Right now, though you have a carpet and a little bit of concrete between you and the earth, Mother Earth sees you as just an outcrop of herself. When she decides, she will suck you back; don’t have any illusions about it. Whatever you may think of yourself, she will suck you back because she experiences you as a part of herself.
Even now, if you lose connection with everything that she is, she is just water, air, earth, fire, and space. This is what she is, and this is what you are; but you think you are different. You need to understand this – thought is not unique to you either. If you could build a body, it is because the earth has a body. If you can have blood circulation, the earth has its own circulations. If you have thoughts, so do the planet, the universe, and the creation. It is just that when you are too full of your own stuff, you don’t get to perceive the larger thought of the creation and the Creator. If there was no thought in the creation, how would you get it?
You are just a small manifestation in this creation. It is this thought which, when used compulsively or recklessly, separates you from the existence. It is this thought, when employed irresponsibly, that makes you think you are a separate creation by yourself.
Today morning, the sun came up wonderfully. The planet is spinning on time. And not just this planet – every planet and satellite in this solar system is actually spinning on time. Everything happens on time and wonderfully well; not just in this solar system – everywhere in the universe. In the whole cosmos of these billions of galaxies, everything has been in order – it is a successful day. [Laughter] But just one lousy little thought is worming through your mind right now and you say, “This is a bad day.” Nothing bad has happened except your lousy thought, [laughs] and this lousy thought has become bigger than the whole cosmic exuberance of creation. This means you are too full of yourself, isn’t it so?
When some disastrous event happens in this cosmos, I will let you know, so that you will have enough reason to be miserable; till then, you have no reason, you know? If there is any great disaster happening in the cosmic space, I will let you know; then you can call it a lousy day. Right now, it is just one lousy thought worming through your brain because you are so horribly identified with your own nonsense that you can miss a limitless cosmic space and be entangled in this one lousy thought.
All thoughts are lousy. If you perceived something fantastic 1 , there wouldn’t be a thought in your head in that moment. So there is some good news for you and some bad news for you. Let me tell you a little joke. A patient went to a surgeon, for a surgery. The doctor said “I have some good news for you and some bad news for you.” So the patient asked, “What’s the bad news?” He said, “See, this is a very complex surgery. Even the medical text says only one out of hundred survive this surgery.” The patient just wilted away in fear. “So what is the good news?” The doctor said, “Well, the last 99 surgeries that I did, all of them died.” [Laughter]
COURTESY ISHA FOUNDATION
Sunday, August 14, 2011
SIGNIFICANCE OF AMAVASYA
Question: Sadhguru, what is the significance of the Amavasya or new moon day?
Sadhguru: Amavasya means no moon day or new moon day. Whenever something or somebody becomes absent, through that absence, their presence always becomes more powerful. If you had a friend or a loved one who was with you, you never felt their presence so much. But the moment they disappear, you feel their presence so much – it is so powerful, isn’t it? Even on the emotional level, it is true. You do not really feel their presence when they are around. Only when they are gone, the vacuum that they have left behind has become more powerful than their presence itself. Similarly with the moon, her absence makes her more present than ever before. On any other day, even the Pournami, she is there, but on Amavasya, the presence is felt even more – that quality is even more.
The earth broods on Amavasya; the life process is slowed down on the planet and it is a great opportunity because the integration of life happens much better on this day. When a certain slow down happens, that is when you notice your body. When everything is going well and you are busy, you do not know what is happening with the body; the body is just you. But if a little ailment comes, suddenly the body is an issue and it is something that you have to pay attention to. Only when it does not do well, you know, ‘This is not me. This is just my body giving me troubles.’ Very clearly a distance arises.
So that is the significance of Amavasya. On that day, because a certain integration of the elements is happening, there is a slowdown of everything. If you are seeking wellbeing, Pournami is sacred. If you are seeking liberation, Amavasya is sacred. Accordingly, there are different kinds of practices and sadhanas for those two dimensions of life. It is a day when one can become easily aware of, ‘What is me and what is not me,’ and from there on, the journey from untruth to truth begins. From Amavasya to Pournami, every month the opportunity is created naturally. Even for those who are completely unaware, there is a natural opportunity available beginning every Amavasya and moving on.
The nature of Pournami is more of the Idaa or the feminine. Amavasya is very raw. One day before Amavasya is known as Shivarathri because it is Shiva’s night. It is primordial in nature. When everything is pitch dark, it is like the creation is dissolved. There is a tinge of the destroyer in Amavasya. Generally, on the night of Amavasya a very feminine energy would either be disturbed because it causes certain fear and disturbance in her, or it could turn roguish and man-like.
COURTESY ISHA FOUNDATION
Sadhguru: Amavasya means no moon day or new moon day. Whenever something or somebody becomes absent, through that absence, their presence always becomes more powerful. If you had a friend or a loved one who was with you, you never felt their presence so much. But the moment they disappear, you feel their presence so much – it is so powerful, isn’t it? Even on the emotional level, it is true. You do not really feel their presence when they are around. Only when they are gone, the vacuum that they have left behind has become more powerful than their presence itself. Similarly with the moon, her absence makes her more present than ever before. On any other day, even the Pournami, she is there, but on Amavasya, the presence is felt even more – that quality is even more.
The earth broods on Amavasya; the life process is slowed down on the planet and it is a great opportunity because the integration of life happens much better on this day. When a certain slow down happens, that is when you notice your body. When everything is going well and you are busy, you do not know what is happening with the body; the body is just you. But if a little ailment comes, suddenly the body is an issue and it is something that you have to pay attention to. Only when it does not do well, you know, ‘This is not me. This is just my body giving me troubles.’ Very clearly a distance arises.
So that is the significance of Amavasya. On that day, because a certain integration of the elements is happening, there is a slowdown of everything. If you are seeking wellbeing, Pournami is sacred. If you are seeking liberation, Amavasya is sacred. Accordingly, there are different kinds of practices and sadhanas for those two dimensions of life. It is a day when one can become easily aware of, ‘What is me and what is not me,’ and from there on, the journey from untruth to truth begins. From Amavasya to Pournami, every month the opportunity is created naturally. Even for those who are completely unaware, there is a natural opportunity available beginning every Amavasya and moving on.
The nature of Pournami is more of the Idaa or the feminine. Amavasya is very raw. One day before Amavasya is known as Shivarathri because it is Shiva’s night. It is primordial in nature. When everything is pitch dark, it is like the creation is dissolved. There is a tinge of the destroyer in Amavasya. Generally, on the night of Amavasya a very feminine energy would either be disturbed because it causes certain fear and disturbance in her, or it could turn roguish and man-like.
COURTESY ISHA FOUNDATION
THE WOMB OF CREATION
To nourish the human being into a greater possibility, it is very important how the water, the air, the earth, the fire and the fifth dimension, which is the largest one, the space or akash, behave. Today, modern science is recognizing there is something called as akashik intelligence; that is, empty space has a certain intelligence. Whether this intelligence works for you or against you will determine the nature of your life, whether you are a blessed being or one who is going to be knocked around for the rest of your life.
For no reason, some people are being hammered around by life. For no reason, some people seem to be blessed with everything. It is not for no reason. It is your ability – either consciously or unconsciously, to be able to get the cooperation of this larger intelligence which is functioning. The fundamental element is akash or the space. It is improper to call it the fifth element, because it is the element. All the other four just play upon it. Now we are here on a round planet. The Earth, the solar system, this galaxy, the whole cosmos, everything is all held in place only by the akash. You, yourself are held in place by akash.
Have you noticed, even Tendulkar looks up? It is not just him, right from ancient times man has been doing this when he achieved something in great moments of success. Some of them may be looking up for the uperwalla or for some god, but in most of them, unknowingly there is a realization. At any time, when you hit a peak experience, physically without even your awareness, your body in gratitude looks upward because somewhere there is a recognition, there is an intelligence in a human being which recognizes that.
If you know how to get the cooperation of the akash into your life, this will be a blessed life. An intelligence that you have never thought possible will become yours, because an intelligence which is beyond your understanding and grasp is right now functioning right here within you, isn’t it? It is that intelligence which is holding the whole cosmos together; it is that intelligence which is the womb for creation. It is in the womb of that intelligence that all creation is happening, and it is not denied to you. Access is not blocked, it is just that you have never looked that way.
You are so engrossed in the little nature of who you are; your body, your thought, your emotion and your hormones have engaged you so much that looking up and paying attention to something beyond, never occurs to you. So many fantastic things are happening in the cosmos today in absolutely miraculous and fantastic ways but one little worm of a thought is worming through your head and that keeps you engaged. That is maya. Maya does not mean that the existence does not exist. It is just that when something so phenomenal and fantastic is happening, these little things keep you busy and engaged and they make you feel as if these little things are more real than everything else.
So to get the cooperation of the akash, there is one simple process you could do. After sunrise, before the sun crosses the 30-degree angle from the horizon, look up at the sky once and bow down to it for holding you in place today. After the sun crosses 30 degrees, sometime during the day, any time, look up and bow down again. After the sun sets, once again look up and bow down; not to some god up there, just to the empty space for holding you in place for today. If you just do this, life will change dramatically. If you consciously do this three times a day, if you get cooperation from akash, life will happen in magical ways.
COURTESY ISHA FOUNDATION
For no reason, some people are being hammered around by life. For no reason, some people seem to be blessed with everything. It is not for no reason. It is your ability – either consciously or unconsciously, to be able to get the cooperation of this larger intelligence which is functioning. The fundamental element is akash or the space. It is improper to call it the fifth element, because it is the element. All the other four just play upon it. Now we are here on a round planet. The Earth, the solar system, this galaxy, the whole cosmos, everything is all held in place only by the akash. You, yourself are held in place by akash.
Have you noticed, even Tendulkar looks up? It is not just him, right from ancient times man has been doing this when he achieved something in great moments of success. Some of them may be looking up for the uperwalla or for some god, but in most of them, unknowingly there is a realization. At any time, when you hit a peak experience, physically without even your awareness, your body in gratitude looks upward because somewhere there is a recognition, there is an intelligence in a human being which recognizes that.
If you know how to get the cooperation of the akash into your life, this will be a blessed life. An intelligence that you have never thought possible will become yours, because an intelligence which is beyond your understanding and grasp is right now functioning right here within you, isn’t it? It is that intelligence which is holding the whole cosmos together; it is that intelligence which is the womb for creation. It is in the womb of that intelligence that all creation is happening, and it is not denied to you. Access is not blocked, it is just that you have never looked that way.
You are so engrossed in the little nature of who you are; your body, your thought, your emotion and your hormones have engaged you so much that looking up and paying attention to something beyond, never occurs to you. So many fantastic things are happening in the cosmos today in absolutely miraculous and fantastic ways but one little worm of a thought is worming through your head and that keeps you engaged. That is maya. Maya does not mean that the existence does not exist. It is just that when something so phenomenal and fantastic is happening, these little things keep you busy and engaged and they make you feel as if these little things are more real than everything else.
So to get the cooperation of the akash, there is one simple process you could do. After sunrise, before the sun crosses the 30-degree angle from the horizon, look up at the sky once and bow down to it for holding you in place today. After the sun crosses 30 degrees, sometime during the day, any time, look up and bow down again. After the sun sets, once again look up and bow down; not to some god up there, just to the empty space for holding you in place for today. If you just do this, life will change dramatically. If you consciously do this three times a day, if you get cooperation from akash, life will happen in magical ways.
COURTESY ISHA FOUNDATION
HOW GOOD FASTING IS
Sadhguru: In yoga, the ideal break between one meal and the next meal is eight hours. You can manage these kinds of meals even when you are working outside. But a minimum of five hours is a must for everybody. This is because only when your stomach is empty, your excretory system functions properly.
See, you can do this as an experiment: let us say your measure that you are eating so many calories, or your one meal is this many grams. You make the same meal into two portions and eat it twice a day. If you make the same meal into ten portions and eat ten times a day, you will see when you eat ten times; you will put on more weight. This is simply because the excretory system is not efficient. A lot of garbage, which would have gone out of system, will not go out of the system because constantly the stomach is full. When there is food in the stomach, when the digestive process is happening, the excretory system does not function very efficiently. Only when the stomach is totally empty, the cleansing happens well.
Have you observed… when you are very sick, very weak, and you get up from the bed, how you walk? Every step in full awareness, isn’t it? As you become less of a body, your awareness of other dimensions within yourself naturally becomes enhanced. When food is served before you, if you are too much of a body, if you are hungry you know, both your hands will go for it. When you are very hungry, all your body wants to do is eat. But now, you could take a moment, before you start eating, to silently express your gratitude to everything that has brought this food to you – the land, the farmer, the vendor, the person who cooked it, the one who served it, and to the food itself for offering its life for yours, before you start eating. A simple act like this loosens you from your body. It reminds you that you are not the body. When you are very hungry, you are the body. Just give it a little space and suddenly you are not that. Hunger is there, you are there, and it is okay. Misunderstanding this has led to simply torturous fasting.
It is important that you don’t fast forcefully. If you observe the natural cycle of the body, there is something called a mandala. The mandala means that every 40 to 48 days, the system goes through a certain cycle. In every cycle, there are three days when your body does not need food. If you are conscious of how your body functions, you will become aware that on these days, your body does not need food. And without effort, you can go without food on that day.
Once in every 11 to 14 days, you may not feel like eating. On that day, you should not eat. You know, even dogs and cats have this awareness? Have you noticed that on particular days, they will not eat? They are aware of their system. On the day the system says “no food,” it is a cleaning-up day, they will not eat. Since you don’t have this awareness, they fixed Ekadashi. Ekadashi comes once in every 14 days in the lunar calendar. At least every 14 days, you could go without food. If you are unable to go without food, if your activity levels are such and you don’t have the necessary sadhana to support you, then you could go on a fruit diet. Just observe your own system, and you may notice that on certain days, you do not really need to eat. Forcing food on those days is not a good thing to do.
Suppose one wants to fast for a certain period, it must always be supported with the right kind of spiritual practices or sadhana. If you forcefully fast without preparing your body and mind sufficiently, you will only cause damage to your health. But if your body is properly prepared, if you are mentally also in a certain state, if you are prepared energy-wise, then fasting can be of much benefit to you.
If you are constantly drinking coffee or tea, then, if you fast, it will become torture for you; fasting will be very difficult. So if you want to fast, first of all prepare the body by eating the right kind of foods. If it is a great torture when you hold back your urge to eat, you will only cause damage to the system. Maybe you are thinking of performing some kind of a feat “I did not eat for three days,” and you want to go and tell that to the whole world. Please don’t do such things. It is of no benefit to you. You will just make yourself weak, that is all. Just understanding the body and coming to a deeper understanding of how the system functions and what is the best thing to do, is more important than doing something like this.
It may not be a good thing for everybody to fast, but it has many benefits if it is done with proper understanding. So finding the right situation for the system and taking off food at that time will be a good thing to do.
COURTCY ISHA FOUNDATION
See, you can do this as an experiment: let us say your measure that you are eating so many calories, or your one meal is this many grams. You make the same meal into two portions and eat it twice a day. If you make the same meal into ten portions and eat ten times a day, you will see when you eat ten times; you will put on more weight. This is simply because the excretory system is not efficient. A lot of garbage, which would have gone out of system, will not go out of the system because constantly the stomach is full. When there is food in the stomach, when the digestive process is happening, the excretory system does not function very efficiently. Only when the stomach is totally empty, the cleansing happens well.
Have you observed… when you are very sick, very weak, and you get up from the bed, how you walk? Every step in full awareness, isn’t it? As you become less of a body, your awareness of other dimensions within yourself naturally becomes enhanced. When food is served before you, if you are too much of a body, if you are hungry you know, both your hands will go for it. When you are very hungry, all your body wants to do is eat. But now, you could take a moment, before you start eating, to silently express your gratitude to everything that has brought this food to you – the land, the farmer, the vendor, the person who cooked it, the one who served it, and to the food itself for offering its life for yours, before you start eating. A simple act like this loosens you from your body. It reminds you that you are not the body. When you are very hungry, you are the body. Just give it a little space and suddenly you are not that. Hunger is there, you are there, and it is okay. Misunderstanding this has led to simply torturous fasting.
It is important that you don’t fast forcefully. If you observe the natural cycle of the body, there is something called a mandala. The mandala means that every 40 to 48 days, the system goes through a certain cycle. In every cycle, there are three days when your body does not need food. If you are conscious of how your body functions, you will become aware that on these days, your body does not need food. And without effort, you can go without food on that day.
Once in every 11 to 14 days, you may not feel like eating. On that day, you should not eat. You know, even dogs and cats have this awareness? Have you noticed that on particular days, they will not eat? They are aware of their system. On the day the system says “no food,” it is a cleaning-up day, they will not eat. Since you don’t have this awareness, they fixed Ekadashi. Ekadashi comes once in every 14 days in the lunar calendar. At least every 14 days, you could go without food. If you are unable to go without food, if your activity levels are such and you don’t have the necessary sadhana to support you, then you could go on a fruit diet. Just observe your own system, and you may notice that on certain days, you do not really need to eat. Forcing food on those days is not a good thing to do.
Suppose one wants to fast for a certain period, it must always be supported with the right kind of spiritual practices or sadhana. If you forcefully fast without preparing your body and mind sufficiently, you will only cause damage to your health. But if your body is properly prepared, if you are mentally also in a certain state, if you are prepared energy-wise, then fasting can be of much benefit to you.
If you are constantly drinking coffee or tea, then, if you fast, it will become torture for you; fasting will be very difficult. So if you want to fast, first of all prepare the body by eating the right kind of foods. If it is a great torture when you hold back your urge to eat, you will only cause damage to the system. Maybe you are thinking of performing some kind of a feat “I did not eat for three days,” and you want to go and tell that to the whole world. Please don’t do such things. It is of no benefit to you. You will just make yourself weak, that is all. Just understanding the body and coming to a deeper understanding of how the system functions and what is the best thing to do, is more important than doing something like this.
It may not be a good thing for everybody to fast, but it has many benefits if it is done with proper understanding. So finding the right situation for the system and taking off food at that time will be a good thing to do.
COURTCY ISHA FOUNDATION
BE A MASTER OF YOUR SOUL
For every individual his life is important. When his life is important, his wellbeing is also important. This is so for every individual, whoever he is. So people invest a lot of time on their wellbeing. You may find someone has invested a good 25 years to become an engineer, to earn a living. He has invested half his life to build his family, but how much time has he invested for his inner well-being?
Today, everyone is busy managing and fixing the outside situation. It doesn’t matter how much you fix them, you can never fix them one hundred percent. Nobody can. Affluent societies in the world are a living example for this. They fixed the outside sufficiently, but look at the people’s condition. For example in United States, the outside is sufficiently fixed but a significant percentage of the people are on anti-depressants, they have to take medication just to remain sane on a daily basis! That is not wellbeing.
Those of you who are successful enough, at least in your material life, understand that unless you do the right thing, it will not work. Or do you still
believe you can do idiotic things and tell a prayer and everything will be okay? No. You know if you have to be successful in the outside world you have to do the right things, otherwise it will not work, isn’t it? So what makes you think it is not true with the internal?
Unless you do the right thing it will not work, there also. As there is a science and technology to create external wellbeing, there is a whole science and technology – the yogic science to create inner wellbeing through which you can become the master of your own destiny.
COURTECY ISHA FOUNDATION
Today, everyone is busy managing and fixing the outside situation. It doesn’t matter how much you fix them, you can never fix them one hundred percent. Nobody can. Affluent societies in the world are a living example for this. They fixed the outside sufficiently, but look at the people’s condition. For example in United States, the outside is sufficiently fixed but a significant percentage of the people are on anti-depressants, they have to take medication just to remain sane on a daily basis! That is not wellbeing.
Those of you who are successful enough, at least in your material life, understand that unless you do the right thing, it will not work. Or do you still
believe you can do idiotic things and tell a prayer and everything will be okay? No. You know if you have to be successful in the outside world you have to do the right things, otherwise it will not work, isn’t it? So what makes you think it is not true with the internal?
Unless you do the right thing it will not work, there also. As there is a science and technology to create external wellbeing, there is a whole science and technology – the yogic science to create inner wellbeing through which you can become the master of your own destiny.
COURTECY ISHA FOUNDATION
Monday, July 25, 2011
ASTAVAKRA GITA
Ashtavakra said:
Knowing yourself as truly one and indestructible, how could a wise man
possessing self-knowledge like you feel any pleasure in acquiring wealth?
3.1
Truly, when one does not know oneself, one takes pleasure in the objects of
mistaken perception, just as greed arises for the mistaken silver in one who
does not know mother of pearl for what it is. 3.2
All this wells up like waves in the sea. Recognizing, "I am That," why run
around like someone in need? 3.3
After hearing of oneself as pure consciousness and the supremely beautiful,
is one to go on lusting after sordid sexual objects? 3.4
When the sage has realised that he himself is in all beings, and all beings
are in him, it is astonishing that the sense of individuality should be able
to continue. 3.5
It is astonishing that a man who has reached the supreme nondual state and
is intent on the benefits of liberation should still be subject to lust and
in bondage to sexual activity. 3.6
It is astonishing that one already very debilitated, and knowing very well
that its arousal is the enemy of knowledge, should still hanker after
sensuality, even when approaching his last days. 3.7
It is astonishing that one who is unattached to the things of this world or
the next, who discriminates between the permanent and the impermanent, and
who longs for liberation, should still be afraid of liberation. 3.8
Whether feted or tormented, the wise man is always aware of his supreme
self-nature and is neither pleased nor disappointed. 3.9
The great-souled person sees even his own body in action as if it were
someone else's, so how should he be disturbed by praise or blame? 3.10
Seeing this world as pure illusion, and devoid of any interest in it, how
should the strong-minded person, feel fear, even at the approach of death?
3.11
Who can be compared to the great-souled person whose mind is free from
desire even in disappointment, and who has found satisfaction in
self-knowledge? 3.12
How should a strong-minded person who knows that what he sees is by its very
nature nothing, consider one thing to be grasped and another to be rejected?
3.13
An object of enjoyment that comes of itself is neither painful nor
pleasurable for someone who has eliminated attachment, and who is free from
dualism and from desire. 3.14
Ashtavakra said:
The wise person of self-knowledge, playing the game of worldly enjoyment,
bears no resemblance whatever to samsara's bewildered beasts of burden. 4.1
Truly the yogi feels no excitement even at being established in that state
which all the Devas from Indra down yearn for disconsolately. 4.2
He who has known That is untouched within by good deeds or bad, just as
space is not touched by smoke, however much it may appear to be. 4.3
Who can prevent the great-souled person who has known this whole world as
himself from living as he pleases? 4.4
Of all four categories of beings, from Brahma down to the last clump of
grass, only the man of knowledge is capable of eliminating desire and
aversion. 4.5
Rare is the man who knows himself as the nondual Lord of the world, and he
who knows this is not afraid of anything. 4.6
Ashtavakra said:
You are not bound by anything. What does a pure person like you need to
renounce? Putting the complex organism to rest, you can find peace. 5.1
All this arises out of you, like a bubble out of the sea. Knowing yourself
like this to be but one, you can find peace. 5.2
In spite of being in front of your eyes, all this, being insubstantial, does
not exist in you, spotless as you are. It is an appearance like the snake in
a rope, so you can find peace. 5.3
Equal in pain and in pleasure, equal in hope and in disappointment, equal in
life and in death, and complete as you are, you can find peace. 5.4
Ashtavakra said:
I am infinite like space, and the natural world is like a jar. To know this
is knowledge, and then there is neither renunciation, acceptance, or
cessation of it. 6.1
I am like the ocean, and the multiplicity of objects is comparable to a
wave. To know this is knowledge, and then there is neither renunciation,
acceptance or cessation of it. 6.2
I am like the mother of pearl, and the imagined world is like the silver. To
know this is knowledge, and then there is neither renunciation, acceptance,
or cessation of it. 6.3
Alternatively, I am in all beings, and all beings are in me. To know this is
knowledge, and then there is neither renunciation, acceptance, or cessation
of it. 6.4
Janaka said:
In the infinite ocean of myself the world boat drifts here and there, moved
by its own inner wind. I am not put out by that. 7.1
Whether the world wave of its own nature rises or disappears in the infinite
ocean of myself, I neither gain nor lose anything by that. 7.2
It is in the infinite ocean of myself that the mind-creation called the
world takes place. I am supremely peaceful and formless, and I remain as
such. 7.3
My true nature is not contained in objects, nor does any object exist in it,
for it is infinite and spotless. So it is unattached, desireless and at
peace, and I remain as such. 7.4
I am pure consciousness, and the world is like a magician's show. How could
I imagine there is anything there to take up or reject? 7.5
Ashtavakra said:
Bondage is when the mind longs for something, grieves about something,
rejects something, holds on to something, is pleased about something or
displeased about something. 8.1
Liberation is when the mind does not long for anything, grieve about
anything, reject anything, or hold on to anything, and is not pleased about
anything or displeased about anything. 8.2
Bondage is when the mind is tangled in one of the senses, and liberation is
when the mind is not tangled in any of the senses. 8.3
When there is no "me," that is liberation, and when there is "me" there is
bondage. Consider this carefully, and neither hold on to anything nor reject
anything. 8.4
Ashtavakra said:
Knowing when the dualism of things done and undone has been put to rest, or
the person for whom they occur has, then you can here and now go beyond
renunciation and obligations by indifference to such things. 9.1
Rare indeed, my son, is the lucky man whose observation of the world's
behaviour has led to the extinction of his thirst for living, thirst for
pleasure, and thirst for knowledge. 9.2
All this is transient and spoiled by the three sorts of pain. Knowing it to
be insubstantial, ignoble, and fit only for rejection, one attains peace.
9.3
When was that age or time of life when the dualism of extremes did not exist
for men? Abandoning them, a person who is happy to take whatever comes
attains perfection. 9.4
Who does not end up with indifference to such things and attain peace when
he has seen the differences of opinions among the great sages, saints, and
yogis? 9.5
Is he not a guru who, endowed with dispassion and equanimity, achieves full
knowledge of the nature of consciousness, and leads others out of samsara?
9.6
If you would just see the transformations of the elements as nothing more
than the elements, then you would immediately be freed from all bonds and
established in your own nature. 9.7
One's desires are samsara. Knowing this, abandon them. The renunciation of
them is the renunciation of it. Now you can remain as you are. 9.8
Source: http://bhagavan-ramana.org/ashtavakragita.html
Knowing yourself as truly one and indestructible, how could a wise man
possessing self-knowledge like you feel any pleasure in acquiring wealth?
3.1
Truly, when one does not know oneself, one takes pleasure in the objects of
mistaken perception, just as greed arises for the mistaken silver in one who
does not know mother of pearl for what it is. 3.2
All this wells up like waves in the sea. Recognizing, "I am That," why run
around like someone in need? 3.3
After hearing of oneself as pure consciousness and the supremely beautiful,
is one to go on lusting after sordid sexual objects? 3.4
When the sage has realised that he himself is in all beings, and all beings
are in him, it is astonishing that the sense of individuality should be able
to continue. 3.5
It is astonishing that a man who has reached the supreme nondual state and
is intent on the benefits of liberation should still be subject to lust and
in bondage to sexual activity. 3.6
It is astonishing that one already very debilitated, and knowing very well
that its arousal is the enemy of knowledge, should still hanker after
sensuality, even when approaching his last days. 3.7
It is astonishing that one who is unattached to the things of this world or
the next, who discriminates between the permanent and the impermanent, and
who longs for liberation, should still be afraid of liberation. 3.8
Whether feted or tormented, the wise man is always aware of his supreme
self-nature and is neither pleased nor disappointed. 3.9
The great-souled person sees even his own body in action as if it were
someone else's, so how should he be disturbed by praise or blame? 3.10
Seeing this world as pure illusion, and devoid of any interest in it, how
should the strong-minded person, feel fear, even at the approach of death?
3.11
Who can be compared to the great-souled person whose mind is free from
desire even in disappointment, and who has found satisfaction in
self-knowledge? 3.12
How should a strong-minded person who knows that what he sees is by its very
nature nothing, consider one thing to be grasped and another to be rejected?
3.13
An object of enjoyment that comes of itself is neither painful nor
pleasurable for someone who has eliminated attachment, and who is free from
dualism and from desire. 3.14
Ashtavakra said:
The wise person of self-knowledge, playing the game of worldly enjoyment,
bears no resemblance whatever to samsara's bewildered beasts of burden. 4.1
Truly the yogi feels no excitement even at being established in that state
which all the Devas from Indra down yearn for disconsolately. 4.2
He who has known That is untouched within by good deeds or bad, just as
space is not touched by smoke, however much it may appear to be. 4.3
Who can prevent the great-souled person who has known this whole world as
himself from living as he pleases? 4.4
Of all four categories of beings, from Brahma down to the last clump of
grass, only the man of knowledge is capable of eliminating desire and
aversion. 4.5
Rare is the man who knows himself as the nondual Lord of the world, and he
who knows this is not afraid of anything. 4.6
Ashtavakra said:
You are not bound by anything. What does a pure person like you need to
renounce? Putting the complex organism to rest, you can find peace. 5.1
All this arises out of you, like a bubble out of the sea. Knowing yourself
like this to be but one, you can find peace. 5.2
In spite of being in front of your eyes, all this, being insubstantial, does
not exist in you, spotless as you are. It is an appearance like the snake in
a rope, so you can find peace. 5.3
Equal in pain and in pleasure, equal in hope and in disappointment, equal in
life and in death, and complete as you are, you can find peace. 5.4
Ashtavakra said:
I am infinite like space, and the natural world is like a jar. To know this
is knowledge, and then there is neither renunciation, acceptance, or
cessation of it. 6.1
I am like the ocean, and the multiplicity of objects is comparable to a
wave. To know this is knowledge, and then there is neither renunciation,
acceptance or cessation of it. 6.2
I am like the mother of pearl, and the imagined world is like the silver. To
know this is knowledge, and then there is neither renunciation, acceptance,
or cessation of it. 6.3
Alternatively, I am in all beings, and all beings are in me. To know this is
knowledge, and then there is neither renunciation, acceptance, or cessation
of it. 6.4
Janaka said:
In the infinite ocean of myself the world boat drifts here and there, moved
by its own inner wind. I am not put out by that. 7.1
Whether the world wave of its own nature rises or disappears in the infinite
ocean of myself, I neither gain nor lose anything by that. 7.2
It is in the infinite ocean of myself that the mind-creation called the
world takes place. I am supremely peaceful and formless, and I remain as
such. 7.3
My true nature is not contained in objects, nor does any object exist in it,
for it is infinite and spotless. So it is unattached, desireless and at
peace, and I remain as such. 7.4
I am pure consciousness, and the world is like a magician's show. How could
I imagine there is anything there to take up or reject? 7.5
Ashtavakra said:
Bondage is when the mind longs for something, grieves about something,
rejects something, holds on to something, is pleased about something or
displeased about something. 8.1
Liberation is when the mind does not long for anything, grieve about
anything, reject anything, or hold on to anything, and is not pleased about
anything or displeased about anything. 8.2
Bondage is when the mind is tangled in one of the senses, and liberation is
when the mind is not tangled in any of the senses. 8.3
When there is no "me," that is liberation, and when there is "me" there is
bondage. Consider this carefully, and neither hold on to anything nor reject
anything. 8.4
Ashtavakra said:
Knowing when the dualism of things done and undone has been put to rest, or
the person for whom they occur has, then you can here and now go beyond
renunciation and obligations by indifference to such things. 9.1
Rare indeed, my son, is the lucky man whose observation of the world's
behaviour has led to the extinction of his thirst for living, thirst for
pleasure, and thirst for knowledge. 9.2
All this is transient and spoiled by the three sorts of pain. Knowing it to
be insubstantial, ignoble, and fit only for rejection, one attains peace.
9.3
When was that age or time of life when the dualism of extremes did not exist
for men? Abandoning them, a person who is happy to take whatever comes
attains perfection. 9.4
Who does not end up with indifference to such things and attain peace when
he has seen the differences of opinions among the great sages, saints, and
yogis? 9.5
Is he not a guru who, endowed with dispassion and equanimity, achieves full
knowledge of the nature of consciousness, and leads others out of samsara?
9.6
If you would just see the transformations of the elements as nothing more
than the elements, then you would immediately be freed from all bonds and
established in your own nature. 9.7
One's desires are samsara. Knowing this, abandon them. The renunciation of
them is the renunciation of it. Now you can remain as you are. 9.8
Source: http://bhagavan-ramana.org/ashtavakragita.html
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