Absolutely Ashtavakra

The Ashtavakra Gita is some pure stuff. And the commentary by Ramesh Balsekar in his translation called Duet of One is primo as well.

Let it be said no words can speak the truth. At best, all they can do is help deprogram one from all the words that cloud the truth. And the Ashtavakra is some of the best deconditioner out there. Just lather, rinse, and done.

In particular, I’d like to point to a single verse and Balsekar’s commentary. First, the student, Janaka, is responding to his teacher, Ashtavakra, who has spoken his truth in the previous 20 verses:

“As I Myself illumine this body, so also do I reveal this whole universe. Therefore, the entire universe is Mine alone, or else nothing is mine.” (22)

And Balsekar’s commentary is enlightening:

Janaka has suddenly realized his noumenality, but in the phenomenal sense; otherwise there would be no awareness of “I”. Noumenality can not know “I” because in noumenality there is no duality of the knower and the known.

For definition purposes, consider phenomenon as this which is perceived by the senses, and noumenon as that which is not, and therefore completely unknowable.

So in other words, Janaka has realized the Absolute, or God the Parent as Jesus the Guru called it, but in a relative sense. Otherwise, what is there to realize? The Absolute cannot know itself, be aware of itself, for all there is is itself. As such, deep sleep is the closest analogy to such absolute awareness. No object, just subject.

Balsekar continues:

Without the noumenon, the phenomena cannot appear because it is the noumenal light which illumines them. And unless the phenomena are seen, the noumenon cannot be known.

Here is the crux of the truth. Noumenon, God the Parent, the Absolute is one with Phenomena, God the Child, Universal Being. Again, in the relative sense, the universe appears to exist only when the light of the Absolute shines on it. Furthermore, the Absolute is only seen because the universe is shining.

Hence, a guru such as Nisargadatta Maharaj advises the student to relax and watch the "I Am" or Universal Being for "reality is just behind it. Keep quiet, keep silent; it will emerge, or, rather, it will take you in."

As Balsekar summarizes:

Indeed, what Janaka has experienced is that the noumenon and the phenomena are not two but one. The “me” in Janaka has experienced the “I”, and “he” has become liberated!

Absolutely.

Note on Illustration: Joy Elamkunnapuzha drew the original design in 1977, and V. Balan executed it in mosaic style on the facade of the Chapel at Dharmaram College in Bangalore, India. Christ is presented here as a yogi in meditation under the sacred peepal tree.