Ashtavakra-Gita – atul jha

I was reading Ashtavakra-Gita yesterday. Thanks to Nirajan for recommending me. It is a 60-page discourse between King Janak and his guru Ashtavakra. I found the section on Bondage and Liberation hitting hard to me. I felt like sharing the same here.

When the mind desires or grieves things, accepts or rejects things, is pleased or displeased by things– this is bondage.
When the mind does not desire or grieve, accept or reject, become pleased or displeased, liberation is at hand.
If the mind is attached to any experience, this is bondage. When the mind is detached from all experience, this is liberation.
When there is no “I” there is only liberation. When “I” appears bondage appears with it. Knowing this, it is effortless to refrain from accepting and rejecting

Other quotes I had shared on Twitter earlier.

The body exists only in imagination,
as do heaven and hell,
bondage, freedom, fear.
Are these my concern?
I, who am pure Awareness?
— King Janak, Ashtavakra-Gita
— Atul Jha (@koolhead17) April 17, 2022

He who is unattached,
untouched by opposites,
free of desire,
experiences neither pleasure nor pain
as events pass through.
— Ashtavakra, Ashtavakra-Gita
— Atul Jha (@koolhead17) April 17, 2022

Look upon
friends, lands, wealth, houses, wives, gifts–
and all apparent good fortune–
as a passing show,
as a dream lasting three to five days.
— Ashtavakra, Ashtavakra-Gita
— Atul Jha (@koolhead17) April 17, 2022

Existence, non-existence, change–
this is the nature of things.
Realizing this,
stillness, serenity and bliss
naturally follow.
— Ashtavakra, Ashtavakra-Gita
— Atul Jha (@koolhead17) April 17, 2022

Aversion to the world’s offerings is liberation.
Attraction to the world’s offerings
is the suffering of bondage.
This is the truth.
Now do as you please.
— Ashtavakra, Ashtavakra-Gita
— Atul Jha (@koolhead17) April 17, 2022

Indulgence creates attachment.
Aversion creates abstinence.
Like a child, the sage is free of both
and thus lives on as a child.
— Ashtavakra, Ashtavakra-Gita
— Atul Jha (@koolhead17) April 17, 2022

Rare in the world
is one who does not
relish past enjoyments,
nor yearn for enjoyments to come.
— Ashtavakra, Ashtavakra-Gita
— Atul Jha (@koolhead17) April 17, 2022

Even doing nothing
the dull one is anxious and distracted.
Even amidst great action
the wise one remains still.
— Ashtavakra, Ashtavakra-Gita
— Atul Jha (@koolhead17) April 17, 2022

The liberated soul
has no desire in his heart.
He is content and indifferent.
He has no equal.
— Ashtavakra, Ashtavakra-Gita
— Atul Jha (@koolhead17) April 17, 2022