The Timeless One Cannot Fear Death (Ashtavakra Gita 3.8) - 27th October 2016

Strange that one who is unattached to the things of this world and the next. So who is the one who is unattached? Doesn't distinguish between appearances within this one appearance. I said this before too, where there is only one, that is the root of attachment. So as you see that this is one appearance, to break it up and make division where there is none, to make that division itself is attachment because that division itself is interpretation. It is a judgment, it is a resistance. So he says strange that one who is unattached means that one who is experiencing this entire realm as one appearance to the things of this world and the next, and attached to the things of this world and the next. Now don't feel like you have to die and go into the next world. We don't know, maybe this moment we are going into this next world. This is a new world right now. We don't really know; we are only reliant on our memory to confirm these things. But even if that doesn't appeal to you, you know that when this state ends, this waking state, then another state comes called the dream state. So that is a whole new world. It can seem as real; all the objects and dreams can seem as real when we are experiencing the dream state. So things of this world and the next, and also we had this experience of no-thingness there, no attachment is possible at all.

So what is happening is that this waking state is appearing, dream state is appearing, nothing state is appearing. Now if there is something that is real, if there is something that is eternal and timeless, it cannot go with coming and going all states. It cannot go when states are coming and going. So that which remains, actually waking up in this waking state is to recognize ourself as that which existed even in sleep. I can repeat that: waking up in this waking state must start with the recognition that I am that one that continues to remain even when there is nothing like the state of dreamless sleep. You see, that brings us to the recognition of our unchanging, timeless nature. The rest of the states are just coming and going. So one who is unattached to the things of this world and the next, and as you recognize we are this and we see that this constant unchanging one does not need anything from any state which is coming or going, then it is natural to see this entire Lila as one play and the me unattached from it.

Who can discriminate between the transient and the timeless? Yesterday we looked at this. We actually broke down everything and said, 'What is transient?' We went from this room being transient, this world being transient, this body being transient, all our thoughts being transient, emotions being transient, everything coming and going. Ultimately even our sense of existence being transient. So what is that which is intransient? Is there anything? So if you were to call everything that is transient an appearance, is there something which is prior to appearance? Who are all of these appearances appearing to? It is strange that one who is unattached to the things of this world and the next, who can discriminate between the transient and the timeless, who yearns for freedom, should yet fear the dissolution of this body.

And you see that this body is also transient and that realm in which it appears is also transient. Then at least this fear—what will happen when I lose this body, will that be the end of me?—this dissolves. And every night we have this experience: leave this body aside, and yet we seem to enjoy this leaving the body aside, leaving the world aside, doing all that is changing aside. So there is nothing to fear in this as we remain so fully satisfied. This unchanging truth of who we are, then you will find that attachment becomes more and more difficult, making it impossible. So still even now, till this verse, the answer is being given to Janaka because his question was how is true knowledge to be attained and detachment to be achieved. So how is the detachment being shown to him? By showing him the reality of who he is. And this one is so unconcerned by this play that attachment seems like an alien concept.

So he continues the sage, rest of the verse continues to probe Janaka now because Janaka had the experience of the direct recognition of the Self and shared some words from that direct seeing. So now the Master is probing, is pushing the buttons to test the disciple. Is it just lip service? Basically that is the message: is it just lip service? So in all of these questions, that is what is at the root of it. Are you truly seeing this reality as the sage is sharing, or are you just speaking some fancy words? The one who is unattached to the things of this world and the next, who can discriminate between the transient and the timeless, who yearns for freedom, should yet fear the dissolution of the body.