The ancient practices of yoga and Hindu philosophy, experiencing the summit of philosophical truths, that God and man are one, and one man's personal reflections of a spiritual journey form a unique perspective on Hindu spirituality in the book, The Song of Ribhu (759 pages, Society of Abidance in Truth publishers, United States, 2000). This scripture is profoundly metaphysical, yet poetic, in the style of the Tirumantiram. It boldly says that God and man are one. An exposition on Advaita set in the midst of the epic Sivarahasya, The Song of Ribhu is an articulate interpretation of Sanatana Dharma's deepest truths. The history of Sage Ribhu is obscure, but it is believed the teachings within this scripture date to Vedic times. "This makes it possible to say that Ribhu must have lived during very ancient times, but impossible to ascertain even an approximate date." Ribhu expounds: "The world and beings and others seen in Consciousness are not apart from Brahman, which is of the nature consciousness. I am not apart from that Brahman. Likewise, Brahman is not apart from me." --Hinduism Today, January-March, 2003
Review on Amazon.com by Grouper 52
My previous review of "The Heart of the Ribhu Gita" led me to track down a copy of this precious root text from which the "Heart" was taken. I'm very, very glad to have found it.
The Song of Ribhu is a well-written, highly readable translation of the Tamil version of the Sanskrit Ribhu Gita, the fourth through forty-seventh (of fifty) chapters of Part Six of the twelve-part epic Shiva Rahasya. (A translation of the Sanskrit Ribhu Gita version, which is a little different, is also published by the same Society of Abidance in Truth, titled simply Ribhu Gita).
Besides the text, there are good introductory sections and a large glossary for those who might benefit from some background info.
This book tells how the Sage Ribhu met Shiva at his abode on Mount Kailas, and asked for and received the supreme knowledge from him. Later some disciples, Nidagha and others, came to Ribhu, and asked him to teach them the Ultimate Truth as Shiva had taught it to him. This book is the teaching Ribhu gave in reply to their request.
Ribhu's teaching mostly employs the "not this, not this" method to point to the Ultimate Truth, since it can not be pointed at directly, but there are a number of direct hints as well. The "not this" approach used here also serves as a fine and exhaustive review of lesser, more dualistically-based Hindu approaches to the Truth as well, of course eliminating each one as "not this" until all conceptual, dualistic approaches have been refuted. Overall, the book resonates in this way with the best of the highest Buddhist teachings of the Prajnaparamita, Mahamudra and Dzogchen, as well as with the highest teachings of non-dual Vedanta, of which it is a supreme example.
The Ultimate Truth is beyond the conceptual mind, beyond words. And yet, what words can do to guide and encourage one towards its realization, beyond words, this book does.
Imagine the metaphor of a jewel, and the light reflected in that jewel. This book is a supremely beautiful jewel, gorgeously reflecting the light of the Ultimate Truth. How does it do this? How can something so mundane as this book bring out in such a jewel-like fashion something so brilliant, ineffable, and luminous?
The scripture, The Ribhu Gita, as it is presented here, is 700 pages long. Each line describes an aspect of the truth. The Gita essentially says the same thing, over and over again: Forty-four chapters, each with about 50 verses, each of eight lines, and each line is saying essentially the same thing! How can the book sustain your attention with this amount of repetition? Wouldn't a 700 page book with every line saying essentially the same thing grow boring? Not so. I think only the most spiritually poor mind would find this book boring. Why? Each line points to a different facet of the Truth. It is no different than gazing into the most exquisite jewel, turning it over endlessly to watch the supremely beautiful play of light reflected off the various facets. You could look at it forever and it would still be dazzling. It is utterly mesmerizing. This book is mesmerizing in a similar but even greater sense. You could easily get the message and put it down in several minutes, but I think you might instead be tempted to spend the rest of your life blissfully reading it over and over again. It is that good.
My highest recommendation.
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