Ashtavakra Mahagita Part 05

The provided text is the fifth part of the "Ashtavakra Mahagita" commentary by Osho (Rajneesh), published by Rebel Publishing House, Pune. This part compiles fifteen "Amrit Pravachans" (immortal discourses) given by Osho from January 11th to 25th, 1977, at Osho Commune International, Pune, covering Sutras 197 to 245 of Ashtavakra Gita.

Here's a comprehensive summary based on the provided pages:

Core Philosophy of Ashtavakra and Osho's Interpretation:

• Freedom and Detachment: The central theme is liberation and freedom, not just from external constraints but from internal limitations, desires, and even the concepts of good and bad, pleasure and pain. Ashtavakra's teachings, as interpreted by Osho, emphasize that true happiness lies in becoming independent and free from all limitations, boundaries, and conditions ("Svatantrya").
• "Nirvasana" (Freedom from Desire/Vasana): The text heavily emphasizes the concept of being "nirvasana" – not just free from desire, but beyond desire itself, to a state of being desireless. This is contrasted with merely being "vasana-mukt" (free from desire), which implies a struggle or effort. "Nirvasana" is described as realizing that desire was never truly there, like seeing a rope in the dark mistaken for a snake.
• "Niralamba" (Without Support/Foundation): This state signifies being without any foundation, neither self-created nor externally imposed. The wise do not seek support, even from concepts like God or liberation, as these too can become foundations and limitations. True freedom is being without any support, like a building without a foundation that cannot fall.
• "Svachhanda" (Following One's Own Rhythm/Song): This term is clarified as not being licentious or chaotic, but about finding and living by one's inner rhythm, one's true song. It's about living spontaneously and authentically, not bound by societal or even personal conditioning.
• "Mukta-bandhana" (Free from Bonds): This state is achieved not by breaking chains but by realizing that there were no chains to begin with. Liberation is an inner realization, not an external achievement.
• "Shushka-parna-vat Jiyo" (Live like a dry leaf): This is a recurring metaphor for the liberated individual. Just as a dry leaf is moved by the wind without resistance or will, the liberated person flows with existence, accepting whatever comes without resistance, without personal ambition, becoming a wave in the ocean of existence. Their will merges with the cosmic will.

Osho's Approach and Interpretation:

• Directness and Simplicity: While Ashtavakra's aphorisms can be profound and "crooked," Osho's commentary makes them accessible through direct, simple, and often paradoxical language. He emphasizes that even one sutra, if truly understood and lived, is enough.
• "Light" as the Goal: Osho states that Ashtavakra's entire effort is towards "light" – seeing things as they are, without distortion, by opening one's eyes, sitting calmly, and observing with a still mind.
• Critique of External Seeking: The teachings critique the tendency to seek happiness, liberation, or fulfillment externally. This includes seeking through rigid discipline (yoga), rituals, or adherence to scriptures, as these can become mere forms and "bindings" if not rooted in inner realization.
• The Paradox of Freedom: Osho highlights the paradox that true freedom comes from realizing one is already free, rather than striving for freedom. The effort to become free can itself be a new bondage.
• "Parampara" vs. "Kranti" (Tradition vs. Revolution): Osho discusses the ongoing dance between tradition and revolution, suggesting that both are necessary for life's continuity.
• The Nature of Understanding: True understanding ("samajh") is contrasted with intellectual understanding ("buddhi"). Intellectual understanding is seen as a device to maintain the status quo of ignorance, while true understanding ("pragya," "vivek") arises from an open, present-moment awareness, unburdened by the past.
• The Body and the Mind: The body is described as transient and momentary ("shanbhangur"). Its desires are impermanent. True satisfaction and bliss come from the eternal, the "sanaatan," which resides within. Similarly, the mind is seen as constantly moving, like the weather, always seeking change. True peace lies beyond the mind, in the state of "a-man" (without mind).
• The Importance of "Samadhi": Osho contrasts Patanjali's concept of "Samadhi" (concentration, absorption) with Ashtavakra's starting point. While Patanjali integrates through Samadhi, Ashtavakra begins where Patanjali completes. Osho emphasizes "sahaja samadhi" (effortless absorption) as the true state, achieved through understanding and naturalness, not forceful effort.
• The "Ahankara" (Ego) as the Root of Suffering: The ego or "aham" is identified as the root of all bondage and suffering. The desire to "do" and "experience" stems from the ego. Realizing the ego's non-existence is key to liberation.
• The "Mahashaya" (Great-hearted One): This state is described as one whose "aashay" (intention, aspiration) becomes vast, like the sky, free from limitations. Such a person is free from wanting anything, as they have realized they are already complete.
• Critique of Religions and Doctrines: Osho often uses the text to critique the limitations of established religions and philosophical systems, suggesting that they can become rigid frameworks that hinder direct experience.
• The "Observer" vs. the "Observed": A fundamental distinction is made between the observer (the witness, the "drashta") and the observed (the phenomena, the "drishya"). True seeing ("darshan") is to witness the witness itself.

Key Sutras and Themes Discussed:

• Sutra 197: "Nirvasano, niralambah, svachhando, muktabandhanah..." This foundational sutra is elaborated extensively, defining the characteristics of the liberated being as desireless, without support, spontaneous, and free from bondage, moving like a dry leaf in the wind.
• Sutra 198: "Asamsarasya tu kwapi na harsho na vishadata..." The text discusses the state of one who is beyond the cycle of birth and death, experiencing neither joy nor sorrow, always calm and living like a disembodied being ("videha").
• Sutra 199: "Kuwapi na jihasa'sti nasho vapish na kutrachit..." The freedom from desire for anything and the absence of loss for the self-contented, wise soul are explored.
• Sutra 200: "Prakritya shunyachittasya kurvato'sya yadruchhaya..." The natural, effortless state of the wise person, acting spontaneously without attachment to honour or dishonour, is described.
• Sutra 201: "Kritam dehena karmidam na maya shuddharupina..." The understanding that actions are performed by the body, not by the pure self, and the resultant non-attachment is discussed.
• Sutra 202: "Atadvaadeva kurute na bhavedapi balishah..." The state of the liberated one acting as if unaware, appearing simple yet not foolish, and being blissful even while engaged in worldly activities.
• Sutra 203: "Nanavichara-sushranto dhīro vishrantimāgatah..." The wise person, tired of endless thoughts and desires, finds rest, neither conceptualizing, knowing, hearing, nor seeing in the ordinary sense, transcending ordinary perception.
• Sutra 204: "Asamādher-avikshepānn na mumukshur-na chetarah..." This revolutionary sutra states that the wise ("Mahashaya") is beyond seeking liberation or non-liberation, beyond concentration ("samadhi") and distraction ("vikshepa"), seeing the world as illusory and abiding as Brahman.
• Sutra 205: "Yasyāntah syād-ahamkāro na karoti karoti sah..." The nature of the ego in action and non-action is discussed, highlighting that ego makes even inaction seem like action, while the ego-less person is truly performing no action, even when acting.
• Sutra 206: "No dvignam na cha santushtam akartṛ-spandavarjitām..." The characteristics of the liberated mind are described: not agitated, not merely content (as contentment can be a form of subtle desire), free from ego-driven impulses, desireless, and doubt-free.
• Sutra 207: "Nidrātun cheshtitum vāpi yachchittam na pravartate..." The state where the mind is not driven to seek sleep or act due to any motivation, acting spontaneously and without cause.
• Sutra 208: "Tattvam yathārtham-ākarṇya mandah prāpnoti mūḍhatām..." The difference between the wise and the unwise is shown: the unwise, upon hearing the truth, becomes more confused or shrinks back, while the wise, hearing the truth, recognizes it and moves forward.
• Sutra 209: "Ekāgratā nirodho vā mūḍhair-abhyasyate bhṛśam..." The unwise practice concentration and control, while the wise remain in their natural state, ever-present ("swapade sthitah"), like one asleep, not seeking to "do" anything.
• Sutra 210: "Aprayatnāt prayatnādvā mūḍho nāpnoti nirvṛtim..." The unwise fails to find peace through either effort or non-effort, while the wise, through the mere certainty of truth ("tattva-nischaya"), becomes tranquil.
• Sutra 211-215: These sutras delve deeper into the nature of the true self, contrasting the wise ("dheera") with the unwise ("mudha"), emphasizing self-realization, freedom from all forms of attachment and conditioning, and the ultimate transcendence of concepts like good-bad, pleasure-pain, and even the seeking of peace or tranquility itself.

In essence, Osho, through the commentary on Ashtavakra Gita, guides the listener to recognize their inherent freedom and bliss, which is not an achievement but a discovery of what already is. The path is not one of accumulation but of shedding, not of doing but of being, not of effort but of effortless naturalness, culminating in a state of spontaneous, boundless existence.