Pravachan 49 - Acharya Rajneesh (Osho)

This Pravachan was delivered on 29 Nov 1976

Pravachan Audio link – Soundcloud –

https://on.soundcloud.com/2w7QV

Pravachan Transcript link –

https://oshostsang.wordpress.com/2018/07/28/अष्%e2%80%8dटावक्र-महागीता-प्रव-49/

(Pravachan No 48 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, on completion of all expositions of Ashtavakra Gita)

ashTAvakra uvAca |

tEna jnAnaphalaM prAptaM yOgAbhyAsaphalaM tathA |

tRptaH svacchEndriyO nityamEkAkI ramatE tu yaH || 17 : 1 || 157 ||

 

na kadAcijjagatyasmin tattvajnO hanta khidyati |

yata EkEna tEnEdaM pUrNaM brahmANDamaNDalam || 17 : 2 || 158 ||

 

na jAtu vishayAH kE(a)pi svArAmaM harshayantyamI |

sallakIpallavaprItamivEbhaM nimbapallavAH || 17 : 3 || 159 ||

 

yastu bhOgEshu bhuktEshu na bhavatyadhivAsitaH |

abhuktEshu nirAkAnkshI tAdRSO bhavadurlabhaH || 17 : 4 || 160 ||

 

bubhukshuriha saMsArE mumukshurapi dRSyatE |

bhOgamOkshanirAkAnkshI viralO hi mahASayaH || 17 : 5 || 161 ||

 

dharmArthakAmamOkshEshu jIvitE maraNE tathA |

kasyApyudAracittasya hEyOpAdEyatA na hi || 17 : 6 || 162 ||

 

vAnchA na viSvavilayE na dvEshastasya ca sthitau |

yathA jIvikayA tasmAddhanya AstE yathAsukham || 17 : 7 || 163 ||

 

अष्टावक्र उवाच ।

तेन ज्ञानफलं प्राप्तं योगाभ्यासफलं तथा ।

तृप्तः स्वच्छेन्द्रियो नित्यमेकाकी रमते तु यः ।। 17 : 1 ।। 157 ||

 

न कदाचिज्जगत्यस्मिन् तत्त्वज्ञो हन्त खिद्यति ।

यत एकेन तेनेदं पूर्णं ब्रह्माण्डमण्डलम् ।। 17 : 2 ।। 158 ||

 

न जातु विषयाः केऽपि स्वारामं हर्षयन्त्यमी ।

सल्लकीपल्लवप्रीतमिवेभं निम्बपल्लवाः ।। 17 : 3 ।। 159 ||

 

यस्तु भोगेषु भुक्तेषु न भवत्यधिवासितः ।

अभुक्तेषु निराकाङ्क्षी तादृशो भवदुर्लभः ।। 17 : 4 ।। 160 ||

 

बुभुक्षुरिह संसारे मुमुक्षुरपि दृश्यते ।

भोगमोक्षनिराकाङ्क्षी विरलो हि महाशयः ।। 17 : 5 ।। 161 ||

 

धर्मार्थकाममोक्षेषु जीविते मरणे तथा ।

कस्याप्युदारचित्तस्य हेयोपादेयता न हि ।। 17 : 6 ।। 162 ||

 

वाञ्छा न विश्वविलये न द्वेषस्तस्य च स्थितौ ।

यथा जीविकया तस्माद्धन्य आस्ते यथासुखम् ।। 17 : 7 ।। 163 ||

 

(In the book ‘Ashtavakra Samhita’ by Swami Nityaswarupananda, these 7 Slokas are given as Chapter 17 (1 – 7); but, according to the transcript of the Pravachan, all these are given sequentially (157 – 163) – without any chapters. Accordingly, both the systems of numbering have been adopted here.)

 Pravachan

ashTAvakra uvAca |

tEna jnAnaphalaM prAptaM yOgAbhyAsaphalaM tathA |

tRptaH svacchEndriyO nityamEkAkI ramatE tu yaH || 17 : 1 || 157 ||

‘That person who is contented (tRpta), who has pure (purified) (Suddha) senses (indriya), and who, ever delights (ramaNa) in alone-ness (EkAkI), has indeed attained (prApta) the fruits of knowledge (jnAna) and practice (abhyAsa) of Yoga.’

Understand each and every word attentively (dhyAn-pUrvak). First of all – ordinarily, people think that if they enjoy loneliness, they will attain knowledge. This Sutra is reverse of it. It says – one who has become successful in enjoying loneliness, has attained fruit of knowledge. No one attains knowledge by enjoying loneliness; if knowledge is attained, one gets the capacity (kshamatA) for being lonely. Just by running away to isolation (akElA), one does not attain knowledge; one would not attain knowledge by just sitting down in the caves (caverns) (kandarA) of Himalayas. You will remain only you – the one who was in the market place, would be sitting in the cave also. By change of external circumstances, no inner revolution takes place. What difference will it make, whether one is at home, or at the temple? What difference will it make, whether you are in the crowd or alone – you will remain only you. This, your ‘being’ (hOnA), does not change so easily. Someone goes away from the World (samsAr), and thinks, by that, (going away from the World), change will come about. If change happens, then the World is ridden; but, by leaving the World, change does not happen.

This Sutra is very important; my total teaching (dESnA) is this. People, often understand cause (kAraNa) to be effect (kArya), or effect to be cause. People think – ‘if you get rid of enjoyment (bhOga), renunciation (tyAga) results’. But, if renunciation is successful (phalit), then you get rid of enjoyment. If one finds taste (ras) in renunciation, enjoyment becomes tasteless (viras). One who is in possession of diamonds (hIrA) and gems (javAharAt), will not glean pebbles (kankaD) and stones (patthar). But, if you think that, you can come to possess diamonds and gems, by ceasing to glean pebbles (kankaD), then you are mistaken. Be ceasing to glean pebbles and stones, one will just not have them (pebbles and stones) at hand; what connection has it with getting diamonds and gems?

Somebody tells you – ‘if wealth is discarded, knowledge is attained’, as if wealth is hindering knowledge – does wealth has that competence? Somebody tells – ‘if the family – children and wife-husband are left off, paramAtmA is attained’, as if, husband, family, house and all these, can become an obstacle, between you and paramAtmA. Can such petty (kshudra) things cause hindrance (rukAvaT) for paramAtmA? Do not fall prey to such useless statements. If one reaches paramAtmA, his taste in all these things, is lost – it gets lost, you do not have to leave them. ‘Results’ (phal) means, it happens by itself; it is not ‘done’.

Trees bear fruits – are they made to bear? It happens by itself; it is not the result of any of your actions (cEshTA). You do not bring about fruition. If you bring fruits from market and hang them in the trees, whom will you deceive? Those fruits are not real. Suppose, some person goes away from the World, and sits down in a cave; even if he, appears peaceful, superficially, it is like a fruit brought from the market; inside (him), there will be ruckus (kOlAhal) of the market.

Some youth came to Bayazid (Bistani) (Persian Sufi) and said – ‘give me refuge at your feet; I have left everything’. Bayazid said – ‘keep quiet. Stop this nonsense (bakvAs); you have brought a crowd along with you’. That youth was surprised; he looked around; there were none; where is the crowd? Is this Bayazid insane? He said – ‘what crowd? What kind of crowd you are talking about? I have left off everything – even the crowd. People came to drop me off, up to village limit; my family members were weeping; my wife was lamenting; having steeled (kaDA) my heart, I have come here, leaving everything’. Bayazid said – ‘do not look here and there. Close your eyes, and look inside; all of them are standing there’. The youth closed his eyes; the crowd was present there – wife was still weeping, inside; even now, he was consoling himself. He was toughening his heart; he was remembering his children; his friends, whom he had left behind, were pulling him. Then, he understood. There was no crowd anywhere outside – it was inside.

You may run away to the jungle. If the crowd is outside only, you would remain alone (in the jungle); but, the crowd is inside – it is in your mind (citta); your mind, indeed, is the crowd. Sometimes, it happens that, someone, even in the midst of a crowd, remains alone; it might also happen that, someone, even while sitting alone, be in the midst of crowd. Therefore, do not lay too much stress (Agrah) on things, on the surface; it is an internal matter – it is matter of depth; it is deep.

 ‘That person who is contented (tRpta), who has pure (purified) (Suddha) senses (indriya), and who, ever delights (ramaNa) in alone-ness (EkAkI), has indeed attained (prApta) the fruits of knowledge (jnAna) and practice (abhyAsa) of Yoga.’

This is the result (fruit) (phal) – a consequence; it is not a cause (kAraNa), but effect (kArya). It naturally comes to fruition. Therefore, one’s inward look of life should change. tEna jnAnaphalaM prAptaM – Who has got the fruit (result) of knowledge? Who has got the fruit of Yoga? It is a matter of definition (paribhAshA). tRptaH – one who is contented in all respects; in whose life there is no note (svara) of discontent (atRpti); in whose mind, there is no ambition for anything. When will it happen so? Have you heard the saying (kahAvat) – he, who is happy, is always contented (santOshI sadA sukhI); but there is something more important – he, who is contented, is always happy (sukhI sadA santOshI). From ‘he, who is happy, is always contented’, it seems that if one becomes happy, by any means, he can remain contented. First of all, happiness attained by ‘any means’ is not happiness at all. Happiness attained by ‘any means’ is a deception (dhOkhA). Somehow, he has convinced (samajhA bujhA) his own mind that – ‘there is no substance in the World (samsAr)’.

If you convince your mind like that, one thing is certain that, your mind still feels that, there is something left in the World; otherwise, who is being convinced, and why to convince at all? Convincing is an indication that, the mind is still feeling that, there is some substance in the World. You are convincing yourself – ‘what is there in a woman (kAminI), in gold (kAncan)? Nothing, everything is just soil (miTTI)’. But, why are you repeating it? Is it your understanding (wisdom) (bOdha)? Have you actually seen it so? Has it become your outlook (dRshTi), through experience? Has it become your conviction (pratIti)? If so, then why repeat – kAminI-kAncan? The matter is over. Getting up in the morning, do you keep repeating that, whatever seen in the dream is false? If you keep repeating like that, naturally, a doubt arises that, you have started trusting dreams, a lot. You are repeating so, because, even now, a ray of hope is alive, inside you, that it (dream) could become true. Even now, you trust the dream. In order to eliminate (kATnA) that trust, you say that the dream is false.

We persuade (samajhA) ourselves, about things antagonistic, to our state of mind (daSA). You persuade yourself – ‘what is there in the body of a woman – just faeces (mal) and urine (mUtra)’. But, why are you persuading (yourself)? Whom are you telling, and why are you telling? Peep into it just a little – you are surely perceiving some (nice) shape (rUp) in her body, you perceive some beauty (saundarya); that beauty is calling you, and that shape is inviting you; you are frightened by that invitation; you have become afraid. In order to eliminate that invitation, you persuade yourself – ‘look carefully; it is all just filled with faeces and urine’.

It is very surprising that those sages (Rshi) and monks (muni), who had written in scriptures that, a woman’s body is full of faeces and urine, have not written that their bodies too are full of faeces and urine – as if their bodies are made of gold. It is very funny that, none of them have written that, they too were born from the same body of a woman. If they are born from faeces and urine, they (their bodies) should be filled with some worse kind of faeces and urine. It is so, because, gold cannot come out of faeces and urine. None of them have written that their bodies are also filled with faeces and urine, but only in the body of a woman! There is an attraction (AkarshaNa) in the body of a woman; in order to eliminate that attraction, they are adopting such methods. All these methods are false. The attraction does not get eliminated like that. If you convince yourself like that, and become (make yourself) happy, that happiness is only an assumed (mAnA) one. No revolution can take place from that happiness; no lamp would be lit (in your life); you will not get transformed (rUpAntarit); there cannot be any illumination in your life; nor will there be any nectarine shower.

 Contented (tRptaH)! – Look at the life carefully. There is no reason at all, to be unhappy; look at this very moment; look now. This is the emphasis (jOr) of Ashtavakra – whatever is to be seen, it is to be seen now, this very moment (kshaNa). You are now seated in front of me. At this very moment, peep (jhAnkO) into yourself, carefully – ‘is there any discontent (atRpti)? Is there any expectation (AkAnkshA)? Is there any desire to be somewhere else? Do you desire to be something else?’ After becoming peaceful, if you look inside, you will find that, only waves of contentment are undulating. All those who peeped inside, found an ocean of contentment – intense gratification (paritOsha). It is all brimming (bharA-pUrA). All that is required is available. Things are, as they should be. Problems arise when we demand more than that. paramAtmA has provided you, all those things required, for being contented; in fact, he has given more. There is enough provision for, as many things as required, for you to remain happy. If you do not notice, and if you are rushing elsewhere, if your eyes are focused, only in one direction, like that of a crusher bullock (kOlhU kA bail), and if you do not look around, and get associated with the great festivity (mahOtsava) that is going on, then you are unlucky (abhAgA), and you only are the cause (you are to blame) (kAraNa) for it.

Contented (tRptaH)! Contentment is the result of natural (innate) (sahaj) knowledge; it is the result of awakening (jAgaraNa). One who sees, after awakening, found himself contented. One who groped (TaTOl) himself while asleep (sOyE), found himself discontented. People come to me, asking – ‘how can I become contented? How can I become satisfied?’ I say to them – ‘do not ask a wrong question. Make no effort to be satisfied, to become contented; you have been doing just that, but you could not achieve it. I say to you, leave it. You just look, as to who you are; what you are. That is all. First things first. After that, we can think of other things. Become familiar (paricit) with this – who you are’.

When Paul Brunton (a British journalist) went to Ramana Maharshi, he had a lot of questions. But, Ramana said – ‘only one question is meaningful (sArthak); it is meaningful, only to ask – ‘who am I?’; then, all other questions get solved, by themselves; just ask one question’. Therefore, he asked – ‘Ok, I ask only this – ‘who am I?’’ Ramana said – ‘you are asking, even this question, to me; you close your eyes, and ask yourself, as to who you are; keep asking, keep searching. It is certain that you ‘are’, and it is also certain that, there is consciousness (caitanya). Otherwise, how would you have come to me? You are alive (jIvit) and there is consciousness; what else do you want? Union of two great events is taking place, in your inside’. When consciousness and life become united, what else is needed to become satisfied (tRpti)? You do not remember the boon (vara dAn) of life; you have forgotten what you have got – you have life!

When Alexander (sikandar) was returning from Bharat, he went to meet a Fakir. He said to the Fakir – ‘do you know, who I am? I am Alexander, the Great – conqueror of the World’. That Fakir started laughing, and said – ‘sometime, I also saw such a dream, but I woke up before that (before becoming conqueror); are you, now, awake or not?’ Who does not dream of becoming an Alexander? That Fakir told him – ‘this is not something new; every person comes into being (born) with this dream’. Alexander said – ‘I do not understand’. The fakir said – ‘suppose, you are lost in a desert, and feeling very thirsty; if someone says to you – ‘I can give you a glass of water; how much of your empire, will you agree to give me for this glass of water?’’ He said – ‘that very moment, I shall give half the empire to him’. The Fakir said – ‘suppose, he is adamant, and says that, he would like to have, the whole empire, will you be agreeable to give, the whole empire, for that glass of water?’ Alexander thought for a while, and said – ‘if there is any such situation of my wandering in a desert (for water), I would even give my whole empire’. That Fakir laughed loudly, and said – ‘then, what did you earn – just a glass of water! If there is an occasion, go and purchase a glass of water. What is the value of your whole empire? It cannot quench the thirst of even a single throat; then, how will you satisfy your Self? (This empire) cannot quench the thirst of your throat; then, how can the thirst of your heart be quenched? If even body’s appetite (kshudA) could not be satiated, how can the appetite of the Self be satiated?’ That Fakir said – ‘enough of this madness. Now, come down from your dream. Awaken.’

Only one question is important, and that is, to ask – ‘who am I?’ Do not think that, you would keep asking the same question – ‘who am I?’ repeatedly, and you will get an answer – like one gets in the examination papers. No, if you keep asking, you will continue to do so, and no answer will come, and, one day, questioning also would stop. You will get perception (anubhUti), not answer; you will get experience (anubhava). Life and consciousness, which are united inside you – the great union, which is happening, where, consciousness and life, are dancing together, clasping each other’s hands, the dance that is going on – you will get the conviction (pratIti) of that, you will see manifestation (come face to face) (become evident) (sAkshAtkAr) of that. In that manifestation, there is contentment (tRpti).  

tEna jnAnaphalaM prAptaM yOgAbhyAsaphalaM tathA | - ..know that, only they have attained the result (phal) of knowledge (jnAna); know that, only they have attained the result of Yoga....    tRptaH svacchEndriyO | - those who have become contented, their senses (indriya) have also become pure (svaccha). This needs to be understood. Purity of senses ‘svacchEndriya’ – take note of the difference. Often, your religious preachers (dharma-guru), preach you – ‘to have animosity (duSmanI) towards senses – to cripple (tOD-phOD) them, to suppress (dabAnA) them, to eliminate (miTA) them; somehow or other to become free of them (senses)’. But, do you hear the statement of Ashtavakra? – Purity of senses (svacchEndriya) – the senses would become pure, they would become more sensitive (saMvEdanSIl) – this is the result of knowledge. This statement is wonderful. In fact, there is none comparable to Ashtavakra, in the history of mankind. If you understand these Sutras, then there remains nothing else to understand. In each one of these Sutras, a Veda is inlaid (embedded) (samAyA). Even if Vedas are lost, nothing would be lost, but if Ashtavakra’s Gita is lost, a lot would be lost. Purity of senses (svacchEndriya) – it is the result of knowledge - one whose senses have become pure, whose eyes have become clear.

Have you heard a story of Surdas? I do not believe that it would be true, because, I have some liking for Surdas. The story is that, seeing a woman, he gouged out (phOD) his eyes, due to fear that his eyes are leading him in the wrong direction. If Surdas had indeed done so, he is worthless (dO kauDI ki). Maybe the intellect (buddhi) of those who planted the story, would have been so. By gouging out your eyes, would you get rid (chuTkArA) of the beauty (rUp) of a woman? In the sleep, during the night, your eyes are closed; then, are you able to get rid of her beauty? In the dream, a woman appears more beautiful (rUpavAn). Are you able to see such a beautiful women in real life, as you see in the dreams? This is the problem of life, that you are able to get them in the dreams, but not in real life. And, those whom you get in real life, fall short of those seen in the dreams; therefore, they are not able to satisfy you. Or, a man got in real life, falls short of the dream one. Our dreams are very profound, and the reality (yathArtha) is very petty. Reality is very dull, and our dreams are very colourful (rangIn), very dazzling (rUp-halE). While dreams are iridescent (multi-coloured) (indra-dhanushI), real life is black and white – there are not many colours.

Does beauty ever vanish, by closing one’s eyes? Would imagination of beauty vanish, by gouging out eyes? Wish, it were so easy, to gouge out eyes, to deafen the ears and to cut off hands! People have done so. In Russia, among Christians, there was a tradition of cutting off genitals. Is this some method? Women would slice off their breasts – is this some method? By cutting off genitals, will sex desire also go away? One’s capacity for sex would go away, but, by losing the capacity, will the desire also go away? You ask elderly people, who have lost their capacity (for sex) – ‘has desire gone?’ The truth is that, the kind of torture (satAnA) one undergoes, in old age, is not seen, even in youth, because, during youth, one can do something, to satiate the desire; but, in the old age, they cannot do anything; they are only writhing (taDap). The kind of pain, sting of sex desire one feels, in old age, is not found even in youth. The body wears off, but desires never wear off – desire remains ever youthful; the nature of desire is, to be ever youthful. Even if body becomes tired, desires do not. You might fall down, tired on the way, but desires keep proceeding on an infinite journey. If it is not so, why should there be rebirth at all? If, in the old age, along with the body, desires also wear away, one could have attained liberation; there would be no rebirth.

Why is there rebirth? Ever youthful desires, demand a new body. It (desire) says – ‘search for a new body; this body has worn off; now, search for a new model; the old model is of no use, now. I am not yet dead; get hold of a new body. Keep going with a new body. Maybe, whatever I could not achieve, in this life, is possible in the next birth; maybe, I might become satiated; search again.’ As soon as a person is dead, another birth takes place. There is no gap between death and rebirth. Often, it so happens that, even while the dead body is being taken to crematorium (marghaT), it (desires) has entered another womb. It is possible that, the person, whose body is still being decorated for the last journey, would have already taken a new birth. Where is the scope of even this much time gap? The desires are so profound that, they (desires) might not wait for even last rites to take place. By the time the rotting corpse is burnt, it (desires) would have entered another womb; desires do not wait even for a moment. (Translator’s note – Acharya has described the preparations made for funeral so graphically, that it is difficult to translate the same, as it is. A gist of it has been given here.)

You might have observed – when desire gets hold of you, do you wait even for a moment? When anger gets hold of you, do you leave it for the next day? Immediately, you become fired up. Similarly, when desire arise, do you wait for some other time – next day, next birth? When desire gets hold of you, you become impatient (utAvlE) – ‘I want this very moment’. Things should happen immediately; even a moment’s delay hurts. The moment a person dies, his desires take him on a new journey.

Saints and ascetics tell you to repress the senses, burn them, mutilate them. No. Wise (jnAnI) do not say so – purity of senses (svacchEndriya). Your senses become more sensitive.

People tell you to kill the taste. In Mahatma Gandhi’s Ashram, there was a fasting (vow) (vrata) – distaste (asvAd) – kill the taste. What, then, is the meaning of the statement of Ashtavakra? Can ‘purity of senses’ (svacchEndriya) mean distaste? It means – supreme taste (parama svAd); with such a tasty meals, one could experience the Supreme Reality (brahma). If taste is killed, then the perception of paramAtma, that could be possible through tongue, through flavour (sense of taste) (rasanA) would perish.

Louis Fischer, a great Western thinker, came to meet Gandhiji. He was writing a book on him. Gandhi partook food along with him. He (Gandhi) was eating Neem chutney; he served Neem chutney in his plate also, in order to spoil the taste. Neem chutney – because, vow of distaste (asvAd) was being observed. Neem chutney was served, so that, even if there is any taste in the food, it could be spoiled. As a good gesture (saujanyatA), he tasted it, to find out what it is. It was like a bitter poison. He thought that it is not appropriate to say anything then. Someone had warned him to be cautious – that Gandhi would serve Neem chutney; he understood that this indeed is Neem chutney. He consumed the whole chutney in one gulp, so that the (taste of) remaining food does not get spoiled, and he could consume the remaining food properly. But, Gandhi asked for some more chutney for him, because he (Louis) ‘liked’ it.

You can kill the taste; sometimes, tastes dies by itself; but, have you seen any glory (mahimA) in it? After fever, your sense of taste becomes feeble (kshINa), because, the taste buds get affected by the disease. Even if you eat sweet, it does not taste sweet; there is no taste in the food – it feels bland and insipid. But, is there any glory in it? Does the Self (AtmA) experience anything (special)? If it is so cheap, pour acid in the tongue and destroy it, once and for all – why take Neem chutney again and again? Get rid of it in one go; then, go to the doctor; he would remove it (tongue). There are very limited number of taste buds in the tongue; the doctor would remove them. Get it operated. But, by that, would you attain any experience of Self? No.

Neither relish (ras) of beauty dies, by gouging out eyes, nor delight (ras) in taste dies out, by destroying the sense of taste. The taste should become so intense that, taste in food dies out, and one begins to get the taste of paramAtmA. Food is the Supreme Reality (annam brahma) is the statement of Upanishads. Therefore, intensify taste; make it massive (virAT). Look at woman – do not gouge out eyes; but look at her a little more intensely (gaur), such that, you begin to perceive Brahman in her; then the eyes have become pure (svaccha). If anything other than Brahman is perceived by you, it means that the eyes have not yet become pure. When eyes become pure, only Brahman would be perceived – only One would be perceived. When all the senses become pure, then one has the experience of That only on all sides. If you touch, only That is felt; if you taste, only He is tasted; if you see, you behold (darSan) Him only; if you hear, you hear only His footfalls (pag-dhvanI); whatever you do – if you breathe, only He is breathed in; if the Sun rises, only He rises; if night sky is full of stars, only He is filling the whole sky; if the flower blossoms, only He is blossoming; if you hear tweets (cahcahAT) of birds, it is His tweet only. When all senses become pure, one begins to have the experience of That One on all sides. More the impurity of senses, lesser the experience of That.

Take note of the Sutra - tRptaH svacchEndriyO nityamEkAkI ramatE tu yaH | - One whose senses have become pure, and who has the experience of That One on all sides, he is capable of delighting (ramaNa) in alone-ness (EkAkI), because, there remains no another.

Understand the meaning of alone-ness (EkAkI). It does not mean loneliness (akElApan). Alone-ness (EkAkI) means ‘one-ness’ (Ek-pan) – not loneliness. Loneliness means that, one remembers (yAd) another – feels the absence of another. Loneliness means that there is no another present – it hurts; one feels void (emptiness) there; one feels restless (bEcain); he is sitting alone, but wants company of another. If you run away to the jungle, there would be no one to talk; you would be talking to God (bhagavAn) only. But, you have created ‘another’ for you; you are not alone. In loneliness, a person starts talking to God – that is what you call ‘prayer’; that is a conversation. You have created another, with whom you can converse. In one way, this conversation is insanity only.

Go and see in the lunatic asylum. Some mad man is sitting alone, and talking (to himself). You laugh at it; but when someone is praying, then you do not laugh – who is he talking to? You laugh at a mad man, because, you do not see, any other person there - who is he talking to? But, when you go to temple, you join your palms (beseech) saying – ‘O redeemer of fallen (patita pAvan), have mercy (kRpA) on me’; you are talking to whom? Till the time, you think that, paramAtmA is another (dUsrA) (dUjA), with whom you can talk, (you think) that it is possible to talk (to Him), you do not indeed know paramAtmA. paramAtmA is not another – He is your ‘being’ – indeed ‘you are’ – ahaM brahmAsmi (I am Brahman).

When such an experience takes place, that there is One only – when the division (vibhAjan) of ‘I’ and ‘you’ collapses –then, the incident (ghaTanA) that takes place, the flower that blossoms – that is ‘alone-ness’ (EkAkI). Then, absence of another person does not pinch – one derives delight in one’s own presence. In one’s presence, there is festivity (utsava); you do not say anything – who is there to talk? Who is to talk? All talks are lost – it becomes speechless (abOl).

You might have heard the saying – ‘if God’s grace (kRpA) is there, dumb would start speaking, and lame would start running’. The situation (here) is totally opposite. Ask Ashtavakra – he says something different. Do you remember the Sutra of Ashtavakra, which we were reading a few days back? The Sutra says – ‘when one reaches (attains) (the destination), one who talks, falls silent, and one who walks, falls down. One who was active, becomes utterly lazy (mahA-AlasI) – foremost of lazy. All the running around are over. Where to run? Where to go? We are there itself. There is no fickleness (cancaltA) of mind. Whom to talk? Whom to say?

Prayer (prArthanA) is, only when there is nothing left to talk – neither beseecher, nor bestower. That moment of silence is called prayer. Do not spoil (kharAb) the prayer by speaking. If you say something, you fail, because, in the act of speaking, you assume there are two – ‘you are the redeemer of the fallen, and I am the sinner’. You are, in fact, calling, the one who is inside, a sinner; it is he, whom you are calling ‘redeemer of fallen’ also. You have erected this division – ‘you are above, and I am below’; ‘you are great, and I am petty’. Whom are you calling ‘petty’? He is, indeed inside you, and he is also outside. There is residence of One only (in you); it is the expansion (vistAr) of That One only. When there is deep (gahan) conviction (pratIti) of expansion of that One, there is delight in alone-ness (EkAkI). This does not mean that you have to remain, only in the cave of Himalayas. Now, wherever you are, you are, in fact, seated in the cave of that One; wherever you are, you are alone (EkAkI). Whether you are in the crowd, or in the market place, or alone (EkAnt) – only He is there. All these are the waves of that One ocean; you are one of the waves.

‘That person who is contented (tRpta), who has purity of senses, and who delights in alone-ness........’ Now, remember this – ‘always delights in alone-ness’. If you are sitting in a cave, you cannot always be alone (EkAkI); someone from village, would bring food for you. During that period, you would not be alone. If some crow, perches on the cave, and starts cawing, you would not be alone; what to do with that crow? Crows are not very spiritual (AdyAtmik) – they do not seem to respect (samAdar) the saints. It also does not seem that, they differentiate between saint and non-saint. They (crows) are supremely wise (parama-jnAnI) – they do not differentiate at all; they are in the state of Supreme Swan (paramahaMsa). They would not take note that, you are meditating a lot, or counting beads; they (crows) would not bother about these. What will you do if some dog comes to the cave and starts relaxing? You will not be alone, then. How can you be alone at all times? You can remain alone, at all times, only if your loneliness (akElApan) is conjoined to that supreme (parama) alone-ness (EkAkI). After that, wherever you are, howsoever you are – whether crow comes, you are in your own nature (svabhAva); whether a dog comes, you are in your own nature; if no one comes, even then, He is present – as formless (arUp); if there is someone, He is present in a form; but, in any event, only One is present – outside, inside, above, and below – in all dimensions (AyAm), in all the ten directions; only one measure (yardstick) (gaj) is available.

‘.....and always delights in alone-ness; only he has attained the result of knowledge and practice of Yoga (yOgAbhyAs)’. Knowledge is a result – consequence (pariNAm). No matter how much you read the scriptures (SAstra), and gather them, it will not amount to knowledge. Reverse (ulaT) your own (khud) page (pannA); just get inside; open the book of Self. You are keeping it closed since long – you have not opened it all; many lives have passed, and you are just carrying the book, but never opened. You keep asking others – ‘who am I?’ You ‘are’, and you do not know; that being so, how others would know (as to who you are)? You are unable to know who you are; then, how could others answer you? You are closest (nikaTtam) to your own existence (astitva); but, you continue to miss (cUk) it; then, how anyone else would know? Others would look at you from outside only. Only you are competent to see (yourself) from inside – not anyone else. Others would always look at you, as an object (scene) (dRSya); only you are competent to see yourself, as a seer (witness) (drashTA), and that (witness) is your nature.

Therefore ask – ‘who am I?’ This one question will become meditation (dhyAna), if you keep asking ‘who am I?’ Not that, you ask, just in words (Sabda) ‘who am I?’ Close your eyes, and let this state (bhAva) – ‘who am I?’ remain. Get on with this exploration (anvEshaNa); get deeper and deeper and keep watching; if you feel that, whatever is seen, could not be ‘you’, then forget it; proceed still deeper.

First, you will meet (see) the body (SarIra), but you could not be the body. Even when your hands are injured, you are not injured; the notion of your ‘being’ remains intact. You were a child, then youth, now you have become old, but, there is no difference, in your ‘being’; the notion of your ‘being’ remains same. Wrinkles (jhurri) have formed, in the body; you are getting old; you are tired, and shaking; you might fall down any time. But, the moment you close your eyes, inside, are there any wrinkles, in your consciousness (caitanya)? That is as fresh (tAzA) as it was in the childhood – it remains same. No trace of time is there; time has not left any mark there; time has not cast even a shadow there – you are beyond time (samayAtIta), beyond aging (kAlAtIta). You are exactly in the same condition, as you came into being (as a child); there is no change at all – you are eternal (SASvata). You cannot be the body; body is momentary (kshaNa-bhangur) – it changes, it keeps on changing, it changes every moment; body is like the flow of river; it is the revolving wheel; and you are the stationery (Thahri) axle (kIl).

One thing is certain – we are separate from, whatever we see as ‘scene’ (seen) (object) (dRSya). If you look at the body as ‘seen’ (object), you become separate from it. When you stand before a mirror, your object – your figure (citra) is made therein; can you say, you are that figure, and, nothing more? Figure of your body is made therein, but not even a shred of your awareness (cEtanA) is made therein. There is no such mirror, in which, the form of awareness can also be made. Who knows, there may be some such mirror! The body is standing in front of it (mirror), and reflection of the body is made therein; the one who sees both (body and reflection), is beyond both. By bending, you are able to look at your own body; you are able to see the reflection also; but, then, who are you, who sees both? You are different; you are separate from them.

Glide (sarak) a little more, inside. There are waves of thoughts (vicAr). Look at them carefully. Ask – ‘Am I this?’ Thoughts come and go; one thought comes, then another, still another; there is always a series (SRnkhalA) of them; there is a flow (dhArA) of thoughts; you cannot be any of them, because, you remain as it is. Thoughts come and go – some beautiful and some ugly, some auspicious and some inauspicious; sometime, thought arises to love the whole world; sometime, thought arises to destroy the whole world; sometime you have a merciful mind, and sometime, an angry mind; fumes of anger arises, and also fragrance of mercy. But, you are standing beyond both, and keep watching. You are the witness. You are not even the mind.

Go a little further inside; proceeding like that, a time comes, when that, which you ‘are not’, drops off; now, only that remains, which you ‘are’, wherein, you cannot deny anything whatsoever. ‘Not this’, ‘not this’ (nEti nEti) saying so, you have come inside your home. Now, only that remains, which was till now, saying ‘not this’, ‘not this’ - this is what you ‘are’. You will not find any written answer there; no name plate is kept inside; there is no plaque (SilA-paTTa) wherein, it is written – ‘you are this’. But, now, you will have experience – a shower of experience. Existence (astitva) would envelope (ghEr) you. You will have a deep (gahan), profound (pragAD) conviction (pratIti) of both, life and consciousness; it will become evident (apparent) (manifest) (sAkshAtkAr).

This is the fruit (result) of knowledge. Once you have it, your senses would become pure (svaccha), your life would become contented (tRpta), you become alone (akElA) – not loneliness (akElApan) – but, alone-ness (EkAkI) – the quality (pan) of being alone (EkAkI). Now, there remains only paramAtmA.       

Poem of Acharya –

तैर रहीं लहरें

डूब गया सागर

जाग उठे तारे

निंदियाया अंबर

पड़ी रही माटी

चली गई गागर

मुस्का दी बिजुरी

अंसुआया बादर।

मुंदे नयन—सपने

खुली दीठ दर्पण

फलित हुआ चिंतन

अंखुआया दर्शन।

मुंदे नयन—सपने,

खुली दीठ—दर्पण!

Now, you are living, by closing your eyes. You might be surprised, because, you say that you are living with eyes open. Your external eyes are open, but inner eyes are closed. The day you close your external eyes, inner eyes will open. Take into account, this contra-arithmetic (ulTE gaNit). If external eyes are open, then inner eyes are closed – you are blind (andhE) inwards. Close your external eyes, a little, so that, your view can turn (muDE) towards inside. The same view (dRshTi), which is, now, bound (attached) (samlagna) outside, becomes free inside. Now, inside, there are only dreams – there is no reality (sac) at all.  

मुंदे नयन—सपने – eyes, which are open outside, are closed inside.

मुंदे नयन—सपने खुली दीठ दर्पण – close the external eyes, a little, so that, inner eyes can open; let this energy (UrjA) flow inside. Turn a little, the desire (cAv) to look outside, inwards, by adopting any means - coaxing, persuasion, explaining, enticing, reconciling; say – ‘enough of looking outside; you got nothing; eyes are tired; they have become stony; now, turn the view, a little, inwards; just look inside yourself also.’ Whatever we are searching, who knows, might be lying inside. Before proceeding on quest, throughout the World, search within your home, because, the World is very big; you won’t be able to reach anywhere; it is possible that, whatever we are searching, might be lying inside our home itself. And, in fact, it is so. Those who searched inside, got it; those who searched outside, never got anything. Till now, all those who got, were, invariably (nirapavAd), those who searched inside; all those, who never got anything, were, invariably, those who searched outside.

Poem of Acharya –

पहली आषाढ़ की संध्या में

नीलाजन बादल बरस गये

फट गया गगन में नील मेघ

पथ की गगरी ज्यों फूट गई

बौछार ज्योति की बरस गई

झर गई बेल से किरण जुही

मधुमयी चांदनी फैल गई

किरणों के सागर बिखर गये।    

Get inside, just a little – there is an unprecedented (apUrva) shower. Within you, you go about, hiding great Suns. Just untie the inner knot (gANT); just open the inner bundle (gaTharI); just break the inner pot (gagarI) – there shall be a shower of rays (kiraN); in the shower of those rays, the senses become pure, vitality (prANa) becomes satiated (contented) (tRpta). You got the result (fruit) (phal)!

 

 na kadAcijjagatyasmin tattvajnO hanta khidyati |

yata EkEna tEnEdaM pUrNaM brahmANDamaNDalam || 17 : 2 || 158 ||

‘Oh (hanta)! Knower of Truth (tattva-jnAnI), never feels misery (khEd) in this World, because, the whole Universe (brahmANDa maNDala) is filled by him alone.’

There is a mention in the life of Dattatreya. He knocked at the door of someone for alms (bhIkh). There were none in the house; only a young girl was there; her parents had gone to the fields for work. That girl said – ‘You have come; but my parents are not here; just wait for a few minutes, and I shall pestle the rice and give it to you; there is nothing else in the house. Shall I pestle, clean, and give you alms (jhOli bhar)?’ Therefore, Dattatreya waited. When the girl started pestling, the number of bangles worn in her hand, made jingling noise; she was feeling, a little hesitant (sankOc), about the jingling noise, while the monk is standing outside. Therefore, she removed the bangles one by one; gradually, the sound reduced. Dattatreya was surprised, because the sound reduced gradually; now, there was only one bangle in the hand. Then, when she came to offer the rice, he asked her – ‘I want to ask you one thing; when you started pestling, there was a lot of noise; then it reduced; what happened? Why there is no noise at all?’ The girl responded – ‘as you were standing outside, I did not want to disturb your peace; I was feeling uncomfortable, because the bangles were making a lot of noise; therefore, I removed the bangles one by one; the noise reduced; then, when there was only one bangle left, there was no noise.’  Therefore, Dattatreya said this aphorism (vacan) –

vAsO bahUnAM kalahO bhavEdvArttA dvayOrapi |

EkAkI vicarEdvidvAn kumAryA iva kankaNaH ||

He says – Many bangles, in the hand of a young girl, creates a lot of noise; similarly, a crowd of thoughts, in one’s mind, creates ruckus. When there remains only one bangle in her hand, the noise quietens; similarly, one who, inside himself, attains the One – beyond the crowd, after the dispersal (visarjit) of crowd – he also attains peace.

He (Dattatreya) said to her – ‘My Dear child, you did well; I got a great wisdom’. One who in search of wisdom (bOdha), gets it from anywhere. One who is not in search of wisdom, even if he is hearing the words of Buddha, or even if he is sitting in front of Buddha himself, nothing happens. The flute keeps on playing, but the buffalo keeps ruminating (pagurAnA); it makes no difference to it.

‘Oh (hanta) Disciple! Knower of Truth (tattva-jnAnI), never feels misery (khEd) in this World, because, the whole Universe (brahmANDa maNDala) is filled by him alone.’ This statement is straight forward, but very deep.

You might have heard the famous words of (Jean) Paul Sartre (French playwright) – ‘The other is hell’. It is hell because of other(s). Where there is another, there is discord (kalaha); another’s presence is discord. Therefore, there is a method – a cheap method – to run away, leaving others; but, you cannot go too far. I heard – a man ran away, and sat down under a tree; he was very certain that, as, no one – wife, children, or anyone else - was there, he would engage in deep meditation. But, a crow came and excreted; he got very annoyed – ‘it is the limit! I left off my home, but a crow has come here!’ Another (dUsrA) could be present anywhere. Until the notion of ‘another’ goes away, sighting of another will not cease; till then, it will be hell only. Have you noticed – you are sitting in your room, alone, determined, in a resting mood; suddenly, someone knocks at the door; immediately, there is tension; your relaxation is disturbed. If some guest comes, you would surely say – ‘I am very pleased to see you; I am moved (gadgad)’. But, there is not at all, any sign of pleasure on your face; your face does not reflect welcome. You say it for the sake of formality (lOkOcAr); you also ask him to sit down.

A guest came to the home of Mulla Nasruddin; he was very talkative (bakvAsI). They were talking for hours; Mulla was fed up. He made many kinds of pretenses – many times, he was looking at the watch; many times, he yawned. But, he (guest) did not move. Those who become experts in making others weary, do not mind these things; they are totally committed to their job. He continued on and on. Ultimately, Mulla said – ‘now, it is getting dark; you might be getting late.’ Therefore, with great difficulty, he got up; he said – ‘you are right; my wife would be expecting me; I shall go now’. Mulla became very happy. He got up; took two steps; went near a table; opened a book, lying there, and started looking into it. Mulla thought – ‘another problem’. After glancing through, he kept the book back. He changed the trick; came back; he said – ‘I wanted to say something.’ Mulla said – ‘maybe, you wanted to say goodbye.’

Some people are not at all bothered; they do not have the manners (bOdha), not to disturb others, when they are alone; not to spoil their loneliness. In the East, there is no such notion at all. In the West, people have some manners, not to disturb, when somebody is alone. This is a torture (atyAcAr), a violation (atikramaNa). Here, no one keeps this in mind. Why is it bad manners (anAcAr), immoral (anIti) to disturb loneliness (akElApan) of anyone? It is so, because, one gets some rest (viSrAma) only in loneliness. When another person comes, rest gets disturbed; another’s presence creates waves of tension (tanAv); you are not well (svastha) anymore; you do not remain at ease (saral). Sometimes, you become, somewhat, at ease, in your bathroom – alone. But, if you come to know that, someone is peeping through keyhole, that very moment, you lose easiness. Maybe, a moment back, you were making faces, before the mirror, and deriving pleasure from it; maybe, you were humming, some childhood tune; but, when you come to know that someone – may be your own son – is peeping through keyhole, you, immediately stop it, and you are no longer at ease, no longer natural.

When you go to office, you put on a mask before the boss. Have you noticed – when you go to office, the moment, you pass by the peon, you put on one kind of mask; when you enter the office of the boss, immediately, you put on another mask. Now, these activities have become so mechanical, that you do not even come to know. Like an intelligent driver changing the gear – with least effort – such that the passengers seated nearby, do not even come to know. Similarly, you keep changing the gear – face. You pass by the peon with a stiff face, as if he is some worm – then, it was a different mask; but, before the boss, you become like a worm – you are wagging the tail; the face has totally changed.

A person came to meet Mulla Nasruddin. Nasruddin did not know him. Therefore, he did not even ask him to sit down. We do not ask everyone to sit down. People behave according to their reckoning. That person told him – ‘probably, you do not know that, I am a leader of Congress (Party), an MP’. Mulla stood up; he said – ‘Sir, please sit down, please sit in the chair; here is a bigger chair’. That person told – ‘you do not know, soon, I am going to be taken into the Cabinet’. Mulla said – ‘Sir, please sit in two chairs; how can one chair be sufficient for you’. Looking at the people, we keep changing our faces, all the twenty-four hours. In the house, one face for the wife, another face for the children. In the midst of all these crowd of faces, we forget which one is our original face.

Zen Fakirs tell their disciples (practitioners) (sAdhak) – ‘first, search your original face; only then, we can commence the work; these false faces will not do, because, with these false faces, you cannot reach up to paramAtmA; search for the original face. Original face – which you had, before your birth, and which will be, even after death. Get rid of the intermediate crowd (of faces).

Original face! Original face shows up, only in loneliness (EkAnt). But, we have forgotten loneliness; supreme loneliness is attained, only when we come to understand that, there is One only. After that, there is no need to change faces. That is why, saintly persons become like children – small children. There is no ‘other’ here; hide it (face) from whom? Whom to escape from? Whom to deceive (dhOkhA)? Whom to cheat (kapaT)? What kind of conspiracy (kUT-nIti)? There is but One only. This is, as if, one is deceiving his right hand by his left hand. There are indeed people, who deceive their right hand, by their left hand.

I often travel by train. Have you seen people, playing cards, all by themselves? I have seen them playing alone – they play for both sides. And, they are worried as to who would win. This is the limit. Only you are playing, both sides; you know what kind of moves you are going to make. Whom are you deceiving? What difference does it make, whether right hand wins or left? Who wins and who loses? But, they are busy (vyast).

 Our life is a deceit (pravancnA); the basic reason for the deceit is the presence of another person. There are two methods to get rid of the other person; the cheap method is to run away to the jungle, but it does not work. Ashtavakra says that there is a deeper method, and that is to identify oneself; by identifying yourself, you will come to know that, you are the One pervading inside everyone; there is only One. That, which is revealed as ‘me’ and ‘you’, is like the left and right hands only. It is the two wings of the same Existence (astitva). After that, there is no deception; then, you become blemish-less.

‘Oh (hanta)! Knower of Truth (tattva-jnAnI), never feels misery (khEd) in this World, because, the whole Universe (brahmANDa maNDala) is filled by him alone.’ After that, what kind of misery? Another person is a misery. It is so, because, another person’s presence, sets limit (sImit); another’s presence constrains (majbUr) us for false dealings (vayavahAr); another’s presence feels like a stone over our chest.  

How to get rid of other person? We adopt many methods, throughout our lives, to get rid of other person - whether you do it, knowingly or unknowingly. Have you seen – husband makes efforts to get rid of wife completely, so that her existence is totally eliminated, and she is made a servant (dAsI). Husbands had, for centuries, made their wives understand that, husband is the Supreme Lord (paramESvar), and wife is a servant (to him). Wives also agree to that. When she writes letters, she writes ‘your servant’. But, the kind of revenge (badalA) she takes for this is – all the twenty-four hours, she keeps showing him, who the boss is; she keeps saying – ‘you are the Lord’, but keeps making fun (TAng khEncnA) of him.

One day, Mulla Nasruddin and his wife had a fight. His wife was chasing him, throwing things at him, as usual. He got afraid and, in a hurry, got underneath the bed. Then, the wife said – ‘you coward, come out’. Mulla said – ‘forget it. Who can get me out? I am the master of the house; I will be, wherever I wish. Let me see, who gets me out’. His wife was quite hefty; she could not get underneath the bed.

A wife makes all-out effort, to get rid of husband. Why all these efforts? There is a strong reason for this. Another’s presence is dangerous; there is a fear of the other dominating; therefore, before that happens, make the other a slave, strangle (gardan dabAnA) him. Children are born in your home; you say that you love them, but the parents are busy, in eliminating (the personality) of the child, to finish (the personality of) the child, to whitewash (lIpA-pOti) him early, before he declares his independence (svAtantrya), his self-will (svacchandatA). You say that, you love the child, but there is not much truth, in your love. You are feeding him poison, in the name of love. Wife says to her husband – ‘I love you’. If you indeed love him, then free him; love always liberates. Husband says (to wife) – ‘I love you’. But, this love seems to be only at lip level; all the poisonous game is played, through lips only. It seems that, poison is hidden, in the sugar coat of love; drink it in the name of love and die. We, indeed, demolish the child. Father, mother, family – all make effort, so that there is no independence, in the child. That is why, we give so much value, for obedience (AjnAkAritA). Obedience means – ‘you do not be yourself; be what we say’. Your father demolished you, and you demolish them; they will demolish their children. This demolition has been going on, through centuries, through generations, and, man is just a corpse (murdA). It does not leave us. If you love your child, and if the love is real, you will say – ‘I accept and agree for your independence’. You will not do this injustice of strangling him, because you are powerful.

Khalil Gibran (Lebanese-American writer) said – ‘give love, but not your doctrine (siddhAnta); give love, but not your scriptures; do love, but do not snatch independence, because, if independence is snatched, it cannot be love at all. Love gives independence; the only proof of love is, independence; love accepts another person, like oneself; love sees oneself, in the other.’ Don’t you want to see yourself, independent at all times? You want for yourself, total independence. Therefore, you would like to give, total independence to those, whom you love. But we are bent on destroying it (independence of other person), in a thousand ways, because we are afraid that, if we do not destroy it, the other person might destroy us; he might become a burden over our chest. We are trembling – the reason is, other person. One method of eliminating, the other person is, to strangle him. There is another method of Hitler – to kill the other person totally, so that there is no problem. Buddha’s method is, to take a look at him, and you will find yourself, there. There is no need to eliminate him, nor to adopt violent methods, nor decimate him. One finds his own glimpse (jhalak), in the other person. Then, another person does not remain. The one, in whose life, there is no other person – Ashtavakra says – there is no misery, no grief, in his life. If you allow, this wind of One, to blow, there will be spring, in your life, there will be a great fragrance (surabhi), in your life.

Poem of Acharya –

चल पड़ी चुपचाप

सन सन सन हुआ

डालियों को यों

चितानी—सी लगी

आंख की कलियां

अरी खोलो जरा

हिल स्व—पत्तियों को

जगानी—सी लगी

पत्तियों की चुटकियां

झट दीं बजा

डालियां कुछ

ढुलमुलाने—सी लगीं

किस परम आनंद

निधि के चरण पर

विश्व सांसें, गीत

गाने—सी लगीं

जग उठा

तरु—वृंद जग

सुन घोषणा

पंछियों में चहचहाहट

मच गई

वायु का झोंका

जहां आया वहां

विश्व में क्यों

सनसनाहट मच गई!

As the morning breeze comes, it wakes up the flowers, it teases the leaves, it arouses a thousand songs, it pushes out drowsiness, it scatters the dreams – there is an awakening in the whole World. Exactly in the same manner, if you see the One, an unprecedented fragrance arises in your life, an unprecedented breeze blows in your life. There comes relief from your dirt, from your enclosed and rotten air. Your boundaries are gone. Where you see the One, the infinite (asIm) ushers in, the waves of infinite comes. There is happiness (contentment), and peace, in those waves of infinite.

Poem of Acharya -

चिति क्षिति है अद्वैत

द्वैत में केवल उनका दर्शन

रूप—अरूप नहीं प्रतिद्वंद्वी

बंधा बिंब से दर्पण

अचिर भूत में

व्यक्त भूति में

चिर अवधूत निरंजन

शब्द—मुक्त पर शब्द—युक्त है

चिंत्य अचिंत्य चिरंतन

सत्य शिवम् है

सत्य सुंदरम्

संज्ञा स्वयं विशेषण

व्यर्थ व्याकरण

नीत शांत का

क्या होगा संबोधन

अचिर भूत में,

व्यक्त भूति में,

चिर अवधूत निरंजन!

एक ही छिपा है!

रूप— अरूप नहीं प्रतिद्वंद्वी

बंधा बिंब से दर्पण!

You and I are tied like the mirror of reflection, and reflection of mirror. As you stand before the mirror, you seem separate, and the reflection in the mirror separate; the moment you go away, the reflection also goes away. You and your reflection are not two; they are one only.

रूप— अरूप नहीं प्रतिद्वंद्वी

बंधा बिंब से दर्पण!

As your reflection is tied to you, similarly, paramAtmA is tied to the World (sansAr); the body and Self are tied; I and you are tied. Though you find duality (dvandva) here, but, night is tied to day, life is tied to death. Here, everything is tied – they are together. If you see a little carefully, you will find One only; only that person, who attains the One, gets out of misery.

 

na jAtu vishayAH kE(a)pi svArAmaM harshayantyamI |

sallakIpallavaprItamivEbhaM nimbapallavAH || 17 : 3 || 159 ||

‘An elephant, which likes Sallaki leaves, will not like Neem leaves; similarly, one who delights (ramaNa) in Self (AtmA), never likes any of the sense objects (vishaya)’ (Sallaki – plant Bosewalia Serrata – whose resin is used as incense; it is a medicinal plant.)

An elephant which has tasted the sweet leaves of Sallaki plant, would not agree to eat bitter Neem leaves. One who has tasted the higher (Upar), would not like the lower (nIcE). One who finds delight in the name ‘Rama’, finds no taste in sex (kAma). For him, who had a little glimpse of absorption (samAdhi), sexual union (sambhOga) becomes futile (vyartha). For him, who has felt a little breeze of meditation (dhyAna), wealth (dhan) loses its hold. But, remember that The Grand (Infinite) (virAT) comes first, and then the petty goes back.

‘An elephant, which likes Sallaki leaves, will not like Neem leaves....’ Now, our condition (hAlat) is opposite (ulTI). Your ‘so called’ sAdhu-mahAtmA make you understand – ‘if you want to attain paramAtmA, then, give up the World’. I say to you – ‘if you want to give up the World, then, attain paramAtmA’. Understand the difference correctly. You are told – ‘if you have to attain the meaningful (sArthak), then, give up the useless (vyartha)’. I say to you – ‘if you have to give up useless, then experience, a little, the meaningful’. You cannot be constrained (rAzI) to give up useless. One who has tasted only Neem leaves, who does not know the sweet taste of Sallaki leaves, would not believe it (the sweetness of Sallaki leaves), even if you explain to him a lot. He had known only one taste; it does not appeal to him, to believe the other; conviction (SraddhA) does not arise (upajti), no matter, how much you tell him. He feels – ‘you are eyeing my Neem leaves; you want to snatch them from me; or, there is some other intent (irAdA), God knows what! Why are you after me?’ Even if he gives up Neem leaves, his habit (Adat) of eating Neem leaves, will not go away, so easily; his liking (abhyAs) for bitter taste will not go away so easily; in the dreams, he would still eat only Neem leaves; Neem leaves will cast a shadow over his thoughts; he cannot escape it. Superficially, he would run away from it (Neem leaves), but internally, he would still be associated with it. No revolution takes place like that.

People come to me; they say – ‘I am a worldly person (bhOgI); how can I get into asceticism (sanyAs)?’ I tell them – ‘leave that worry; enjoyment is your look out. You get into sanyAs. If you find taste in that (sanyAs) – if you start liking Sallaki leaves – then, you can think about it (enjoyment). Then, it is your choice, whether you would like to leave off Neem leaves or not. Why should I get involved in decision making (pancAyat) for you? Why should I even say, to leave off Neem leaves? If the taste of Sallaki leaves, make you leave it (Neem leaves), well and good, or if it does not, so be it. But, it never happened so. As you experience the delicacy (svAdishTa), you tend to leave off the bittery. I want to fill your bag, with diamonds and pearls (hIrE mOti). But, I am not saying that you should throw away, the stones and pebbles, you are holding securely, in your bag. The moment you see diamonds and gems, you will, of your own, empty the bag, of pebbles and stones, because, diamonds and gems are to be filled in the same space only. You will not be holding on to pebbles and stones.’

First, invoke (pukAr) paramAtmA; the World will drop off, by itself; do not worry about that. If you engage yourself in getting rid of the World, you will get into trouble. You will not at all, get comfort (sukh), and whatever misery you were suffering, that also will not be there. Remember this – man prefers to suffer misery, than sitting idle. You might find it very perplexing (hairAnI), but, of all the profound (gahrI) conclusions (nishpatti) of modern psychology, this is also one conclusion that, instead of being idle, man prefers to be suffering – at least, there is something to be busy with, even if it is suffering!

Have you considered this – if there is no problem (samasyA) in life, you become very gloomy (udAs); you create some or other problem (for yourself). Then, you get busy in that. You find there is something to do; you feel pre-occupied (vyastatA); at least, there is something to do. A person sitting idle, feels afraid – there is nothing to do. If there is nothing to do, it seems as if one is (worth) nothing (non-entity). By doing something, one defines (paribhAshA) himself, he establishes (nirmit) his individuality (vyaktitva). There is no objection (harz), even if one is lying sick in a hospital, even if he is miserable, or even insane – but, at least there is something (to be engaged in)!

Psychologists (manO-vaijnAnik) say that, man prefers insanity to emptiness (khAlIpan), because, at least, there is some outline (rUp-rEkhA) in insanity, and everything has not been lost; people, say at least this much, that this person is insane; at least, one is in the mental asylum (pAgal-khAnA); the doctor comes to take care; friends come to show sympathy (samvEdanA); people listen carefully to his talk. Nothingness – void-like condition - frightens; one feels death throes (prANa taDap).

That is why, I say – until you get the taste of comfort (sukh), you won’t be able to leave off misery. If you could not get the taste of comfort (sukh), I do not want to snatch your misery, because, now, misery is your asset (sampadA); now, you are holding it (misery) close to your chest; now, at least, there is something, and you are not totally empty; you have not fallen into total void; at least, you have not become blank (rikt). Even if it is just wealth, house, family – at least, you are holding on to something; you have something in your hands. Even if it just ash (rAkh) – even if you would like call it ‘vibhUti’ – at least, there is ash; call it ‘vibhUti’, or give it any better name, but, at least, there is something at hand. (Translator’s note – Sacred ash, that is worn (smeared in the body) as a religious symbol, is called ‘vibhUti). Even if it is a paper boat, but, at least, it is a boat; at least, it looks like a boat. Let it sink when it sinks, but there is a trust of boat, now. Even if it is a dream – let it break when it breaks – now, it is an aid; holding on to it, you can swim across; now, it is not to be snatched. Your dream should not be snatched from you, till you get to the Truth (satya). And Supreme wise (parama jnAnI) always make this effort – Truth first, and then, untruth goes away, by itself. Understand thus – there is darkness in the room; one method is to push away, darkness, forcibly – you will become insane (if you do so); darkness will not go away. A second method is, to light a lamp, and darkness will go away, by itself.   

 

yastu bhOgEshu bhuktEshu na bhavatyadhivAsitaH |

abhuktEshu nirAkAnkshI tAdRSO bhavadurlabhaH || 17 : 4 || 160 ||

‘Rare (durlabha) is that person, who does not have infatuation (attachment) (Asakta) towards things enjoyed (bhOga), and who does not have ambitions (nirAkAnkshI) for things yet to be enjoyed.’

In the World, two things are holding on to man – one is, things that were enjoyed - their taste holds on. One is ambitious to repeat (punarukti) them, so that he can derive happiness (comfort) (sukh) again - to repeat it again and again. The comfort of things already enjoyed, holds on. Things enjoyed – means the past (atIta). The other - the ambition for things, yet to be enjoyed (anbhOga), holds on. Things yet to be enjoyed – that is, future. Mind yearns for repetition of things, already enjoyed, and also yearns for things, yet to be enjoyed – temptation (vAsanA) for that. Man is crushed between these two – these two grinding stones (pATan); whoever escaped unhurt (sAbut)! (Kabir Doha – dO pATan kE bIc sAbut bacA na kOy – (‘No one has escaped unhurt, between these two grinding stones’) One is, the things enjoyed – they keep following him – to enjoy again; and another is, things that could not be enjoyed so far – he has thriving (prabal) ambition for them, so that he can enjoy them before his death, at least once. 

In the World, such a person, is very rare to find, who escaped unhurt, between these two grinding stones. Only he, who escaped thus, realises the Truth; only he tastes the fruit of knowledge (jnAna). Therefore, get out (chUTO) of the past; understand the past. There is no substance, in repeating, whatever has already been enjoyed - did we get anything from those enjoyments? We have already enjoyed them, and we did not derive anything from them; our hands are still empty. Do you still want to enjoy the same again? This is, indeed, oblivion (bEhOSI). By enjoying them, one did not derive anything. Today, whatever has become enjoyed, yesterday, they were, things yet to be enjoyed. We have enjoyed them, but did not get anything. Now, you are running after, comfort of things, yet to be enjoyed. You made a big house; you are not deriving any comfort from it; now, you want to make a bigger house!

I have heard – Mulla Nasruddin was employed in the house of an emperor. He was cleaning the room of emperor. Seeing his (emperor’s) beautiful bed, he was many a times tempted (lubhA) to have the feel of lying down on it, at least, once, to find out, as to what kind of pleasure, the emperor would be deriving. It was so tickling (gudgudI), silky (makhmalI) and precious; it was inlaid with, gold and silver; diamonds and gems (hIrE javAharAt) were hanging, on all four sides. On that day, the emperor was busy in the court (darbAr); therefore, he thought of lying down, for just five minutes. He lied down. As soon as he lied down, he went to sleep (jhapkI lagnA). When emperor came to the room, seeing him lying down on the bed, he became very angry. He (Mulla) was ordered to be whipped (kODA) fifty times. While he was being whipped, Mulla started laughing very loudly. The emperor became very surprised, whether he (Mulla) was insane, or what. The emperor thought that he must be insane. One – he lied down on the bed, knowing that it is an offence (aparAdha), and on the top of it, he was laughing, now. He was being whipped, and blood was dripping, his skin was peeling, but he was laughing loudly. Finally, the emperor asked – ‘what is the matter? You are being whipped, but why are you laughing?’ He said – ‘I slept hardly for fifteen minutes; I laughed, thinking, as to what would be, your fate; fifty whippings for fifteen minutes - I was just calculating (hisAb) that; I was also thinking about these poor men (who were whipping), as to what their condition would be’.

You did not get anything from, whatever comforts (enjoyments) (sukh), you already had, excepting misery (dukh). Just look back, a little; look at the marks (cihna) of the past (atIta), carefully; there are only wounds (ghAv); what else did you get? You expected delight (ras); did you get? You got only cinder (angArE); you have been burnt, in many places; the whole vitality (prANa) is burnt down, and is in tatters; but, you are ambitious (AkAnkshA) to enjoy, those things, which you have not, so far, enjoyed. Look at those who are enjoying; looking at them, wonder a little, and wake up; because, it will never happen that, there would be nothing left, unenjoyed. If you think that, you would enjoy in entirety, and, only then, you would wake up, then, you will never be able to wake up. Because, the Universe is infinite (ananta); it cannot happen, here, that you could say – ‘I have enjoyed everything’. Just use your brain a little; you have to learn, to think, to meditate, and to look, a little.

 

bubhukshuriha saMsArE mumukshurapi dRSyatE |

bhOgamOkshanirAkAnkshI viralO hi mahASayaH || 17 : 5 || 161 ||

‘In this World (sansAr), those who are desirous (icchA) of enjoyments (bhOga), and those who are desirous of liberation (freedom) (mOksha) – both types of persons are seen; but, such a great soul (mAhASaya), who is indifferent (nirAkAnkshI) towards both - enjoyments and liberation - is very rare (virala)’.

Poem of Acharya –

मेरे साथ अत्याचार!

प्यालियां अगणित रसों की सामने रख राह रोकी,

पहुंचने दी अधर तक बस आंसुओ की धार।

मेरे साथ अत्याचार!

(Rough translation – It is torture with me! Kept in front of me, drinks of numerous tastes, but, my way is blocked; allowed to reach, unto my lips, only stream of tears. It is a torture with me.)

Everyone says the same – ‘I am being tortured (atyAcAr); so much delight, and no opportunity (maukA) to enjoy; so much delight, and walls are erected everywhere; guards are standing, keeping watch; impediments everywhere’.

No, no one is torturing you; also, it is not that, drinks are not allowed to reach up to you; every cup of delight, by the time it reaches you, becomes a stream of tears. No one is doing it; in fact, only tears are filled in the cups. From a distance, because of your past impressions (vAsanA), it seems delightful. When it comes near, and you begin to experience, then, it all becomes tears. Look at your own life, a little, and search. You will find only streams of tears. No one is committing torture; if done, it is by yourself only.

Poem of Acharya –

उस दिन सपनों की झांकी में

मैं क्षण भर को मुस्काया था

मत टूटो अब तुम युग—युग

तक हे खारे आंसू की लड़ियो!

बदला ले लो सुख की घड़ियो!

मैं कंचन की जंजीर पहन

क्षण भर सपने में नाचा था

अधिकार सदा को तुम जकड़ो

मुझको लोहे की हथकडियो!

बदला ले लो सुख की घडियो!

Each and every comfort (sukh), diminishes into intense (gahan) misery; even a very little heaven, gives so much of hell! Each and every comfort seems to take utmost (gahan) revenge (badalA); each and every comfort, when it gets shattered (TUT), leaves behind intense nostalgia (vishAd). The very same comforts, which you yearned, are taking revenge from you. Whatever you desired, you got them; but, it is grief only, whether you get or do not get. Whatever you wanted, was only misery; whether you get or do not get, it is misery only. Even if you become rich (amIr), you will remain miserable - look at the rich! If you remain poor, you will be miserable; if you remain bachelor (kuMvAr), you will be miserable; if you get married, you will remain miserable - look at those who are married! Look at those, who faced some failure in life, and also those who were successful – you find everyone miserable. If you ever find anyone comfortable (happy) (sukhI), it would be that person only, who stood beyond both failure and success, who became seer – a witness (sAkshI). Neither those who fail, nor those who are successful, are happy; only that person, who goes beyond (transcends) (atikramaNa) both (success and failure), is happy.    

bubhukshuriha saMsArE mumukshurapi dRSyatE |

bhOgamOkshanirAkAnkshI viralO hi mahASayaH ||

There is some such rare Great Soul (mahASaya)! This word ‘mahASaya’ is very lovely. We should add another word to it - ‘kshudrASaya’. If there is any desire (past impressions) (temptations) (vAsanA), then you become a petty minded (kshudrASaya), because, your desires make you narrow (parochial) (sankIrNa), it makes your intent (ASaya) petty – one has become a person of small intent. One who desired wealth, he becomes petty – his wish (desire) itself becomes his definition (paribhAshA). How will you remember him? Won’t you remember him as ‘ambitious of wealth’ (dhana-AkAnkshI)! His ambition is for wealth; he has become pettier than wealth itself. Wealth itself is shard (ThIkarA); he has become worse than a shard; only he, who is worse than shard, will desire it (shard). Someone desired position (kursI); he becomes pettier than that (position) – a person of petty intent (kshudrASaya). He desired just position; therefore, he has become pettier than the position; that is why he desired it.

Intellectuals (mansvid) say – those who are ambitious (AkAnkshI) for position (pada) are afflicted (pIDit) by inferiority complex (hIn-granthI). All politicians are afflicted by inferiority complex. If there is a better world, politicians will not be in the capitals – they would be in mental asylums, undergoing treatment. I say to you - if insane are let out of mental asylums, and politicians are kept in mental asylums, the World would be a much better place, because, none of the insane people have ever inflicted such a terrible damage (as politicians have done). No insane is, so insane, as that insane, who is ambitious of position.

Intellectuals say – more the inferiority complex, the more it appears to him that he is (worth) nothing, the more he wants to compensate, the more he makes claim, that he wants to be this and that – I want to be the President (rAshtra-pati), Prime Minister, Minister, Governor, something or other. He does not find peace (cain) until he makes such claims; his inferiority complex keeps on stinging him like an insect – a person of petty intent (kshudrASaya).

Who is a great soul (mAhASaya)? It is he, in whose life, there are no such desires (temptations) (vAsanA), which make him narrow (sankIrNa), who is open to (in) all dimensions (AyAm). mAhA-ASaya – whose intent is great (mahAn). You might be surprised, Ashtavakra says – even if it is, desire for liberation (mOksha), one becomes man of petty intent (kshudrASaya), because, desire for liberation, is indeed another desire only. It is bigger than wealth, than position, but, all the same, desire for liberation is ultimately, a desire only. Desirelessness (acAha) shall make you a Great Soul (mahASaya). (Tranlator’s note – the word ‘mAhASaya’ has been translated as ‘Great Soul’ in the book ‘Ashtavakra Samhita’ by Swami Nityaswarupananda. However, Acharya is splitting the word mahA – ASaya and then uses it as ‘kshudra – ASaya’. However, the word ‘ASaya’ has many meanings; of these, one is ‘intent’. I have translated ‘kshudrASaya’ as person of petty intent or petty minded. But, if it is applied to ‘mahASaya’, it would mean ‘great intent’. However, such a meaning seems absurd, because, Acharya is talking about one who is bereft of any desires or intent. Therefore, readers may draw their own conclusions. Please refer to the next verse, wherein mahASaya is equated with udAra-citta – broad-minded.)

 

dharmArthakAmamOkshEshu jIvitE maraNE tathA |

kasyApyudAracittasya hEyOpAdEyatA na hi || 17 : 6 || 162 ||

‘Only a broad-minded person (udAra-citta) has no notions (bhAva) of rejection (hEya) and acceptance (upAdEya) towards (four-fold ends of human pursuit) righteousness (dharma), Worldly prosperity (artha), desires (kAma) and liberation (mOksha), as also towards life (jIvan) and death (mRtya)’.

Some broad-minded person! Great Soul (mahASaya) that is broad-minded (udAra citta); person of petty intent (kshudrASaya), that is narrow-minded (sankIrNa citta). You become as narrow as your desires are. It is up to you. You make as small a prison (kArA-gRha) according to your desires. If you want to become free (mukta), then, let all the desires go away – do not desire anything at all; you are free this very moment. There cannot be desire for liberation (mOksha); whatever happens, when there is no desire at all, that is called ‘liberation’. Liberation is not the centre (mid-point) (bindu) of desires (vAsanA); it (liberation) has nothing whatsoever to do with desires. You cannot shoot arrows of desires towards the target (lakshya) of liberation. Liberation is not any target. Liberation is the state of being a great soul (mahASaya); his intent (ASaya) has become infinite (virAT) – there are no wants; the day there are no wants, that day, you become the Lord (prabhu); Lord has become splendid (virAjamAna) inside you. In that supreme (state of) contentment (tRpti), senses become pure (svaccha). In that supreme (state of) contentment, you have returned home; the journey (yAtrA) is over (samApta).

 ‘One who has no notions (bhAva) of rejection (hEya) and acceptance (upAdEya) towards (four-fold ends of human pursuit) righteousness (dharma), Worldly prosperity (artha), desires (kAma) and liberation (mOksha), as also towards life (jIvan) and death (mRtya) – he is some rare, broad-minded person’.

 

vAnchA na viSvavilayE na dvEshastasya ca sthitau |

yathA jIvikayA tasmAddhanya AstE yathAsukham || 17 : 7 || 163 ||

‘In whom, there is neither desire for decimation (nASa) of the Universe (viSva), nor hatred (dvEsha) towards its existence (sthiti), he is such a blessed (dhanya) person; therefore, he lives contentedly (sukha-pUrvak) with whatever living (AjIvikA) comes of (by) itself (yathA-prApta)’.

That blessed person, has no ambitions at all – whether the World (sansAr) should remain or should not remain; he is not even interested in the decimation of the World. Remember this – a person, who is ambitious for liberation, it seems, as if he is interested in the decimation of the World; he wants that the World should not remain – all these things should be got rid of, this web should be destroyed, this dream should be shattered.

‘In whom, there is neither desire for decimation (nASa) of the Universe (viSva), nor hatred (dvEsha) towards its existence (sthiti)....’ Whatever is, it is alright; let it remain, as it is; there is no demand for, anything otherwise. Such a person is blessed. He feels blessed, with whatever he has got. Whatever the Lord bestows, he feels blessed with that; he receives (grahaNa), whatever he has got, as (Lord’s) grace (prasAda); whatever he has got, is enough (paryApta).

‘..........he lives contentedly, with whatever comes of itself’. He is neither desirous of getting more of it, nor getting, a little, different of it. He has no desire, for anything other than, what he has got. That is the condition of wise (knower) (jnAnI), a person who is a witness (sAkshI). There is nothing, in the form of instrumentality (sAdhan-rUp), for being a witness. The state of witness itself, is the form of instrumentality, for being a witness. There is no need for making any arrangement (planning) (AyOjan), for becoming a witness. Howsoever you are, the arrangement is complete; all that is required is, to close eyes, and arouse this intense curiosity (quest for knowledge) (jijnAsA) – ‘who am I?’ Just dissociate with, everything that is ‘not me’; finally, only That remains, which you ‘are’, and, once you get the taste of It – once you have relished that tasty fruit – then, ambition to eat bitter Neem fruits, does not arise. This is supreme acceptance of life.

In the voice (utterances) (vANI) of Ashtavakra, there are no prohibitions (nishEdha), no negativity (nakAr); whatever ‘is’, that is Perfect (Absolute) (pari-pUrNa), that is the form of Brahman (brahma); indeed, everything is the expansion (vistAr) of Brahman. You also become part of It; you also leave off (chODO) (go beyond) (transcend) your boundary (limit) (sImA), renounce (tyAg), be merged (lIn), become one with It. If you become one with It, then you are Alone (EkAkI). After that, wherever you remain, howsoever you remain, whatever is got, of itself, that would bring festivity (utsava). You will remain blessed (dhanya), you will remain grateful (kRtajna). At every moment (aharniSa) of your life, gratitude will arise. A person is considered (recognised) (pahcAn) as righteous (dhArmik) only when such a gratitude always keeps arising. As fragrance (sugandh) keeps wafting from flowers, as illumination (prakASa) keeps radiating (jharnA) from lamp, so also, gratitude keeps raining (baras), in the life of a righteous (dhArmik) person (vyakti). (Translator’s note – Acharya’s statement – ‘leave off (chODO) your boundary’ (apnI sImA chODO), probably means the boundary of the body.)

 

Hari OM Tatsat.