body and the third had no mouth. After these holy men had eaten the food, the three princes partook of the rest of the food cooked. They were greatly pleased. Thus they lived in that city for a long, long time in peace and joy. My child this is an extremely beautiful legend; pray remember this always, and you will grow up into a learned man.
O Rama, when the little boy heard this he was thrilled.
What is known as the creation of the world is no more real than this story of the young boy. This world is nothing but pure hallucination. It is nothing more than an idea. In the infinite consciousness the idea of creation arose: and that is what is. O Rama, this world is nothing more than an idea; all the objects of consciousness In this world are just an idea; reject the error (dirt) of ideation and be free of ideas; remain rooted In truth and attain peace.
-Yoga Vasista, The Supreme Yoga, translation by Swami Venkatesananda
http://www.estudantedavedanta.net/The-Supreme-Yoga-Swami-Venkatesananda.pdf
Once upon a time in a city which did not exist, there were three princes who were brave and happy. Of them two were unborn and the third had not been con-ceived. Unfortunately all their relatives died. The princes left their native city to go elsewhere. Very soon, unable to bear the heat of the sun, they fell into a swoon. Their feet were burnt by hot sand. The tips of grass pierced them. They reached the shade of three trees, of which two did not exist and the third had not even been planted. After resting there for some time and eating the fruits of those trees, they proceeded further.
They reached the banks of three rivers; of them two were dry and in the third there was no water. The princes had a refreshing bath and quenched their thirst in them. They then reached a huge city which was about to be built. Entering it, they found three palaces of exceeding beauty. Of them two had not been built at all, and the third had no walls. They entered the palaces and found three golden plates; two of them had been broken into two and the third had been pulverised. They took hold of the one which had been pulverised. They took ninety-nine minus one hundred grams of rice and cooked it. They then invited three holy men to be their guests; of them two had no body and the third had no mouth. After these holy men had eaten the food, the three princes partook of the rest of the food cooked. They were greatly pleased. Thus they lived in that city for a long, long time in peace and joy. My child this is an extremely beautiful legend; pray remember this always, and you will grow up into a learned man.
O Rama, when the little boy heard this he was thrilled.
What is known as the creation of the world is no more real than this story of the young boy. This world is nothing but pure hallucination. It is nothing more than an idea. In the infinite consciousness the idea of creation arose: and that is what is. O Rama, this world is nothing more than an idea; all the objects of consciousness In this world are just an idea; reject the error (dirt) of ideation and be free of ideas; remain rooted In truth and attain peace.
-Yoga Vasista, The Supreme Yoga, translation by Swami Venkatesananda
http://www.estudantedavedanta.net/The-Supreme-Yoga-Swami-Venkatesananda.pdf