Osho’s Rare Insight On Krishna | कृष्ण, कूटनीति, ज्ञान: ओशोका दुर्लभ दृष्टि

We embark on a unique journey. Humankind possesses many scriptures, but none like the Ashtavakra Gita. The Vedas are pale. The Upanishads speak in a very low voice. Even the Gita does not possess such glory. There is something unique in Ashtavakra's wisdom. The most significant aspect is that neither society, nor politics, nor any other system of life has any influence on Ashtavakra's words. It is such a pure, transcendental statement. There is no other like it, beyond time and space. Perhaps this is why Ashtavakra's Gita, Ashtavakra's Samhita, did not have much influence. Krishna's Gita had a great influence. The first reason is that Krishna's Gita is not as concerned with the truth of synthesis as it is with synthesis itself. The insistence on synthesis is so deep that even if truth is slightly lost, Krishna is content. Krishna's Gita is like a khichdi (a mixed dish). Therefore, everyone likes it because everyone finds something of themselves in it. It is difficult to find a sect that does not find its voice in the Gita. It is difficult to find a person who does not find support for themselves in the Gita. For all these reasons, Ashtavakra's Gita would be very difficult. Ashtavakra is not a synthesist; he is a truth-teller. He has spoken the truth as it is, without any embellishment. He is not concerned about the listener, whether the listener will understand or not. It is such a purely spoken statement of truth, it has never happened before, nor has it ever been possible afterward. Krishna's Gita is dear to people because it is very easy to derive one's own meaning from it. Krishna's Gita is poetic. Two plus two can be five. Two plus two can be three. With Ashtavakra, no such play is possible. There, two plus two is only four. Ashtavakra's statement is a statement of pure mathematics. There is no room for poetry there, not even a little leeway for poetry. It is as it is, with no compromise. If you read Krishna's Gita, the devotee derives their own meaning because Krishna has also spoken of devotion. The Karma Yogi derives their own meaning because Krishna has also spoken of Karma Yoga. The wise one derives their own meaning because Krishna has also spoken of knowledge. Krishna sometimes calls devotion the highest, sometimes knowledge the highest, sometimes action the highest. Krishna's statement is very political. He was a politician. A skilled politician. It is not appropriate to say he was merely a politician. He was a cunning politician, a diplomat. Many things were taken into account in his statement. That is why everyone finds the Gita appealing. That is why there are thousands of commentaries on the Gita. No one worries about Ashtavakra. Because to agree with Ashtavakra, you have to leave yourself behind. You can only go if you do not take yourself along. You will be left behind if you go. With Krishna, you can take yourself along. With Krishna, there is no need for you to change. You can be present with Krishna. That is why all sects have written commentaries on Krishna's Gita. Shankar, Ramanuj, Nanak, Vallabh, all of them have derived their own meanings. Krishna has said something that is multi-layered. That is why I say it is poetic. Any meaning can be derived from poetry. Krishna's statement is like clouds gathering in the rain. See whatever you wish. Some see an elephant's trunk, some see Lord Ganesha. Some see nothing at all. They say, "What nonsense are you talking? It's just clouds, what figures are you seeing in this smoke?" In the West, scientists, for the purpose of testing the mind, drop ink blots on blotting paper and ask the person to look and say what they see. The person looks carefully and sees something. There is nothing there. Just ink blots scattered randomly on the blotting paper. They were not even thrown with thought. It's like a bottle was emptied. But the observer finds something. What the observer finds is in their own mind; they project it. You must have also seen. When rainwater falls on a wall, lines are drawn. Sometimes a human face appears, sometimes a horse's face. You project what you want to see. In the darkness of night, a piece of cloth is hanging. Ghosts and spirits appear. Krishna's Gita is like that; whatever is in your mind will appear. So Shankar sees knowledge, Ramanuj sees devotion, Tilak sees action. And everyone returns home happily, thinking that Krishna says exactly what our belief is. Emerson wrote that once a neighbor borrowed Plato's books. Now, Plato lived 2000 years ago, and was one of the world's few unique thinkers. After a few days, Emerson asked for the books back. The neighbor returned them. Emerson asked, "How did you like them?" The man said, "This man Plato's ideas are very similar to mine. Many times, I felt like this man knew my thoughts. First of all, he lived 2000 years ago. I suspect he might have stolen my ideas." Such suspicion arises often with Krishna. That is why centuries have passed since Krishna, and commentaries continue. Every century finds its own meaning. Every person finds their own meaning. Krishna's Gita is like ink blots, the statement of a skilled politician. In Ashtavakra's Gita, you will not find any meaning. Only if you leave yourself behind will Ashtavakra's Gita become clear. Ashtavakra's message is crystal clear. You cannot insert even a little of your own interpretation into it. That is why people have not written commentaries. There is no room for writing commentaries. There is no way to twist or distort it. There is no convenience for your mind to insert something. Ashtavakra has given his statement in such a way that centuries have passed, and no one has been able to add or subtract anything from that statement. It is very difficult to give such a statement. Such skill with words is very difficult. That is why I say you are starting a unique journey. There is no interest in Ashtavakra among politicians. Not of Tilak, not of Arvind, not of Gandhi, not of Vinoba. No one has any interest because you cannot play your own game. If Tilak wants to incite patriotism, to raise the tide of action, Krishna's Gita becomes a collaborator. Krishna is ready to give a shoulder to everyone. You can fire any bullet with it; he is content. His shoulder is there for you to hide behind, and if you fire from behind him, even the bullet seems precious. Ashtavakra does not even let anyone put a hand on his shoulder. That is why Gandhi has no interest, Tilak has no interest. Arvind and Vinoba have nothing to do with it. Because you cannot impose anything. There is no convenience for politics. Ashtavakra is not a political person. This is the first thing that must be kept in mind. Such a clear statement, like an open sky without clouds. You will not be able to see any figures. You will have to leave all figures behind. You will become formless. Only by connecting with the formless will you understand Ashtavakra. If you wish to understand Ashtavakra, you must descend into the depths of meditation. No interpretation will work. And for meditation, Ashtavakra does not say to sit and chant "Ram, Ram." Ashtavakra says, whatever you do, it is not meditation. Where there is a doer, how can there be meditation? As long as there is doing, there is delusion. As long as the doer exists, ego exists. Ashtavakra says, becoming a witness is meditation. Where the doer is left behind, you remain only the observer. In being merely the observer, there is vision. In being merely the observer, there is meditation. In being merely the observer, there is knowledge. Before we delve into the sutras, it is important to understand a few things about Ashtavakra. Not much is known because he was neither a social nor a political person, so there is no mention of him in history. Only a few events are known, and they are also very strange and not entirely reliable. But if you understand them, very deep meanings will unfold. The first event is from before Ashtavakra was born; nothing is known of his past. An event in the womb. His father was a great scholar. Ashtavakra, in his mother's womb, heard his father reciting the Vedas daily. One day, suddenly, a voice came from the womb, "Stop it! This is all nonsense. There is nothing in this. It is just a collection of words. Where is knowledge in scripture? Where is truth in words? Truth is in oneself." His father was naturally angry. First, a father, then a scholar, and his hidden son in the womb saying such things. He was not even born yet. In anger, he became furious. The father's ego was hurt. Then the scholar's ego; he was a great scholar, a great debater, a scripture scholar. In anger, he cursed him, saying, "When he is born, he will be crooked in eight limbs." Hence, his name became Ashtavakra. He was born with a hunch in eight places, crooked like a camel. The father, in his anger, distorted the body. There are other such stories. They say that when Buddha was born, he was born standing. His mother was standing under a tree, and he was born standing. He did not fall to the ground. He took seven steps, and at the eighth step, he stopped and announced the Four Noble Truths: that life is suffering, that there is a possibility of liberation from suffering, that there is a way to liberation from suffering, and that there is the state of liberation from suffering, the state of Nirvana. There is a story about Lao Tzu that he was born old. He was born at 80 years of age. He remained in the womb for 80 years. He had no desire to do anything, so he had no desire to come out of the womb. He had no desires, so he had no desire to come into the world. When he was born, he had white hair. He was an 80-year-old man. There is a story about Zarathustra that when Zarathustra was born, he laughed heartily from the moment of his birth. But Ashtavakra surpassed all of them. This is after birth. Ashtavakra gave his entire statement before birth. These stories are important. In these stories lies the entire essence, the distilled wisdom of the lives of these individuals. The essence of what Buddha said throughout his life is in these stories. When Buddha preached the Eightfold Path, he took seven steps and stopped at the eighth. There are eight limbs in total. The final state to reach is Samyak Samadhi. It is in that state of Samadhi that the complete truth of life is realized. It announces the Four Noble Truths. Lao Tzu was born old. People take 80 years, and still, they don't gain such understanding. Even when old, how do people become wise? Being old and being wise are not synonymous. Hair can be whitened by the sun. Lao Tzu's story only says that if there is speed, intensity in life, then what takes 80 years can happen in a moment. If there is intensity of wisdom, it can happen in a moment. If the intellect is clouded, it doesn't happen even in 80 years. Zarathustra laughed from birth. Zarathustra's religion is the only religion in the world that can be called a laughing religion. It is a religion of the earthly world. That is why Parsis do not seem religious to other religious people. Zoroaster's religion, dancing and singing joyfully, is a laughing religion. It is a religion of acceptance of life. There is no negation, no renunciation. Have you ever seen a Parsi sadhu standing naked, leaving everything, standing in the sun, sitting comfortably? No. In the Parsi religion, there is no system of tormenting or suffering in life. Zarathustra's entire message is that if the laughing God can be found, why find him while crying? If we can reach that temple while dancing, why sow thorns unnecessarily? If we can go with flowers, why this pessimism? So, it is right that the symbol is right: Zarathustra was born laughing. Do not search for history in these stories; it did not happen this way. But in these stories, there is a very deep meaning. You have a seed. When you see a seed, you have no idea of the flower that will be born from it. What can this become? You don't even get a hint. It will become a lotus, it will bloom. It will remain in the water and be untouched by the water. It will dance in the sun's rays, and the sun itself will be envious of its beauty, its tenderness, its unparalleled grandeur, its grace. Its fragrance will spread in the sky. Seeing the seed, you cannot even know this. You cannot imagine or guess this by looking at the seed. But one day, it happens. So we can think in two ways. Either we hold the seed tightly and say, "What was not visible in the seed cannot happen in the flower." This is an illusion. This is a deception. This is a lie. This is the basis of those we call rational, skeptical. They say, "What was not seen in the seed cannot be in the flower." There is some confusion. That is why the skeptical person cannot accept Buddha, cannot accept Mahavir, cannot accept Jesus. Because they say, "We knew them." Jesus came to his village and was greatly surprised. The villagers did not care at all. Jesus's statement is that a prophet is not honored in his own village. What could be the reason? Why is the prophet not honored in the village? The villagers had seen him since childhood: Joseph's son, carrying wood, sawing wood, splitting wood, seen drenched in sweat, playing on the streets, fighting. The villagers have known him since childhood. They saw him like a seed. How can it suddenly be possible today that he is the son of God? No. Those who have seen the seed cannot believe in the flower. They say, "It must be a deception. It must be dishonesty. This man is a hypocrite." When Buddha returned to his home, his father did not see what the whole world was seeing. The whole world was experiencing a light. News was spreading far and wide. People had started coming from distant lands. But when Buddha returned home after 12 years, his father said, "I can still forgive you. Although you have done a bad deed, you have troubled us, you have committed a crime, but I have a father's heart, I will forgive you. The doors are open for you, but throw away this begging bowl, this monk's robe, all this will not do. So, return. This is your kingdom. I have grown old. Who will manage it? You have had enough of childhood. Now stop all this play." Buddha said, "Please look at me. The one who went has not returned. This is someone else who has come, who was born in your house. The same one has not returned. This is someone else who has come. The seed has come as a flower. Look carefully." The father said, "You are trying to teach me. From the first day you were born, I have known you. You can deceive someone else, convince someone else, confuse them. You cannot confuse me. I tell you again, I know you very well. Do not try to teach me anything. I am willing to forgive." Buddha said, "You and I know each other. I did not even know myself. Rays have just descended, and I have known myself. Forgive me, but I must say this: the one you saw is not me. And as far as you saw, that is not me. You saw from the outside. Where did you see from the inside? I was born from you, but you did not create me. I have come from you. Just as a traveler comes from a road, but what does the road have to do with the traveler? Tomorrow, the road might say, 'I recognize you. You came from me.' Similarly, you are saying. I existed before you. My journey has been going on for lifetimes. I passed through you, yes. I have passed through others like this, and I have had other fathers, and other mothers, but my existence is very separate. It is very difficult, extremely difficult. If you saw the seed, you cannot believe in the flower. One way is that of the unbeliever, the rationalist, the skeptic. They say, 'We recognize the seed, so the flower cannot be.' We know the mud. How can a lotus come from that mud? It must be a mistake. It must be an illusion. They must have fallen into some delusion. Someone must have deceived them. Some magic, some spell. This is one way. Another way is that of the believer. The lover, the devotee, the compassionate heart. They see the flower and travel backward from the flower. They say, 'When such fragrance appeared in the flower, when such radiance appeared in the flower, when such brilliance appeared in the flower, when such purity appeared, then it must have been in the seed as well. Because what has happened in the flower, if it was not in the seed, it could not have happened.' All these stories have happened, not that they have happened. Those who have seen the flower of Ashtavakra have realized that what has happened today must have existed before, hidden, veiled, covered. What is today, what is at the end, must have been at the beginning as well. What is visible at the moment of death must have been present at the moment of birth, otherwise, how could it be born? So, one way is to look backward from the flower, and another is to look forward from the seed. Look carefully, and in both, the essence is the same. The foundation of both is the same. But how different the sky and the earth become. The one who sees the seed is also saying, 'What is not in the seed cannot be in the flower.' This is their logic. The one who sees the flower is also saying the same. They are saying, 'What is in the flower must also be in the seed.' Both their logic is the same, but their way of seeing is different. It is very difficult. Someone used to ask me, 'Many people studied with you in childhood, in school, in college. They are not visible. How can they be visible?' They have great difficulty. They cannot believe. It is very difficult for them. Just yesterday, someone sent me a newspaper from Raipur. Shri Harishankar Parsai wrote an article against me. He knows me from college days. He is a prominent Hindi satirist. I admire his works. In the article, he wrote that there is something wrong with the air of Jabalpur. Deceivers and cunning people are born here, like Rajneesh, Mahesh Yogi, Mundra – he listed three names. Thank you, at least he listed my name as number one. He remembered that much. He did not completely forget me. But the argument is natural. It is straightforward. I can understand his point. It is impossible to see the seed and believe in the flower. Then, for those who saw the mistake, believing in the seed becomes difficult. So, the life stories of all great souls are written in two ways. Those who are against them start their journey from childhood. Those who are in their favor start from the end and go towards childhood. Both are correct in a sense. But those who travel from childhood towards the end are deprived. Their correctness is self-destructive for them. Those who travel from the end go backward. They are blessed. Because they receive much spontaneously, which the rationalists do not get at first. Now, not only do I seem wrong, but because of me, even the air of Jabalpur seems wrong to them. There must be some fault in the air and water. If I have to say something to them, Jabalpur has no right to determine whether the air and water are good or bad in relation to me. I have no great connection with Jabalpur. I was there for a short time. Mahesh Yogi was also there for a short time. They also have no connection. Our connection is from somewhere else. The people of that place are so asleep that they are not yet aware. Mahesh Yogi and I were born close to each other. Both were born around Gadawara. He was born in Chichli, I was born in Kuwade. If the air and water are bad, it must be from there. Gadawara should be sad about this. Or Jabalpur will be happy about this.

One should not interfere. But how the mind creates logic. Now, whoever looks at the story of Ashtavakra will immediately say it's wrong. Impossible. Even those who wrote this story know that someone speaks out of pride. They are merely saying that what finally manifested must have been present in the womb, and the speech that finally bloomed must have been present at some deep level in the womb, otherwise, from where would it bloom, from where would it come? Does anything come from just listening? We haven't been able to see the reason behind everything, but it was present. All these stories indicate this. The second thing known about Ashtavakra is that he was 12 years old. Only two things are known. The third is his Ashtavakra Gita, or as some say, Ashtavakra Samhita. When he was 12 years old, Janak organized a grand philosophical debate. Janak was an emperor and invited scholars from all over the country. He had 1000 cows lined up at the palace gate. Gold was melted and applied to the horns of these cows, and diamonds and jewels were hung from them. He declared that whoever was the victor would take these cows away. There was a great dispute. Ashtavakra's father also went to that dispute. By evening, news came that the father was losing. He had already won against most. He was losing to a scholar named Vandin. Hearing this news, Ashtavakra also reached the royal palace. The assembly was convened. The debate was at its peak. The decisive moment was approaching. The situation of the father's defeat was almost certain. It was a matter of when he would lose. Ashtavakra entered the court. The scholars saw him. Great scholars were gathered. His body, crooked in eight places, he walked. Even then, people would laugh seeing him. His walk was also very comical. The entire assembly started laughing. Ashtavakra also laughed heartily. Janak asked, "I understand why everyone else is laughing, but son, why did you laugh?" Ashtavakra said, "I am laughing because in the assembly of these cobblers, a decision of truth is being made. A great man must have been unique. What are these cobblers doing here?" Silence fell. The emperor asked, "What do you mean?" He said, "It's a simple matter. They only see skin; they don't see me. It's hard to find a simpler person than me, but they don't see me. They see a crooked body. They are cobblers; they are connoisseurs of skin. O King, does the sky become crooked because the temple is crooked? Does the sky shatter because the pot is broken? The sky is unaffected. My body is crooked, but I am not. Look towards the one residing within. You will not find anyone simpler or straighter than him." This was a very shocking declaration. There must have been silence. Janak was impressed. He was jolted. Surely, he thought, he was sitting with a crowd of cobblers. He also felt remorse and guilt for laughing. Nothing could be said that day. But the next morning, when the emperor went for a ride, Ashtavakra appeared on the road. He dismounted his horse and fell at his feet. He couldn't gather the courage in front of everyone the day before. The day before, he had asked, "Son, why do you laugh?" He was a 12-year-old boy; his age was considered. Today, age was not considered. He dismounted his horse, fell at his feet, prostrated himself, and said, "Come to the royal palace, resolve my curiosities. O Lord, come to my home. I understood. I couldn't sleep all night. You said it right. Those who only recognize the body, how deep is their recognition? They are debating about the soul, and still, attraction and aversion arise towards the body. They see death, yet they discuss immortality. Fortunate am I that you came and surprised me. You broke my sleep. Now, please come." He had made great arrangements in the royal palace. This 12-year-old Ashtavakra was seated on a golden throne, and he inquired. This is Janak's curiosity. Ashtavakra explained. Nothing more is known about Ashtavakra. Nor is there any need to know more. It is enough. This is more than enough. Diamonds are not abundant. Pebbles and stones are abundant. Even one diamond is enough. These are two small incidents. One, the voice and declaration from the womb before birth: "What madness are you caught in? Entangled in scriptures, entangled in words. Wake up! This is not knowledge. This is all borrowed. This is all a web of intellect. Not experience. There is not an iota of essence in it. How long will you deceive yourselves?" And the second incident, laughing in the royal palace at the scholars, and Ashtavakra saying, "There are two ways of seeing in life: one is the vision of the self, and the other is the vision of the skin. The cobbler sees the skin. The wise sees the soul. Did you notice? Cobblers don't look at your face; they only look at your shoes. Actually, by looking at the shoes, the cobbler recognizes everything about you: your financial situation, whether you are succeeding or failing, how your fortune is running. It's all written in the shoes. The creases of the shoes tell the story. The condition of the shoes tells the story. The shoes have written your autobiography, and the cobbler can read it. The shine of the shoes, the newness of the shoes, makes the cobbler greet you happily. The shoe is the proof of your soul to him. The tailor sees the clothes. Your coat, seeing the fabric, understands your situation. Everyone has their fixed perspectives. Only the self-possessed sees the soul. He has no perspective; he has vision." One small incident that is not related to Ashtavakra's life. It is related to the lives of Ramakrishna and Vivekananda, but it has a connection with Ashtavakra. Then we will enter the sutras. Vivekananda came to Ramakrishna when his name was Narendra Nath. Vivekananda was called later by Ramakrishna. When he came to Ramakrishna, he was very argumentative, an atheist, a rationalist. He wanted proof for everything. There are some things for which there is no proof. It's a necessity. There is no proof for God, and there is no proof. There is no proof for love, and there is no proof. If I say, "Look, how beautiful these date palm trees are," and you say, "I don't see any beauty." It would be difficult to prove the tree as beautiful. How to prove it is beautiful? To be beautiful, one needs the perception of beauty, and there is no other way. One needs eyes, and there is no other way. It is said that Majnu said, "If you want to know Laila, you need Majnu's eyes." He said it right. There is no other way to see Laila. The king of his village had summoned Majnu and said, "You are mad. I know your Laila. She is an ordinary girl, dark and plain, nothing special. I pity you. These 12 girls from my palace, the most beautiful women in this country, choose any one of them. Seeing you cry, my heart also cries." He looked and said, "None of these is Laila. They are not even dust from Laila's feet compared to Laila." The emperor said, "Majnu, you are mad." Majnu said, "It may be. But I want to tell you one thing: if you want to see Laila, you need Majnu's eyes." Majnu said it right. If you want to see the beauty of trees, you need the eye of art, and there is no other proof. If you want to recognize someone's love, you need the heart of a lover, and there is no other proof. And God is the collective name for all the beauty, all the love, and all the truth in this world. For that, one needs such an unaffected mind, such a witnessing attitude where no word remains, no thought arises, no ripple occurs, where no dust remains. The mirror of the mind and consciousness is perfectly pure. Where is the proof? Vivekananda said to Ramakrishna, "I need proof." God exists, and there is proof. Ramakrishna saw Vivekananda. The potential of this young man was immense. His future journey was vast. Much was to happen within him. He carried a great treasure, of which he was unaware. Ramakrishna looked into the past lives of this young man. He was bringing a great wealth, a wealth of great merit. He should not remain suppressed by mere logic. Ramakrishna's heart must have cried out with pain and compassion. He said, "Leave the proof, we'll think about it later. I have become a bit old. I have difficulty reading. You are still young, your eyes are still sharp. Read this book. It was the Ashtavakra Gita. Please read it to me." It is said that Vivekananda had no difficulty with it. This person was not asking for anything extraordinary. He read a few sutras, and a tremor ran through him, and his hair stood on end. And Vivekananda said, "I cannot read it." Ramakrishna said, "Read it. What harm can it do? What will this book do to you? You are young, your eyes are fresh, and I have become old. I have trouble reading, and I need to read this book. So, read it aloud." It is said that while reading that book, Vivekananda was immersed. Ramakrishna saw that there was immense potential within this person, a pure potential, like the potential of truth in a bud that will eventually bloom. Why did Ramakrishna ask him to read the Ashtavakra Gita? Because there is no purer statement than this. Even these words, if they reach you, will awaken your sleeping soul. These words will stir you. These words will elate you. These words will shake you. A revolution can happen with these words. I have not chosen the Ashtavakra Gita lightly. I did not choose it quickly. I chose it after much thought. There were days of contemplation when I spoke on the Krishna Gita because I had a crowd. The Ashtavakra Gita had no meaning for the crowd. I have managed to get rid of the crowd with great effort. Now, there are only a few Vivekanandas here. Now I have to talk to those who have great potential. I have to work with those few people with whom hard work can yield results. Now I have to carve diamonds. I will not waste this chisel on pebbles and stones. That is why I have chosen the Ashtavakra Gita. You have become ready, that is why I have chosen it. Janak said, "O Lord, how does a person attain knowledge, and how will liberation be achieved, and how will detachment be attained? Tell me, O Lord, explain to me, O Lord." The emperor Janak speaking to a 12-year-old boy. "O Lord, God, explain to me. Give some understanding to this ignorant one, awaken this ignorant one." He asked three questions: "Katham Jnanam?" How will knowledge be attained? Ordinarily, we would think this is something to ask about, it's all over the books. Janak also knew. It's all over the books, but that is not knowledge. That is merely the dust of knowledge, the ash. When the flame of knowledge burns, ash is left behind. Ash keeps accumulating and becomes scripture. The Vedas are ash. They were once burning embers. The sages burned them in their souls. Then ash remained. Then ash was collected, preserved, and organized. Just as when a person dies, we collect their ashes. We call it flowers. People are very funny. They never called someone a flower in their life. Then they collect their bones and ashes and call it flowers. Then they keep them carefully, make urns. The person they never respected as a flower in their life, whom they never saw as a flower, when they die, they call their bones and ashes flowers. It's madness. Similarly, when a Buddha is alive, you don't listen. When a Mahavir passes through you, you get angry. You feel this person is shattering your dreams or disturbing your sleep. Is this a time for awakening? Just now, the dream was starting. Just now, you had begun to get a little bit of life. Just now, the dice were falling right. The arrows were hitting the right spot. And this gentleman arrived. He says, "All this is futile." Just now, you won the elections. The path to reaching the position was being made. And this great soul arrived. He says, "This is all a dream. There is no essence in it." Death will come and take everything away. And leave it, we'll see when death comes. Don't bring up such things in between. But when Mahavir dies, when Buddhas die, then we collect their ashes. Then we create the Dhammapada, the Vedas. Then we offer flowers of worship. Janak also knew that scriptures are full of information, but he asked, "Katham Jnanam?" How is knowledge attained? Because no matter how much you know, knowledge is not attained. Keep knowing, keep knowing. Memorize scriptures, become parrots. Know every sutra by heart. Let the entire Vedas be imprinted in your memory. Even then, knowledge is not attained. "Katham Jnanam?" How is knowledge attained? "Katham Mukti?" How is liberation achieved? Because what you call knowledge binds you. Instead of liberating, it binds. Knowledge is that which liberates. Jesus said, "Truth is that which liberates." Knowledge is that which liberates. This is the test of knowledge. The scholar is not seen as liberated. He is seen as bound. He talks of liberation but is not seen as liberated. He appears bound by a thousand bonds. Have you ever noticed that your so-called saints appear even more bound than you? Perhaps you are a little bit free. Your saints are more bound than you. They are slaves to tradition. They can neither get up freely nor sit freely nor live freely. A few days ago, I received news about some Jain nuns who wanted to meet me, but the lay followers wouldn't let them. This is also very funny. The meaning of a monk is one who has shed worldly worries, who has set out on a journey into the wilderness, who has said, "Now I don't need your respect, nor your honor." But the monks and nuns say the lay followers don't let them meet. They say, "Don't go there by mistake, or this door will be closed." Is this monasticism? This is dependence, slavery. This is completely reversed. It's as if the monk is changing the lay follower, or the lay follower is changing the monk. A friend came and told me that a Jain nun reads your books but secretly wants to listen to your tapes, and secretly. And if she ever mentions your name in front of someone, she acts as if she has never heard your name. Is this liberation? Janak asked, "Katham Mukti?" How is liberation achieved? What is liberation? Explain to me the knowledge that liberates. Freedom is man's most important aspiration. You can achieve everything, but if slavery remains, it is painful. If you get everything but not freedom, you have gained nothing. Man desires an open sky, no boundaries. That is man's innermost, deepest aspiration, where there are no boundaries, no obstacles. Call this the aspiration to be God, call it the aspiration for Moksha. We have chosen the right word: Moksha. No word in any language of the world is as beautiful as this. Heaven, paradise, these are such words, but they don't have the melody of Moksha. The music of Moksha is unique. Its meaning is simply this: supreme freedom, which has no obstacles. Freedom so pure that it has no boundaries. Janak asked, "How will liberation be achieved, and how will detachment be achieved? O Lord, explain to me." Ashtavakra must have looked intently at Janak, because the first task of a guru is to look intently when someone asks a question. From what source does the curiosity arise? Why has the questioner asked? The answer can only be meaningful if the reason for the question is understood and clarified. Remember, a person who has attained true knowledge, a true guru, does not answer your question; he answers you. He is less concerned with what you are asking and more concerned with why you are asking. What is the hidden web in your subconscious mind behind your asking? What aspiration is actually hidden behind your questions? There are four types of people in the world: the knowledgeable, the seeker of liberation, the ignorant, and the deluded. And there are only four types of curiosity in the world. The curiosity of the knowledgeable is silent. It should be said that the knowledgeable person has no curiosity at all. They have known everything, there is nothing left to know. They have reached their destination, their consciousness has become pure and calm, they have returned home, they have come to rest. So, the curiosity of the knowledgeable is not like curiosity. This does not mean that the knowledgeable person is not ready to learn. The knowledgeable person becomes like a simple, small child, always ready to learn. The more you learn, the more your readiness to learn increases. The simpler and more guileless you become, the more open you become to learning. Let the winds come to your door, let the sun knock at your door, you find God always ready. The knowledgeable person does not hoard knowledge. The knowledgeable person only attains the capacity for knowledge. Understand this clearly, because it will be useful later. The knowledgeable person simply means one who is completely open to knowing, who has no bias, who has no veil to know, who has no preconceived plan or structure to know. The knowledgeable person means the meditative, who is full of meditation. So, Ashtavakra must have looked intently at Janak, peering into him. This person is not knowledgeable. He has not attained meditation, otherwise his curiosity would be silent. There would be no words. The life of Buddha mentions a fakir who came to meet him. A monk came, a wandering ascetic. He came to Buddha and said, "I have no words to ask. I don't have the skill to bind what I want to ask into words. You know everything, so understand what is necessary for me." This is the curiosity of the knowledgeable. Buddha sat silently. He said nothing. After a while, as if something happened. The man who was sitting silently looking at Buddha, tears streamed from his eyes. He bowed at his feet, offered salutations, and said, "Thank you. Very fortunate. You have given me what I came to receive." He got up and left. There was an extraordinary radiance on his face. He went dancing. The disciples around Buddha were very surprised. Ananda asked, "Bhagavan, it's a puzzle. First, he said he didn't know how to ask, didn't know in what words to ask, didn't even know what he wanted to ask. Then you know everything, so see what is necessary for me and tell me. First, this man himself was a puzzle. What kind of way is this to ask? And if you don't even know what to ask, then why ask? What to ask? It was very strange. Then this didn't end. You sat silently, and remained silent. We have never seen you so silent. If someone asked, you would answer. Sometimes, even if no one asked, you would answer. Your compassion always flowed. What happened suddenly that you became silent and closed your eyes? And then what a mysterious thing happened that the man began to transform. We saw him changing. We saw him immersed in a different color. We saw him filled with ecstasy. He left dancing, full of tears, overwhelmed, elated. He bowed at your feet. His fragrance touched us too. What happened? You didn't say anything. How did he hear? And we have been with you for days, for years. Is your grace less upon us? Why don't we receive this Prasad that he received? But remember, you receive only as much as you can take." Buddha said, "Listen, Ananda." He spoke to Ananda, because Ananda was a Kshatriya, Buddha's cousin, and had a great fondness for horses since childhood. He was a rider, a competitor. He said, "Listen, Ananda." Buddha said, "There are four types of horses. One type, even if you beat them, they don't budge. The worst of horses, the more you beat them, the more stubborn they become. They simply stand their ground. If you beat them, they make it a contest to see who wins. Then there are the second type of horses. If you beat them, they move; if you don't beat them, they don't move. At least..."

Better than before. Then there are the third kind of horses. Crack the whip. Hitting is not enough. Just crack the whip, the sound is enough, even more noble than the second. Then joy, you must know there are horses that run away at the mere sight of a horse's shadow. No need to even whip them. This was such a horse. The shadow was enough. Ashtavakra must have seen it. When you come and ask me something, the questioner is more important than the question. Sometimes you might feel that I have answered what you did not ask. And sometimes you might feel that perhaps I evaded. I defended your question. I gave some other answer. But your inner need is always more important. What you ask is not as important because you yourself don't know exactly what you are asking or why you are asking. The answer given is what you needed. Your asking does not decide anything. Ashtavakra must have seen that Janaka is not a wise man, he is ignorant. Then he is not even ignorant, because an ignorant person is full of arrogance and pride. An ignorant person does not know how to bow. This one bowed at the feet of this 12-year-old boy. He prostrated himself completely. This is impossible for an ignorant person. An ignorant person thinks, "I already know. Who will teach me?" If an ignorant person ever asks, he asks to prove you wrong, because an ignorant person assumes, "I already know. Let's see if they know too." The ignorant person asks for a test. No, Janaka's eyes are very pure. To this unknown 12-year-old boy, even though he was an emperor, he said, "My Lord, O Lord, explain to me." He is humble. He is not ignorant. Is he foolish then? No, fools don't ask at all. Fools don't even know that there is a problem in life. I consider a fool and a wise person to be the same. For wise people, there is no problem anymore. For fools, the problem has not yet arisen. Wise people have transcended problems. Fools are still outside the problem. Fools were so deluded. Where is the question for them? "How to gain knowledge?" a fool will ask. "How to get liberation?" a fool will ask. "How to achieve detachment?" a fool will ask. Impossible. If a fool asks, he asks, "How to succeed in worldly attachments?" If a fool asks, he asks, "How to live a little longer in the world?" Not liberation. A fool asks, "How to make the chains of gold?" "How to embed diamonds in the chains?" A fool asks such things. A fool does not even believe that knowledge is possible. He does not accept possibilities. He says, "What knowledge?" A fool lives like an animal. No, this Janaka is not a fool either. He is a mumukshu. The word mumukshu is important to understand. The aspiration for liberation is mumuksha. He has not yet reached liberation. He is not wise. He is not standing with his back to liberation. He is not a fool. He is not holding onto any fixed ideas about liberation. He is not ignorant either. He is a mumukshu. The meaning of mumukshu is simple. His curiosity is not defiled by foolishness, nor distorted by ignorant notions. His curiosity is pure. He has asked with a simple heart. Ashtavakra said, "O dear, if you desire liberation, then abandon worldly objects like poison, and practice forgiveness, straightforwardness, compassion, contentment, and truth like nectar." Liberation is achieved by abandoning worldly objects like poison. The word "vishay" (worldly object) is very valuable. It is made from "vish" (poison). "Vish" means something that kills a person when eaten. "Vishay" means something that causes us to die repeatedly. Repeated indulgence, repeated eating, repeated ambition, envy, anger, jealousy. We have died repeatedly by eating these, and died repeatedly because of them. Until now, we have not known life, only death. Until now, our life's burning flame is only the smoke of death. From birth to death, we are only dying. When are we truly living? We die every day. What we call life is a continuous process of dying. We don't even know what life is yet, so how can we live? This body deteriorates every day. This strength is lost every day. These pleasures and worldly objects drain us every day. They wear us down every day. These worldly objects and desires are like holes through which our energy and soul flow out every day. In the end, the pot becomes empty. We call that death. Have you ever seen a leaky pot put in a well? While the pot is submerged in water, it seems full. Lift it out of the water, pull the rope, and it starts to empty. There is a great commotion. That's what you call life. The streams of water start falling. That's what you call life. And as the pot comes closer to the hand, it keeps emptying. When it comes into the hand, it's an empty pot, not a drop of water. Our life is like this. A child is not yet born. It seems full. It is born, and it starts to empty. The first day of birth is the first day of death. It starts to empty. One day dies, two days die, three days die. What you call birthdays, it would be more truthful to call them death days. You die one year, and call it a birthday. You die 50 years, and call it having lived 50 years. Celebrate the golden jubilee. You have died for 50 years. Death is approaching, life is moving away. The pot is emptying. Do you think of life based on what is moving away, or on what is coming closer? What kind of reverse calculation is this? We are dying every day, death is slowly approaching. Ashtavakra says worldly objects are like poison, because by eating them again and again, we only die. They never give life. If you desire liberation, O dear, O beloved, then abandon worldly objects like poison, and practice forgiveness, straightforwardness, compassion, contentment, and truth like nectar. Nectar means that which gives life, that which gives immortality, that which reveals that which will never die. So, forgiveness, anger, worldly objects. Forgiveness is poison. Forgiveness is nectar. Straightforwardness, crookedness, worldly objects. Straightforwardness, simplicity. Straightforwardness is nectar. Compassion, harshness, cruelty, worldly objects. Compassion, kindness. Compassion is nectar. Contentment, the worm of discontent. The worm of discontent spreads like cancer in the heart. It keeps spreading poison. Contentment means not aspiring for what is not there. What you have is more than enough. It is already more than enough. Open your eyes, just look. Contentment is not something imposed from outside. Look at life closely. What you have received is always more than your need. What you need has always been given. What you have wanted has always been received. If you wanted sorrow, you received sorrow. If you wanted happiness, you received happiness. If you wanted wrong, you received wrong. Your desire has created your life. Desire is the seed, then life is its fruit. What you have desired for births and births, you have received. Many times you think, "We are wanting something else." When it is received, something else is received. So, there was no mistake in your wanting. You just chose the wrong word for wanting. For example, you want success, and you get failure. You say, "I am getting failure, but I wanted success." But the one who wanted success has already accepted failure. He is already afraid of failure within. He is seeking success precisely because of failure. And every time you desire success, the thought of failure will come. The thought of failure will keep getting stronger. Success will never be achieved, but the journey will be spent in failure. The feeling of failure will accumulate. It will accumulate so much that it will manifest one day. Then you say, "We wanted success." But in wanting success, you wanted failure. Lao Tzu said, "If you want success, you will get failure. If you truly want success, then don't want success." Then no one can defeat you. You say, "We wanted respect, and we are getting insult." Only a person who has no self-respect wants respect from others. Only one who is insulted within wants to fill that insult from others, to snatch it. The desire for respect is a sign that you feel insulted within yourself. You feel, "I am nothing. Let others make me something. Let them seat me on a throne, unfurl flags, raise banners in my name. Let others do something." You are a beggar. You have insulted yourself. When you wanted respect, and this insult will deepen. Lao Tzu says, "No one can insult me because I do not seek respect." To attain respect. Lao Tzu says, "No one can defeat me because we have given up the talk of victory." How will you defeat me now? You can defeat only one who wants to win. Now, this is a bit complicated. In this world, respect is given to those who did not seek respect. Success is given to those who did not seek success. Because those who did not seek success have already accepted that "We are already successful. What more is there to want?" Respect is inherent in our soul. What more is there to want? God has given you respect by creating you. Whose respect do you want now? God has given you enough glory. Life. This good fortune to open your eyes. To see green trees, flowers, birds. Ears to hear music, the murmur of waterfalls. Intellect to be enlightened. What more do you want? You are already honored. God has given you a certificate. Why are you asking for a certificate like a beggar? From those who are asking for certificates from you. This is a very funny situation. Two beggars standing in front of each other, begging. How will they get alms? Both are beggars. From whom are you asking for respect? In front of whom are you standing? You are insulting yourself. And this insult will deepen. Contentment means, look at what you have. Look with open eyes. What you have received. This is a very valuable key of Ashtavakra. It will become clear to you gradually. Ashtavakra's vision is very revolutionary, very unique, a revolution from the root. Practice contentment and truth like nectar. Because one who lives with untruth will become untruthful. One who speaks untruth, lives untruth, will naturally fall away from untruth. Their relationships in life will be severed. Their roots will be broken. If you want roots in God, then those roots can only be through truth. Only through authenticity and truth can you connect with God. To break away from God, create the smoke of untruth. Create clouds of untruth around you. The more untruthful you become, the farther you will move away from God. You are not earth, nor water, nor air, nor sky. For liberation, know your soul as the witness consciousness of all these. Straightforward words. No introduction yet. Not even two words have been spoken. Ashtavakra's attention has turned to samadhi. The knower has nothing to convey except samadhi. Those two words were also spoken because if samadhi were spoken directly, perhaps you would be shocked. You might not understand. But two words, and then directly the talk of samadhi. Ashtavakra does not even take seven steps. Buddha walked seven steps. Samadhi is on the eighth step. Ashtavakra takes the very first step of samadhi. "You are not earth, nor water, nor air, nor sky." Stabilize yourself in this perception. For liberation, know your soul as the witness consciousness of all these. The sutra of the witness. There is no more valuable sutra than this. Become a witness. Let what is happening happen. There is no need to interfere with it. This body is water, earth, fire, sky. You are the light within it, by which all water, fire, earth, sky, air are illuminated. You are the seer. Accept this. "Sakshi naam chid rupam atma vidhi." This is the most valuable sutra in this world. Be a witness. Knowledge will come from this. Detachment will come from this. Liberation will come from this. There were three questions, the answer is one. "If you separate the body from yourself and rest in consciousness, then you will immediately be happy, peaceful, and free from bondage." Therefore, I say this is a revolution from the root. Patanjali does not say with such courage that "immediately." Patanjali says, "Practice, yama, niyama, pranayama, pratyahara, asana. It will take births and births, then there is accomplishment." Mahavira says, "Five great vows, and then it will take births and births, then there will be nirjara, then the net of karma will be cut." Listen to Ashtavakra. "If you separate the body from yourself and rest in consciousness, then you will immediately be happy, peaceful, and free from bondage." Immediately, right now. If you separate the body from yourself and rest in consciousness. If you start seeing one thing: "This body is not me. I am not the doer and the enjoyer. This seer hidden within me, who sees everything." There was childhood, then you saw childhood. Then youth came, then you saw youth. Then old age came, then you saw old age. Childhood is gone, so I cannot be childhood. It came and went. I am. Youth is gone, so I cannot be youth. It came and went. I am. Old age is coming and going, so I cannot be old age. Because that which comes and goes, how can I be that? I am eternal. The one on whom childhood came, on whom youth came, on whom old age came, on whom a thousand things came and went, I am that eternal one. Stations change like stations. Childhood, youth, old age. The traveler keeps moving. Do you mistake yourself for the station? Like Pune station, do you think, "I am Pune"? Then you reach Manma, do you think, "I am Manma"? You know that Pune came and went, Manma came and went. You are the traveler. You are the seer who saw Pune, Manma. Manma came. You are the one who sees. So, the first thing is to separate the seer from what is happening. Separate the body from yourself and rest in consciousness. And there is nothing to be done. Like Lao Tzu's sutra is surrender, Ashtavakra's sutra is rest. There is nothing to be done. People come to me, they say, "How to meditate?" That question itself is wrong. They ask wrongly, so I tell them, "Do something." So I tell them, "You have to do something." You have an itch to do something now, so that has to be fulfilled. If there is an itch, what will you do? It can't be helped without scratching. But gradually, by making them do it, I tire them out. Then they say, "Now get rid of this. How long will we keep doing this?" I was willing from the beginning. But it took you a little time to understand. Now rest. The ultimate meaning of meditation is rest. "Chitti vishramyasi." One who rests in rest. One who remains in mere being, not doing anything. Because what you are searching for is already found. Because what you are searching for has never been lost. It cannot be lost. That is your nature. "Aham Brahma Asmi." You are Brahman. "Anal Haq." You are Truth. Where do you search? Where do you run away? Where do you run away to search for yourself? Stop. Wait. God is not found by running. Because God is hidden in the runner. God is not found by doing something. Because God is hidden in the doer. To be God, there is no need to do anything. You already are. Therefore, Ashtavakra says, "Rest in consciousness. Rest. Relax yourself. Leave this tension. Where are you going? Nowhere to go, nowhere to reach." And rest in consciousness, then you will immediately be happy, peaceful, and free from bondage. This statement is unique. No other scripture can match it. "You are not a Brahmin or any other caste, nor are you of any ashram, nor are you an object of the senses like eyes. You are unattached and formless, the witness of all the world. Knowing this, be happy." Now, how will a Brahmin write a commentary? "You are not a Brahmin or any other caste." How will Hindus hold this scripture in high regard? Because their entire religion stands on caste and ashram. And Ashtavakra started cutting the roots from the very beginning. He says, "You are not a Brahmin, nor a Shudra, nor a Kshatriya." This is all nonsense. These are all external impositions. This is all a game of politics and society. You are only Brahman. Not Brahmin, not Kshatriya, not Shudra. "You are not a Brahmin or any other caste, nor are you of any ashram." And it is not that you are in the Brahmacharya ashram, or Grihastha ashram, or Vanaprastha, or Sanyasa. You are not of any ashram. You are the witness, the observer, passing through all these stages. Ashtavakra's Gita belongs to everyone. Hindus cannot claim it. Ashtavakra's Gita belongs to everyone. If there were Muslims, Hindus, Christians in Ashtavakra's time, he would have said, "You are not a Hindu, not a Christian, not a Muslim." Now, who will build a temple for such an Ashtavakra? Who will hold his scripture in high regard? Who will claim ownership? Because he negates everyone. But this is a direct declaration of truth. "You are unattached and formless, the witness of all the world. Knowing this, be happy." Ashtavakra does not say, "If you know this, then you will be happy." Listen to the words carefully. Ashtavakra says, "Knowing this, be happy." "Nam vipradiko varno nasrami naaksh gochara. Asango as nirakaro vishwa sakshi sukhi bhav." "Be happy." "Be happy." Janaka asks, "How will there be happiness? How will there be liberation from bondage? How will there be knowledge?" Ashtavakra says, "It can happen now. There is no need to delay even for a moment. There is no reason to postpone it to tomorrow. This event does not happen in the future. It either happens now, or it never happens. When it happens, it happens now. Because there is no time other than now. Where is the future? When it comes, it comes like now. So, all the knowledge that has arisen, has arisen now. Never postpone it. That is the cleverness of the mind. The mind says, 'How can it happen so quickly? Let me prepare.'" People come to me. They say, "We want to renounce." "When will you renounce?" "Never." If you postpone it to "never," it means forever. "Never" never comes. If you want to renounce, do it now. There is no time other than now. Life is now. Liberation is now. Ignorance is now. Knowledge is now. Sleep is now. Why is awakening difficult for the mind? Because the mind says, "Let me prepare." The mind says, "How can any work happen without preparation?" If a person wants a certificate from a university, it takes years. To get a doctorate, it takes 20-25 years. After working hard, a person becomes a doctor. How can it happen now? Ashtavakra also knows. If you want to run a shop, it won't open now. You have to collect, organize, bring goods, build the shop, find customers, send advertisements. It takes years. In this world, nothing happens now; it happens sequentially. Okay? Ashtavakra also knows, I also know. But one event here happens now, and that is God. It is not your shop. Not your examination hall, not your university. God does not happen sequentially. God has already happened. It's just a matter of opening your eyes. The sun has already risen. The sun has not waited for your eyes. When you open your eyes, it will rise. The sun has already risen. Light is everywhere. The sound of ahimsa is echoing. The sound of Om is echoing everywhere. The continuous, unstruck sound is echoing all around. Open your ears, open your eyes. How long does it take to open your eyes? It doesn't take even that much time to attain God. It takes a moment, the blink of an eye. A moment means the time it takes to blink an eye. But it doesn't even take a moment to attain God. "Vishva sakshi asango vasi nirakaro sukhi bhav." Be happy now. Ashtavakra's religion is not credit, it's cash. "Dharma and adharma, happiness and sorrow are the dharma and adharma of the mind. They are not for you. You are neither the doer nor the enjoyer. You are always liberation itself. Liberation is our nature. Knowledge is our nature. God is our way of being. Our center. The breath of our life. Our existence." "Dharmo adharmo sukham dukham manasani na te vibho. Na kartasi na bhoktasi mukto evasi sarvada." Ashtavakra says, "O all-pervading, O glorious one, O one endowed with power, dharma and adharma, happiness and sorrow are of the mind. These are all waves of the mind. Did good, did bad, committed sin, committed virtue, built a temple, gave charity, all of the mind. You are neither the doer nor the enjoyer. You are always free. You are always free. Liberation is not an event that we have to make happen. Liberation has already happened in our being. This existence is made of liberation. Every particle, every bit is made of liberation. Liberation is the metal from which all existence is made. Freedom is nature. This proclamation, if understood, then a revolution happens. Nothing to do except to understand. If this sinks in, if you listen to it wholeheartedly, then today I would like to say only this much. Just try to understand Ashtavakra. There is no scope for doing anything in Ashtavakra. So, don't think that some trick will emerge that we will do. Ashtavakra does not ask you to do anything. Listen to it with rest. There is nothing to be done. Therefore, don't bring notebooks or copies, thinking you will note down some sutras and try them out. There is no work to be done here. Therefore, leave the worries of the future and listen. Just listen. Just sit with me in a calm state and listen. Listen in rest. By listening, you can become free. That's why Mahavira said, "A disciple can become free." Just by listening, a disciple means one who becomes free by listening. A monk's meaning is only this: one who could not become free by listening. He is of slightly weaker intellect. He had to do something. The shadow of the whip was not enough. The horse was a bit stubborn. The whip was cracked, then it moved a little, or it was hit, then it moved a little. The shadow is enough. You listen, and the horse's shadow will appear. So, remember one thing with Ashtavakra. There is nothing to be done. Therefore, you can listen with joy. There is nothing to extract from this to try later. Whatever happens will happen in listening. "Samyak shravana sutra." "Immediately be happy, peaceful, and free from bondage. Become free now. Become free this very moment. There is no obstruction. No hindrance. No need to even move. Become free wherever you are. Because you are already free. Wake up and become free." "Asangosi nirakaro vishwa sakshi sukhi bhav." Become happy. There is no need to delay even for a moment. It is a leap, a quantum leap. There are no stairs in Ashtavakra. There is no gradual development. It can happen suddenly, this very moment. Hari Om Tat Sat. That's all for today. Further..."