Pravachan 07 - Acharya Rajneesh (Osho)

 

This Pravachan was delivered on 17 Sep 1976

Pravachan Audio link – Soundcloud –

https://soundcloud.app.goo.gl/ZLXQ1

Pravachan Transcript link –

https://oshostsang.wordpress.com/2018/07/28/अष्%e2%80%8dटावक्र-महागीता-प्रव-7/

(Pravachan No 6 is a Question and Answer session. All even numbered pravachans are Q&A sessions. Therefore, these have been left out for the time being – these will be taken up after completion of all expositions of Ashtavakra Gita)

 

janaka uvAca |

ahO niranjanaH SAntO bOdhO(a)haM prakRtEH paraH |

EtAvantamahaM kAlaM mOhEnaiva viDambitaH || 2 : 1 || 21 ||

yathA prakASayAmyEkO dEhamEnaM tathA jagat |

atO mama jagatsarvamathavA na ca kincana || 2 : 2 || 22 ||

saSarIramahO viSvaM parityajya mayAdhunA |

kutaScit kauSalAdEva paramAtmA vilOkyatE || 2 : 3 || 23 ||

yathA na tOyatO bhinnAstarangAH phEnabudbudAH |

AtmanO na tathA bhinnaM viSvamAtmavinirgatam || 2 : 4 || 24 ||

tantumAtrO bhavEdEva paTO yadvadvicAritaH |

AtmatanmAtramEvEdaM tadvadviSvaM vicAritam || 2 : 5 || 25 ||

yathaivEkshurasE kLptA tEna vyAptaiva SarkarA |

tathA viSvaM mayi kLptaM mayA vyAptaM nirantaram || 2 : 6 || 26 ||

AtmAjnAnAjjagadbhAti AtmajnAnAnna bhAsatE |

rajjvajnAnAdahirbhAti tajjnAnAdbhAsatE na hi || 2 : 7 || 27 ||

 

जनक उवाच ।

अहो निरञ्जनः शान्तो बोधोऽहं प्रकृतेः परः ।

एतावन्तमहं कालं मोहेनैव विडम्बितः ।। 2 : 1 ।। 21 ||

यथा प्रकाशयाम्येको देहमेनं तथा जगत् ।

अतो मम जगत्सर्वमथवा न च किञ्चन ।। 2 : 2 ।। 22 ||

सशरीरमहो विश्वं परित्यज्य मयाधुना ।

कुतश्चित् कौशलादेव परमात्मा विलोक्यते ।। 2 : 3 ।। 23 ||

यथा न तोयतो भिन्नास्तरङ्गाः फेनबुद्बुदाः ।

आत्मनो न तथा भिन्नं विश्वमात्मविनिर्गतम् ।। 2 : 4 ।। 24 ||

तन्तुमात्रो भवेदेव पटो यद्वद्विचारितः ।

आत्मतन्मात्रमेवेदं तद्वद्विश्वं विचारितम् ।। 2 : 5 ।। 25 ||

यथैवेक्षुरसे कॢप्ता तेन व्याप्तैव शर्करा ।

तथा विश्वं मयि कॢप्तं मया व्याप्तं निरन्तरम् ।। 2 : 6 ।। 26 ||

आत्माज्ञानाज्जगद्भाति आत्मज्ञानान्न भासते ।

रज्ज्वज्ञानादहिर्भाति तज्ज्ञानाद्भासते न हि ।। 2 : 7 ।। 27 ||

(In the book ‘Ashtavakra Samhita’ by Swami Nityaswarupananda, these 7 Slokas are given as Chapter 2; but, according to the transcript of the Pravachan, all these are given sequentially (21 – 27) – without any chapters. Accordingly, both the systems of numbering have been adopted here.)

Pravachan

Like ray of light descending, effortlessly, in darkness, or like a blind suddenly getting eyesight, it happened with Janaka also. What has not been seen by him ever, that became visible to him. What has not been heard by him ever, that became audible. His heart was overflowing with a new wave, a new hope. His life-breath (prANa) beheld something new. Surely Janaka was a deserving candidate (supAtra).

There is rain; it rains in mountains, but the mountains remain dry (of water) (khAlI), because they are already full (bharA); it rains in lakes (jhIl), and the lakes get filled. Whatever is empty is a deserving candidate, whatever is (already) full, is unsuitable (apAtra).  Ego makes a man like a stone (patthar); egolessness (nirahankAr) gives a person emptiness (SUnyatA).

Janaka must have been an empty (SUnya) vessel (pAtra); right then (tatkshaNa) he was wonder-struck (ahO-bhAv); he was awakened immediately on hearing (Ashtavakra); as soon as a call was given, the call reached (him); the shadow of whip seemed to have been sufficient; there was no need for even cracking the whip, no question of whipping (the horse).

Ashtavakra is also lucky (bhAgyaSAlI), that he could get a deserving candidate (supAtra) like Janaka; of the number of true preceptors (sadguru), seen in the history of mankind, there is no other lucky preceptor like Ashtavakra, because it is very rare (durlabha) to get a disciple (Sishya), like Janaka, who would be awakened at the slightest hint (iSArA); as if he (Janaka) was just ready, as if a whiff (jharOkhA) of air (havA) was enough, that his sleep could be broken; the sleep was not very deep (gahrI), (probably) he was not deep-dreaming, and was just about to wake up; it was almost time for prayer (meditation) (brahma muhUrta) (4 - 5.30 am); it was about to dawn (subah).

In the Buddhist Jatakas, there is a tale, that when Buddha attained wisdom (jnAna), he was quiet for seven days, because, Buddha thought – ‘those who would understand (samajhEngE) my words, (they) would understand even without my making them understand; those who would not understand my words, they would not understand even if I try to make them understand again and again; then, what is the use? Why should I speak? Why should I exert myself unnecessarily? For those who are ready to wake up, some or other reason would arise – there is no need to call them or shout for them; even a song (gIta) or chirp (gungunA) of a bird, a light breeze that rustles of tree leaves, may be sufficient (for awakening)’. And it happened so.

Lao Tzu was sitting under a tree, and a dry leaf dropped from the tree; seeing the fall of dry leaf from the tree, he attained Supreme Knowledge (param bOdh); a dry leaf became his preceptor. (He thought) ‘I have seen enough of it - seen my birth, and my death in that dry leaf; with the death of dry leaf, everything (in me) also died; if not today, tomorrow, I too would fall like the dry leaf – and the story would be over’.

  The same happened with Buddha also; on the way, seeing a sick old man, he was astonished; seeing the dead body, he asked as to what happened (to the person)? The charioteer told him – ‘this is what will happen to you too, and everyone else also; one day death will surely come’. Then, Buddha said – ‘Turn the chariot back home; I have nowhere to go; when death is imminent, the life is indeed useless’.

You too would have seen the procession of dead body on the way; you too, for a moment, standing on the road side, would have expressed your sympathy; you would have thought – ‘it is very sad that this poor man is dead; he was a just a youth; he had just commenced his family life (ghar-gRhasthI); it is very sad’. You expressed pity over a person who is dead; but you did not take pity on yourself – that the news of your own death has come in the form of the dead man; that you too would be proceeding, if not tomorrow, the day after, on your (last) journey bound on the bier (arthI); in the same manner, as you are expressing your sympathy for the dead man, standing on the road side, others also will be expressing their sympathy towards you; and you will be so dead, that you will not be able express gratitude (for those expressing sympathy); the dead body that is going in procession, is indeed yours.

 If there is one who has eyes with deep insight and with an intense (pragAD) awareness (caitanya), then, just by watching (procession of) a dead man, it would dawn on him that the whole humanity is death-bound, and the life is useless (vyartha). And, thus Buddha went away leaving everything. When wisdom dawned on Buddha, he thought that ‘one who is ready to wake up, he wakes up without the need for anyone to wake him up; just any excuse (bahAnA) is enough for it (waking up)’.

It is said that while a Zen nun (sAdhikA) was returning (to Ashram) after filling (pots of) water from a well, the bamboo (bAns) yoke (kAvar) (to which pots were tied) broke, and the pots fell down. It was a full-moon night, and the reflected image of the moon was seen in the water of the pot; while she was returning to the Ashram with the yoke (kAvar), she was looking at the reflected image of the moon in the pot; as the pot broke, she stood astounded; as the pot fell and water flowed down, the image of moon also vanished. It said that wisdom (bOdh) dawned (utpanna) on her, and she entered into total (samyak) samAdhi; she returned to the Ashram dancing; she understood that this world is nothing more than a reflected image; these images (of the world) which we have constructed, can break any time; all these (reflected) moons will vanish; all these beautiful poetry will be lost; all these mesmerising (man-mOhinI) forms will be lost; these are all (like) the reflections seen in the water; so it occurred to her, and the matter ended there.

Therefore, Buddha thought – ‘what is the use? Whom shall I tell? One who is (ready) to wake up, will become awakened some time or other (dEr-abEr) even without me – there may be a little difference (of time); and those who are not going to wake up, even if you scream or shout, he will go back to sleep by turning to the other side (karvaT); even if he opens his eyes, he would look at you with anger, as if saying – ‘why have you spoiled my sleep? Do you have no other job? Why do you not allow a person to sleep; I was sleeping peacefully, and you have come to wake me up’.

Even if you ask someone to wake you up in the morning, when he wakes you up, you get angry; in fact, you told him – ‘I have to catch a train, therefore, wake me up early by 4 in the morning’; but when he wakes you up, you feel like thrashing him.

 Immanuel Kant was a great German thinker (vicArak). Every day, he used to get up at 3 am. He used to be very punctual - to the hour and even minute. When he used to go to the University, people used to synchronise their watches, because, he was so regular (niyam) – for thirty years – always punctual to the minute and second. But, sometimes when it was very cold, he would tell his servant – ‘whatever happens, wake me up at 3 am; even if I beat you, do not mind, you also beat me back, but, at any cost, wake me up’. No servant would stay with him, because it was very problematic to wake him at 3 am. When the servant wakes him up, he would get into brawl with him. He had told his servant – ‘in case I beat you, you can also beat me back, but wake me up at any cost – even by dragging me from bed’; he had also told the servant – ‘do not to mind whatever I might say at that time, when I am sleepy; you need not take note of what I say at that time’. There are people like that also.

 Buddha thought – ‘what is the use? One who wants to sleep, would be sleeping despite my shouting; one who is ready to wake up, he would wake up even without my calling’. For seven days, he was sitting silently. Then Gods (dEvatA) implored (prArthanA) him – ‘what are you doing? Very rarely someone attains Buddhahood; the Earth is longing (taras) - thirsty people are longing - that clouds have formed and it would rain now; but you are silent; please rain; the flower has blossomed, let the fragrance waft; let this delight (ras) stream forth (dhArA); many are athirst through many lives; we heard your argument (tark); we have been watching your mind, non-stop, for the past seven days; you say – ‘there are a few who would wake up even without my calling, and there are a few who would never wake up even by my calling’; is this why, you are silent? We have come after due deliberation; there are a few such that they are standing in between (these two categories); you will not be able to refuse these – who would wake up, if someone wakes them up, and if no one wakes them, they would remain asleep through many more lives; please take these people into consideration; ninety nine percent of the people are like what you say; but please consider the remaining one percent also – who are standing just at the border – that if someone wakes them up, they would wake up, and if no one wakes them, they will remain asleep (forever).   

Buddha could not rebut them, therefore, he had to speak; the Gods had made him agree, they could sell their argument. Buddha’s point of view was correct; so was the point of view of Gods.

Therefore, there are three kinds of listeners (SrOtA) – first, those who would not wake up even after repeated wake up calls; majority of people belong to this category; they listen, yet, they do not listen; they see, yet, they do not see; they do understand, yet, they whitewash (lIpA-pOti) it by reconciling (samajhA-bujhA) with themselves; even if they do understand, they preserve their misunderstanding (nAsamajhI); they have a great self-interest (svArth) in misunderstanding; they are afraid of losing the age-old (purAnA) familiarity (paricaya).

The second type of listeners are those who are in the middle. If someone – a Buddha, an Ashtavakra, a Krishna – makes a little effort (Sram), they will wake up. Arjuna was one such listener, Krishna had to put in some labour (mEhnat) – he had to put in a concerted (lambI) labour; because of that concerted labour, (Bhagavat) Gita could be brought forth (nirmit); only at the end (anta), Arjuna understood – ‘my delusion (bhram) has gone away, my doubts (saMSaya) have been clarified (girE), I surrender (SaraN) at your feet, I have beheld (dikhAyI) (the Truth)!’ But, a great struggle (jaddO-jahad) took place.

 Then, there are best (SrEshTha) listeners – like Janaka, who understand (listened) (sun liyA), the moment it was said; the moment Ashtavakra finished saying, Janaka could understand (behold) (dikhAyI).

 janaka uvAca |

ahO niranjanaH SAntO bOdhO(a)haM prakRtEH paraH |

EtAvantamahaM kAlaM mOhEnaiva viDambitaH || 2 : 1 || 21 ||

Today’s Sutra is the statement of Janaka. So fast (jaldi), so quickly (SIghratA) could Janaka understand that, what Ashtavakra says is indeed (bilkul) true (ThIk)! (A blow) must have been struck (cOT).

As I said – it rains, somewhere in a rocky (pathrIli) land (jamIn), it rains alright, but nothing sprouts (ankur) there; it also rains in somewhat stony (kankrIli) land, and some sprouts are there, but not that much, as it should; then, there is a land which is ready (taiyAr), which is cultivable (upjAU), in which there are no stones or rocks, and there is a good harvest (phasal). Janaka is such a land; only a signal (iSArA) was enough.

The condition of Janaka is worth understanding, because you also would be in (belong to) any one of three lots of people. And it depends on you, as to where you would prefer to be; you could be an ordinary person, who is determined (zid) not to listen; who has vowed to fight against the truth; even if he listens, he would listen something else; immediately on hearing, he would start interpreting (vyAkhyA) it; he would impose himself (his views) on what he heard, he would colour it, he would twist (vikRt) it, he would turn it upside down (kuch kA kuch).

You do not hear what is said, but you hear what you want to hear. I have heard – one day Mulla Nasruddin’s wife returned home angrily; she said to Mulla – ‘beggars are cheaters (dhOkhEbAz)’. Mulla asked – ‘what happened?’ She replied – ‘I saw a beggar with a tablet on his neck, in which it was written – ‘Born blind’; I took pity, took out ten paise from my purse and dropped it in his plate (pAtra); do you know, what he said? He said ‘O Beauty! May God bless you’; you tell me, how he can know that I am beautiful?’ Mulla laughed loudly and said – ‘he is indeed blind, and born blind’. Mulla said – ‘I am not the only blind; there is one more blind also; otherwise how would he know that you are beautiful – if he had eyes?’

The wife is telling something, and Mulla is hearing something; Mulla is hearing only that he wanted to hear. Bear in mind, this is happening all the twenty four hours (of the day); you hear only that which you want to hear, if you do not even ponder, whether what I heard (on any subject), was it indeed said (so), or it is my own (making).

Mulla was working in a place; the owner said to him – ‘Nasruddin! Your work is not satisfactory; I may have to employ another person’. Nasruddin replied – ‘Sir, please do employ a second person; this is the job of two people’. Owner says that he wants to get rid of him, and employ another person; and Mulla says that it was a job of two persons, therefore, employ another person.

Whatever you hear, standing at the back, you should think it over again – whether this was what indeed told. If a person becomes capable (samartha) in hearing correctly, then he becomes the listener of the second category; he comes above the third lot; the listener of third lot, mixes his own (views); the listener of the third lot, hears only himself, he hears his own echos (prati-dhvani); his perception (dRshTi) is not clear (clouded); he deforms (vikRt) them.

The listener of second category hears only that which was told; it takes some time for the listener of second category (to grasp), because, even after hearing (correctly) what has been told, it takes courage (conviction) (sAhas) to adhere (karnA) to it; if you hear (correctly), you would also get the courage (to adhere to it), because, after hearing the truth, it is impossible to hold on to untruth for long; once you have perceived (dEkh) what the truth is, then the age-old habits –no matter how old it is – will have to be got rid of (chOD); when it becomes clear that two plus to two is four, no matter how old the practice of adding two plus two as five, it will have to be got rid of (chOD); once it is seen where the door is, then it is impossible (to make effort) to (try to) pass through the wall; then, it is impossible to hit your head against the wall; once the truth is perceived, slowly (dEr-abEr) that much of courage will also come, that a man can take a leap (chalAng) to transform (rUpAntarit) himself.

Then, there are listeners of first category; if you have both, understanding and courage (to adhere), then you will become listener of first category; listener of first lot means that, understanding (samajh) and courage (sAhas) happen simultaneously (yugpat) – here you have understanding and there is courage; there is no interval (antarAl) between understanding and courage; it does not happen - that today you have understanding, and tomorrow you have the courage; that one understands in this life, and gets the courage in the next life; here he understands and here itself he gets the courage; this very moment, he understands, and the same moment, he gets the courage; then the unexpected (Akasmik) happens; suddenly (acAnak) there is Sun-rise. Janaka is a listener belonging to the first category (kOTi). 

(Translator’s Note : - There is some confusion about the categories of listeners as told by Osho. In the beginning of the Pravachan, he puts those listeners, who are not amenable, in the first category, whereas, the same persons are now classified as third. There is no change in the definition of second category – those who are ready, but take a little time to grasp – like Arjuna. Therefore, readers should not be very strict with order of first and third. I would go by the definition of Janaka being in the first category, Arjuna in the second category, and other common people who are not amenable, in the third category.)

In this regard, it is essential to keep in mind one thing; Janaka was an Emperor; he had everything (at his disposal) – more than what he wanted; he enjoyed pleasures (bhOga) (of life); for a person who has enjoyed fully, the pleasures of life, it becomes easy, for the revolution of Yoga, to take place in his life; (this is so) because the experience of life itself conveys to him that, what one calls ‘life’, is but useless (vyarth); half of the job (of leading to Yoga) is done by life itself, in that, it tells him that, what he calls as ‘life’ is indeed useless; then, question arises in his mind – ‘then, what is more in the life? Then, what is there in future life? Then, what is the real (true) (satya) nature of life?’ But, a person who has not enjoyed the pleasures of life, and who only had ambitions for enjoyments, but could not obtain them – who had only the hope of getting them – it becomes very difficult for him (the path of Yoga). Therefore, if all the great Path-finders (tIrthaMkar), great Seers (drashTA) – be they Jain or Buddhist or Hindu – if all of them were of royal lineage (rAj-putra) – do not be wonder-struck (AScarya-cakit); it is not without reason; from this, you get only this message – that one can get release (mukta) from enjoyments (bhOga), only (by going) through (the route of) enjoyments; for an emperor, it becomes very clear to him, that there is nothing in the wealth (dhan), because he has a store-house (ambAr) full of wealth, but inside (oneself) it is empty – there is emptiness; there is multitude of beautiful women, but it is empty inside (oneself); there is a beautiful palace, but there is a dead-silence (sannATA) inside – it is but a desert (rEgisthAn); when one has everything, it becomes very clear (to him) that there is nothing; but, when one has nothing, he lives with the aid (help) (sahArA) of hopes (ASA).

It is very difficult to get rid of hopes (ASA), because there is no means (upAya) of examining (parakh) hopes; a poor man thinks that, if tomorrow I get wealth, I will live happily; for a rich man, wealth is already there – there is no reason (need) for (futuristic) hope (upAya); therefore, when a society is well-provided (rich) (sampanna), it remains virtuous (dhArmik); do not be wonder-struck, if the wind of virtue (dharma) starts spreading fast in America; this has always happened; when Bharat was rich – in the days of Ashtavakra, it must have been rich, in the days Buddha, it was rich, in the days Mahavir, it was rich – whenever Bharat was at the peak (Sikhar) of richness, then Yoga touched high levels (UncAyi), then spirituality (adhyAtma) flourished (flew high) (uDAn bhari), because, it became clear to people that there is no substance (sAr) (in possessions and enjoyments) – if one achieves everything (in life), then there is no (further) substance; only when a country is poor – pauper (dIn-daridra), then it is very difficult (for spirituality to flourish).

I am not saying that a poor man cannot become free (mukta); a poor man can become free; a poor man can be virtuous (dhArmik); but, a poor society (samAj) cannot be virtuous; individuals can be exception (apavAd), but for that, one requires intensity (pragADtA). Think a little – if one has wealth, it is easy (for him) to understand (dEkh-lEnA) that wealth is useless (vyarth); but, if one has no wealth, it would be a little difficult - rather very difficult - to understand that wealth is useless; how will you determine (parakh) uselessness of something which you do not have? if you have gold in your hand, you can examine (parakh) whether it is pure or impure (counterfeit) (khOTA); if you do not have any gold on hand – may be in a dream – no touch-stone (kasauTi) has been made to  test (kasnA) non-existent (sapnE) gold; if it is a real gold, it can be tested. The virtue (dharma) of a poor man is not a real (vAstavik) virtue; therefore, when a poor man goes to temple, he seeks wealth, seeks position, seeks a job; if one is ill, he seeks remedy for it; if his son (bETA) is unemployed, he may seek that he may get employment; a temple is also becomes an employment exchange; the fragrance (sugandh) of love (prEm) and prayer (prArthanA) is not wafting in temples; people, instead of going to hospital, come to temple; instead of going to employment exchange, come to temple. A poor man seeks in the temple, what he did not get in the World (saMsAr); whatever is not available (abhAva) in the World, we seek only that.

But, if you have everything in your life, or if you have this much of brilliance (pratibhA) or intellectual understanding (mEdhA), that by mere pondering (vicAr), you can wake up (jAg) and see that, ‘even if you had everything, so what (use)?; others have wealth, but what happened to them?’.  Even if you do not have (wealth), you should at least have the brilliance to see, as to what happened to those living in palaces - whether there is the wave of bliss in their eyes, whether there is dance in their feet, whether there is the fragrance of Supreme Lord (paramAtmA) around them - and if it did not happen to them, how that will happen to you. But this is a little difficult (kaThin) (to have such mental capability).

Majority (adhik) of people are such that, even if they have personal wealth, they are not able to discern (dikhAyI) that wealth is useless (vyarth); that being so, to think that those who do not have wealth, would be able discern (the truth)! They may be able to discern – it is a possibility – but a distant possibility. It might have been easy for Buddha to wake up; it might have been easy for Janaka to wake up; it might have been easy even for Arjuna to wake up; but, it would have been very difficult for Kabir, for Dadu (Sufi Saint of Gujarat), for Shahji (a Bengali Sufi saint); it would have been very difficult for (Jesus) Christ and (Prophet) Mohammed, because they did not have anything – and yet, they woke up.

Whatever we do not have in our life, desire(s) (kAmnA) for those, encircle (ghEr) us; desire(s) for those, catch hold (pakaD) of us. Yesterday I was reading a poem –

मैं चाहता हूं इसलिए एक जन्म और लेना

कि मुझको उसमें शायद मिल जाए ऐसी हमदम

कि जिसको आता हो प्यार देना।

जो सुबह उठ कर मेरी तरफ मुस्कूरा के देखे

दिलोजिगर में समा के देखे

जो दोपहर को बहुत—से कामों के दरमियां

हो उदास मुझ बिन

गुजार दे इंतजार में दिन

जो शाम को यूं करे स्वागत

तमाम चाहत तमाम राहत से राम कर ले

जन्म मरण से रिहाई दे कर

मुझे रहीने—दवाम कर ले!

एक ऐसी हमदम की आरजू है

जो मेरे सुख को

वफा की ज्योति का संग दे दे

मेरे दुख को भी

अपने गर्म आंसुओ के मोतियों का रंग दे दे

जो घर में इफ्तास का समय हो, न तिलमिलाए

सफर कठिन हो तो उसके माथे पे बल न आए

एक ऐसी हमदम मिलेगी अगले जन्म में शायद

कि जिसको आता हो प्यार देना

मैं चाहता हूं इसलिए एक जन्म और लेना।

(Meaning is not given in the Pravachan. The poem expresses a deep desire for a lover – even if that means waiting for another birth.)

Whatever one did not get – someone did not get a lover (prEyasI), someone did not get wealth, someone did not get position, someone did not get prestige – (in order to get these) we desire to have another birth (janma); we have taken infinite (anant) number of births, but something or the other remained deficient, something or other remained empty (khAlI), something very petty (OchA) remained deficient; and we take another birth, and another birth.

There is no end for desires (residual impressions) (vAsanA); our needs are very little, but our desires (kAmnA) have no limit; man continues to live with the aid (sahArA) of those desires.

Keep in mind – wealth does not bind (bAndh), but the ambition (AkAnkshA) for wealth binds; position does not bind, but the ambition for position binds, prestige does not bind, but the ambition for prestige binds.

Janaka had everything; he has seen everything; as if he was standing ready – that if someone gave a little indication (signal) (iSArA), he would wake up; all the dreams had become useless; the sleep was about to be over. That is why I say that Ashtavakra got a great disciple (Sishya).

 Janaka said – ‘Am I blemishless (nirdOsh)?  Am I peaceful (SAnt)? Am I pure consciousness (bOdh)? Am I beyond nature (prAkRti)? Astonishing! (ahO) that, so far, I had been beguiled (Thag) by my infatuations (mOha)’. 

It is the beginning of illumination (kiraN utar) – Astonishing! I am spotless (niranjanaH).

Did you hear Ashtavakra’s statement? – ‘You are spotless, blemishless’. Immediately on hearing this, illumination (kiraN) reached the ultimate (AkhirI) depth (gahrAyI) of life force (prANa), as if a needle (sUyI) had pierced directly (sIdhI).

‘I am astonished! Am I spotless, peaceful, pure consciousness, and beyond nature?’

‘Wonderful! What are you saying? Am I blemishless, Am I peaceful? Am I pure consciousness and beyond nature? It is surprising that so far I have been beguiled by my infatuations’ – (EtAvantamahaM kAlaM mOhEnaiva viDambitaH).

Janaka was wonder-struck. Whatever he heard, that had never been heard before. Whatever he saw in Ashtavakra, he had never seen before. Neither ears heard; nor eyes saw; something unprecedented (apUrva) has been revealed (pragaT). Ashtavakra was scintillating (jyOtirmaya); Janaka was astonished (cakit) at his (Ashtavakra’s) lustre (AbhA), at the halo (maNDal) of his lustre – ‘Indeed! I understand (bOdh) that I am spotless (niranjan)’; but one does not get confidence (bharOsA), one does not believe (viSvAs).

The Truth (satya) is unbelievable (aviSvasanIya), because we have been believing in untruth (falsity) (asatya) through past so many lives. Ponder, if a blind suddenly gets eyesight, will he be able to believe - that there is illumination (prakASa), that there are colours (rang) – thousands (hazAr) of colours – that there is rainbow (indra-dhanush), that there are flowers, trees, the moon and stars? If the blind suddenly gets eyesight, he will exclaim – ‘I am astonished! I could not even think of these, and they are there, and I have not seen them even in my dreams’.

Leave aside light (prakASa), a blind man does not know even darkness (andhErA). Ordinarily (sAdhAraNataH) you may think that a blind man lives in darkness – if so, you are wrong; to see even darkness, one should have eyesight; if you close your eyes, you can see darkness, because you know (about existence of) light when you open your eyes; but, a person whose eyes were never opened, he could not know even darkness, leave aside light – he does not recognise even darkness; there is no means (upAya) for a blind to see rainbow even in dream; but when he sees with open eyes, the whole world would look unbelievable, and he would not get the confidence (that these are real).

Janaka felt a jolt (dhakkA), a shock (caunk); he was filled with marvel (acambhA); he said – ‘I am astonished! Am I unblemished (nirdosh)?’

We have always seen ourselves as guilty (dOshI); religious leaders (dharma guru) have always told us that we are sinners (pApi); scholars and priests have always explained (samajhAyA) to us that we should cleanse (dhOnA) the sins of our actions. No one has told us that we are blemishless, that there is no means by which our blemishlessness can be shattered (khaNDit), that even if you commit millions of sins, you can never be a sinner.

All the sins committed by you, are indeed the dreams dreamt by you; once you wake up, everything vanishes (khO jAnA); neither you have merit (puNya) nor you have sin (pApa), because actions (karma) are not ‘yours’, ‘doing’ (kRtya) is not yours. It is so, because you are not the ‘doer’ (kartA) – you are only the ‘seer’ (drashTA), the witness (sAkshI).

‘Am I blemishless?’ an astonished Janaka exclaimed – ‘Am I peaceful?’ – because we  know only unrest (aSAntI).

Have you ever known peace? Ordinarily (sAdhAraNataH), you say so, but if you pay attention (gaur), you will understand – what you call ‘peace’ is but a small interval between two unrests. In English, there is a word ‘cold war’ – it is a nice word – ‘cold war’; in between two wars (yuddha) cold war goes on; between two ‘hot’ wars, there is cold war, but war is going on (jArI). After First World War was over, Second World War started; many years – twenty years – passed, but for these twenty years, there was cold war; the war was indeed going on – preparations for war was going on; only that war was not ‘declared’ (prakaT); it (war) was going very much inside – rather ‘underground’ – it was buried under the ground.

Now, cold war is going on in the World; preparations for war is going on; troops (sainik) are practising drill (kavAyad); bombs are being made; rifles are being polished; swords are being sharpened; this is cold war, and war is going on; this (war) can break out (bhaDkEgA) any day; war will start any day. What you call ‘peace’, is indeed cold peace; when it becomes very hot (uttapt), it will be ‘hot peace’. Between two unrests, whatever little time you spend, that you call ‘peace’ – that is not at all peace; that is only cold unrest; mercury (pArA) has not gone up much – it is not very hot – you are able to manage (samhAl), that is all. But, you have never known ‘peace’; can there ever be peace between two unrests? And, can there be peace between two wars?

For one who has known ‘peace’, his unrest has ended, once and for all (sadA kE liyE); you have not known peace – you have just heard the word; unrest is your experience; peace is your ambition (AkAnkshA), your desire (ASA).

Therefore, Janaka exclaimed – ‘Am I peaceful, am I conscious’? – because we have known only trance (mUrcchA); whatever job you do, it is only under trance; if it is said correctly (ThIk-ThAk), you will not be able to answer any question properly. If someone asks ‘why did you fall in love with this woman?’ You would say – ‘I do not know, it just happened’; is it any response? For matters like love, is it any reply – ‘it happened; it just happened, it was love at first sight, I fell in love immediately on seeing’? Do you know from where, inside you, love arises? How it came? You do not know anything. And then you want that, from this love, there should be happiness in life. Do you not know, from where the smile (laughter) of love, comes? At what level of sub-conscious (acEtan), this arises? Where is its seed? Where it sprouts? And then, you say that there should be happiness in life with this love. It is not happiness, that one gets, but misery (dukh), one gets strife (kalah), one gets distaste (vaimanasya), one gets hatred (IrshyA), one gets irritation (jalan); and then you squirm (taDap); then you ask – ‘what happened? Is all love just a deception (fraud) (dhOkhA)?’ It was only trance (mUrcchA) right from the beginning.

You keep on running – in order to earn money (dhan); if someone asks – for what? – may be you would be able to give some silly (chOTE-mOTE) reply; you may ask – ‘how one will survive without wealth?’ But, there are also people who have enough (kAFI) for their livelihood, yet, they also keep running. You should clearly understand this – (you may think that) once you have earned enough, you will be able to stop (running); but you will not be able to stop; even after that, you will continue to run.

When Andrew Carnegie died, he left behind ten billion rupees, but even at the time of death, he was earning; a day before his death, his secretary asked him – ‘are you now satisfied? You have ten billion rupees’. He (Andrew) responded – ‘satisified? No, I am dying worried, because it was my plan to earn a hundred billion rupees’. For him, who had a plan of earning hundred billion rupees, just ten billion rupees means a deficit (ghATA) of ninety billions; just see how much is the deficit! You see only ten billions; but ten billions have become (equivalent to) ten paise; there is no value (mUlya) for ten billions. Neither you can eat ten billion rupees, nor you can drink; there is no use for it; but, once the race begins, it keeps on going.

You ask yourself – ‘why are you running?’ You will have no answer – it is just a trance; we do not know why we are running; we do not know where we are going, and why we are going; but, if we do not go, what will we do? Even if one wants to stop, how to stop? Why stop? We do not know (answer for) that also. Man is proceeding as if he is drunk; we do not have the hold? (chOr) of our life in our hands; we are bereft of consciousness (bOdh-hIn).

Gurdjieff has said – ‘we are, more or less, sleep-walking’ – eyes are open, for sure, but sleep is not over yet; eyes are full of sleep; something happens; we keep doing something; something keeps on going; why? We are afraid of asking ‘why’, because there is no answer; raising such questions, makes us uncomfortable (bEcainI).

Janaka said – ‘Am I consciousness? I am astonished! Am I spotless? Am I peaceful and consciousness? Not only that – you are saying that ‘I am beyond nature’. Beyond nature! You are not the body (SarIr), you are not mind (man); whatever is visible (dikhAyI) – you are not that? Whatever is seen (dRSya), you are not that? You are the seer (drashTA)? You are always (sadA) beyond (pAr) (everything)? Beyond the nature – you are always transcendent (atikramaN)?’

This should be understood – this is Ashtavakra’s fundamental stratagem (upAya), fundamental rule (vidhi) – if we can call it ‘rule’ – to go beyond the nature (prakRti); whatever is visible – I am not that; whatever comes within (the range of) experience (anubhav) – I am not that; because, I have gone beyond whatever is seen by me – I am the seer (drashTA) – I am not the one who is seen; whatever has come within my experience – I have gone beyond that – because, I am the seer of that experience; therefore, how can I be the experience? Therefore, neither I am the body nor mind nor feelings (bhAva); neither I am Hindu nor Mussalman nor Christian; neither brahmin nor sudra; neither child nor youth nor old; neither beautiful nor ugly; neither intelligent nor idiot – I am no ‘thing’ – I am beyond the whole nature (prakRti).  

Janaka’s heart was illumined (kiraN utarI); he was filled with surprise (AScarya); he was astonished (cakit); his eyes opened. Surprised that – for such a long time, I have been beguiled (ThagA) by my infatuations (mOha). Surprised that – whatever life I lived (basAyA), whatever I desired (cAhA), whatever beautiful dreams (sapnE) I saw – all these were just sleep of infatuation (hypnosis) (mOha-nidrA) – all these were dreams – all these were thoughts (khyAl) arising in dreams, and there is no substance (astitva) for these.

EtAvantamahaM kAlaM mOhEnaiva viDambitaH

‘You startle (cauMkAtE) me; you have shaken (hilA) me; then, all these palaces I built have been reduced to rubble (gir gayE); all the empire (sAmrAjya) that I expanded – all these were just deceit (viDambanA) of infatuation (mOha)’.

Try to understand – even if you happen to hear (the words of Ashtavakra), it will be so; if you happen to hear, it will be exactly (ThIk) so; whatever you had accomplished (kiyA-karAyA), will all become useless (vyarth); whatever has been attained or not attained, will become useless.

Mulla Nasruddin was mumbling (baDbaDAnA) something in sleep; he opened his eyes and told his wife – ‘bring my spectacles (caSmA) quickly’. His wife asked – ‘what will you do with spectacles in the dead of night, and in the bed?’ He replied – ‘do not delay, bring the spectacles; I see a beautiful woman, in the dream; I want to take a clear look at her putting on spectacles, bring my spectacles; it is a bit hazy (dhundhlA) dream’.

You are trying to make even a dream true – that somehow or other, the dream may become true; you do not want that someone should call your dream a dream – you get annoyed. We did not poison our saints (saMtOn) just like that (aisE hI); we did not stone (patthar mAr) them just like that. They annoyed you much; we were dreaming, and they (saints) shook us; we were asleep, and they began to wake us up; they began breaking your sleep, without your consent – they sounded alarm; and our annoyance is natural.

If only you listen (to the Saints), you would be grateful (kRtajna) to them; you will feel gratitude for ever. Remember, when Krishna  speaks, Arjuna raises questions; in Ashtavakra Gita, Ashtavakra speaks, and Janaka asks no questions; Janaka expressed only astonishment (ahO bhAva); Janaka just accepted (what Ashtavakra told); Janaka said only this – ‘My Lord, you have surprised (caunkA) me, and you woke me up; there was nothing to ask; he got the conviction (pratIti) that he is blemishless (nirdOsh), that he is peaceful (SAnta), that he is consciousness (bOdh) and that he is beyond the nature (prakRti); this looks very hard to us – that it all happened so fast; it looks to us that it should have taken him (Janaka) at least some time (to grasp it); it is very surprising to us, that it all happened so quickly and so fast.

 There are a lot of mentions in the lives of Zen Fakirs. Now, books on Zen have begun to circulate in the East, West and in all directions; and reading these, people become surprised, because, there are  of such mentions, in which, in just a moment, the Fakirs woke up and got the wisdom (bOdh); we are not able to believe (bharOsA), because, we adopt many means (upAya) and yet, we do not get the wisdom; we exert (Sram) ourselves, and yet we are not able to meditate (dhyAn); we sit down for prayer (japa), we sit down for penance (tapa), but the mind remains distracted (ucAT). And, just in a moment, Janaka had awakening; it happens very rarely (kabhI-kabhI); it depends on your fitness (pAtratA); the more there is deficiency in one’s fitness, the more time taken (for awakening); there is no delay in happening; it can happen this very moment; as it is mentioned, again and again, by Ashtavakra, ‘be happy (sukhI bhava) – be happy just now; become free – become free just now – this very moment’.

It always happens ‘just now’, delay happens due to lack of (deficit in) fitness (pAtratA); we do not have the (necessary) fitness; therefore, it takes time for removing (haTAnA) the hurdles (stones) (patthar) that are in the way; the spring can just burst forth (phUT), the spring is ready, spring is (always) waving forth (tarangit), spring is waiting for the stones to be removed, so that it can rush forth to the ocean; but, it depends on how many stones, how many huge rocks (caTTAn) are there; there is no delay in the flow of spring – its path is always open, not closed; it can burst forth from anywhere; somewhere, one has to dig; somewhere there may be a huge rock – we may have to dynamite it; in all the three situations (sthiti) – whether it bursts forth just now, or whether it takes some time, or whether it takes lives (janmOn) – the spring was always ready; the difficulty is not the spring bursting forth, but in the time taken for removing the stones on the way; there might have been no stones in (the path of) awareness (cEtanA) of Janaka – therefore, revelation (pragaT) of astonishment (ahO bhAva) (readily), therefore, expression (jnApan) of gratitude (kRtajnatA); he was exhilarated (danced forth) (nAc uThE); he was in raptures (magan).

yathA prakASayAmyEkO dEhamEnaM tathA jagat |

atO mama jagatsarvamathavA na ca kincana || 2 : 2 || 22 ||

Janaka said - ‘Just as I alone (akElA) illuminate (prakASa) this body (dEha), so do I illuminate the entire Universe (World) (saMsAr); therefore, either the entire (sampUrNa) Universe (saMsAr)) is mine (mErA) or (athavA) nothing (kuch bI nahIn) is mine’.

This is belief in divinity (AstikatA); Arjuna was not a believer (nAstik); Arjuna refuses (inkAr) (to believe – trust) – he raises questions again and again, he raises a thousand doubts (sandEha), he asks from this angle or that angle (taraF). But, Janaka did not ask anything at all.

Therefore, I call this (Ashtavakra) Gita as ‘Mahagita’. Arjuna’s non-belief, ultimately falls (miTtI), and he comes home. In Janaka, there is no non-belief at all; (In the case of Janaka), it was as if he was standing at door of the house (destination), and someone jolted (jhakjhOr) him, and told – ‘Janaka, you are standing (right) at the door of the house (destination), and you have to go nowhere else’. He exclaimed – ‘I am astonished! As I illuminate this body (of mine) all by myself (akElA), so do I illuminate the whole universe (World) (saMsAr)’.

Ashtavakra said – ‘Your ultimate (Atyantik) form (rUpa) of witnessing (sAkshI bhAva), is not unique to you (tumhArA) alone, it is not the core (centre) (kEndra) for you alone, it is the core of entire creation (sRshTi); on the surface (Upar-Upar), we are distinct (alag), but, we are one inside (bhItar); we are distinct outwardly, but, as we go inside, we are (find ourselves to be) one – like the distinct waves (lahrEn) on the surface (chest) (chAtI) of ocean (sAgar), becoming one at its (ocean’s) depth (gahanatam); on the surface, one wave is small and another big, one beautiful and another twisted (kurUp), one wave is dirty and another clean – there are a lot of differences (bhEd) on the outside, but all waves are one (juDI) at the (depth of) ocean; one who attains the memory (smaraN) of the centre (core), his individuality (vyaktitva) is gone (gayA) – and he does not remain an individual (vyakti)’.

Therefore, Janaka says - ‘as I illuminate this body, similarly, I illuminate the whole World (saMsAr) also! What are you saying? I am not able to believe (bharOsA)’.

Yesterday night, a youth came to and told that he could not believe whatever happened to him during his meditation (dhyAn); It is true; when something happens, you cannot believe it; our beliefs are only in small things – petty things; when (experience of) the grand (great expanse) (virAT) happens, how can one believe?

When paramAtmA stands before you, you will be wonder-struck (AScarya-cakit) and become speechless (avAk).

In the West, there was a saint – Tertullian; someone asked him – ‘is there any proof of God?’ He responded – ‘there is only one proof, God is, because he is not fit (yOgya) to be believed (bharOsE); God is, because, we are not able to trust (viSvAs) Him; God is, because, He is impossible (asambhava)’.

Tertullian said something very unique (anUTI) – God is, because He is impossible. The World is a possibility (sambhava), God is impossible (asambhava); what is possible is petty (kshudra), the Great Expanse (virAt) is impossible; but the impossible also happens; Tertullian said – ‘if you are willing (rAzI) for the impossible, then impossible also happens; when it happens, you are not able to believe (bharOsE); all your roots (jaDEn) are uprooted (ukhaD), how can you believe? When it happens, you are erased (miT); who will be able to believe, because, when it happens, you get dissipated (bikhar).

 You are like darkness (andhErA) now, when His Sun arises (nikal), you will be dissolved (visarjit).

Janaka said – ‘therefore, either the whole (sampUrNa) World (saMsAr) is mine (mErA), or I have nothing’.

Only these two things are possible (sambava) – if there is any view (dRshTi) between these, it is only a delusion (bhrAnt); either the whole Universe is mine, because I am part (hissA) of paramAtmA, in as much as I am paramAtmA, in as much as I am the core (centre) of the Universe (saMsAr), in as much as my witness (sAkshI) is the witness of the entire Universe; therefore, either the whole Universe is mine – one possibility – or then, nothing is mine, because, where indeed am I? In witnessing, ‘I’ does not remain – only the state (bhAva) of witnessing (sAkshi) remains; therein (vahAn), there is no claimant (dAvEdAr) left – who will claim (dAvA) that everything is mine?

Therefore, Janaka says – there are two possibilities (sambhAvanA); there are two renditions (manifestations) (abhivyakti) of (law of) nature (dharma) – either (it is) whole (absolute) (plenary) (pUrNa) or (it is) empty (void) (no ‘thing’) (SUnya); Krishna chose ‘whole’; Upanishads chose ‘whole’; from that ‘whole’ everything arises (nikal), yet, the remainder (pIchE) is whole (only); in that ‘whole’ everything is absorbed (lIn), yet, the whole, neither decreases (ghaTtA) or increases (baDtA).

 Upanishads, Krishna, Hindus, Sufis – all chose ‘whole’ (pUrNa); Buddha chose void (SUnya); the statement (vacan) of Janaka – ‘therefore, either everything is mine – I am the whole – I am the whole, the Brahman (brahma) which is beyond everything (parAtpara), or, then nothing is mine – I am the Supreme Void (param SUnya). Both these statements are true (sac).

The statement (vaktavya) of Buddha is incomplete (adhUrA); the statement of Krishna also is incomplete; in the statement of Janaka, both these (statements) become complete (pUrI); both these statements can be made, why? Janaka says - ‘because, if I am the centre of the entire Universe (jagat), then, the whole Universe is mine; but, when I am the centre of whole Universe, ‘I am’ not at all there – my ‘I-ness’ (ego) (main-pan) has been left behind, it keeps flying (uDtA) behind (pIchE) like a dust particle (dhUl); the traveller (yAtrI) has gone (nikal), and the dust is left behind; then what is mine? Or, then, nothing is mine’.

atO mama jagat sarvam – either the whole universe is mine; 

athavA na ca kincana – or, then, nothing is mine;

saSarIramahO viSvaM parityajya mayAdhunA |

kutaScit kauSalAdEva paramAtmA vilOkyatE || 2 : 3 || 23 ||

‘It is surprising (AScarya) that, having renounced (tyAg) the universe (viSva) together (sahit) with the body (dEha), now (ab), with what (kisI) skill (ease) (kuSaltA) – that is (arthAt), with (the help of) teaching (upadESa) only - I see (dEkh) paramAtmA!’

ahO saSarIraM viSvaM parityajya – ‘Surprising that my body is gone; along with the body, the whole universe is gone! Renunciation (tyAg) has happened!’

Renunciation (tyAg) is not ‘done’ (kiyA); renunciation is a state (daSA) of wisdom (consciousness) (bOdh); renunciation is not an action (kRtya); if someone says – ‘I have renounced’, then renunciation has not happened; he has made renunciation also, an enjoyment (a utlity) (bhOg); if someone says – ‘I am a hermit (renouncer) (tyAgI)’, then he does not know what renunciation is, because, till the time ‘I’ (ego) (main) is there, what kind of renunciation is it?

The meaning (arth) renunciation is not ‘leaving off’ (chOD); renunciation means – to wake up (jAg) and see (dEkh) that nothing is mine (mErA); then how to leave (anything)? What to leave off? If I am holding (pakaD), then I can leave; I can leave off only when there is (something).

After getting up in the morning, you do not say – ‘let me renounce (tyAg) my dream (sapnA)’ – don’t you? After getting up in the morning, you do not say – ‘(yesterday) night, in the dream, I became an Emperor, had a golden (svarNa) palace (mahal), diamond (ratna) studded jewellery (AbhUshaN), my empire (rAjya) extended to vast distances, had nice (sundar) children (putra), (beautiful) wife (patnI) – let me renounce (chOD) all these’. If you say so, you will look mad (pAgal); if you drum-beat (DhiNDhOrA) that you have renounced all – the empire, wealth, splendour (vaibhav), wife, children, everything – the people will be astonished (caukEngE) – and say - ‘what empire? We were not aware that you had any empire?’ And, if you say – ‘I had these in my dream’, people will laugh at you that you have become mad; how can anyone leave a dream-empire?

Therefore, the formula (sUtra) of supreme knowledge (parama jnAna) is this – when it is seen (dikhAyI) that the World, is but nothing (kuch bhI nahIn), where is the question (bAt) of leaving (tyAg) anything? But, people keep account (hisAb) of what they have renounced (chODA).

A friend of mine, came to meet me; his wife was with him; my friend’s name was counted among great donors (dAni); therefore, my friend’s wife said – ‘probably (SAyad) you are not aware of my husband, he is a great donor; he has donated about one lakh rupees!’ The husband, hurriedly pressed wife’s hand (saying) – ‘not one lakh, but one lakh and ten thousand’.

Is this donation (dAna)? It is book-keeping (hisAb); this is a deal (saudA); it is keeping account of every paise (kauDi); if, perchance, they meet paramAtmA, they would catch hold (pakaD) of his neck (gardan) (saying) that – ‘I have donated one lakh and ten thousand; what are you going to give me in return (badalE)?’ He donated (diyA) because, treatises (SAstra) say – ‘if you give one here, you get a crore (karOD) times there’; who will leave such a business (dhandhA)? A crore times? Have you heard of ‘interest’ (byAj)? Have you seen such a business? Even gamblers (juArI) are not indeed that great – you do not get a crore times (of the bet); this is indeed gambling; if we donate (chOD) one lakh, we will get (back), a crore times; this is the extension (vistAr) of greed (lObh). And, what about the accounting (hisAb) of one lakh? Then, value of money (rupayE) is not yet over; earlier (pahlE), one used to keep money in the vault (tijaurI); now, in place of money, they keep account of whatever one has renounced (tyAg); but the dream is not broken, as yet.

There is a very ancient (prAcIn) Chinese (cIn) story – an emperor had a son; he (son) was in death-bed (maraNa SayyA); physicians (citiksak), after failing in their attempts, told (the emperor) that they will not be able to do anything, he will not survive, it is impossible. His illness was such that there was no cure (ilAj); it was a matter of a day or two, he could die any time; therefore, the father was sitting awake by his side; it was about time to say bye (vidA);  he was sitting with tears rolling down his eyes; about three o’clock in the night, he fell asleep (jhapkI) while sitting; in the sleep, he had a dream, that there was a great empire, for which he was the emperor; he had twelve sons – very beautiful (sundar), youthful (yuvA), skilled (kuSal), intelligent (buddhimAn), great charioteers (mahArathI), (great) warriors (yOddhA); there were none like them in the World (saMsAr); there was a huge pile (ambAr) of wealth; there were no limits (sImA) (to his empire); he was the emperor; he was ruling over the whole World (jagat); he had such a dream, and then (during the sleep-cum-dream) his son died; his wife was weeping and wailing (dahAD); his (emperor’s) eyes opened; he was, at once, astonished; he was bewildered (kiMkartavyavimUDh), because, he just had another kingdom (empire), twelve sons and huge wealth – all these vanished; and, here, his son has died! But he was speechless (ThagA); his wife wondered whether the emperor had become mentally unstable, because he was quite attached to his son; but, there was not a drop of tear in his eyes; when his son was alive, he (emperor) was weeping for him, but when he had died, he – the father – is not weeping! His wife shook him and asked – ‘what happened to you? Why are you not weeping?’ He said – ‘For whom all shall I weep? Just now, I had twelve sons, they all have died (vanished); I had a huge empire, and that has gone; for whom all shall I weep? I am not able to decide – as the twelve (sons) have gone, the thirteenth (son) also has gone; the matter has ended; that was a dream, and this also is a dream, because, when I was seeing that dream, I had totally forgotten about this son (who was in the death-bed); I had forgotten this empire; now that the dream is over, I am remembering you; tonight, I will again go to sleep, and I will forget you; therefore, whatever comes and goes – it is here just now, and not here then - both these (waking dream and sleep dream) have ended; I have woken up from dream; I am not going to remain in any dream; I am tired of it all; time has come, the fruit has ripened, and it is time for it to fall off’.

Janaka says – ‘saSarIram-ahO viSvaM parityajya..’ – ‘it is astonishing, having renounced (tyAg) the Universe (viSva) together with the body (SarIram)...’

Reuncination (tyAg) has happened! Not an inch has moved (hil), things are where they were – in the same palace, from where he invited Ashtavakra, seated him in the throne – he is in the same place; he has not gone anywhere; the kingdom is there, the wealth, the splendour are all there; the door-keepers are standing; servants are fanning him; all things are as they were; the vault is in its place, wealth is intact; but Janaka says – ‘I am astonished, renunciation has happened (tyAg ghaT)’.

Renunciation is inside (andar); renunciation is internal (bhItar); renunciation is (a state) of consciousness (wisdom) (bOdh).

‘saSarIram-ahO viSvaM parityajya ... kutaScit kauSalAdEva...’ – ‘..it is astonishing, having renounced Universe together with the body, with such a skill (ease) (kuSalatA)....’

And it all happened with what an ease! Not a leaf (pattA) has moved, but revolution (krAnti) has happened! There is not even a minor (jarAsA) injury (ghAv), but the surgery has been completed – and with what an ease! What a teaching (upadESa) of yours! I am able to see paramAtmA! I am not able to see the World (saMsAr); the complete outlook (dRshTi) has been transformed (rUpAntarit)!

This is a very valuable (mUlyavAn) Sutra – Revolution can happen – you being where you were, you being what you were; there is no need to run (bhAg) to Himalayas. Renunciation (saMnyAs) is not escapade (palAyan), it is running away (desertion) (bhagODA); wife is there, children are there, house and household (ghar-dvAr) are there, everything will remain same; it will not be known (khabar) to anyone, even as a whisper (kAnO-kAn), but revolution will happen; it is an internal (bhItar) matter; you will be wonder-struck, as to what has happened; now, the wife will not be seen as one’s own, son will not be seen as one’s own, the house will not be seen as one’s own; you will still live there (in the house), but you will be there as a guest (atithi) – it has become a guest house (sarAy); the house is same, everything is same; you will be doing the same job, you will get up, sit down, you will go to shop, office, you will exert (Sram) – but, now no worry will ever get hold of you; once it is seen that everything is just a play (khEl), a great drama (nATak), then a revolution takes place.

An actor (abhinEtA) was asking me as to how he can become more skillful (kuSal). I said – ‘there is only one formula (sUtra) - it is for all those who want to become skillful in life – consider (samajh) the life as ‘acting’ (abhinay); and those who want to become skillful in acting, the formula is – consider acting to be life (jIvan); and, accordingly, there is no other formula. If an actor considers acting as life, he becomes skillful; then he takes the drama (nATak) to be real (asalI).

You will be impressed (prabhAvit) with that actor (abhinEtA) whose skill is such that he considers an untruth (acting) to be real (life) (sac); if actor is unable to consider an untruth (acting) to be real, he cannot become skilled. Therefore, he will remain (actor) externally (bAhar), but he will not be so internally (bhItar); and, he will stand outside and perform (acting), but you will come to know that his mind (prANa) is not involved (in acting); it (character) has not entered his interior (bhItar).

An actor totally forgets (bhUl) (himself) in acting; when someone acts as Rama, he forgets (himself) totally, and becomes Rama; when his Sita is abducted (curAyI), he does not think that it has nothing to do with him; he does not think (while acting) – ‘the game (drama) would be over in an hour, and hence why should I weep unnecessarily? Why should I ask the trees as to where Sita is? Why should I shout and shriek? What is the use? Is Sita mine? And, there is no Sita there (in the drama) – some other person (male) has donned the role of Sita; I have nothing to do with him (one enacting Sita).’ If he (actor) does not lose himself (khOyA) in the role, then that acting is not skillful; skill (in acting) is that when he (actor) considers acting as life (jIvan) itself; he considers (acting) as real (yathArth); it is ‘his’ Sita who has been lost; his tears are not false – they are real; he weeps as if his lover (prEyasI) has been lost; he fights (laDtA) like that; he makes acting real (life-like).

If one has to bring skill in the life (jIvan), then he should consider life to be acting (abhinaya); this is also a drama (nATak); some time (dEr-abEr) the curtain will go up; some time, everyone will bid farewell (vidA); the stage (manc) (of life) is huge, for sure (mAnA), but it is a stage only, no matter how huge it is; do not make a home (ghar) here; one has to stay (Thahar) in the guest-house (sarAy); this is waiting room (pratIkshAlaya); there is a queue here; death is always happening (AtI-jAtI), and people bid farewell; you also have to bid farewell (one day); there is no need to establish (jaD-jamAnA) yourself; otherwise (anyathA), there will be much more sorrow (dukh).

Therefore, one who does not establish himself in the World, is (indeed) a hermit (sanyAsi); one whose feet are not unmovable (angad) – one who is always ready (tatpar) to go – he is a hermit; in this World, only that person (vyakti) is a hermit, who is a gypsy (banjArA) – a vagrant (khAnAbadOS). (Feet are unmovable – like that of Angad – character of Ramayana).

The word ‘vagrant’ (khAnAbadOS) is very nice; it means ‘one whose house (khAnA) is on his shoulders (badOS)’; one who is a vagrant, he is indeed a sanyAsi; erect a tent (tambU) at best, but never make a house (ghar); you can also remove the tent – it does not take any time – it is guest-house (sarAy).

It is said that Ibrahim became a Sufi Fakir; before that (pahlE) he was the Emperor of Balk (Balkans?); one night, when he was sleeping in his palace, he saw someone walking on the roof (chat); he asked – ‘who is this manner-less person (badtamIz) walking on the roof at dead of night? Who are you?’ Response came – ‘I am not manner-less, my camel has been lost, and I am searching for it’; Ibrahim laughed, and said – ‘you are mad (pAgal), if your camel is lost, can you ever find it on the roof; also, how would camel reach on the top of the roof’. The man replied from the roof – ‘before you call others as ‘manner-less’ and ‘mad’, think about (bAbat) yourself; is it possible to find happiness (sukh) in wealth (dhan), splendour (vaibhav) and  in melodious (surA) music (saMgIta)? If one can find happines in wealth, splendour and melodious music, then one can always find a camel on the roof’.

Ibrahim was astonished; it was midnight; he got up and rushed (bhAgA); he hurried his men to catch the person; (he thought) – it seems that this person is knowledgeable (jAnkAr); but, by then that man had gone off (nikal); Ibrahim sent his men to the town, to find who he was; (he thought) he seems to be a very good (pahuncA huA) Fakir; what a statement he made! But, for what purpose (prayOjan) he said so?

But, Ibrahim could not sleep that night; next day, he was sitting in the assembly (darbAr), but he was very upset (udAs), he was worried (malin citta), because what the person told had pinched (chOT) him much; he must have been a person like Janaka; it pinched him, because what he said was right; if this person is mad (pAgal), then am I intelligent (buddhimAn)? Whoever got happiness in the World (saMsAr)? This (happiness) is what I am searching; there is no happiness in the World; if one could get (happiness), then it is also possible to find camel on the roof; then, the impossible (asambhava) happens; then, there is no obstacle (aDcan); but, who is this person? How did he reach on the roof? And, then, how did he run away? Where has he gone?

He was sitting in the assembly worried; the assembly was going on; business was as usual, but today his mind was not there; his mind-bird had flown away (uD) somewhere; it had reached the other world, as if renunciation (tyAg) had happened; the matter was so petty – as if Ashtavakra got on to the roof and uttered (bOl).

 Then, he saw that there was some problem (jhanjaT) at the entrance door (to the assembly); some person was trying to come in, and he was telling the door-keeper (darvAn) that he wanted to stay in the guest-house (sarAy); and the door-keeper was telling him – ‘are you mad? This is not a guest-house; this is the palace of the Emperor; there is guest-house in the town; go and stay there’. But, that man was telling – ‘I shall stay here; I had stayed here before also; this is a guest-house; you can fool (banAnA) someone else; you can deceive (carAnA) somebody else (not me)’.

Suddenly (acAnak), hearing the voice (AvAz) of the person, it occurred to Ibrahim, that it is the same person (who was on the roof); he (Ibrahim) told – ‘bring him in; do not send him away’. He was brought in. Ibrahim asked – ‘what are you doing? What kind of persistence is this? This is my palace – you call this a guest-house? This is an insult (apamAn)’. He said – ‘whether it is insult or respect (sammAn), I want to ask – I came here earlier also; then someone else was sitting in the throne’. Ibrahim said – ‘he was my respected father’. And, that Fakir said – ‘I came before that also; at that time, someone else was sitting (in the throne)’. Ibrahim said – ‘that was my grandfather’. Then, he said – ‘that is why I call this (palace) a guest-house; people sit here and then, they go away; they come and go; how long are you going to sit? I will come again, then, I will find someone else sitting here; therefore, I call this a guest-house – this is not a house; house is that where we are settled (bas jAnA) once and for all, from where, no one can remove us, from where, it is impossible to remove one’.

It is said that Ibrahim got down from the throne, and said to the Fakir – ‘I certify (pramAN) that this is a guest-house; you, please stay here; I am leaving, because, what is the use (sAr) of staying in a guest-house? Ibrahim left the palace. He must have been a deserving candidate (supAtra).

Janaka says – ‘I could perceive (dikhAyI) (the truth) such that, having renounced the Universe (viSva) along with the body (SarIra), I have become a hermit (saMnyasth), in a moment (kshaN); what a skill have you shown! What kind of teaching have you given! What a skill have you! What an art (kalA) of yours!

ahO saSarIram viSvaM parityajya ... kutaScit kauSalAt.... ‘What a skill! What a mentor (guru), I have come across (milanA)!’  mayA adhunA paramAtmA vilOkyatE – ‘Now, I behold only paramAtmA; I do not see anything else; now, everything seems to be the form(s) of paramAtmA – His waves (tarang)’.

yathA na tOyatO bhinnAstarangAH phEnabudbudAH |

AtmanO na tathA bhinnaM viSvamAtmavinirgatam || 2 : 4 || 24 ||

Just like waves (lahar) arise in the water - just like bubbles (bulbulA), froth (phEna) arise in water – which are not different (alag) from water; they rise in it, and they merge (khO) in it (water); similarly, there is nothing different from paramAtmA; everything is His bubbles, everything is his froth; everything is His waves; they arise in Him, and they dissolve (merge) (lIn) in Him.

yathA tOyatO tarangAH phEna budbudAH bhinnAH na – we are like that – I perceive like that, My Lord (prabhu)!

Janaka told Ashtavakra – ‘I actually (pratyaksha) perceive like that’. This is not a statement (vaktavya) of a philosopher (dArSanik); this is an experience (anubhava) – a statement which arose from a depths (gahan) of experience – that ‘I perceive so’.

You also can see! This is a only a matter of a little change in the outlook (dRshTi), which Westerners call ‘gestalt’ – it is a matter of gestalt; the word ‘gestalt’ is very important (mahatvapUrNa); you might have seen, sometimes, in the books of children, pictures which are made in such a way that, if you watch carefully, sometimes, it will look like an old woman and sometimes as young woman; if you keep on seeing it, you will find it changing (badlAhaT); sometimes, you see old woman and sometimes a young woman; the same lines make (both of) them look so; but, if you have observed keenly, both pictures (old woman and young woman) do not appear simultaneously, though you have seen both of them; you have seen an old woman and a young woman in the same picture; now you know that both are there in the picture; even then, you will not be able to see both simultaneously; when you see old woman, the young woman is lost; and when you see young woman, the old woman is lost; it is so because, the same lines are used for both the pictures; in German language, it is called ‘gestalt’.

Gestalt means ‘method (Dang) of viewing’ – by one method, (the picture) is seen in one way, and by another method, it looks another way; thing viewed is same, but your method of viewing changes the whole meaning.

The World (saMsAr) is same – when an ignorant (ajnAnI) sees it, infinite (anant) things are visible to him – this is ‘gestalt’ – a method of viewing; when the enlightened (jnAnI) sees the same, the infinite (things) is/are lost – various forms are lost – only the vast expanse (virAT) is visible (to him).

Janaka said – Eva mayA adhunA paramAtmA vilOkyatE – one paramAtmA is seen.

It is His greenery in the green trees; He has blossomed as colours in these flowers; it is He who is frolicking (khilvAD) in the wind with the fragrance of flowers; the cloud covering (ghirE) in the sky is His covering; it is He who is asleep inside you; it is He who is awake inside Buddha and Ashtavakra; it is His hardness (ghanIbhUta) that is lying in deep slumber (tandrA) in the stone (patthar); it is He who is a little alert (caunkA) in man – certain amount of wakefulness (jAgaraN) that has begun (in man) – but it is indeed He only; all are His forms only; somewhere, He is standing top-down (ulTA), and somewhere straight (sIdhA) – trees are standing top-down, from man’s angle (hisAb).

Some time back, I was reading a book on botony (vanaspatI SAstra), and I was startled (cakit); what is said there seems correct (ThIk); that scientist (vaijnAnik) has written that the head (sir) of trees is buried (gaDA) in the ground (jamIn), because, trees take their food from the ground; therefore, their mouth (face) is in the ground; they take food, they take water from the ground; therefore, their mouth is in the ground, and the feet are standing in the sky (AkASa) – trees are standing on head (yOga posture) (SIrshAsana); (trees) seem to be very ancient Yogis!

That scientist has tried to establish (siddha) that we can understand the complete (pUrE) progress (vikAs) of human (manushya) on this basis (AdhAra); then (after trees), there are earth-worm (kEncuE), fish – they are flat (samatal) – they belong to flat earth; their tail and mouth are in a straight line, along the ground; it is a little transformation from trees; then, there are dogs, cats, lion, cheetah – their head is a little upright (khaDA)  - it is a transformation from the straight line – head being upright – the angle has changed; then, monkeys, which can sit – they are almost vertical to the ground, but they cannot stand – they are seated man; the tree is, indeed, man standing on head (SIrshAsan); then the man – he is standing straight – he is truly vertical to the ground; man has become totally inverted (ulTA) (from the tree) – head up and feet down.

I liked it. Everything is a play (game) of the One – somewhere he is standing head down, somewhere straight up, somewhere lying down, somewhere sleeping, somewhere awake, somewhere immersed in sorrow, somewhere happy, somewhere disturbed, somewhere peaceful – but all the waves belong to one (ocean) only.

 yathA tOyatO tarangAH phEna budbudAH bhinnAH na – as the wave, froth and bubbles are not different from water, similarly, there is nothing different from Atma – everything is undifferentiated (abhinna).

You perceive (dEkhO) this – (just) do not hear; this is the change (parivartan) of gestalt; it can be seen just in one glimpse (jhalak) – just a glimpse; if you see attentively (gaur), slowly you will find that all have been covered (tirOhit) by One, and (all) have vanished (khO gayA) (into One); from the One great expanse (virAt) of ocean, the waves arise – these will not last long, because, in order to persist (TikAnA), they (waves) must have the ability (kshamatA); but, by the time it (wave) is visible (dikhAyI) for a moment, another wave has arisen; we are all the waves of That one – there is only one Sun (sUraj) illuminating (prakASit), and we are all its rays (kiraNa); there is just one music (saMgIt) here – we all are the notes (svara) of it; if you can see this – then a revolution (krAnti) will happen; that one moment (kshaNa), will slowly become your eternal (SASvat) form (svarUp).

 You can either hold on (pakaD) to this or you can fail (cUk); Janaka held on to it.

(Poem of Osho – Meaning not available)

रात मैं जागा

अंधकार की सिरकी के पीछे से मुझे लगा

मैं सहसा सुन पाया सन्नाटे की कनबतिया

धीमी रहस्य—सुरीली, परम गीत में

और गीत वह मुझसे बोला

दुर्निवार! अरे तुम अभी तक नहीं जागे?

और यह मुक्त स्रोत—सा

सभी ओर बह चला उजाला

अरे, अभागे कितनी बार भरा

अनदेखे, छलक—छलक बह गया तुम्हारा प्याला!

You are not hearing these words for the first time; you have heard them many a times; you are very ancient (prAcIn); it is possible that you have heard it from Ashtavakra also; some among you, certainly, would not have heard this; some might have heard from Buddha, some from Krishna, some from Christ, some from Mohammed, someone from LaO Tzu or Zarathustra; many a great personalities were born on the Earth; you have been crossed (pAr kar) all of them; so many lamps were lit; it is impossible that the light from any of these lamps would not have reached your eyes; your glass (cup) (pyAlA) had been filled many a times.

अरे, अभागे कितनी बार भरा

अनदेखे, छलक—छलक बह गया तुम्हारा प्याला!

Even if your glass is filled, it remains empty; you are not able to take care of it.

और गीत वह मुझसे बोला

दुर्निवार! अरे तुम अभी तक नहीं जागे?

और यह मुक्त स्रोत—सा

सभी ओर बह चला उजाला

Day is about dawn; and it had dawned many a times; many a times the Sun had risen; but, you are holding on to your darkness, steadfastly; if you leave off this haplessness (abhAgApan), you will get relief (chUTna).

Janaka said – ‘only One is visible to me; I have been absorbed (lIn) in it; That One has become absorbed in me.

वेद यह कहते हैं

जो इन्सां त्यागी, यानी संन्यासी है

वेदों से भी है बलातर

उसकी जगमग जग से बढ़कर

वह बसता है जगदीश्वर में

उसमें बसता है जगदीश्वर!

वेद यह कहते हैं

जो इन्सां त्यागी, यानी संन्यासी है

वेदों से भी है बलातर

—वेदों से भी श्रेष्ठ है। क्योंकि

उसमें बसता है जगदीश्वर

वह बसता है जगदीश्वर में!

That moment, the awareness (cEtanA) was not different – it became one (with That); he was himself astounded (caunk).

tantumAtrO bhavEdEva paTO yadvadvicAritaH |

AtmatanmAtramEvEdaM tadvadviSvaM vicAritam || 2 : 5 || 25 ||

‘If one ponders (vicAr karnA), the cloth is but thread (tantu) only, similarly, if one ponders, this World (saMsAr) is but Self-Being (Atma sattA) only’.

If one awakens (jAg) and sees, if one discriminates (vivEk karnA), if one perceives wisely (bOdh-pUrvak) – when you see the cloth intently (gaur), what do you see? You will find that it is nothing but a web (jAl) of thread; one thread as warp (sIdhA) and another as woof (ADA) – cloth is made by weaving thus; cloth is but a web of threads only; yet, see the beauty (mazA) of it! You cannot wear the thread, but only the cloth; if a heap of thread is kept, you will not be able to wear it; however, even though a cloth is nothing but a heap of thread, but, with an arrangement (AyOjan) - weaving it warp and woof - a cloth is made; you cover (DhAnk) yourself with the cloth; but, what is the difference? It (cloth) is but thread only! What difference it makes, how you place it (thread) (for weaving)?

Janaka says – ‘somewhere paramAtmA is green as tree, somewhere, becoming red, He is the lotus flower, somewhere He is water, somewhere He is mountain, somewhere He is the moon and stars; all these are different organisations (manifestations) (saMghaTanA) of His consciousness (caitanya); a cloth is woven by thread only; different types of cloth are woven by thread only – thin, slender cloth for wearing during summer, heavy cloth for wearing during winter, fine (sundar) cloth, coarse (asundar) cloth, cloth for poor (garIb), for rich (amIr) – all these are woven by thread only; from that (cloth), we create (nirmAN) thousands of forms.

Scientists (vaijnAnik) say that the whole Existence (astitva) is made up of energy (UrjA) only; the name (given by scientists) for energy is ‘electricity’ (vidyut); but scientists are agreed on one thing – that the Existence (astitva) is made up of only one thing; that one thing has different structures (DhAncA), like gold which has so many ornaments (AbhUshaN) – all are made of gold only; if you melt (galA) them, only gold is left (bacE); forms (AkAr) are very different (bhinna), but, that, on which all the forms are dependent (khaDA), is unlimited (amit).

yadvat paTO tantumAtrO....as cloth is (made up of) only thread (tantu), idaM viSvaM AtmatanmAtraM.....similarly, the whole existence (astitva) also is woven (bunA) with the element (tattva) of the form (rUpI) of Self (Atma).

And, surely, it would be better to call it Self (Atma) than electricity (energy) (vidyut), because energy is inert (jaDa), and there is no scope of consciousness (caitanya) being derived (utpanna) from energy; if there is a possibility of consciousness being derived from energy, then it is futile (vyarth) to call energy as ‘energy’, because whatever could be born (produced) should be hidden (chipA); consciousness (caitanya) is very much seen (dikhAyI) – it is manifest (pragaT); therefore, whatever is manifest, that must be the source (mUl) also, otherwise, how will it manifest? You sow mango seed, and mango tree manifests, and mango fruits grow therein; you sow neem seed, and neem tree becomes manifest, and the neem fruits grow therein.

Whatever is in the seed (bIj), that only manifests, that only fructifies (lagtA); so much of consciousness (caitanya) is visible (dikhAyI) in the World (duniyA), so many different (vibhinna) forms of awareness (cEtanA) are seen; therefore, consciousness must be hidden (chupA) in whatever is the basic (mUl) constituent (structure) (saMghaT) of this Existence (astitva); therefore, it is not correct to call it (constituent) as energy (electricity) (vidyut), it would be much better to call it ‘Self’ (Atma); may be it is better to call it ‘Self – energy’ (Atma-vidyut), but consciousness must be put in (DAlnA) there; if whatever is seen, came out (from something), then, it must be hidden in the source (mUl).

‘...as, when considered (vicAr), a cloth (vastra) is but thread (tantu) only, so also, when considered, this World (saMsAr) is but (mAtra) Self (Atma) only’. 

yathaivEkshurasE kLptA tEna vyAptaiva SarkarA |

tathA viSvaM mayi kLptaM mayA vyAptaM nirantaram || 2 : 6 || 26 ||

 ‘as sugar (Sakkar), made of sugar-cane (Ikh) juice (ras), is pervaded (vyApt) by sugar-cane juice only, so, this World (saMsAr) made up of me (mujhsE), is also pervaded by me (mujhsE)’.

As, sugar (Sakkar) is extracted (nikAl) from sugar-cane (Ikh), it (sugar) is pervaded by sugar-cane juice, so also paramAtmA is pervading the consciousness (caitanya); paramAtmA is pervading me, He is pervading you, and you are pervaded in paramAtmA. 

AtmAjnAnAjjagadbhAti AtmajnAnAnna bhAsatE |

rajjvajnAnAdahirbhAti tajjnAnAdbhAsatE na hi || 2 : 7 || 27 ||

‘World (saMsAr) appears (bhAs) because of ignorance (ajnAn) of Self (AtmA).....!’ It is very important (mahatvapUrNa) to understand this. ‘Due to the ignorance (ajnAn) of Self (AtmA), the World (saMsAr) appears (bhAstA), and with the knowledge (jnAna) of Self, the World does not appear.

The gestalt has changed – the outlook (dEkhnE ka Dhang) is changed. 

‘.....as, due to the ignorance of rope (rassi), serpent (sAMp) appears (bhAstA), and with the knowledge of rope, serpent does not appear.’

In the darkness (andhErA) of night, you saw a rope, and you thought (samajh) it is a snake; you started running, you started beating it (snake) with stick; then, when someone brings lamp (diyA), you drop the stick, and your fear goes away (visarjit); in the light (prakAS), it becomes clear (dikhAyI) that it is not a serpent, but only a rope; the serpent appeared there, because of our failure to see the rope as a rope; the snake was not there – it was only an appearance (AbhAs).

Because we do not see Self as Self, there is the World (saMsAr); for one who has known (jAnA) Himself (svayam), his World has vanished (miT); it does not mean that the house - entrance, door, walls - mountain, stone etc. will disappear (khO). No, all these will remain (hOngE), but all these will become merged (lIn) in one (Ek); these are different waves, bubbles and froth of that One. For one who has known Himself, his World (saMsAr) has ended (samApt); for him, who has not known Himself, his World will never come to an end; you will not be able to know Yourself (svayam) by leaving (chODnA) the World, but, by knowing Oneself, the World is left behind (chOD).

There are two courses (dhArA) for renunciation (tyAg); one course is that which says that by leaving the World, one can know Himself; the second course says that, if you know Yourself, the World is left behind (chUTA); the first course is a delusion (bhrAnt); by leaving the World, one cannot know Himself, because, in leaving the World, the delusion of ‘existence (hOnE) of World’, persists (banA rahnA).

Understand this; there is a rope, and snake appeared in it; someone who meets you, says – ‘if you leave off the notion (bhAva) of snake, it will be seen as rope’; you may say – ‘how can I get rid of the notion of snake? The snake is visible, the rope is not seen’. Then, by gathering courage (himmat), probably after chanting Ram, Ram, somehow or the other, you stand firm, by repeating – ‘it is not snake – it is rope, it is rope, it is rope’; even then, you will still feel inside (bhItar) you – ‘I am befooling (jhuTlAnA) myself; let me not go near it; I do not want any trouble (jhanjhaT)’; if you are running, you would have gone away; you might say – ‘it is rope, I agree, but why should I go near it?’

The person who runs away (bhAgtA) leaving the World, says – ‘World is an illusion (mAyA)’; even then one runs away; just ask him – ‘if it is indeed illusion, why are you running away? If it is indeed ‘not there’, whereto you are running? What is that you are leaving off?’ He says ‘wealth (money) is just soil (miTTI)’; then why are you so much afraid of money? Why are you getting frightened (bhayabhIt) by it? No one gets frightened by soil; then why be frightened by money? If soil is seen lying (somewhere), it is alright; it is alright whether money is lying there or not; if man needs soil, he makes use of it; if wealth is needed, he makes use of it; but all these are like a dream, like a game. The second course is more deep (gaharI), it is closer to the Truth – that you light a lamp, and see rope as a rope; then the World is gone; the snake is gone.

‘Due to ignorance of Self, the World appears, and with the knowledge of Self, it does not appear’.

If you see the Self, the World is not visible; if you look at the World, the Self will not be visible. Only either of these is seen – both are not seen together; if you are seeing the World, then the Self cannot be seen; if you begin to see the Self, the World will not be visible; there is no method (upAya) by which both can be seen together.

It is like this - that you are sitting in a room, and there is total darkness; then, do you bring light in order to take a deep look at the darkness? If so, nothing (about darkness) will be known; if you bring the light, there will be no more darkness; if you want to see darkness, then, even by mistake, do not bring light; if you do not want to see darkness, then bring in light, because darkness and light cannot be seen together, because, darkness is the absence (abhAva) of light; when light is there (bhAva), how can light and darkness be there together?

The World (saMsAr) is (seen) due to absence of Self-knowledge (Atma-jnAna); when Self-knowledge arises (udaya), the World vanishes (gayA); all things (of the World) remain where they are, and yet, they are not (seen) as they were; all (things) get transformed (rUpAntarit) wherever they are.

 People ask me – ‘you bestow renunciation (saMnyAs) (to people), but you do not tell them, to leave behind the home, wife and children’; I say – ‘I do not tell them to leave off (anything)’; I tell them only this – ‘to be like a Self-knower (Atmavat), to become Self-knower (AtmavAn), so that all things are seen as they (truly) are’; one cannot leave off whatever is there; there is no need to leave off whatever is not there; we see whatever we want to see.

There was a case in the Court; the Magistrate asked Mulla Nasruddin – ‘among these hundreds of similar looking buffaloes, how did you recognise your buffalo?’ Nasruddin responded – ‘what is so difficult about it, Your Honour (mAlik)? In this Court room, there are hundreds of advocates, wearing black coats; yet, am I not able to recognise my advocate?’ 

Whatever we want to know (jAnanA), we do come to know; whatever we want to recognise, we do recognise; our intent (abhiprAya) becomes the purpose (significant) (sArthaktA) of our life; if you want to awaken (jAgnA) from the World, then do not struggle (jUjhnA) with the World; if you want to awaken from the World, then try for inner awakening.

Mulla Nasruddin and his wife, along with a child in the lap, went to see a dance program; the door-keeper cautioned Nasruddin – ‘if child weeps during the dance (program), you will have to go out of the hall; in case you so desire, the ticket money will be refunded; but, then you will not be allowed to sit inside; just keep in mind’. After almost middle of the program, Nasruddin asked his wife – ‘how do you like the program?’ His wife replied – ‘totally useless’. He said – ‘then why delay? Pinch the baby.’

When you realise that the World is totally useless, do not delay further – just pinch yourself, give a strong jerk (jhakjOrnA) inside yourself, and awaken yourself; everything happens (hOjAnA) by our awakening; awakening is the greatest invocation (mantra) – one and only invocation!

OM Tat Sat