According to tradition, the original verses are attributed to Sage Valmiki, author of the great epic Ramayana. The Yoga Vasishta consists of approximately 32,000 verses and represents a dialogue between Sage Vasishta and Sri Rama, the king of Ayodhya. It is through this dialogue that the teachings of Advaita (the doctrine of non-duality) are presented to Sri Rama.

Ta Hui was born in 1088 during the Chinese Sung dynasty. At that time, Ch'an Buddhism was flourishing and its impact was felt at every level of society. Even at an early age, Ta Hui exhibited the signs of a remarkable being. At the age of sixteen, he left home; a year later, he became a monk.