Ashtavakra Gita - 7

 

The Essence of Self-Inquiry: 

Understanding Ashtavakra's Teaching

Image of surrendering to the absolute consciousness

Ashtavakra's profound teaching addresses the fundamental principle underlying self-inquiry, aiming to illuminate the intricate nature of our existence. Our existence itself is the source of the challenges we encounter in life and understanding this is key to liberation.

Consider an analogy: an infinite power source of electricity flows through various instruments, each manifesting differently. Some bulbs emit white light, others orange—yet the electricity remains constant and unchanged. Though appearances differ based on the instrument, the underlying power illuminates everything uniformly.

Similarly, consciousness is the eternal current in which all forms emerge and eventually dissolve. Whatever object takes shape within this consciousness determines the world it experiences. The nature of your consciousness shapes your entire perceived reality.

Ashtavakra reveals that you are the sole experiencer of your world. The world exists in your perception because you experience it and record it as memory, creating the causal chain of experience. These memories, stored according to your instrument's particular qualities, determine your subsequent actions and reactions.

To free ourselves from perceived bondage, we must recognize that our limitations exist primarily as mental constructs stored in our consciousness that generate desires or fears. Liberation begins with releasing these thought patterns, understanding they exist only in our minds. When your mind releases these false constraints, the world loses its power to compel you toward particular desires or actions.

Conclusion:

The path to freedom lies in seeing that the bars of our cage are merely projections of our own thinking. When we clear these projections, we discover the boundless, unrestricted nature of consciousness that has always been our true essence.