Ashtavakra Gita Chapter 19 Commentary and Contemplation - 15th September 2017

That which witnesses this appears, this changes. So for that which is changeless, there is no time. Time is the version of change. That which is changeless is beyond time. Where is past and future, or even present? Where is space or even eternity? I abide in the glory of Self. And then: where is Self? Where is not-self? Where is good and evil, confusion and clarity? I abide in the glory of Self.

Where is Self and even not-self? This is Ashtavakra Gita Chapter 19. After so many chapters about Brahman, now not even Brahman. Why? Because the sages know that even this most pristine pointing can become positions. How many have we seen in this Advaita path which are just 'I am awareness'? 'What would you like for lunch?' 'I am awareness.' It's like Groot in Guardians of the Galaxy. You have to say anything to them: 'Awareness.' Even awareness or even Self can become like a position. Even this, don't hang on to it conceptually.

So although he starts the verse with 'Where is Self? Where is not-self? Where is good and evil, confusion and clarity? I abide in the glory of Self,' Self does not have to be held on to conceptually when we are empty of concepts. Where is sleeping? Where is dreaming, waking, or even the fourth state? Where is fear? I abide in the glory of Self. Sleeping, dreaming, waking—all of them come and go. Even Turiya comes and goes. If this itself comes and goes, you know this is going to go tonight. Ultimately, even if you feel like sleep is only a temporary state and you feel like there's a depth which is the permanence to it, ultimately it's coming. So this is going to go.

What did the sage say right from the very beginning? Focus on that which is unchanging. So we are still trying to sort out something in the changeful realm because that's the only way the mind can function. But that which is beyond the instruments... who are you in your sleep state that observes that there is nothing there? The witness of that nothing. What nothing? This is nothing. And what nothing witnesses all things? Where is close or far, in or out? All settled. I abide in the glory of Self.

So all these concepts of time and space, objects within time and space—now you see that you are beyond this entire verse. Verse 7, Chapter 19: Where is life and death? Where is the world and worldly relations? Where is distraction and stillness? I abide in the glory of Self. We just talked about this. All these tales are waking, dreaming, Turiya, life, death. Who are they for? Who witnesses them? Is that touched by them? Notice now that the mind will run out of tricks. Now every single concept of yourself which the mind uses to convince you of your limitations is being swept away.

You are neither this nor that. You are neither in time nor in space. You are neither free nor liberated. Neither the doer nor the non-doer. Not the enjoyer, not the experiencer. You are this Self. And this abiding is your natural state. Because you are the Self, abiding is your natural state. You don't have to try and abide. When you are doing this also, 'I am trying to abide as the Self'—oh, how? It's your natural state. You don't have to try to be natural. But you have to try and be unnatural. You have to make an effort to pose as if you are the person. To make that effort to pose as if you are an entity, the identity. How do you make this effort? By giving belief to that which is meaningless. This power of belief belongs to you as consciousness. Consciousness chooses to play as if it is limited when it believes the idea that 'I am something.'

There is no need to talk about the three ends of life. To talk of yoga is purposeless. Even talking about truth is irrelevant. I rest in the Self alone. This is the ultimate 'shut up.' Obviously, be quiet. There's no need to talk about the three ends of life. The talk of yoga is purposeless. Even talking about truth is irrelevant. I rest now. The only thing I will say, at the risk of upsetting the Master, would be to mistake the total silence of this mouth for the silence that will be helpful. So the true silence is this absence of egoic belief. Then nothing has to be said. When we need a concept to establish a false position for yourself, the truth will not be the concept. So empty of concepts, with no need to speak, no need for any proclamation and the judgments. Even talking about truth is irrelevant. I rest in Self alone. Okay, finished Chapter 19.