Ashtavakra Gita Chapter 5 'Four Ways to Dissolution' - 11th August 2017

So Chapter five, it's four ways to dissolution. It is very, very beautiful actually. Go into the Ashtavakra Gita, what that is. So this chapter is four verses, okay? And each verse is a great clue with it to use it like that. One can actually take any one of them, whichever feels to you after hearing them, and just marinate in that one to create that form.

So first it is: You are immaculate, touched by nothing. What is there to renounce? The mind is complex, let it go. Know the peace of dissolution. You are immaculate, touched by nothing. What is there to renounce? The mind is complex, let it go. Know the peace of dissolution.

Second: The universe arises from you like foam from the sea. Know yourself as one, enter the peace of the field. The universe arises from you like foam from the sea. Know yourself as one, enter the peace of the field. And so this one, all that you've heard so far is that thing will also help it actually. You just being one, okay? Just happening as one cleaning, but we are digging it up into many. Who's into my building concept? Because it is undercurrents within yourself. Where is the experience of sound? Where is the experience of space? That it works. Experience of sight, the experience of touch—all of this happening within you. What is that you? Whether it's universal experience, is there anything outside of you from your experience? So let me repeat the verse: Universe arises from you like foam from the sea. Know yourself as one, enter peace for dissolution.

Third verse: Like an imagined snake in a rope, the universe appears to exist in the immaculate Self but does not. Seeing this, you know there is nothing to dissolve. Like an imagined snake in a rope, the universe appears to exist in the immaculate Self but does not. Seeing this, you know there is nothing to dissolve. So we talked about in the past, we talked about the two 'I's. That which is the final witness, this Self is the capital Awareness. That which itself is not the small way of appearance. So in relation to reality which is unchanging, this capital 'I', the appearance, the realm of appearances—in that way it is unreal. It is not unchanging, it is not constant. So the third verse looks at the world as an appearance and to stay with that which is not an appearance. Ask yourself: Am I an appearance?

Fourth: You are perfect, changeless, to misery and happiness, hope and despair, life and death. This is the state of dissolution. You are opposites, changeless to misery and happiness, hope and despair, life and death. This is the state of dissolution. Now many times what can happen is that as we are contemplating this, we are not able to relate to ourself as perfect and changeless. But in our life, we are blessed with the holy presence of the Satguru, perfect and changeless. So this is another way of saying what material hunters we say, say as my Master's field. Keep your eyes at my Master's feet. If you can't find your own, do it in this way. That which is perfect and changeless, beautiful, because this is the external embodiment of the Master. Exist in service to this divine life. If the back seems confusing, we are blessed to have presence of the Master. Stay with that. This is another way of saying surrender all to him. It's said you are perfect, changeless to misery and happiness, hope and despair, life, everything is the Master's problem. Whatever events might come, you surrender both. Let it come and go. And as it seems like it cannot be let go this way, it is God's. Whose problem is it? It is Father's problem. Whatever is, whatever terminology you want to use. Do not pick up anything as your condition. Don't pick up emotion or misery as your condition. I mean that it's a surrender. It was saying you are the one doer, you are the one experiencer, my Lord Father.