01

O Lord,
O Lord,
O Lord,
O Lord,
O Lord,
Thousands of years ago,
there was a king called Jannaka.
He had attained the highest knowledge.
But even after that,
he was curious, he wanted to know more.
There was a little curiosity in him.
But he was fully engaged in all the regular activity of the kingdom.
So one day he was sitting in the kingdom, in the court, in the evening,
and then the people were talking about something, some problem here.
Reports were being read, you know, the reports are read from different places.
So it must have been a little boring and regular report.
When he was listening to it, he started nodding, dosing off.
So he dosed off a few minutes.
When he dosed, he,
he was listening to it.
He started to think of it.
When he dosed, he dreamt.
He must have even snored a little bit.
Then he dreamt.
In the dream, he saw that his whole kingdom was flooded,
and there was famine in other parts, and there was nothing.
There was loss to grains and fields and cattle.
Everything was in a loss, and he became a popper.
And he found himself roaming from street to street, so hungry.
And he wanted a piece of bread.
He asked everybody, nobody had a piece of roti chapati, not bread.
So, and finally, somebody gave him a dry bread piece of roti chapati,
and he took it, and there was this rule for a householder, the dharma,
that when a householder is going to eat something,
if someone else is around, he cannot eat by himself.
He has to give it to them and then eat.
This is a lot in those days.
That anybody who is sitting to eat cannot eat by himself
if he sees someone else around, he has to feed them and then eat.
So, he was afraid because he has only one roti,
and if he sees somebody has to share with them,
so he was hiding his roti underneath his robe,
and he found some place where there was nobody.
And then he was about to go and eat that piece of roti at that moment,
an eagle came and just took the roti also of his hand.
At this moment he could not tolerate, he shouted,
when he shouted, he opened his eyes, he came out of his sleep,
and he saw he is in the coat, and there are people, it’s full of people.
His hunger was still in the stomach.
He still felt that hungry, it was very hungry.
It was dinner time like most of you are having now.
But then he got confused, no, which is real?
Maybe this I am dreaming.
Is that real or this real?
He got concerned about this, what is reality?
And he was one who would never leave questions very easily.
He would come up with questions.
So, he called all the scholars in the kingdom and asked them the solution.
Everybody gave some answers, he was not satisfied at all.
No answer could satisfy him.
Then someone whispered in him, but this kept bugging in his mind for several days of long search.
Someone said there is one man called Ashtavakra, you should approach him.
This man, Ashtavakra, his body was bent in eight places.
I mean he had eight deformities in his body.
His legs were, one was long, one was short, like that hands one was long.
There were so many knots in his body.
Eight knots, that’s why the name came to him Ashtavakra.
Means the man with eight knots, eight bends in his body.
He was the Brahmanjani who nowhere after Brahman.
And then he was invited to the court.
Then Ashtavakra tells, there is a conversation between Jannak and Ashtavakra.
This is the most unique conversation that has taken place on this planet.
The discussion between Ashtavakra and Jannaka is a very unique phenomenon.
There was someone who has enjoyed the peak of the life and wanting to know about the self,
about the reality.
And there is someone who has risen to the pinnacle of existence and telling them what the reality is.
It is called Ashtavakra Gita.
The song of Ashtavakra.
Krishna gave the Gita to Arjuna in the battlefield, amidst all chaos.
Here Jannaka was given the Gita.
We use the knowledge.
We will discuss about that in the coming days.
Every evening we will go through how much we go.
One by one small versus couplets.
And they are fully pregnant with all that is needed.
So this Gita took place in a royal residence, in a very peaceful Jazul atmosphere.
So Ashtavakra was brought to their palace with all honor.
Many people thought, well this man, he doesn’t even look presentable.
And he is going to teach the highest knowledge to the king.
But Jannaka was far sighted person.
He could recognize the glow, the light.
You know it is very difficult for people to recognize the truth and reality.
People recognize pomp and show.
Because eyes are on just the outer.
Eyes are unable to see the light or the life which is beyond, which is deep inside.
So Ashtavakarigita is not for, for someone who has not done anything started in the path.
For someone who has already started the path, this opens up many avenues.
The
In
order to receive anything, we need to qualify for it.
If you receive a dress, that dress should feed you.
Otherwise, what is the use?
Having such a dress.
You receive a food that food should agree with you.
Otherwise, what is the use?
It should be eatable.
See something to drink.
You should be able to drink it and hold into your system.
Otherwise, however big, however wonderful it is, it is of no use to us.
Knowledge and relevance.
An event or instance has reference.
In wherever there is life, there is reverence.
Without these three principles, life cannot evolve.
So also with the Ashtabakra Gita, to acquire this knowledge, we need some qualification.
What is the qualification?
Like if you have to go to a medical school, you should be knowing at least the alphabets
to begin with.
Imagine you have never gone into a school, never learnt alphabets and if you have to
go to medical school, what can you do there?
Same way, far-brim my Gyan, the biggest knowledge, the ultimate knowledge.
We require certain things, what are these certain things?
To begin with a disciplined person only can be given this knowledge.
Discipline in what way?
Someone who has the reverence for life.
They are disciplined in the body.
This we know, usually when we hear a discipline, we think of just body having food in the proper
time, going to bed at proper time and taking bath and keeping your body straight and stiff
and healthy.
This is what we think.
Everything here is listening to your body, not listening to your fantasies.
You have eaten, your stomach is full, but something has come, a burfi, or gulab, jamun,
mango milkshake.
Now your tongue says, no, I should have a little more of that and you drink a little
more and next day you are flat in your bed.
This we have not listened to our body, but we have been carried away by our tongue.
We have had its own discipline if you just listen to the body that is enough.
Some of us are so much obsessed about our eating habits.
We are in either of the extremes.
Either we say, oh, I must have this, I must have this.
What you are doing, you are spoiling your system.
Your system is elastic, it has so much ability, but you are trained giving a particular specific
foot to your system all the year.
Later on it doesn’t agree anything else into the body.
Don’t think we have disciplined the body.
Another day another gentleman came.
He said he has been just eating raw vegetables for many, many months, eating only raw vegetables.
Now nothing else the body can take up now or someone has been drinking milk all the time.
Just drinking milk all the time, the body is used only that type of thing.
Now it cannot take anything else.
So you have restricted your ability in the body to digest the living, to accommodate
itself.
Its elasticity is gone.
Same thing with us, if you are never used to sitting cross-leg after some time you are
born, joints become very stiff, you cannot do it at all.
Slowly, slowly.
I am not saying those so start from tomorrow or sitting cross-leg for hours together.
No.
Certain amount of discipline is essential for body number two in the words, in speech.
Do not speak any word that would create turbulence and turmoil in other minds.
From your side, even if you don’t speak some people get turbulent, that’s your natural
response.
But from your side, do not speak, this is a, oh you will take for next five days.
To begin with five days, do not speak any harsh word.
Let not any harsh word come out of your mouth to anyone.
For the divine dwells in every heart, do not hurt with your words.
For the divine dwells in every heart.
Anyone whose words are cultured, whose speech is cultured, they are eligible for a star
aggregate.
One who do not, even at the moment of highest peak of anger, cannot utter words which are
unpleasant.
Words which would be like arrows.
This is the second discipline, discipline in words.
You will see that when you start with that you will not get a chance to speak harsh words
in your life.
Just a little tilt in your tone is sufficient enough.
You don’t have to yell at people, just tilt in the tone of your voice.
We’ll do the job.
If it is required somewhere here and there, the things doesn’t go faster, smoother enough,
then we feel we must show some anger.
Even in the showing of anger, there is no need to use any harsh words.
It will happen.
The situation happens all around you like that.
But see, most of us, our tongue is so, it says the tongue does not have a bone, that
is true, that is how it goes in all directions, up and down and right and left.
We slap people right and left by our tongue.
This is misusing the power of speech.
We have been endowed with a power of speech, not to create turbulence, but to bring peace
in the mind.
Purpose of words is to create silence, but our words go like stones and hit the silent
mind, create turbulence all over.
We have got to bear this in our mind.
Culture of speech, our main purpose of silence, one of the main objectives of silence is to
make you aware what you talk.
If someone is demanding something from you, which is not in your capacity, you can quietly
say, I am sorry, I apologize you, I cannot do this.
Or you can ereland shout at them.
Culture of words.
Don’t think speech is a small power, it is a very big power.
The more and more we are soaking in the being, any harsh words from us will become cursed.
Our words are there to bless people, bring peace in the world.
So from today take this over everyone, not to speak any harsh words for five days.
Let us see what happens.
The world will not fall on our head, nobody is going to do any big harm to us.
Nothing will happen, you will find in fact it is so nourishing, so enriching to life.
Purity of speech, culturing of speech.
Third one, culturing the mind.
One who has never meditated has no right even to touch the book of Ashtavakra.
One who has never experienced stillness of the mind at any time, even a few minutes,
few hours.
One who has not had the restful alertness, should not even touch this book.
One who should not even go anywhere near this knowledge, because then it becomes dangerous.
Dangerous in the sense.
One can easily make a concept of this.
It can give a false notion in the mind of a person without knowing that I know it all.
This has happened, unfortunately to many people who are good seekers, sincere seekers, but
have studied a little bit here and there, heard a little bit here and they read some
books and they get into an impression, I know better than you are.
I know it all.
No doubt an ignorant person is ignorant, but a person who thinks he is knowledgeable
is more ignorant.
So one who has done some form of meditation or other, for some period of time, at least
for some period of time are eligible to hear about this, know about this further.
So keep this as, let us keep this as our discipline.
One thing, we do some exercise every day and eat as much as we need, discipline of the
body, purity of the body, take bath every day and all that thing, what we do regularly
and then not to speak any harsh word to anybody.
What they will do, they will put you on the cross, somebody is going to crucify you,
and then you don’t speak any bad word to you.
Nothing will happen like that.
Purity of peace, please, we will keep in mind and then meditation.
At meditation, others don’t do anything else.
If a laundry and meditation preference comes, you know, most of you will go to laundry.
Because you say, I have to do my laundry, it’s all in the bucket.
Meditation I can do tomorrow, doesn’t matter.
Anyway I go and sit there, thoughts come, nothing happens.
All the way of time, let me do my laundry.
Just observe, just ask yourself, if it is a choice between meditation and eating, what
you would do, dinner time, better I eat, or meditate a little bit.
I’m not saying this is right, this is wrong, you shouldn’t do that.
I’m saying be aware of this, what is happening.
Don’t judge yourself, oh I’m a bad person, I’m not disciplined, I’m an officer.
Very necessary.
Never say that you are a bad person, you are disqualifying in your very first step.
You are tearing down your own application, your own application from your tearing it
off.
If you say you are a bad person, you are not bad.
So the third qualification, requirement rather, is some practice every day, some seva every
day.
Genaka al-Stavu-Kra, how can I be free?
What way, how can I be free?
I know all this stuff intellectually, I understand everything, but how to do it practically.
That is the problem.
And we will see how step by step he is led.
It’s a matter of recognition, it’s recognises.
There is a rose in your garden, oh yes, there is a rose.
Hmm,
Freedom.
How to gain freedom?
We are stuck in unpleasant things as well as pleasant things.
We are stuck in good as well as bad.
We are stuck in something which is joyful and we are stuck in something which is not joyous.
We are stuck with what we have and we are stuck with what we don’t have.
There is a story of Mullah Nastrudin.
Mullah Nastrudin was in his deathbed.
The priest had come and said, Mullah, you repent for all the sins you have done.
Anyway, you are going to die.
Mullah said, don’t disturb me.
I am doing that already.
I am repenting for the sins I have not committed.
Life is so short, it’s finishing I could have done much more.
Anyway, I am going away from you.
Who knows whether there is a heaven or hell?
Who cares?
At least I could have done these many sins.
I am doing repenting for what I have not done.
So we cry for what we have and we cry for what we don’t have.
Somebody has a big car and the person is crying, oh maintaining the ascent, putting petrol
and safeguarding this all is so much trouble.
Someone who doesn’t have a car, he cries, oh I don’t have a car, I don’t have a car.
So we are stuck with things and we are stuck with stuck in situations, objects, people
and we are stuck with even knowledge.
So called knowledge brought so much arrogance, one is totally stuck.
It’s not made one simple, innocent, clear, hollow and repostar.
Right?
Post.
So if you have these qualifications, control on your body tongue in both hands.
See all other senses does only one job except you are tongue.
Your eyes can only see, ears only, ears, nose only smell.
The tongue speaks as well as taste, it has two functions.
There’s two directions, there’s double whatever it is.
Double harsh to harsh.
There’s two horses, you need to have all the more control.
It’s beautiful saying in Canada, Martini, Nagano do you, Martini, Hegehole, Martini,
and the other is the most important thing.
But your words, laughter arises around you.
But your words, enimity and hatred arises around you.
Martini, Nagano do you.
You say something and everybody can laugh.
You say something and everyone starts hating.
Martini, Hegehole, Martini, serve us some pada vu loca ke marti manikehole.
By speech, you can make the whole world your own.
All the wealth in the world is yours by your speech.
Whether you tell the truth or lie, truth can’t be told.
Or whatever you tell if only die.
Even telling lies should still an expert lie.
That’s what we do.
Think in the morning and tell lies in the evening.
Intoxicated in the God, divine in oneself in the whole day.
And talk lies in the evening.
But then you thank Chit Chor and God, if you are a thief, you are saying to Krishna, you
are a thief.
You have stolen my mind, my heart.
Everything you have stolen.
Chit Chor never needs to chor never needs.
Heaven needs means one whose mind is like butter who is in the present moment.
Which is not like rock, but very soft.
One whose heart and mind has become very soft.
Even such people who are unattached to anything, you steal them.
You make them get them attached to you.
And the detached recluse mind can be captivated by the charm of the divine.
So Janaka asks, there has been a tradition in ancient India.
Not to say anything unless it is asked for.
Someone questions only then you must say, this is a rule of enlightened.
Though enlightened has no rule, but certain rules are there.
Maybe followed or not followed.
And one after that rule is not to say anything unless it is asked for.
This we all have to remember that.
We go on giving advice to people when they don’t ask, or if they don’t need it.
Everyone becomes a big advisor, counselor.
You should do this.
You shouldn’t do that.
You should be that way.
You should be that way.
You have to do that.
You aren’t dumping people with advices.
When you ask, then you have to tell them, okay stop.
They won’t stop.
They run in.
So when a question is asked only then one should answer.
And it should be asked in the way it should be asked.
Do not answer, do not talk, say anything if it is not asked for.
And do not answer if it is not asked for in the proper way how it should be asked.
With all humble and humility if one doesn’t ask.
Now you tell me if someone comes with a demand, the loss is never answered then keep that.
A person who is coming with a demanding mind has no ear.
They have removed their ears, kept it.
Like you know, detachable teeth people have.
They use it only when they want to use the foot.
So when a person is demanding a question what he has done, he has detached his ears.
He is asking a question.
That question is not coming from a seeking mind, it is coming out of some anguish.
Some problem.
Some pain.
Says then also don’t answer just smile.
And do not answer the question if it is asked before time or not in time.
Never answer a question if it is, if the answer’s time is not right time, right place.
Someone asks you a question at a wrong place, at a wrong time.
You should not answer that.
So Ashtavakra here has been received by the king into the palace.
He offered him a seat.
A very high seat.
And Jannaka asked him the question.
And Jannaka asked him, I am not going to ask you.
Jannaka asked him, my dear Lord.
Many people can make lordship.
They say, oh, you are God, you are Lord, you are whatever.
But at the same time a dearsness, feeling of dearsness is also essential.
It is my dear Lord.
The respect and love together flows the nature of a disciple.
When the very nature of disciple there is both respectfulness and not just respectfulness
but love also because respect will be there but the distance appears.
When there is distance there is no total communication.
There is no love.
There is knowledge, it cannot flow.
It is not a nature of a disciple, a disciple or a devotee.
Wearing both nearness, very close, dearness as well as respect both in one combined.
Katang Yana Mahabhakt Nautini, how will I get the knowledge?
I have heard about knowledge from so many people.
It all has been appearing to me like a airy fairy tale.
It is all airy fairy.
Okay knowledge knowledge but how?
So the whole Gita starts with the question how?
Katang Yana Mahabhakt Nautini, Katang Muteer Pabhishati, how the freedom will come into
me.
Vyra GYMCHI KATAM PRAAT, the 8th is through Himamapra.
See you have some small responsibility to do how much you get attached to it.
You have a son or daughter to take them to the school or get them married or whatever.
Little little things and we get so much involved in it.
Or a small business or a small work, a responsibility is given but we get so totally entangled in
it.
And can you imagine a king on whom the entire state is depending on the entire state is
looking at him and he has to take the wealth, take care of the welfare of the whole society,
the entire nation.
He is responsible for everything happening in that country and how can he be detached
and how can he be at peace.
He may be living in a golden palace, decorated with all gold and very valuable jewels and
all that.
He may have everything at his beck and call.
But still he cannot have a detached feeling.
This is most beautiful.
Someone who does not have any responsibility can feel very detached so I have nothing
to do.
I am free.
But that freedom has no value.
Someone who is responsible for the whole society, for the whole kingdom and if in spite
of doing all the job, all responsible job and say I am not doing anything, that not doing
something is great.
It’s but that’s human.
That is enlightenment.
Now, Geneca didn’t run away but he said, how can I have detachment?
He is asking.
I know I should be detached and I know I should feel the freedom and I know I should be knowledgeable.
I have heard but I have not knowledge.
It’s not dawning.
You tell me, mumuprapo, my dear Lord, then a star crab begins his discourse that we will
see tomorrow.
I knew it would be good.
Oh, oh, oh, oh Yeah, oh, oh, oh
02