This Pravachan was delivered on 23 Jan1977
Pravachan Audio link – Soundcloud –
https://on.soundcloud.com/FG9vn
https://oshoworld.com/maha-geeta-73/
(There is some problem with the
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Pravachan Transcript link –
https://oshostsang.wordpress.com/2018/07/29/अष्%e2%80%8dटावक्र-महागीता-प्रव-73/
(Pravachan No 72 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 |
akurvannapi saMkshObhAt
vyagraH sarvatra mUDhadhIH |
kurvannapi tu kRtyAni kuSalO
hi nirAkulaH || 18 : 58 || 234 ||
sukhamAstE sukhaM SEtE
sukhamAyAti yAti ca |
sukhaM vakti sukhaM bhunktE
vyavahArE(a)pi SAntadhIH || 18 : 59 || 235 ||
svabhAvAdyasya naivArtilOkavadvyavahAriNaH
|
mahAhrada ivAkshObhyO
gataklESaH suSObhatE || 18 : 60 || 236 ||
nivRttirapi mUDhasya
pravRttirupajAyatE |
pravRttirapi dhIrasya
nivRttiphalabhAginI || 18 : 61 || 237 ||
parigrahEshu vairAgyaM prAyO
mUDhasya dRSyatE |
dEhE vigalitASasya kva rAgaH
kva virAgatA || 18 : 62 || 238 ||
bhAvanAbhAvanAsaktA
dRshTirmUDhasya sarvadA |
bhAvyabhAvanayA sA tu
svasthasyAdRshTirUpiNI || 18 : 63 || 239 ||
अष्टावक्र उवाच ।
अकुर्वन्नपि संक्षोभात्
व्यग्रः सर्वत्र मूढधीः ।
कुर्वन्नपि तु कृत्यानि
कुशलो हि निराकुलः ।। 18 : 58
।। 234 ||
सुखमास्ते सुखं शेते
सुखमायाति याति च ।
सुखं वक्ति सुखं
भुङ्क्ते व्यवहारेऽपि शान्तधीः ।। 18 : 59
।। 235 ||
स्वभावाद्यस्य नैवार्तिलोकवद्व्यवहारिणः
।
महाह्रद इवाक्षोभ्यो
गतक्लेशः सुशोभते ।। 18 : 60
।। 236 ||
निवृत्तिरपि मूढस्य
प्रवृत्तिरुपजायते ।
प्रवृत्तिरपि धीरस्य
निवृत्तिफलभागिनी ।। 18 : 61
।। 237 ||
परिग्रहेषु वैराग्यं
प्रायो मूढस्य दृश्यते ।
देहे विगलिताशस्य
क्व रागः क्व विरागता ।। 18 : 62
।। 238 ||
भावनाभावनासक्ता
दृष्टिर्मूढस्य सर्वदा ।
भाव्यभावनया सा तु
स्वस्थस्यादृष्टिरूपिणी ।। 18 : 63
।। 239 ||
(In the book ‘Ashtavakra Samhita’ by Swami
Nityaswarupananda, these 6 Slokas are given as Chapter 18 (58 – 63); but, according to
the transcript of the Pravachan, all these are
given sequentially (234 – 239) without any chapters. Accordingly, both the
systems of numbering have been adopted here.)
Pravachan
ashTAvakra uvAca |
akurvannapi saMkshObhAt
vyagraH sarvatra mUDhadhIH |
kurvannapi tu kRtyAni kuSalO
hi nirAkulaH || 18 : 58 || 234 ||
The essence of scriptures (SAstra)
is – the question is not about ‘doing’, but about ‘knowing’. All the (wisdom
of) wise (jnAnI) can be condensed into one formula (sUtra) – nothing happens by
doing, but by knowing. If knowledge (knowing) does not happen, whatever you
might do, will remain rooted in ignorance only. Even an auspicious (Subha)
action done in ignorance, becomes inauspicious. On the other hand, (action
done) through knowledge, even if seemingly inauspicious, is indeed auspicious.
Therefore, the fundamental transformation is that of understanding (prajnA),
that of knowledge (jnAna), that of meditation (attention) (dhyAna) – not that
of conduct (AcaraNa).
First Sutra of Ashtavakra – ‘An
ignorant (ajnAnI), even while not doing anything, remains distressed,
everywhere, because of his resolves and options (alternatives)
(sankalpa-vikalpa). But, a wise (knower), even while doing all actions, remains
calm minded.’
Therefore, the question is,
not about running away, giving up actions – renunciation of actions – but, about
becoming free of ignorance. By ‘ignorance’ do not understand ‘deficiency of
information (sUcanA), knowhow (jAnkArI)’, but lack (abhAva) of self-awareness
(Atma-bOdha). No matter, how much information one might gather or knowledge one
might acquire, he does not become wise (knowledgeable) (jnAnI), unless the
inner lamp glows, unless the inner radiance (prabhA) gets revealed (prakaTa)
outside. No matter how much (knowledge) one might gather from outside, nothing
will happen, with that trash (kacarA). One might become a scholar (paNDit), man
of great understanding (prajnAvAn), learned (vidvAn). But that scholarship is only
a deception of having become wise (jnAnI). Becoming a scholar is not
intelligence (buddhimAnI); such one (scholar), is not only deceiving others,
but himself also. Nothing less than becoming a Buddha, would do; if the mind
awakens, and one becomes enlightened (prabuddha), only then there is momentum
(gati).
An ignorant, even while doing
nothing, remains involved (busy) (ulajh). The ‘doer’ (kartA) is there just in
thought (vicAr) itself. Even if one gets seated in a cave, he would be thinking
of bazaar only; if he sits down for meditation, the mind would be wandering in
all kinds of thoughts. Resolves (sankalpa) and alternatives to those (resolves)
(vikalpa) would arise – to do this way or that way. He would start doing (things)
in imagination only. In imagination, one might even commit murder, violence,
theft, cheating. He might not even move his hand, he might not even wink, but
everything happens inside.
The World (samsAr) spreads
out in ignorance (ajnAna) only. For being in the World, one does not need
anything else – just ignorance is necessary. It is similar to a dream, for
which nothing else, other than sleep, is necessary. When one goes to sleep,
dreams begin – no other thing is required – just sleep. Then, you do not search
for a stage (manch) or curtains or director or actors. How this drama of dream
unfolds? Just by fulfilling one condition – sleep; you are your own actor,
director, story writer, song writer; you yourself become the stage – you spread
out in everything – you are your own audience also; you have done everything
all by yourself. Only one thing is needed – sleep.
Similarly, only one thing is
required for (being in) World – oblivion (stupor) (mUrcchA), loss of
consciousness (loss of awareness) (bEhOSI); then, the World spreads out;
nothing else is necessary. Do not think that, if you go to Himalayas, leaving
the bazaar, the World would be got rid of, because, all that is needed for
being in the World, is just oblivion. While sitting in the village, if you doze
off, the World spreads out; there itself, Ram gets married, and begets
children.
There is an ancient story. A
youth monk asked his preceptor – ‘what is this World?’ The preceptor said – ‘do
one thing. Today you go to so and so village, knock at so and so door, and ask
for alms. When you come back, I shall tell you about the World.’ The youth
hastened, listening to the words of his preceptor. He went to that house, and
knocked at the door. A beautiful maiden opened the door – she was very
beautiful; he had not seen such a beautiful woman before. He was fascinated by
her. He forgot his errand. He forgot that his preceptor would be hungry. He
proposed to marry her. In those days, if a Brahmin proposed to anyone, it could
not be refused. The maiden said – ‘my father has gone out for working in the
field. He should be coming soon. It (marriage) could be possible. Come inside
and relax.’ He went inside the house, and started relaxing. The father came.
Their marriage took place. He had totally forgotten about his preceptor, and
the purpose of his visit to that house. He had three children. Then, there was
flood in the village. The river was overflowing. The whole village was
submerged. He got hold of his wife and three children, and tried to move to
safety. The waters were rising and there was no scope for escaping. He was
holding his three children in his hands. But, he managed to save only one child
– two were washed away. He tried to save his wife, and the remaining child also
was lost. Ultimately, he had to struggle to save himself; and in the bargain,
he lost his wife also. He, somehow, managed to escape, and reach the shore; he
was totally exhausted, and became unconscious. When he opened his eyes, his
preceptor was standing in front of him; he said – ‘see, this is the World’.
Then, he remembered that he came, years back, for alms. But, in fact, nothing
happened. He just dozed off, and it was all a dream. He had not even gone to
the village for alms; while sitting in front of his preceptor, he had just
dozed off. No incident ever took place; it was all a dream. In that short nap,
years had passed. (Translator’s note –
There is a similar story in Vishnu Purana about Krishna and Narada; Narada
understands the power – nature - of Maya through this episode.)
You are sitting in front of
me, but, sometimes, you doze off. Just think of it : in that moment, when you
doze off, a whole dream could unfold. The time is not same while waking and dreaming.
In just a moment, a big dream could take place; there is no problem. Sometimes,
you might have experienced dozing off, while sitting at the table. You had a
look at the clock on the wall – it was twelve O’clock. Then, you saw a big
dream, in which years passed – even calendars had changed. But, when you open
your eyes, you notice that just a minute has passed. You might take hours to
describe the dream. But you could see the dream – in no time. Time is different
during waking and dream. Time is relative (sApEksha). In this century, Albert
Einstein has proved that time is relative. But, in the East, we have always
known relativity of time. When you are happy, time passes quickly, and when you
are in grief, time seems to pass slowly. When you are in bliss (Ananda), it
seems, as if years have passed, in a moment. When you are in grief, every
moment seems to be dragging on for years – time seems stuck. (Translator’s note
– Time Dilation is not about waking and dreaming.)
Time is relative. Time is not
same during daytime and night – during waking and sleep. Wise people say –
‘when one has self (supreme) awakening, there is no time – one is beyond time –
he goes beyond time. For dreaming, sleep is necessary; for seeing the World
(samsAra), ignorance (ajnAna) is necessary. Therefore, ignorance is a kind of
sleep, a state of oblivion, in which you do not know, who you are. What else
could be the meaning of sleep? During the sleep, you forget yourself – whether
Hindu or Muslim, a woman or man, a father or son, a poor or rich, beautiful or
ugly, educated or illiterate. In the sleep, you forget who you are. We have forgotten
ourselves – who we are - at a much more deeper level than oblivion.
Yesterday, a young lady (yuvati)
was asking me – ‘what am I doing here? I am an anchorite (sanyAsini). This
question keeps arising, again and again – what am I doing here?’ I told her –
‘no one, other than me, knows here, as to who is doing what. It is not that,
such a question arises only here; wherever you might be, it could arise, and it
will keep on arising. It is so, because, now you do not know, who you are.
Therefore, how would you know, as to what you are doing here? You have no answer
for the most fundamental question (who am I?); now even foundation has not been
laid, but you are raising a building. First is, to be (become) (happen) (hOnA);
then, action (karma) follows. Without being (becoming) (happening), action
cannot be done, but you could be (become) without doing action. Therefore,
being (becoming) is fundamental, foundational (AdhArbhUt). Know first, who you
are; then only, you can understand, what you are doing here. ‘Who am I”? – one
who has known (answer for) this, his World gets erased (miT), because, in that
supreme state (avasthA), there is no drowsiness (tandrA), no sleep, no oblivion;
therefore, there remains no scope for World spreading out. That is why, wise
(jnAnI) have said that World (samsAr) and dream are same. (Translator’s note –
the word used by Acharya ‘hOnA’, in the present context, seems to refer to
‘knowing – who am I? – as clarified at the end of the paragraph.)
Understand the meaning of –
‘dream and World are same’. It means that the process of spreading out is same
in both cases. Their method (Dhang) of being (happening) (hOnA) and framework
(DhAncA) are same. Oblivion is essential for both – for dream, as well as
World. For dream, a deep oblivion is not necessary; but it (deep oblivion) is
necessary for the World. A dream happens even while dozing off; one can see
dreams, then. But, in case of World, the dozing off is very ancient (prAcIn) –
through many births; it is very deep. While dream is individual, the World is
collective (sAmUhik). In your dream, you cannot invite me or any of your
friends (to participate) – ‘please come in my dream tomorrow’. There is no
method for it. ‘Dream is individual’ – it means that it arises from individual
oblivion. But, this World is collective. The tree which you see, is visible to
me, and everyone also. In this, we are all partners (sAjhEdAr). But, the tree,
which I see, in the dream, would not be seen by you. What you see, is seen by
you only. But, this tree (in the World) is seen by me, you, and everyone. This
only means that this oblivion (of World) must be very deep and universal
(sArvabhauma). This should have spread inside everyone; this is our collective
dream. Modern psychology has reached the stage of search for collective
unconscious (sAmUhik acEtan). (Translator’s note – the word ‘acEtan’ used by
Acharya, has been translated as ‘unconscious’. However, ‘unconscious’ also
means loss of consciousness or coma. Such a meaning is not appropriate here.
Further, ‘unconscious’ and ‘sub-conscious’ are used interchangeably. In my
opinion, ‘acEtan’ could mean ‘instinct’ or ‘intuition’ also.)
(Sigmund) Freud, when, for
the first time, said that – ‘there is an unconscious (acEtan) mind, hidden
underneath the conscious mind’, people were startled, because, there was no
such notion (concept) in the West – only a ‘conscious mind’. He toiled for many
years to understand, that there is an unconscious mind. But, it was very
difficult to prove. By ‘mind’, people understand only consciousness (conscious
mind) (awareness) (cEtan). Unconscious mind seems to be a contradiction
(paradox) (virOdhAbAs). How can it be mind, about which we know nothing?
Unconscious means that we are not aware. But he (Freud) explained (the
concept). You also would understand, if you try.
Suppose, if you are not able
to recall someone’s name, you say – ‘it (name) is just on the tip of my tongue,
but I am unable to recall.’ What are you saying? You say that you know his
name, but unable to recall. Then, where have you slid down? It is into your
unconscious (region). It (name) is rattling there (in the unconscious), but,
unless it comes into the conscious (mind), you would not be able to catch it.
The more you try, the more complicated it becomes. Then, getting exhausted, you
abandon the search and start relaxing – smoke a cigarette. Then, all of a
sudden, the name comes to your mind. You were not able to recall the name,
because you were tense. Under such circumstances, the more you try, the more
tense you become. Recollection happens, not in a tense condition, but in
relaxation. The name was available in the unconscious (region). You remembered
that it is there, in the unconscious. Freud had to adopt thousands of such
methods to prove that there is an unconscious (region of mind). (Translator’s
note – Acharya has described, the search in the (individual) unconscious, very
elaborately. It has been condensed to avoid repetition.)
This is individual
unconscious; it is different for each individual. Even below this (individual)
unconscious, lies the collective unconscious; that is common for all of us. It
is much more difficult to prove this (collective unconscious), because it is
much deeper. But, sometimes, you have the experience of that also. You are
seated; all of sudden, you remembered a friend – whether he has come. And, when
you open your eyes, you find him standing at the door. For a moment, you are
not able to believe yourself – how did it happen? You say, that is just a
coincidence (samyOga). In the name of coincidence, you falsify many of the
truths (facts); you say – ‘it might just be a coincidence’.
A friend of mine – a poet,
went to participate in a congregation of poets (kavi sammElan). Sitting in the
bus, he had a feeling, that he should return home; something was pulling him.
But, there was no (obvious) reason for that, as everyone in the home were
alright. He was uneasy. But, he did not return home. During night, he stayed at
a hotel. Around 10 pm, (it seemed that) someone is knocking at the door,
calling ‘Munnu’. He got frightened, because, only his father used to call him
by that name – a childhood name. Who else could call him ‘Munnu’, as he was a
famous poet of his times? He thought that it is some play (trick) of mind;
therefore, he went to sleep. But, again, there was a knock – ‘Munnu’. This
time, the voice was very clear. Therefore, he got up and opened the door; there
were none; it was total silence. Even before he reached his bed, there was
another call – ‘Munnu’; the call was loud. Therefore, he got up and tried to
ring up his father, but could not reach. Then, there was an incoming call –
‘your father has died, ten minutes ago’.
This is collective
unconscious; this has no connection with individual unconscious. This is a
connection (association) of a son with his father, at some level; there is some
bridge between father and son. Such connections exist between mother and son,
lover and beloved, and between friends; these are long distance connections. If
you go still deeper, even those who are not friends – those who do not belong
to you - are also connected. Going still deeper, man is connected to animal,
and at yet deeper level, with trees, and still deeper, even with stones and
mountains. One is connected with whatever he was, in the past (atIta). The more
deep we get, the nearer we come to the collective unconscious. Man appears as
such, superficially, but, it does not end there.
In the East, it was said that
– ‘dream is a dream, but, even the World is a dream’; it means – while dream
arises from individual unconscious, the World arises from collective
unconscious. There is no conflict about the World and things of the World,
because, we all can agree on them. A table is kept here; many people see it (as
such). Therefore, there is no conflict. We all agree that it is a table,
because it is visible to everyone; no further proof is required. That is why,
in the courts, we give more importance to witness (gavAhI). If ten people say
the same thing, the matter ends there. If one can get eyewitness, he wins the
case; no further proof is required. The World is such a dream, for which you
get witnesses; but for your (individual) dream world, there is no witness.
There is only this much of difference between the World and (individual) dream.
Both are dreams, but only the level is different. One (individual dream) is at
a surface level, and the World is at a deeper level; but both are dreams only.
If you have to become free of
the World (samsAr), what would you do? Where would you go? Unless your
unconscious is illuminated, you cannot become free of the World. You may escape
from the World, that appears externally; but, inside, resolves and alternatives
(sankalpa-vikalpa) would keep arising; there (inside) would always be distractions
(sankshObha); waves would be billowing in the unconscious; you would be
dreaming, and, in those very dreams, the World would keep expanding. You can
never become peaceful.
akurvannapi saMkshObhAt
vyagraH sarvatra mUDhadhIH | - ‘That fool (mUDh), who is in ignorance, who is
in immersed in darkness – mUDhadhIH – even if he does not perform any action
(karma), he would be in distress (vyAkul) because of his resolves and
alternatives (sankalpa-vikalpa).’ Many a times, you might have observed that
you become distressed, for things, that are not at all existing. Just sit down,
and start imagining. You would become distressed for things which do not exist;
you might laugh at yourself, as to what nonsense is this, for non-existing things.
There was a case in the court
– two persons had a fight and smashed each other’s head. When the Magistrate
asked them for the reason, both of them started laughing. They said – ‘give us,
whatever punishment you want, but do not ask for the reason.’ The Magistrate
asked – ‘how can I give punishment without finding out the reason? Why are you
frightened to tell me the reason? There must be some reason.’ Both of them
looked at each other; one of them said to the other – ‘you tell the reason’.
The reason was such, that they were ashamed of revealing. But, when the
Magistrate said that he would punish both of them, they had to reveal the reason.
They were old friends; one
day, they were sitting on the bank of a river. One of them said – ‘I am
thinking of purchasing buffaloes.’ Then, the other said – ‘do not purchase
buffaloes, because, I am thinking of purchasing a garden. Therefore, it is
possible that your buffaloes could stray into my garden, for grazing, and we would
get into fight. We are old friends; do not put our friendship at stake. Let me
tell you, if your buffaloes ever stray into my garden, I would be very
annoyed.’ The other said – ‘what do you think of me? You want that I should not
purchase buffaloes, because you are purchasing a garden? If you are so keen on
protecting your garden, then do not purchase one. I have decided to purchase
buffaloes. Do whatever you want.’ The matter was hotting up so much, that the
person intending to purchase a garden, drew a line on the sand, and said –
‘this is my garden; let me see how your buffaloes enter there.’ The other one
projected his finger across the line, and said – ‘here are my buffaloes’. And
that is how, they landed up with smashed heads. They said to the Magistrate –
‘Sir, you may give whatever punishment you want. Neither I purchased any
garden, nor he purchased any buffaloes. We are old friends. Whatever happened,
has happened.’ Thus, both of them landed in the court.
Often, you also might have
created ruckus over a garden, not yet purchased. Search your own mind; you
would find thousands of such examples. You get all sorts of thoughts, just
while sitting idle. When such thoughts arise, you forget that it is only a
thought; you get into a stupor, and the thought seems to be real. That thought
which seems to be real, is indeed the World (samsAra). If, for once, you become
free of the thoughts, then you become free of the World also. Asceticism
(sanyAs) means, being free of thoughts; there is no other method for being an
ascetic.
kurvannapi tu kRtyAni kuSalO hi
nirAkulaH | - ‘A wise, even while performing all actions, remains cool (calm)
(SAnta) minded.’ Actions do not create any problems. A wise gets up, sits down,
moves about, speaks, performs actions; but, inside, there is no distraction
(sankshObha). He has become skilled (competent) (kuSal) in one thing – inside,
no thoughts arise in him; he is totally silent, like a void. When moving about
or seated or performing actions, he is a void. One who has become void inside, has
attained knowledge (jnAna) – he is called wise (jnAnI). A wise is one, who has
synchronised (bhAnvar DAlnA) himself with void; for one who has become void,
the Absolute (pUrNa) begins to reveal itself. When one becomes empty of his
egotism, Paramatma begins to flow from his inside. (Translator’s note – bhAnvar
DAlnA – Acharya seems to refer to the concluding ceremony of Hindu marriage,
where (prospective) husband and wife go around the sacred fire.)
sukhamAstE sukhaM SEtE
sukhamAyAti yAti ca |
sukhaM vakti sukhaM bhunktE
vyavahArE(a)pi SAntadhIH || 18 : 59 || 235 ||
‘In (day-to-day) affairs
(vyavahAra), a wise, sits happily, comes and goes happily, speaks happily, and
eats happily.’
There are Sutras on the life
of Buddha; before every Sutra, an aphorism (kathA-sUtra) is found; this has to
be recited before reading every Sutra. The aphorism is – ‘Bhagawan came; his
gait was very peaceful; his breathing was very peaceful; he sat down on the
plank with great ease; He closed his eyes; for a moment, there was total
silence. Then, he opened his eyes, and, spoke with great ease.’ Only after
reading this aphorism, the (main) Sutras are read. Those who read the Sutras,
are surprised by this aphorism.
One Buddhist mendicant
(bhikshu) came and halted here. He told me – ‘you are a great adherent of
Buddha. I am just a mendicant. What is the need to repeat this aphorism before
every Sutra?’ I said – ‘this aphorism is more important than the (main) Sutras.
The Sutras are secondary (dOyam), and this aphorism is primary. One should talk
about the person, from whom these Sutras emanated; only then, the Sutras become
important. Even you can utter these (main) Sutras; there is no problem; you are
also knowledgeable. But, you would not be able to get up, get seated like
Buddha; you won’t be able to breathe like Buddha.’
Yesterday, I was reading a
book by a Buddhist mendicant. He was a psychologist; he has written a book on
Zen meditation. He has described, as to how the meditation can be applied for
treating insanity, distraction (vikshipta). Breathing rate (gati) is the basis
for the whole treatment. The more peaceful breathing is, the more calm, the
mind becomes. Normally, our breathing rate is about sixteen to twenty per
minute. Zen Fakirs gradually slow down breathing rate. The rate becomes so
peaceful and slow, that they take only four or five breaths per minute.
Meditation begins there.
If you cannot undertake
meditation directly, you can try this – slow down the rate of breathing; then, you
would be surprised. When breathing rate becomes four or five per minute, then,
thoughts also become slower; both are conjoined. That is why, when your
thoughts are very agitated (AndOlan), you start breathing irregularly (UbaDh-khAbaDh).
When it reaches levels of insanity (due to agitation of thoughts), breathing
also reaches insane levels. When you are bursting with passion (vAsanA),
breathing becomes very agitated. When you become very angry, then breathing
also becomes distraught (udvigna); it becomes uncontrollable (ucchRnkhal); the tone
(sur) is disturbed; the music is shattered; verse is broken; rhythm is lost.
Zen Fakirs pay more attention
to breathing. This psychologist who was experimenting, placed a machine
(apparatus) on the head (mastishk) of a Zen Fakir and tested as to when he
(Fakir) reaches the state of meditation – when Alpha waves arise. In between,
the waves were lost for a second. Then, he looked at the Zen Fakir carefully;
he found that his breathing had become disturbed. Again the Fakir calmed down and
controlled his breathing. Then, the Alpha waves started coming again. Zen
Fakirs say – breathing should be so slow that, if you place a bird’s feather in
front of the nose, it should not shake; if you place a mirror in front of the
nose, there should be no vapour on the mirror. A time comes when breathing
seems to have almost ceased. Then, the practitioners (sAdhak) become
frightened, that they might be dying; they become worried. There is no need for
worry. Whenever such a moment comes – it is bound to come – when one who is in
the path of meditation, feels that there is no breathing at all, then, even the
mind stops functioning. Both are united. The whole body is united (with
breathing). When you become peaceful (tranquil), then your body remains immersed
in a rare quietude; there is the glimpse of peace in your every pore. Your
meditation is revealed in your gait, in your sitting (posture), in your
speaking, in your listening. Meditation is not something which is done
(practised) for an hour or so. Meditation spreads through twenty-four hours of
your (daily) life. Life is an unbroken (akhaNDa) stream (flow). Meditation, for
just one hour in a day, is no meditation at all; it cannot be like that.
Meditation should spread out into twenty-four hours of your (daily) life. When
you see a meditator (dhyAnI) asleep, you would find the difference; there is a
supreme peace even then. This is the Sutra –
sukhamAstE sukhaM SEtE
sukhamAyAti yAti ca |
sukhaM vakti sukhaM bhunktE
vyavahArE(a)pi SAntadhIH ||
‘That even-minded
(SAnta-dhIH) wise – whose intelligence (understanding) (prajnA) has become
peaceful – sits peacefully, in his affairs (vyavahAr).’ In your case, you are
not able to sit peacefully, even in your meditation. Even when you are praying
(prArthanA), you remain agitated (vyagra) and impatient (bEcain). But, a wise
sits peacefully; he never loses his peaceful-posture (sukhAsan); but it is not
any yogic posture; that is his inner state. sukhAmastE – he is seated
peacefully – sukhAsan. (Translator’s note – sukhAsan is a yogic posture,
prescribed for meditation.) sukhaM SEtE sukhamAyAti yAti ca – The flavour
(svAd) of his (wise) whole life is one of peace; wherever you relish him, you
find the taste of peace. Someone asked Buddha – ‘what is the flavour (taste)
(svAd) of your life?’ Buddha said – ‘wherever you might taste the ocean, you
find it salty (kharA); similarly, wherever you taste a Buddha, you find bliss
(Ananda), peace (SAnti) and effulgence (prakASa).’ You might have observed people,
shaking their legs, while sitting in the chair. It is alright – to shake legs –
when you are moving about. Get seated when you sit. But, you keep shaking your
legs.
Buddha used to notice such
things. Once, a person was sitting in front of Buddha, listening to his
discourse; but, he was shaking his toe. Buddha stopped his discourse and said
to him – ‘why is your toe shaking?’ When Buddha said so, the shaking stopped.
Buddha said – ‘now, why the shaking has stopped?’ He said – ‘what shall I say?
I do not know, why.’ Buddha said – ‘it is your toe, and you do not know? Are
you in senses or not? The toe is yours; is it required that someone should tell
you that your toe is shaking?’ He said – ‘pardon me, Sir. I am not able to give
any answer. I do not know.’
When you are disturbed, that
vibration (kampan) gets displayed in your life. The toe is not shaking, just
like that. Inside, fever is simmering; one is in a state of stupor; he is
boiling inside. That (boil) shows up; steam (bhAp) has accumulated inside, and
the kettle is rattling. One scratches his back, his head; hands move here and
there; he yawns (jamhAyI), changes position (karvaT); he would do something or
other. In that process, some of the energy gets released, and one feels
relieved a bit. It is all because one is full of energy.
Have you seen small children?
They cannot sit quietly. They are full of energy. Only when the mother
admonishes, the child sits quietly; even then, he is quiet outside - not
inside. (Translator’s note – Acharya describes elaborately the behaviour of
child. This has been condensed to avoid repetition.) If you sit down quietly –
inside – then a sheen (AbhA) comes to life. It is not that, only you feel
peace, but, even others who come under your shadow, would feel it (peace).
Those who come near you, would be touched (elated) (AndOlita) by your composure
(SItaltA).
Sometimes, you might have
felt agitated near someone; also, you might have felt peace near someone else.
You feel like going near someone, again and again; on the other hand, you want
to avoid someone else, even when you happen to see him, on the way. You might
feel like avoiding someone, even in the first encounter with him – you want to
run away from him. On the other hand, you feel like meeting someone again and
again. Someone pushes you away; and someone draws you near him. What is
happening? You might not have pondered, as to why you feel so. The inner waves
(emanating from each person) touch one another. By nature, everyone is
vibrating. Every person is broadcasting his personality (samastatA); you cannot
avoid it. The inner music is being propagated in all directions. When you
approach him, you would be able to catch the music. You might sense whether the
music is harmonious or not. If it is not harmonious (bEsur), you would be able
to sense it. If it is harmonious, you would become elated. Every person has a
kind of flavour. That is why holy company (satsang) is valuable. Sitting near
someone, one feels peace; you sense the glimpse of peace emanating from him;
you wish that, one day, you also should become like that.
sukhamAstE sukhaM SEtE
sukhamAyAti yAti ca |
sukhaM vakti sukhaM bhunktE
vyavahArE(a)pi SAntadhIH ||
You always find a wise,
remaining peaceful, blissful and elated, even in ordinary (day-to-day) dealings
(vyavahAr). Even when he is seated, you might feel a kind of other-worldly
energy, emanating from him. You might sense resonance (nAda) of OMkAr near him;
you might sense (as if) some heavenly musician – a gandharva – is singing song
there. On the other hand, an ignorant person (ajnAnI), even when he is sitting
quietly, he would be getting ready for some new misery; he (ignorant) spends
his quietude, to sow seed for future grief. When he is happy, he sows seeds for
unhappiness. An ignorant spends his time as an ignorant only. But, a wise, even
in his grief, sows seeds for happiness.
Poem of Acharya –
हंसकर दिन काटे सुख
के
हंस—खेल
काट फिर दुख के दिन भी
मधु का स्वाद लिया
है तो
विष का भी स्वाद
बताना होगा
खेला है फूलों से
वह
शूलों को भी अपनाना
होगा
कलियों के रेशमी
कपोलों को
तूने चूमा है तो
फिर
अंगारों को भी अधरों
पर
धर कर रे मुसकाना
होगा
जीवन का पथ ही कुछ
ऐसा
जिस पर धूप—छांव
संग रहती
सुख के मधुर क्षणों
के संग ही
बढ़ता है चिर दुख
का क्षण भी
हंस कर दिन काटे
सुख के
हंस—खेल
काट फिर दुख के दिन भी
One who is wise, even in
grief, remembers his happiness. He says – ‘I spent happy days happily; now I
shall spend days of grief also happily. I spent happy days dancing; now I shall
spend days of grief also dancing. I spent happy days in prayer; now, let the
days of grief also be transformed into days of prayer.’ But, an ignorant
remains habituated for grief; even when there is happiness, he creates fresh
misery (for himself).
I have heard about a poor
tailor. He always used to invest in lottery. Every month, he would purchase
lottery ticket for one rupee. He has been doing so for years. Once, by chance, he
got the prize – ten lakh rupees. After he got the money, he did not want to
continue the job as a tailor. Therefore, he shut the shop, threw the keys in a
well, and plunged into the World (of enjoyments) (samsAra). Within a year, not
only all the money vanished, but his health was in ruins; he had broken away
from his wife and children. He spent his days in brothels, liquor and gambling
dens. When no money was left, he recollected how much miserable he was, during
that year; he had never been so miserable earlier. That was not any period of
happiness; it seemed as if he had to suffer the grief, accumulated over many
lives. The lottery amount of ten lakhs looked like a bad dream. Somehow, he
again opened his tailor shop; but he could not leave his habit of purchasing
lottery ticket. Again, after one more year, by chance, he again got another
prize. But, this time, he got frightened by that prize money; he again became
worried that he would lose his happiness.
If a person is ignorant
(ajnAnI), anything that happens to him, is a problem. You might have noticed
that, even if you get moments of happiness, you have become skilled in
transforming them (moments of happiness) into grief. You get hold of those
moments, and do some such thing, by which everything becomes miserable. There
is no grief in wealth; those who told you that wealth is a misery, should have
been idiots (nAsamajh). Suffering is in you, it is in your foolishness. If you
get wealth, you get an opportunity. If there is no wealth, even grief cannot be
purchased. One must get an opportunity even for becoming miserable. I say to
you – ‘there is no unhappiness in wealth; unhappiness is your habit’. Probably,
you might not have been that much unhappy without wealth, because, even for
begetting unhappiness, there must be wealth, there must be an opportunity. One
does not go to brothels, because, he has no facility for that. You remain a
gentleman, because, there should be an opportunity even for being evil. You
might not have gambled, because, you need money even for gambling. You did not
get involved in fisticuffs, because, you would have to face the charges,
advocates and courts. But, the moment you get money, all the facilities are
available at your disposal. Consequently, all the distractions reveal
themselves. Understand thus – a flower plant sprouts in the field where flower
seed is sown (lying); a thorn plant sprouts where thorn plant seed is sown
(lying).
Therefore, those who told
you, that wealth is a misery, should have been habituated for grief. Wealth is
like a rain. Wealth is not a problem, in the hands of persons like Janaka or
Krishna. One who is habituated for wealth, remains a wealthy, even in a state
of penury; therefore, by having wealth, he becomes even more wealthy.
Understand this properly; this is one of my fundamental principles. Therefore,
I do not ask you to run away from wealth; wealth provides you an opportunity
for knowing your Self (Atma-darSan). People say that if one gets power, he
becomes corrupt. I say, it is wrong. Lord Bacon said – ‘Power corrupts;
absolute power corrupts absolutely’. He is completely wrong. Would anyone
become corrupt because of power? No. You are corrupt, and power has given you
an opportunity. It happened in our country. People were followers of (Mahatma)
Gandhi; they participated in the Freedom struggle (satyAgraha); they were
social workers. But, when governance (authority) (power) (sattA) came in their
hands, they became corrupt. People say that authority has corrupted them. I say
– ‘they were corrupt; and authority gave them an opportunity.’ How can
authority corrupt anyone? You seat Buddha on a throne, and if he becomes
corrupt, then it would mean that Buddha is petty and the throne is mightier. Is
it so? Would Buddha be vanquished by the throne? It does not appeal (to me). If
he (Buddha) is vanquished by the throne, then, it would mean that Buddha-hood might
have been imposed (ArOpit) on him, deliberately, and when an opportunity
(avasar) came, it resulted in problems.
Being impotent (napumsak) is not
celibacy (brahmacArI). When the true energy of celibacy manifests in you, it
would be the vigour (potence) (pragADhtA) of sex-energy (kAma-UrjA) only. If
one becomes a celibate, after his sex-energy has completely depleted, then that
is not any celibacy – it is a deception – self-deception (Atma-vancana).
A wise is peaceful
(sukha-pUrvak) in his dealings (behaviour) (vyavahAr); he is peaceful, be it
market or shop. One who is ignorant, even when he is seated in a temple, if you
peep inside him, you won’t find him there; he is somewhere else. A wise, even
when seated in the shop, abides in himself – sukhamAstE - while the shop is
also running. There is no conflict between these two – running the shop and
abiding in oneself. There is no conflict for (in) a knower of Self (AtmavAn).
But, an ignorant has conflicts; he says – ‘when I run the shop, I forget
myself. Therefore, I will go to such a place, where there is no shop to run, so
that I can remember myself.’ But, his ignorance will not leave him, wherever he
goes; it will go along with him. Understand thus – you go to see a film; the
film is running on the screen; but the film is not (really) (running) on the
screen; the film is in the projector, which is hidden behind. A person who runs
away from the World, is like the one, who has run away taking the projector,
leaving behind the screen. He has kept projector with himself. It is true that
he cannot see the film, because there is no screen; but the projector is with
him; he can get the screen anywhere, and that very moment, the film would start
playing.
If you run away from women,
it would amount to running away from the screen; but the sex-desire
(kAma-vAsanA) – the projector - is with you. Any day, a woman comes before you,
that is the end. Also remember that, if you run away from women, she would be
fascinating, as never before. It is so, because, the more you are in agony
(inside), the more attractive she would seem; even an ordinary (looking) woman
would seem like a nymph; the more you are in agony, the more beauty you infuse
in her. A hungry person, would relish even ordinary food (rUki-sUkhi). But,
when the stomach is full, one does not find any relish even in a delicious
food. That is why, your saint-ascetics (sAdhu-sanyAsI) keep on abusing woman.
They keep abusing two things – woman (kAmini) and gold (wealth) (kAncan),
because they are troubled by these two – woman and wealth. They sing only one
tune – ‘save yourself from woman and wealth’; their tune conveys, that they are
tormented by these two – woman and wealth. How woman and wealth can torment anyone? It is
the temptation (desire) (vAsanA) – the seed of temptation – (which is
tormenting them). They run away from the external circumstances (paristhiti),
but what to do with the (internal) state of mind (man-sthiti)? Where to leave
it? It (the mind) goes along with them.
svabhAvAdyasya
naivArtilOkavadvyavahAriNaH |
mahAhrada ivAkshObhyO
gataklESaH suSObhatE || 18 : 60 || 236 ||
‘A wise, by his very nature
(svabhAva), does not behave (deal) like ordinary people; he, has no grief, and shines
like a great lake.’
An ignorant keeps struggling
and remains entangled. If there is no external trouble, he creates internal
trouble (for himself); he cannot remain without trouble.
Poem of Acharya –
क्या-क्या हुआ है
हमसे जुनू में न पूछिए
उलझे कभी जमीं से
कभी आसमा से हम
(Rough translation – ‘Don’t
ask me what all happened in frenzy (junUn) – got into trouble, sometimes with
Earth, sometimes with the sky.)
He is always in trouble, he always
keeps fighting. Fighting is his life-style (jIvan-SailalI). If he does not find
anyone outside (to fight with), he starts something inside. If there is no one
to fight with, he begins to fight with himself. Fighting is his nature
(prakRti). For an ignorant, there is no difference, wherever he might run away,
whatever he might do.
Mulla Nasruddin fell down
from his donkey. The whole village was astonished, because, the donkey took him
to the hospital. People of his household reached hospital. They said –
‘brother, thank God that you did not sustain any serious injury’. Another
gentleman said – ‘in fact, I am not able to believe; your donkey is such an
intelligent (understanding) (samajhdAr) animal, that it took you to the
hospital! Normally people dismiss a donkey – after all it is a donkey. But this
is a special animal; it brought you here. We could not believe that it is so
intelligent.’ Mulla Nasruddin said – ‘no, it is not intelligent; it took me to
veterinary hospital – hospital for animals – hospital for donkeys.’ After all,
donkey would go to veterinary hospital only!
Even if a donkey displays
intelligence, how much can it? If an ignorant displays intelligence, how much
would he? There is a limit; ignorance cannot take you beyond certain limit. Therefore,
the real issue, real revolution, real transformation (rUpAntaraNa) is about wisdom
(bOdha) - not about circumstances (sthiti). One should become free of ignorance
– not (free from) the World. If one becomes free of ignorance, he has become
free of the World; if oblivion (stupor) (mUrccha) breaks, everything is broken;
(along with that), all dreams – individual and collective dreams – are gone. If
ignorance remains, wherever you might go – Mecca, Madina, Kaba, Kailash – it
makes no difference.
‘Even in Worldly affairs, a
wise goes by his nature.....’ Bear in mind – by nature – not by any scheme
(plan) (yOjanA), not by any conduct. It is not by any action (cEshTA), not
through effort (prayAs), not by any practice (sAdhanA) – but by nature
(svabhAvAt). When understanding dawns, then activities happen naturally. An
ignorant person remains quiet (peaceful) (SAnta); but, look carefully – he is
boiling inside; he is controlling himself by imposing quietude on the outside,
by plastering (white-washing) (lIpA-pOtI) (quietude on the outside); things
imposed externally will not be of any help.
Mulla Nasruddin was caught
for stealing someone’s fowl. His advocate explained to Mulla, what to say in
the Court. Mulla learnt the statement by heart. He conveyed the same to his
wife also. He repeated it to the advocate, and he okayed it. In the morning,
there was court hearing. He said exactly what his advocate had dictated to him.
Though the Magistrate and the advocate of opposite party asked many questions,
he would not relent. Therefore, he won the case. Everyone in the village,
including the Magistrate knew, that he was the thief, because it was a small
village, and Mulla had been caught for similar offence, earlier also. But
Magistrate could not do anything, because Mulla was firm in his statement.
Ultimately, Magistrate told him that he is releasing him. Even after that,
Mulla was standing there. The Magistrate asked him – ‘why are you still
standing in the witness box?’ Mulla replied – ‘that means, I can keep the
fowl?’ The act (guilt) of stealing is inside him; where can it go? All the
learning by heart, goes waste. Somehow or other, it bursts forth, and the truth
is out.
No matter how much quiet one
might remain outside, no matter how much gentlemanly one might be, no matter
how much one pretends to be virtuous, no matter what kind of acting one puts
forth, ultimately, the truth would come out, somehow or other. It is so,
because, you cannot falsify, that which you are, far too long. Gurdjieff used
to say – ‘if a person remains with me, at least for three hours, I come to know
his reality (asaliyat), because, it is very difficult to drag on falsification
beyond three hours; therefore, it is a deception.’
You consider a person, whom
you meet on the way, to be a gentleman; your association with him is just at
‘hello’ (jairAmjI) level only. If that person comes closer, you come to know
his reality – good and bad. This is what happening throughout the World. You
fall in love with a woman – or a woman falls in love with you. At that time,
both look beautiful/handsome to each other, and they love each other much, as
if such a love affair had never taken place on the Earth. After marriage,
slowly, they get down to Earth, and the true nature of each gets revealed. The
external behaviour – the whitewash – cannot last long; the truth (reality)
(asaliyat) would come out. When two people are close to each other, they come
to know one another’s reality. The other bank (of river) always looks greener
(dUr kA DhOl suhAvanA).
The greatness (khUbI) of a
wise is, that he has realised his nature (svabhAva); he has awakened and come
to know his reality; he is enlightened through awakening of
his inner awareness; his inner lamp is glowing;
he has realised his true nature. Now, there is no need for him to be different.
In whatever condition you see him, he is found in his true nature only.
‘A wise, by his very nature
(svabhAva), does not behave (deal) like ordinary people; he, has no grief, and shines
like a great lake.’ The Sanskrit word ‘lOkavat’ meaning ‘like the crowd’ is
much better than ‘sAmAnya jana’ – meaning ‘like ordinary person’. He (wise)
does not behave like the crowd (lOkavat). What is the conduct of crowd? It is
one of deception (dhOkhA). It (crowd) is something, but it shows something
else, says something else, does something else. From a distance, it all looks similar.
But, when you go near, the difference could be perceived. It (crowd) shines
like gold, from a distance, but, if you go near, it would be worse than brass
(pItal) – it may not even be brass; probably it is just brass polish. The
behaviour of a crowd is one of deception – a fraud (pravancanA). But, a wise is
natural (sahaj), naked (nagna) – as he is – whether you like it or not. He does
not put himself in any framework (DhAncA) for your sake; he does not go by your
expectations (apEkshA); he behaves as he always does. He might not appeal to
many, because people are great experts (pArangata) in falsehood; they do not
like truth (reality). Those who are very skilled in falsehood, fear truth (reality);
they feel (fear) that their falsehood could be exposed.
That is why, the crowd always
remains annoyed with a wise. However, when he (wise) dies, they worship him,
because, there is no danger from a dead wise. A crowd is always against a
living wise – it is bound to be, because the very presence of a living wise,
points to the falsity of the crowd. When one goes near a wise, he sees his own
true picture. A living wise is a touch-stone (kasauTI); if you go near him, it
gets revealed whether you are gold or brass. No one is ready to concede that he
is brass; one knows (his reality), yet, he is not ready to accept. Knowing
fully well that one is brass, he declares himself to be gold; he has to save
himself. Ego secures oneself. Therefore, people are annoyed with wise. Mahavir
stood naked. This is what all wise do – whether they are undressed or otherwise;
but, all wise stand naked; they stand as they are – like a child, naturally.
A wise, by his very nature (svabhAva), does not
behave (deal) like ordinary people.....’ Under normal conditions, he does not
behave like the crowd; he does not emulate the crowd blindly (andhAnukaraNa).
There is an individuality (nijatA) in him; there is a flow of his nature, his
spontaneity (svacchandatA), his own song; he does not attune himself to suit
you. You may observe your monks (muni) and Mahatmas. They remain according to
you (your tastes). That is why you worship them. You did not worship Mahavir –
he was stoned; but you worship Jain monks, because Mahavir did not behave
according to you. Mahavir made his own declaration – he declared as he was. He
(Mahavir) did not appeal to you, but Jain monks appeal to you, because, they
are your followers (anuyAyI). They conduct themselves, as you say. You ask them
to cover their mouth, and they do so, even if it might seem like acting. He
sits, gets up, goes about as you say. He is very obedient. If you don’t worship
such (obedient) persons, whom else would you? Their behaviour is like that of
the crowd (lOkavat) – it is not natural (svabhAvik). Being natural means, that
he is a revolutionary (krAntikArI). Nature is always rebellious (vidrOhI); it
(nature) means to be, as it pleases him – according to one’s inner state
(feeling) – similar to a wave. A natural person is like a wave; his conduct is
beyond any bounds or limits (maryAdA).
That is why you remember Rama, but you have
distanced Krishna. Krishna’s behaviour is natural; the behaviour of Rama is
principled (within limits) (decent) (maryAdA) – Rama is called Maryada
Purushottama. The behaviour of Krishna is very different; it is very unique;
there are no principles – beyond principles (unprincipled) (amaryAdA). Krishna
is spontaneous. Rama is, at best, a gentleman (sajjan). Sainthood (santatva) is
revealed in Krishna. Rama’s behaviour is, at best, universally (globally)
acceptable (lOka-mAnya) one, because it is according to the crowd. Krishna can
never be globally acceptable (lOkamAnya). Those who want to make Him globally
acceptable, try to segregate thorns; they save only that much, which is right
(correct) (proper) (ThIk). Surdas always sings the praises of Krishna’s
childhood and not that of his youth (javAnI). His (Krishna’s) behaviour of
breaking pots (maTkI) in childhood, is an acceptable mischief (SaitAnI). Surdas
sees no problem in Krishna’s childhood pranks, but he finds it problematic to accept
his (Krishna) stealing clothes of women (girls) and sitting perched on a tree.
Mahatma Gandhi talks of Krishna of (Bhagavat)
Gita, but not the Krishna of Bhagavata (Purana), because, the Krishna of
Bhagavata (Purana) is dangerous (khatarnAk). In the Krishna of Gita, there is
nothing except conversation; there is nothing about the conduct (AcaraNa) of
Krishna. Gita is the statement of Krishna – it is not the life of Krishna. The
life (story) of Krishna is in Bhagavata (Purana). It is very easy to talk about
Gita, but in Bhagavata (Purana), one has to do white-washing. Even in that
(Gita), Gandhi says that war was not real (saccA), but imaginary (kAlpanik). (According
to Gandhi) the war was not between Kaurava and Pandavas, but between good and
evil. He (Gandhi) has to say so, because he is non-violent (advocate of non-violence);
a war is taking place, and, if it is real, and Krishna is conducting it, then
it is a sin.
Krishna does not respect any principles (limits)
(maryAdA) – non-violence or the decencies (maryAdA) of society. His life is one
of supreme freedom. It is a unique courage to let happen, whatever takes place
in life. You cannot contain Krishna in any petty framework; it is very
problematic. That is why Rama appeals (to Gandhi). Gandhi says – ‘Gita is my
mother’; but, at the time of death, the words that come out of his mouth are
‘hey Ram!’
‘A wise, by his very nature
(svabhAva), does not behave (deal) like ordinary people; he, has no grief, and shines
like a great lake.’ Take note of this – what is the meaning of – ‘remains
without any grief like a great lake’? Have you ever seen a great lake quiet,
without waves? Great lake means ‘ocean’ (sAgar). Have you ever seen ocean
quiet? Waves keep on undulating, surging; there are only waves and waves. Ocean
is not any lake, that anyone can swim in it; ocean is ocean, and lake is a
lake. Greater the ocean, greater the surge of waves – surge that seems to touch
the sky.
‘A wise remains without grief
(kshObha-rahita) like a great lake....’ This is a wonderful statement. What
does it mean? Great lakes are always full of waves. Ashtavakra says – ‘remaining
grief-less when there are no waves, is not anything great. The real peace is, when
peace is not disturbed, even when waves are surging. He is in the midst of the
World (samsAra), and yet, his peace is not disturbed – like a lotus in the
water.’ The ocean is full of waves, but it is not (really) disturbed – there is
no disturbance at all; there is a unique tranquility. Probably, it might appear
to you, standing on the shore, that it (ocean) is turbulent; if so, it is your
mistake. That is not the statement of the ocean – it is your interpretation
(vyAkhyA). The ocean is in supreme peace. These waves are indeed the waves of
its quiet; it is tranquil even in the midst of waves; there is a supreme peace
in its depth, even in the midst of surge of waves. These waves are not against
(opposed to) its peace. There is a harmony (samanvaya) in the peace of waves.
Life is deep, only when, even
opponent gets absorbed. Always keep this in mind – when the opponent is left
out, life becomes disabled; when opponent is cut off, life becomes weak. When
you discard the opponent, you become a pauper and pitiable. Life’s greatness,
its fragrance (saurabh), its prosperity (samRddhi) is in the opposition
(virOdha); (life’s greatness is) only when there is music even in the midst of
opposition. Do not run away from the opposites – aggress (atikramaNa) upon them.
What will happen if the ocean is afraid of the waves? It (ocean) can reach
Himalayas, and become settled as ice sheets; then, there will be no waves any
more. The asceticism (sanyAs) has so far remained settled like ice – like a
corpse; there is no motion (gati), no waves (undulation), no music, no warmth
(UshmA), no love - lifeless (nirjIva). Asceticism should be like a great ocean
– dancing, reaching the sky, aspirational (abhIpsA), with surging waves and yet
peaceful. That is why this is a wonderful statement (by Ashtavakra).
parigrahEshu vairAgyaM prAyO
mUDhasya dRSyatE |
dEhE vigalitASasya kva rAgaH
kva virAgatA || 18 : 62 || 238 ||
‘A foolish person’s aversion
is seen, especially, in possessions (parigraha); but, for a wise, whose desires
(hopes) (ASA) of the body have become dissolved, there are neither desires nor
aversions.’
This Sutra is very unique. A
foolish person’s aversions are centred around possessions. Understand this. The
aversion of a foolish person, arises from possessions – against the
possessions. He says – ‘leave off the wealth’. Initially, he holds on to
wealth; then, he says – ‘leave it off’. But his sight is still stuck in wealth
only. Initially, he was fascinated by wealth; he was after wealth. Now, he says
– ‘I have woken up’; but he talks about wealth only. In this ‘leaving off’
itself, he continues to hold on to wealth; it (wealth) has not left him. Now,
he says – ‘gold is just soil (dust) (miTTI)’. If it is indeed soil, then why
should he still talk of gold?
I have heard an ancient
Maharashtrian story. It is about a husband and wife – Ranka and Banka. Ranka
(husband) must have been like the one – a foolish person - whose aversions
arise against possessions. He was a wood cutter. Daily, he would go to the
jungle – accompanied by his wife, cut the wood, and sell it. Whatever money he
gets out of that, they used feed themselves. If any money is left out, he would
distribute (to the poor). He would not keep anything for next day; he was a
great renouncer (tyAgI). Once, there were rains continuously for three days.
They could not go to jungle; they remained hungry. Fourth day, they went to
jungle, cut the wood, and were returning – he was ahead, and his wife was
trailing behind. On the way, he saw a bag containing gold coins (aSrafI) lying
on the road side. Before his wife could see it, he put down the bundle of wood,
and put the bag in a pit and covered with soil. When he was about to finish the
job, his wife came. She saw him doing something; she asked him as to what he
was doing. He could not tell a lie – he had taken a vow not to tell lies. He
was hesitant to tell what he was doing, because he could not tell a lie. He
told her about the bag of gold. He said – ‘I wanted to bury the bag of gold in
the soil, because, I thought, you, being a woman, might be tempted to keep it, particularly
because, we had not had food for three days. I did not want to create any
temptation in your mind, to keep it.’ It is said that Banka started laughing
loudly. Ranka asked as to why she was laughing. She said – ‘I am laughing
because, you are putting soil on the soil. Don’t you feel ashamed of doing so?’
Now, this is another view
point (dRshTi-kONa). One (Ranka) is a renouncer whose renunciation is centred
around possession; he might consider gold as soil, but he still sees gold
there. He is falsifying what he is actually seeing. He calls it ‘gold’. He
convinces himself that it (gold) is soil, and yet, he sees gold there. Gold is
still gold for him. On the other hand, it is supreme renunciation on the part
of Banka. She asks whether he is not ashamed of putting soil over soil. This
surpasses (bEhad) (the view point of her husband). What Banka said was
renunciation, in the proper sense. Let gold remain gold; craving for it is
insanity, and leaving it off (as gold) also is insanity. One has to awaken, and
know (the reality).
‘A foolish person’s aversion
is seen, especially, in possessions....’ He (foolish person) is surrounded by
things, from which he wants to escape. ‘...but, for a wise, whose desires
(hopes) of the body have become dissolved, there are neither desires nor
aversions.’ Such a person (wise) is bereft (beyond) (free of) desires
(vItarAg); he is not averse (virAgI). Aversion (virAg) is opposite of desires
(rAga). One who has aversion, is still bound by desires. Aversion always binds.
You might have noticed – one might forget his friend, but not the enemy. Enmity
remains a bondage; there is an attachment even with an enemy – a link (kaDI)
joins him (with you). That which you are opposed to, has a link with you.
Ashtavakra says – ‘A wise has
neither desires nor aversions.’ It is indeed funny that the World (samsAra)
does not come to end, for those who run away from it (World); it gets revealed
(appears) in newer and newer forms – it appears in the form of aversion.
Poem of Acharya –
कुम्हलाया देवता
तक पहुंच कर भी फूल
रहा अम्लान धूल
में गिर कर भी शूल
Have you noticed? If you
offer flowers at the feet of Lord, they wither away (kumhalA); on the other hand,
a thorn – a prick – even if lying on the ground, does not wither away. In this
life, our understanding is very soft like a flower; even if it is offered at
the feet of Lord, it withers away. But, our stupidity (nAsamajhI) is like a thorn
(spike); even if it falls down on the ground, it does not wither away – it
remains fresh. A thorn, cut off from the tree, is no less thorny; it becomes
more thorny (after drying up). But, a flower, fallen from the tree, withers
away – it gets destroyed. Your understanding is very soft – perishable; but
stupidities are very pronounced; even if one runs away from the World,
stupidities do not vanish – they continue in newer and newer forms, methods -
donning different garbs; it makes no difference. ‘The stupidity vanishes from
him, whose desires of body have dissolved, who has come to know that he is not
the body, who has realised his (true) identity.
dEhE vigalitASasya kva rAgaH
kva virAgatA | - One who has realised that he is not the body...’ All desires and aversions belong to the body.
When a person, who is fascinated by woman, becomes physically tired one day,
develops aversion towards her.
One day, a friend of mine,
came to me; he said – ‘now I want to take sanyas.’ I asked him as to what happened.
He said – ‘I have become insolvent (dIvAlA)’. He wants to take sanyas because
he has become insolvent. Will such a sanyas, which comes after insolvency, be
of any worth? He had relish (for wealth), and now it has become sour (bEsvAd).
Now he wants to go in the opposite direction. He has become insolvent;
therefore, he does not have any wealth; now, he wants to enjoy the taste of
aversion. It makes no difference, even if it is aversion. Bereft (Free) of
desires (vItarAga) means – there is neither desire nor aversion; he has become balanced
(santulit); now, he abides in himself. Both the points of view – desire and
aversion – are useless. Now, he has no hold over the World, nor he has any
yearning (Agraha) for leaving it off. It is up to (wish of) the Lord, whether
the World (sansAr) is there or not; it makes no difference to him, whether the
World remains as it is, or it vanishes this very moment.
A wise is not bothered, even
if the whole World vanishes, and he finds himself alone. For him, it (World)
has already gone. Therefore, it makes no difference, whether the World vanishes
altogether or it multiplies a thousand fold. His association with the World has
already been terminated; his desires (hopes) (ASA) for the body have already
become dissolved; hence, it makes no difference.
bhAvanAbhAvanAsaktA
dRshTirmUDhasya sarvadA |
bhAvyabhAvanayA sA tu
svasthasyAdRshTirUpiNI || 18 : 63 || 239 ||
‘A foolish person’s outlook (dRshTi)
always remains on likes (bhAvanA) and dislikes (abhAvanA) of objects; but, a self-abiding
(wise) person is free of such likes and dislikes; his outlook remains on non-perception
of objects.’
This Sutra is very important.
A foolish person’s outlook, at all times, revolves around choices of duality –
‘I shall do this way or that way; it should be this way or that way; this is
nice and that is not nice; I like this, and I am averse to that; I am for this,
and I am against it’. His thoughts are about likes and dislikes (bhAvanA –
abhAvanA). Sometimes, he says – ‘I am fond of riches’; some other times, he
says – ‘I have lost interest in money’. Sometimes, he says – ‘I am attracted to
money’; some other time, he says – ‘I am averse to wealth’. But dislike
(aversion) is nothing but ‘like’ in the head-down posture (SIrshAsan). There is
no difference between likes and dislikes.
But a (wise) person who
abides in himself (svastha), is free (mukta) of likes and dislikes; his outlook
is non-perception of objects (dRSya). svastha purusha – ‘svastha’ means – ‘one who abides in himself’, ‘who has come
home’, ‘who has reached his core’, ‘who is seated (splendid) on his throne’, ‘who
has become natural (original) (svabhAva)’. Such a person remains free of likes
and dislikes. It does not mean that if you serve stones in his plate, he would
start eating them, because it makes no difference to him. Do not understand it
(svastha) to be some such madness. Some people think that this is the meaning
‘parama-hamsa’ – that they have no differentiation. Understand this Sutra.
People have opinions about parama-hamsa, that - even if you serve some filth in
his plate or even if a dog partakes food from his plate, it makes no difference
to him. Because of such opinions, many fools (nAsamajh) become (assume
themselves to be) even paramahamsas. Man aspires for that which others respect
(regard) (Adar). (He thinks that) if you train yourself, anything can be accomplished;
he feels no problem in that. (He thinks that) if one becomes habituated, even
filth makes no difference.
I have heard – in a village,
a mad richman, developed a fad (sanak). In one of his houses there were a lot
of sheep and goats; because of that, there used to be a heavy smell. One day,
he jokingly said to his friends – ‘I shall give a thousand rupees for anyone
who can stay there (in the house) overnight.’ Many people tried that, in their
greed for thousand rupees, but failed; they could not stay there, even for an
hour, because of the foul smell emanating from there - the sheep and goats had
been there for many years. If one tried to remain there for some time, he used
to feel giddy. Obviously only a paramahamsa could remain seated there for any
length of time. The last man who tried it, could hardly remain for an hour.
Then came Mulla Nasruddin. He said – ‘give me a chance.’ As he went inside, the
servant saw the sheep getting out. Within an hour, that place was empty. He
(servant) opened the window to see whether Mulla is also getting out. But he
found Mulla squatting there very calmly. He (Mulla) had not done anything which
could make the sheep to get out. He was astonished. It is said that he
(servant) asked the sheep, as to why they are getting out. They said – ‘a very
foul smell is emanating from this person; it seems that he had not taken bath
throughout his life. It is difficult to stay in there.’
Some people think that being
like that (with foul smell) is a quality of paramahamsa. The meaning of
paramahamsa is not that he does not know what is right and wrong, what is
beauty and ugly. The meaning of being a paramahamsa is given, in the Sutra of
Ashtavakra – ‘even though, the outlook of a person, abiding in himself, is free
of likes and dislikes....’ He knows what is right and wrong, what is beauty and
ugly, what is worth doing and what not – he knows everything. But, he knows
that he is different from all these. He is concentrated on the witness – not on
the objects (of perception). He knows what is worth eating, and what not; but,
he is not bound by that. He knows himself to be independent of all these; he
knows that he is different from all the objects of perception; he remains
abiding in the state of witness.
bhAvanAbhAvanAsaktA
dRshTirmUDhasya sarvadA | The outlook of a fool ends with what is right and
wrong; he has nothing more to be(come) than that. His interest ends in what to
do and what not, what to get and what not. He has no other state of mind beyond
these – to go beyond doing and not doing, beyond happiness and sorrow, beyond
beauty and ugly. He has no such notion of going beyond (pAragAmI).
bhAvyabhAvanayA sA tu
svasthasyAdRshTirUpiNI | - But, a wise, who is abiding in himself, also sees
things – what is worth doing and what not, what to choose and what not. Along
with that, he is also aware that he is beyond the dualities; he knows that he
is very far away – untouched (by these); he is the seer (drashTA) and not the
objects of perception (dRSya). He sees everything (that a fool sees), but, he
also perceives the seer.
In your case, you see things,
but not yourself (svayam) – you miss out yourself. A seer sees everything, and
also something else – himself being the seer. Therefore, it is not that, one
who is a paramahamsa, would try to go through the wall – just because he does
not differentiate between wall and door. Such a person is a fool – not a
paramahamsa. Such foolish persons have often been worshipped in the East, in
the belief of being paramahamsas.
In my village, there was a
gentleman, whom I knew from his childhood; his fame had spread far and wide.
People used to come from far off places, to have his darshan. I have not seen a
more foolish person than him; he was that kind of foolish, which is called
idiocy (jaD-buddhi). But, people used to believe him to be a ‘paramahamsa’.
What he talked was just a babble, but people used to listen with interest; he
was not even able to talk properly. Whatever nonsense he would utter, people
used to derive (their own) meanings – gurudev spoke thus! I used to sit near
him and listen. I was astonished that, even when he said nothing, people used
to derive their own meanings. After having his darshan, people used to go and
purchase lottery ticket. If they win, they said that gurudev had blessed them;
if they lose, they would consider that they misunderstood him (what he said).
Saliva (lAr) would keep oozing from his mouth; but, people used to say that he
is a paramahamsa – just like a baby. While drinking cup of tea, saliva would
drip into the cup; but people used to drink the residue, considering it as a
blessing – as a nectar. Had he been in the West, he would have been in a
lunatic asylum (pAgal-khAnA).
In the West, something
totally opposite is happening. There, some paramahamsas are languishing in
lunatic asylums, because, no one, there, believe such paramahamsas. There,
paramahamsas are treated as insane – they become mad paramahamsas. In spite of
this, there are thinkers in the West. RD Laing (a Scottish), a psychologist
(psychiatrist) (manO-vaijnAnik) has produced a very revolutionary idea – that
there are many people in the mental asylums, who are not indeed insane. In the
West, people who are not normal, whose viewpoints are even little above normal,
used to be sent to mental asylums, because, their views are so abnormal, that
the crowd would not accept them. Such people were considered as mentally
disturbed (vikshipta), and not worthy of worship; they are languishing in
lunatic asylums. RD Laing used to send me his books. I used to think that he
would come (here) some day. If he comes, I would tell him, that something
opposite is happening here, where insane people are made into (considered as)
paramahamsas. Both these are very dangerous. Neither a paramahamsa is insane,
nor all mad people are paramahamsas. Insane is insane, and paramahamsa is
paramahamsa. This is something very different.
Paramahamsa means – one who
is capable of seeing everything (what ordinary people see), but also, something
else, which is not seen (perceived) by ordinary people. He is able to see him,
who sees everything – he is able to see the seer also. He lives by seer
(seer-hood); he does not have the state of likes and dislikes.
Remember this. Each and every
Sutra is very valuable. Every Sutra of Ashtavakra is so valuable, that if you
can absorb even one of them in your life, then, paramAtma would manifest in
your life. Just one Sutra can open the door of your life. Sometimes, you might
feel, superficially, that these Sutras are repetitions. These are not
repetitions, but an effort to convey the Truth (satya) from all angles,
dimensions and directions, so that there is no mistake (in your understanding),
so that you can become familiar in every way, so that the correct notion of the
Truth becomes clear (spashTa), and you are able to set out on the journey (of
realisation).
Poem of Acharya –
जिसे हम खोजने लगते
हैं वही मिलता है।
जिसे हम खोजने लगते
हैं वही मिल सकता है।
(Rough translation – Only
that, which we seek, is attained; only that, which we seek, is attainable.)
This much for Today.
Translator’s note – The
undermentioned Sutra, listed in the Transcript, seems to have been skipped by
Acharya, in his pravachan. The meaning thereof, as given in the Book –
‘Ashtavakra Samhita’ by Swami Nityaswarupananda (published by Advaita Ashrama)
is also given.
nivRttirapi mUDhasya
pravRttirupajAyatE |
pravRttirapi dhIrasya
nivRttiphalabhAginI || 18 : 61 || 237 ||
Meaning -
With the deluded, even
inaction1 becomes action; and with the wise, even action2
results in the fruit of inaction.
Notes – 1Inaction
etc. – Because the deluded one, though outwardly inactive, in inwardly most
active as his sense of egoism has not been destroyed.
2Action etc.
– Because the wise one, though he may be outwardly active, is inwardly
completely inactive, inasmuch as he is not identified with his body and senses
through which all actions are performed.
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