What do you do on those days when you feel dejected, demotivated and unsure of yourselves ?
When it seems that nobody is concerned about you and there is no purpose of life ?
We all have our mechanism of coping with such times. Some talk to loved ones or friends or to the people who have faith in them. That instills confidence in them and makes them feel better.Some listen to their favorite music, watch their favorite movie, read a good book or eat their favorite food. This helps them experience the joy of living and they try to move on.My mechanism has been to read the Ashtavakra Maha Gita. ( Though, I also enjoy books on UG Krishnamurthi).
If you have not heard about Ashtavakra Gita, let me brief you about it.Now ,there are more than one Gita in hindu philosophy. Gita is a song of Knowledge. There is the Bhagwad Gita, which was a discourse on life and philosophy by Krishna to Arjuna.Ashtavakra Gita is the discussion between sage Ashtavakra and King Janak.
The Janaks were the philosopher kings of Mithila. They ruled their people well and carried out their duties without being obsessed with the worldly possessions they were entitled to. They were intellectuals and encouraged debate on philosophy. One of the Janaks (Seerdhawaj, who was also a father to Sita) had a profound discussion with Ashtavakra.
Ashtavakra, the saint with 8 body deformities (that is way the name Ashta-vakra ) went to participate the debate at Janak's court. As soon as he arrived at court, the participants and the king's officers starting laughing at his deformed body. Instead of feeling insulted, Astavakra was amused. He too laughed heartily. On being asked about the reason for his laugh , he said that he thought he had come to attend a gathering of saints, intellectuals and philosophers but it turned out to be a gathering of skin-tanners, for all of those present here judged me by my outer cover , my body and its inadequacies and did not perceive the real me. "I am atma (soul)" he said. I am perfect and unadulterated.
Janaka recognized that the young sage was special. He made good use of the opportunity by discussing world, life and liberation with him.This discussion was recorded as Astavakra Gita. The discussion is interesting because its between a Gyana-Yogi (Ashtavakra) and Karma-Yogi (Janaka). Both have acquired self-realization but via different means. They acknowledge and respect each other.
I go through Ashtavakra Gita when I feel low. (I thank technology to have it made available to me anywhere, any time). And I realize that there are actually no problems and no solutions either. I am nobody's friend and nobody's foe. I am pure consciousness and pure energy. I am nothing more and nothing less. I am not what the world perceives me. I am perfect the way I am and fall in place with the celestial harmony. I never did any wrong nor can I make anything right. I am not the doer but only a distant observer. An observer of my surroundings, activities and the happenings.
After an altercation with my husband last night, I felt disoriented. Nothing made sense. I have some expectations from my husband and he has some from me. I feel bad when my expectations are not met. Ashtavakra Gita signifies the futility of having expectations. When I am pure consciousness and I am the universal energy personified , then why is my happiness dependent on extrinsic factors ?
I feel bad when someone says bad about me. I feel happy when they say good things about me . How is the happiness which is in me, dependent on what others feel for me ?
To be happy is my only nature. To be at peace is my only natural state. I cannot stay agitated long enough. I would come back to my natural state of peace and harmony. Just like a pendulum comes back to its natural state after oscillating when an external force pulls it. Just like a compressed spring comes back to its natural state.
Ashtavakra Gita is a wonderful philosophy which brings us closer to our selves however its not for the very ambitious and worldly folks. Since it propogates us to flow like a river without worrying about the course or the outcome and accept whatever comes our way, It actually promotes inactivity. When we think ourselves, the others and the surroundings to be perfect the way they are we would not make any effort to bring in a change for the betterment. For there is no scope of improvement in perfection. Therefore, All progress would stop. There would be no struggle, no successes only peace and stability.
Check out the Ashtavakra Gita for yourselves at the below link (English and Hindi Translations available).
Ashtavakra Gita
When it seems that nobody is concerned about you and there is no purpose of life ?
We all have our mechanism of coping with such times. Some talk to loved ones or friends or to the people who have faith in them. That instills confidence in them and makes them feel better.Some listen to their favorite music, watch their favorite movie, read a good book or eat their favorite food. This helps them experience the joy of living and they try to move on.My mechanism has been to read the Ashtavakra Maha Gita. ( Though, I also enjoy books on UG Krishnamurthi).
If you have not heard about Ashtavakra Gita, let me brief you about it.Now ,there are more than one Gita in hindu philosophy. Gita is a song of Knowledge. There is the Bhagwad Gita, which was a discourse on life and philosophy by Krishna to Arjuna.Ashtavakra Gita is the discussion between sage Ashtavakra and King Janak.
The Janaks were the philosopher kings of Mithila. They ruled their people well and carried out their duties without being obsessed with the worldly possessions they were entitled to. They were intellectuals and encouraged debate on philosophy. One of the Janaks (Seerdhawaj, who was also a father to Sita) had a profound discussion with Ashtavakra.
Ashtavakra, the saint with 8 body deformities (that is way the name Ashta-vakra ) went to participate the debate at Janak's court. As soon as he arrived at court, the participants and the king's officers starting laughing at his deformed body. Instead of feeling insulted, Astavakra was amused. He too laughed heartily. On being asked about the reason for his laugh , he said that he thought he had come to attend a gathering of saints, intellectuals and philosophers but it turned out to be a gathering of skin-tanners, for all of those present here judged me by my outer cover , my body and its inadequacies and did not perceive the real me. "I am atma (soul)" he said. I am perfect and unadulterated.
Janaka recognized that the young sage was special. He made good use of the opportunity by discussing world, life and liberation with him.This discussion was recorded as Astavakra Gita. The discussion is interesting because its between a Gyana-Yogi (Ashtavakra) and Karma-Yogi (Janaka). Both have acquired self-realization but via different means. They acknowledge and respect each other.
I go through Ashtavakra Gita when I feel low. (I thank technology to have it made available to me anywhere, any time). And I realize that there are actually no problems and no solutions either. I am nobody's friend and nobody's foe. I am pure consciousness and pure energy. I am nothing more and nothing less. I am not what the world perceives me. I am perfect the way I am and fall in place with the celestial harmony. I never did any wrong nor can I make anything right. I am not the doer but only a distant observer. An observer of my surroundings, activities and the happenings.
After an altercation with my husband last night, I felt disoriented. Nothing made sense. I have some expectations from my husband and he has some from me. I feel bad when my expectations are not met. Ashtavakra Gita signifies the futility of having expectations. When I am pure consciousness and I am the universal energy personified , then why is my happiness dependent on extrinsic factors ?
I feel bad when someone says bad about me. I feel happy when they say good things about me . How is the happiness which is in me, dependent on what others feel for me ?
To be happy is my only nature. To be at peace is my only natural state. I cannot stay agitated long enough. I would come back to my natural state of peace and harmony. Just like a pendulum comes back to its natural state after oscillating when an external force pulls it. Just like a compressed spring comes back to its natural state.
Ashtavakra Gita is a wonderful philosophy which brings us closer to our selves however its not for the very ambitious and worldly folks. Since it propogates us to flow like a river without worrying about the course or the outcome and accept whatever comes our way, It actually promotes inactivity. When we think ourselves, the others and the surroundings to be perfect the way they are we would not make any effort to bring in a change for the betterment. For there is no scope of improvement in perfection. Therefore, All progress would stop. There would be no struggle, no successes only peace and stability.
Check out the Ashtavakra Gita for yourselves at the below link (English and Hindi Translations available).
Ashtavakra Gita
