Ashtavakra Gita Verse 18.41
क्व निरोधो विमूढस्य यो निर्बन्धं करोति वै ।
स्वारामस्यैव धीरस्य सर्वदाऽसावकृत्रिमः ॥ ४१ ॥
Where is the cessation of thought for the deluded one who strives for it? But for the wise one who delights in the Self, it is always natural and effortless. || 41 ||
This verse contrasts the approach of the ignorant and the enlightened towards the state of Thoughtlessness, which is considered as a precursor to Realization in Advaita Vedanta. The ignorant one, who is attached to the world and the ego, tries to suppress or control the thoughts by force, hoping to achieve peace and bliss. But this is futile, as the very act of striving creates more agitation and bondage in the mind.
The Enlightened One, who has Realized the True Nature of the Self, does not need to struggle for Thoughtlessness, as it is the Natural State of the Self, which is beyond the mind and its modifications. The enlightened one enjoys the Bliss of the Self, which is ever-present and spontaneous, without any artificiality or effort.
Some of the implications of this verse are:
-The goal of spiritual practice is not to eliminate thoughts, but to Realize the Self, which is the Witness of the thoughts.
-The State of Thoughtlessness is not a result of any action, but a recognition of the inherent silence of the Self, which is unaffected by the thoughts.
-The state of Thoughtlessness is not a condition to be attained, but a reality to be revealed, by removing the ignorance and attachment that obscure it.
-The state of Thoughtlessness is not a state of dullness or inertia, but a state of Supreme Awareness and Bliss, which is the essence of the Self.
Similar verses from other Vedic texts are:
- Katha Upanishad
यदा सर्वे प्रमुच्यन्ते कामा येऽस्य हृदि श्रिताः ।
अथ मर्त्योऽमृतो भवत्यत्र ब्रह्म समश्नुते ॥
When all the desires that dwell in the heart are cast away, then the mortal becomes immortal, and attains Brahman here.
This verse teaches that the liberation from the cycle of birth and death is achieved by renouncing the desires that bind the soul to the body and the world, and by realizing the identity of the individual Self with the Supreme Self, which is Brahman.
- Shiva Sutras
निर्विकल्पं मनो यस्य विकल्पानां च निर्वृतिः ।
स शिवः स शिवः सर्वगतः स शिवः स शिवः सुखी ॥
He whose mind is free from all thoughts, and whose thoughts have ceased to arise, he is Shiva, he is Shiva, he is all-pervading, he is Shiva, he is Shiva, he is happy.
This verse is from the Shiva Sutras, which are a collection of aphorisms that reveal the essence of the philosophy and practice of Kashmir Shaivism, a school of non-dualistic Shaivism that flourished in Kashmir from the 9th to the 13th century CE. It asserts that the Ultimate Reality is Shiva, who is the Supreme Consciousness-Bliss, and that the individual Self is identical with Shiva, when the mind is transcended and the thoughts are dissolved.
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