Ashtavakra.+

We are embarking on a rare journey.

Man has many scriptures, but none comparable to the Gita of Ashtavakra. Before it the Vedas pale, the Upanishads speak with a weak voice. Even the Bhagavad Gita does not have the majesty found in the Ashtavakra Samhita -- it is simply unparalleled. 

The most important thing is that neither society nor politics nor any other institution of human life have had any influence on the sayings of Ashtavakra. They are such a pure expression -- transcending emotion, transcending time and death -- there is nothing comparable. Perhaps this is why Ashtavakra's Gita, the Ashtavakra Samhita, has not had much impact.

It is very  necessary to know a few things about Ashtavakra. Not much is known as he was neither a social nor political man, so no historical record exists. Only a few incidents are known -- and they are just wondrous, hardly believable. But if you understand them deeply the significance will be revealed.

The first incident happened before Ashtavakra was born. Nothing is known of what came afterwards, but this is an incident while he was still in the womb. His father, who was a great scholar, would recite the Vedas every day while Ashtavakra listened from the womb. One day a voice came from the womb saying, "Stop it! This is all nonsense. There is no wisdom whatsoever in this. Mere words -- just a collection of words. Is wisdom found in scriptures? Wisdom is within oneself. Is the truth found in words? Truth is within oneself."

Naturally his father was enraged. First of all he was a father and on top of that a scholar. And his son hidden in the womb was saying such things! Not even born yet! He exploded in anger, became engulfed in fire: The father's ego had been hit. And a scholar's ego... he was a great pundit, a great debater, knowledgeable in scriptures....

In anger he uttered a curse: When born, the boy would be deformed; his limbs would be bent in eight parts. Hence, his name: Ashtavakra means one whose body has eight bends. He was born crippled in eight places; eight places hunchbacked like a camel. In a rage his father deformed his son's body.

The second incident known about Ashtavakra happened when he was twelve years old. Only these two incidents are known. The third is his Ashtavakra Gita, or as some call it, the Ashtavakra Samhita. When Ashtavakra was twelve years old, Janak hosted a huge debating conference. Janak was an emperor, and he invited the pundits of the whole country to debate on the scriptures. He had one thousand cows placed at the palace gate and had the horns of the cows plated with gold and decorated with jewels. He proclaimed, "Whoever is victorious, shall take possession of these cows."

It was a great debate. Ashtavakra's father also participated. As dusk was falling, the message came to Ashtavakra that his father was losing. He had already defeated all the others, but he was about to be defeated by a pundit named Vandin. Receiving this message Ashtavakra went to the palace.

The hall was decorated. The debate was in its final stage and the decisive moment was fast approaching. His father's defeat was a complete forgone conclusion -- he was on the very edge of defeat.

The pundits saw Ashtavakra as he entered the royal court. They were all learned scholars. His body was bent and deformed in eight places: he had just to move and anyone would start laughing. His very movement was a laughing matter.

The whole meeting broke into laughter. Ashtavakra also roared with laughter. Janak asked, "Everyone else is laughing. I can understand why they laugh, but why did you laugh, my son?"

Ashtavakra said, "I am laughing because truth is being decided in this conference of butchers" -- the man must have been extraordinary. "What are all these skinners doing here?"

A deep silence fell over the meeting. Butchers? Skinners?

The king asked, "What do you mean?"

Ashtavakra said, "It is simple and straightforward: They only see skin, they don't see me. It is difficult to find a man more pure and simple than me, but they don't see this; they see a bent and deformed body. They are skinners, they judge by the skin. Your Majesty, in the curve of a temple is the sky curved? When a pot is smashed, is the sky smashed? The sky is beyond change. My body is twisted, but I am not. Look at the one within. You can't find anything more straight and pure."

It was a very startling declaration. There must have been pin-drop silence. Janak was impressed, astounded: "Absolutely right, why had he gathered a crowd of skinners there?" He became repentant, he felt guilty that he too had laughed.

That day the king couldn't manage to say anything, but the following day when he was out on his morning ride he saw Ashtavakra on the way. Janak dismounted from his horse and fell at his feet. The day before, in front of everyone, he couldn't find the courage. The day before he had said, "Why do you laugh, my son?" Ashtavakra was a boy of twelve years, and Janak had considered his age. This day he didn't notice the age. This day he got down from his horse and fell at Ashtavakra's feet, spread-eagled in prostration.

He said, "Please visit the palace, and satisfy my eagerness for the truth. Oh lord, be so gracious as to come to my home. I have understood! I couldn't sleep the whole night. You spoke truly: what depth of understanding have those who recognize only the body? They are debating the being, but attraction and repulsion for the body still arise; hate and attraction still arise. They are looking at death while talking of the deathless! I'm blessed that you came and disturbed me, that you broke my sleep. Please come to the palace!"

Janak had the palace decorated magnificently. He welcomed Ashtavakra and seated him on a golden throne -- this twelve year old Ashtavakra. Then he put his questions to him. The first sutra is Janak's inquiry. Janak asked and Ashtavakra explained. Beyond this, nothing is known about Ashtavakra. And there is no need to know more, it is more than enough! Diamonds are not many; only pebbles and rocks are so common. A single diamond is enough.

These are two small incidents. One before birth: a voice from the womb with the proclamation, "What madness have you fallen into? Confused by scriptures... by words? Wake up! This is not wisdom, this is all borrowed. It is all snares of the mind, not experience. There isn't the slightest bit of reality in it. How long are you going to delude yourself?"

And the second incident: the pundits in the palace laughing and Ashtavakra's saying that in life there are two visions: one is to see being and the other is to see skin.

Butchers see skin, the wise see being.

Have you noticed? A shoemaker doesn't look at your face, he sees only your shoes. Actually a shoemaker can know everything about you just by looking at your shoes: How your economic situation is, if you are successful or a failure; how your luck is.... The condition of the shoes tells him. Your autobiography is written on your shoes -- the shoemaker can read it. If the shoes are shiny, if the shoes are clean and new, the shoemaker is happy to meet you. For him your shoes are the proof of your being. A tailor looks at clothes. Seeing how you dress he understands your situation. All have their own narrow vision.

Only one full of his own being sees being. He has no fixed vision. He has only seeing, darshan.

The first sutra....

Oh

Janak asked: " Oh Lord, how does one attain wisdom? And how does liberation happen? And how is nonattachment attained? Please tell me this."

Tell me, Oh lord! Explain it to me.

To a boy of twelve King Janak says, "Oh lord! Bhagwan! Please explain! Give some understanding to an unknowing person like me! Awaken an ignorant person like me."

Three questions are asked....

"How does one attain wisdom?" Naturally, we might wonder: Why does he need to ask? There are books filled with these things. Janak also knew this.

Janak also knew that the scriptures are filled just with information. But he asked, "How does one attain wisdom?" -- because no matter how much you know, wisdom is not attained. You can go on gathering more and more knowledge, learn the scriptures by heart, become parrots, memorize each and every sutra, let the complete Vedas be imprinted in your memory -- but still there will be no wisdom.

"How does one attain wisdom? How does liberation happen?" He asks because what you call wisdom, knowledge, binds you instead -- how can this be liberation? Wisdom is that which liberates you.

Janak asked, "How does liberation happen? What is liberation? Explain to me the wisdom which liberates."

Freedom is man's most important longing. Achieve everything, but if you are still unfree, it hurts. Attain everything, but if freedom is not attained, you have not attained anything. Man wants the open sky, unbounded. This is man's innermost longing, most secret longing -- for a space where there are no limits, no barriers. You may call it the longing to become divine or call it the longing for Moksha, liberation.

In Sanskrit we have chosen the right word, Moksha. Such a lovely word does not exist in any other language. There are words like heaven, paradise, but those words don't have the melody of Moksha. Moksha has a unique music. It simply means a freedom so ultimate that it has no barrier; a freedom so pure it is unlimited.

Janak asked, "And how does liberation happen?

 And how is nonattachment attained? Oh lord, please tell me this."

Ashtavakra must have looked carefully at Janak -- because this is the first thing a master does when someone inquires. He observes attentively: from what source is this inquiry arising? Why has the questioner asked something? The master's answer can be significant only if he understands clearly why the question is asked.

Ashtavakra must have observed carefully, looked into Janak and seen this person is not a gyani, he has not attained the meditation; otherwise his inquiry would be silent, there would be no words in it.

Ashtavakra must have looked carefully.

When you come to ask me something, you yourself are a question, more important than what you ask. Sometimes you may also feel that I have answered a question you didn't ask. And perhaps you may even feel I have avoided your question, side stepped it and answered something else. But for me your inner need is always more important, what you ask is not important -- because you yourself don't really know what you are asking, why you are asking. The answer is being given only for your need; nothing of the answer is decided by your question.

Ashtavakra must have seen that Janak is not a gyani. Is he ignorant then? No, he is not ignorant either... because the ignorant person is arrogant, he stands proudly erect. He doesn't even know how to bow down -- and this man has bowed at his feet, stretched himself full length at the feet of a twelve year old boy. This is impossible for the ignorant. The ignorant thinks he already knows -- who is going to explain anything to him? If an ignorant person does ask, he asks just to prove you wrong, because the ignorant presumes he already knows and wants to see whether you know or not. The ignorant person asks to test you.

Ashtavakra must have thought, "No, Janak's eyes are very clear. Even though he's an emperor he asked me, an unknown, unfamiliar boy of twelve years, 'Oh lord! Please explain to me....' No he is humble, he is not ignorant. Is he an idiot then? Idiots never ask. Idiots don't have any idea that there are any problems in life."

Ashtavakra says passions are poisonous, because by indulging them we simply die. We never get any life from them.

"Oh Beloved, if you want liberation then renounce the vishayas, the passions as visha, poison, and take forgiveness, innocence, compassion, contentment and truth as nectar."

Nectar means that which gives life, that which gives immortality, ambrosia -- when one has found it, one will never die again.

Then forgiveness. Anger is poison -- forgiveness is ambrosia.

Innocence. Deviousness is poison. Simplicity -- innocence is nectar.

Compassion. Hardheartedness, cruelty, is poison -- kindness, compassion, is nectar.

Contentment. The worm of discontent goes on eating up everything. The worm of discontent sits in the heart like a cancer. It goes on penetrating into it, it goes on spreading poison.

Contentment. Satisfaction with what is, no desire for what is not. What is, is more than enough. That it is, is more than enough. Open your eyes a little and see.

This is an extremely valuable key Ashtavakra is giving. It will slowly become clear to you. Ashtavakra's view is very revolutionary, very unique. His revolution is from the very root.

"Take contentment and truth as nectar" -- because one who lives in falsehood will go on becoming more false. One who tells lies, lives in lies, will naturally be surrounded by lies. His connection to life will be shattered, his roots will be cut.

Do you want roots in existence? Those roots are possible only through truth. You can be linked to existence only through authenticity and truth. Do you want to be cut off from existence? Then create a smoke screen of lies, make great clouds of lies around you. The more you become false the farther away you will be from existence.

"You are neither earth, nor air, nor fire, nor water, nor ether. To attain liberation, know yourself as the witness, conscious of all these."

These statements are so immediate, not even an introduction. Ashtavakra has hardly uttered two sentences and meditation comes in; he begins to talk about samadhi, about deep meditation. One who knows has nothing except samadhi to share. He said two sentences first because if he had immediately started talking about samadhi, perhaps you would have been too startled to understand. But two sentences -- and immediately he is talking about samadhi.

Ashtavakra does not even take seven steps. Buddha took seven steps and on the eighth step, samadhi. Ashtavakra brings up samadhi on the very first step.

"You are neither earth, nor air, nor fire, nor water, nor ether." Let yourself relax into this truth. "To attain liberation, know yourself as the witness, conscious of all these."

The witness is the key.

There is no more valuable key than this.

Be the observer. Whatever happens, let it happen. There is no need to interfere with it. The body is composed of earth, air, fire, water and ether. You are the lamp within by which all these -- earth, air fire, water, ether -- are illuminated. You are the observer. Go deeply into this.

"Know yourself as the witness."

This is the most important sutra in existence. Be a witness. Wisdom will happen through it. Nonattachment will happen through it. Liberation will happen through it. The questions were three, but the answer is one.

"If you can separate yourself from the physical body, and rest in consciousness, then this very moment you will be happy, at peace, and free of bondage."


Listen to Ashtavakra: "If you can separate yourself from the physical body, and rest in consciousness, then this very moment you will be happy, at peace, and free of bondage."

Right here, right now, this very moment. "If you can separate yourself from the physical body, and rest in consciousness." If you begin to see the fact, "I am not the body, I am not the doer and enjoyer: I am that one hidden within me who sees all.... When childhood came it saw childhood, when youth came it saw the youth, when old age came it saw old age. Childhood did not stay, so I cannot be childhood. It came and passed, still I am. Youth did not stay, so I cannot be youth. It came and passed, still I am. Old age came, and it is also going, so I cannot be old age. How can I be that which comes and goes? I am always. The one to whom childhood comes, to whom youth comes, to whom old age comes... to whom thousands of things have come and gone. I am that one eternal, everlasting."

Hence, Ashtavakra says "Rest in consciousness." Relax, let yourself unwind. Let go of this tension. Where are you going? There is nowhere to go, there is nowhere to reach to. "... and rest in consciousness," then right now, "this very moment you will be happy, at peace, and free of bondage."

The statement is unique. There is no other scripture comparable to it.

"You are not a brahmin or other caste, you are not in any of the four stages of life, you are not perceived by the eyes or other senses. Unattached and without form, you are the witness of the whole universe. Know this and be happy."

How can a brahmin write a commentary on this? "You are not a brahmin or other caste..." How can a Hindu take this scripture to heart? His whole religion is based on caste and stages of life. And from the very beginning Ashtavakra is cutting the roots of these beliefs. He says you are not a brahmin, not a low caste Sudra, not a kshatriya warrior -- this is all nonsense. These are all projections. This is all the play of politics and society. You are simply Brahma, not a brahmin, not a kshatriya, not a Sudra. "You are not a brahmin or other caste, you are not in any of the four stages of life...." And you are not a Brahmacharya student, or a householder, or at the stage before sannyas -- you are not in any of the four stages of life. You are the observer, the witness who is inside passing through all these situations.

The Hindus cannot claim the Ashtavakra Gita as theirs, the Ashtavakra Gita is everyone's. If there were Muslims, Hindus and Christians in Ashtavakra's time, he would have said, "You are not a Hindu, not a Christian, not a Muslim." Who will build a temple for Ashtavakra? Who will champion his scripture? Who will claim him?... because he is denying everyone. It is a direct declaration of truth.

"Unattached and without form, you are the witness of the whole universe. Know this and be happy."

Ashtavakra does not say after you have known this you will become happy. Listen to the statement carefully. Ashtavakra says, "Know this and be happy."

"You are not a brahmin or other caste, you are not in any of the four stages of life, you are not perceived by the eyes or other senses. Unattached and without form, you are the witness of the whole universe. Know this and be happy."

Be happy. Be happy right now. Janak asks: How can one be happy? How can liberation happen? How can wisdom happen?

Ashtavakra says it can happen right now. There is no need to delay even a single moment. There is no reason to leave it for tomorrow, no need to postpone it. This happening does not occur in the future, it happens now or never. When it happens it happens right now, because there is no time except now. Where is the future? When it comes, it comes as now.

Ashtavakra's religion is not by installments. It is cash in hand, hard cash.

"Oh expansive one, religion and atheism, happiness and misery, all are of the mind, they are not for you. You are not the doer nor the enjoyer. You have always been liberated."

Enlightenment is our inherent nature. Wisdom is our inner nature. Godliness is our way of being. It is our center. It is the fragrance of our life, our being.

Ashtavakra says, "Oh expansive one, oh bringer of joy, oh luxurious magnificence, religion and atheism, happiness and misery, all are of the mind. These are all waves of thought." You have done evil or good, committed sin or done good deeds, built a temple or given alms -- all this is of the mind.

"You are not the doer nor the enjoyer. You have always been liberated."

You are eternally free, you have always been free.

Liberation is not a happening which we have to work for.

Liberation has already happened in our being.

The whole existence is made of freedom. Every particle of it, every pore of it is made of liberation. Freedom is the material from which the whole existence is produced. Freedom is its very nature.

This declaration -- just understand it and the transformation take place. There is nothing to do except understand it. If it descends into you if you listen with your whole mind, it is enough.

With Ashtavakra there are no steps. It is not a gradual evolution but sudden. It can happen this very moment. - Maha Gita by OSHO