The last few weeks I’ve been speaking like this, about the clues to Awakening. Yesterday, I was feeling like I want to find out: What are all the clues that are in Ashtavakra Gita? And some just came from there. So, eleven clues I have found so far. Eleven clues to Awakening. The first is:
CLUE #1: [That which is the witness of all things.]
We are looking for That. So, the play is that of looking for, finding, this Self recognition. So, we’re looking for That. ‘That’ as in ‘I Am That’ first. (That with a capital ‘T’.) So Ashtavakra, for example, has said ‘You are the one solitary witness of all things.’ This is what we are looking for: What is That which witnesses all things. So, one that immediately came to me is this popular one. ‘You are the one solitary witness of all things.’ Use this clue to look; to look within.
[1.7: “You are the solitary witness of all that is, forever free.”]
CLUE #2: That which remains unchanging. That which remains unchanging. What is the verse that came to mind? Where Ashtavakra said: ‘The Self cannot be that which can be enhanced. It remains unchanging.’ So, that which cannot be enhanced nor diminished. That which remains unchanging.
[7.2: “In me, the shoreless ocean, let the waves of the universe rise and fall as they will. I am neither enhanced nor diminished.”]
CLUE #3: That which is beyond limitations or boundaries. Beyond limitations or boundaries. The verse that came to me when I was contemplating this is the verse where he said ‘I am the shoreless ocean.’ Shoreless ocean, you see?
[6.2: “I am a shoreless ocean; the universe makes waves. This I know. No need to renounce, accept or destroy.”]
CLUE #4: That which can only be found in the present or Now. That which can only be found in the present or Now, which means that it is ever present. It does not come and go. It is not subject to time.
So, Ashtavakra has many times said ‘Let go of that which is coming and going. Stay with that which is not coming and going.’ Which means what? That it must be Here Now; every time we look.
[2.1: “I am now spotless and at peace, Awareness beyond Consciousness.”]
[5.1: “You are immaculate, touched by nothing. What is there to renounce? The mind is complex. Let it go. Know the peace of dissolution.”]
CLUE #5: That which has no desires or aversions. That which has no desires or aversion is beyond attachment. We just looked at some of the verses. An entire chapter actually about this; that which has no desire or aversion.
CLUE #6: That which is beyond doership, beyond action and inaction. That which is beyond doership.
CLUE #7: That which is beyond separation and union. Beyond both the concept of separation and union.
CLUE #8: An important one. That which cannot be found by the mind. That which cannot be found by the mind means that which cannot be described or got to by concepts, judgments or inferences.
CLUE #9: That which is your direct insight beyond any phenomenal perception. It is your only non-phenomenal experience (if you can call it an experience). So, direct insight beyond any phenomenal perception; your only non-phenomenal experience.
CLUE #10: That which is the Source of your Being.
Many clues Ashtavakra has given, the ark of your Consciousness, the ark of your universe also coming and going. That which is the Source of your Being which, in Its unassociated form) is Consciousness and in Its associated form, appears as the ego.
[6.4: “I am in all beings; all beings are in me. This I know.”]
CLUE #11: That which is discovered by following the guidance of the Divine Presence or the Intuitive Presence of the Satguru (whatever terminology we use): The dispeller of ignorance.
[17.20: “The sage is free. His empty mind no longer projects delusion, dreaming, dullness. This state is indescribable.”
The form of that is not as relevant. But there must be this Intuitive Light (what we call the Satguru) discovered by following the guidance of the Satguru. So, either by following the guidance of the Satguru and (or) surrendering to this Presence; surrendering to the Divine Presence. Similar to what Bhagavan [Sri Ramana Maharshi] said: inquire or surrender.
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I feel that this would make a very useful book or booklet for everyone because it captures the essence of most of our pointings; not just of Ashtavakra but most of what we are pointing to in satsang. And sometimes it may be very confusing, the terminology and the contradictions, so this can serve as a very useful set of pointers for anyone coming to satsang or interested in awakening or enlightenment.
I feel we captured a lot of (or most of) what Ashtavakra is saying. But if you feel that there is something we missed or something which must be added, we are happy to include that in the small booklet.
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Quotes from the Ashtavakra Gita, Translation by Bart Marshall
http://www.holybooks.com/…/uploads/Ashtavakra-Gita-ebook.pdf
