What is this freedom? This is freedom from fixed patterns in life | ASHTAVAKRA GITA

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        🌺 ASHTAVAKRA GITA🌺

    

                  🌿Chapter - 2🌿

           ~ The Five Principles ~

                     🌱 Day - 7 🌱

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अष्टावक्र उवाच

मुक्तिमिच्छसि चेत्तात विषयान् विषवत्त्यज ।

क्षमार्जवदयातोषसत्यं पीयूषवद् भज ॥

न पृथ्वी न जलं नाग्निर्न वायुर्द्यौर्न वा भवान् ।

एषां साक्षिणमात्मानं चिद्रूपं विद्धि मुक्तये ॥

यदि देहं पृथक्कृत्य चिति विश्राम्य तिष्ठसि ।

अधुनैव सुखी शान्तो बन्धमुक्तो भविष्यसि ॥

Ashtavakra started speaking because the question was proper, asked in the proper manner and at the right time, and Janaka is eligible to receive the answer. Janaka wanted freedom immediately. What restricted him? Why did he want freedom? He was living like anybody else, but everyone did not seem to want freedom. Why did this man want freedom? Have you ever thought about what makes you want freedom? To someone who is sleeping, it doesn't matter whether he is in a prison or a palace. One who is asleep doesn't even feel the bondage. Janaka has started feeling the bondage. That means he was already up and awake.

What is this freedom? This is freedom from fixed patterns in life. One can go through these patterns infinite times without being aware of them. That's what all the animals do. They are not aware. They go on doing the same thing over and over again and they never get bored. The cows never get bored. They can go on chewing the same stuff every day. Frogs never get bored. They do the same thing over and over. But that's not the case with you. If you have the same porridge every day you get bored! A dog or cow will never feel that way, because it never loses the charm or joy in doing something. It goes on doing the same thing again and again. This is a blessing. Or you can take it as a curse or a disguise that human beings get bored doing the same thing. Although you get bored, you can't get out of it. You are caught in that circle. This is bondage. No one wants freedom from joy. But everyone wants freedom from suffering. And what is suffering? The only suffering is rotating in that pattern, getting caught up in a pattern and being unable to come out of it.

What restricts you or your freedom? What imposes a pattern on you? Just think about it. What creates problems for you? What bothers you? What restricts your freedom? Patterns of habit! They don't give any joy, only misery. Say you have a habit of drinking coffee in the morning. The coffee does not give you any joy or ecstasy. But if you don't drink it, you get a headache and don't feel good. And the whole day is topsy-turvy. This is bondage. You cannot be without coffee, but it does not give you any great joy or ecstasy. That is a habit. This is a pattern. Patterns do nor bestow any blessings or joy on you. They don't bring heaven to you. But the lack thereof creates an aching sensation, like something is itching and so one scratches it. The more one scratches, the greater is the itch. And then the itching gives some sort of joy, some sort of relief. You can't call it joy, but a relief. That relief makes even worse. It creates more itching and more scratching.....

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankarji

ASHTAVAKRA GITA

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