Detachment (Ashtavakra Gita 9.1-9.8) - 10th November 2016

So we are in Chapter 9 of the Ashtavakra Gita called Detachment. Ashtavakra said: 'Opposing forces due to is done and left undone, when does it end and for whom? Considering this, be ever desireless, let go of all things, and to the world turn an indifferent eye. Rare and blessed is one whose desire to live, to enjoy, and to know has been extinguished by observing the ways of men. Rare and blessed is one whose desire to live, to enjoy, and to know has been extinguished by observing the ways of men. Seeing all things as three-fold suffering, the sage becomes still.'

Three-fold suffering means what? Let's see what could it mean. You can feel like the body is suffering—one can be the body-level suffering. Second can be this suffering felt because of some emotions which are coming up: guilt, regret, remorse. The third can be mental suffering; the mind is saying 'You are unworthy, you are never getting your freedom.' So this kind of suffering, actually all of them rely on this mind interpretation. But when the sage is saying three-fold suffering, he's talking about generically how different types of suffering can be experienced. 'Seeing all things as three-fold suffering, the sage becomes still. Insubstantial, transient, contemptible, the world is fit only for rejection. Insubstantial, transient, contemptible, the world is fit only for rejection.'

Sometimes these words might seem too strong for you. It might seem like we are putting the world down or something, you see. But maybe sometimes because Janaka was a king, maybe he had to hear these words from Ashtavakra. Because when sometimes the attachment to something is high, or the feeling of meaning in something is high, then sages have to use strong words to neutralize that, to come to our openness, to our neutralness. 'Was there an age or time when existed without opposites? Leave the opposites behind, be content with what comes.'

Perfection to be content with what comes is what we were talking about yesterday. Is that in this openness, in this allowing, everything is allowed to be just what it is now. Sages like Buddha and now Ashtavakra have used the term 'Perfection' for this, but it is not our mind's idea of perfection. It is just to see what is, just is, you see. Because sometimes when we use the word perfect or perfection, there can be the sense that 'Once I am just allowing, then everything should become like my master said.' Everything... we have this expectation that everything will become chocolate-flavored, everything will just become goody-goody and nice-nice. It doesn't have to be like that. In this openness, the play of the world can continue—sometimes sublime, sometimes terrible—but to see it as just what it is, just an appearance which is coming and going, that seeing is perfection.

'The greatest seers, saints, and yogis agree on very little. The greatest seers, saints, and yogis agree on very little. Seeing this, who could not be indifferent to knowledge and become still?' You see, so ultimately we have to drop even all this—all the words, all the pointings, everything to be dropped—and to just remain empty, open, still. As Bhagavan said, to throw away the thorn at the end, but remember to throw it away at the beginning, you see.