Monday, March 30, 2009

Astavakra and J.Krishnamurti








It is not in sync with the philosophy of J.Krishnamurti to compare it with other philosophies or scriptures.Rightly so, as the cornerstone of the philosophy is to be light unto oneself with an emphasis on seeing the truth or actuality as he used to say, oneself.In fact very categorically he said that dont believe because he said so but lets do the journey of introspection step bt step together.Belief being conditioning belong to the field of knowledge and thought and hence is not fresh whereas understanding borne out of attention leads to ending of time,ending of sorrow,ending of fear and death of psychological me.The whole philosophy is then to unravel the genesis of psychological me and the unreality of observer.

Therefore this article of comparative nature is not intended to backtest the philosophy or validate it because scriptures said so.It is just marvellous to observe the truth of what is being said 5000 years apart. Truth has to be one and the same and therefore no prize for guessing its the same.In fact if it is not identical then there is something to question.This blog just attempts to amazingly look at the way of teaching over two different era.The language is different, the approach is different,the vocabulary has changed and yet it says the same.Astavakra is in the form of dialugues between this ancient sage and King janaka of mahabharata fame.It is in the form of short sanskrit slokas and basically rests on splendour of non dual self as taintless and timeless from which the universe is reflected just as in mirror.

J,Krishnamurti`s style is traversing the journey together with the listener and make him see the truth factually.Lets see it from the view of core messages spoken by both of them.



J.K : Observer is observed. Observer sees for himself that he is not different from the observation and that he has emerged as a seperate stream by the virtue of thinking process.Seeing the falsity of observer is all.Then there is a different dimension. Thinker is thought and analyser is analysed

Astavakra:You are the one seer of all and surely ever free.This indeed is your bondage that you see seer differently.. The triple category of Knower,knowledge and object of knowledge doesnot exist in reality..It is in myself without attributes the triad becomes manifest due to ignorance.
When you analyse it, cloth is found to be just thread. In the same way, when all this is analysed it is found to be no other than oneself.Waves, foam and bubbles do not differ from water. In the same way, all this which has emanated from oneself, is no other than oneself.




J.K. : Man, in order to escape his conflicts, has invented many forms of meditation. These have been based on desire, will, and the urge for achievement, and imply conflict and a struggle to arrive. This conscious, deliberate striving is always within the limits of a conditioned mind, and in this there is no freedom. All effort to meditate is the denial of meditation. Meditation is the ending of thought. It is only then that there is a different dimension which is beyond time

Astavakra: You are non-dual, non-active and Self-effulgent. That you practise meditation, this, indeed, is your bondage. The Supreme Silence of wisdom transcends any effort of thought of conceptualization.
You are really unbound and actionless, self-illuminating and spotless already. The cause of your bondage is that you are still resorting to stilling the mind.



J.K:Choiceless Awareness is real freedom.There is no real freedom when there is choice.when there choice theere is psychological me present preventing freedom. Along as me is present there is fear and sorrow.Conflict and anxiety.First step is the last step- that is freedom from the self.

Astavakra:I am like the ocean and this phenomenal world is like its waves With such an understanding there is neither acceptance nor rejection nor dissolution.Oh, I am pure consciousness.
Desire and anger are objects of the mind, but the mind is not yours, nor ever has been. You are choiceless, awareness itself and unchanging - so live happily.
The emancipated one has neither aversion nor craving for objects of senses.With his detached mind he enjoys equally what is attained and what is not attained.
Bondage is when the mind longs for something, grieves about something, rejects something, holds on to something, is pleased about something or displeased about something.
When there is no "me" that is liberation, and when there is "me" there is bondage. Consider this carefully, and neither hold on to anything nor reject anything.

J.K.: Intelligence, love and compassion exists where thought ceases.Love has no opposite.It is not the opposite of hate .Non violence is not the opposite of violence.Where there is compassion there is no violence.
Astavakra: Self is pure non dual consciousness full of bliss and void of attributes.Self is above pair of opposites.

J.K: Burn all the books even my books.No guru can give you deliverance .You are light unto yourself.
Astavakra:To me ,siva and unconditioned what is teaching and scripture ,what is disciple and what is master and what is ultimate goal of life.
My son, you may recite or listen to countless scriptures, but you will not be established within until you can forget everything.
If even Shiva, Vishnu or the lotus-born Brahma were your instructor, until you have forgotten everything you cannot be established within.


J.K.: Thought is fragmentary.It divides thinker and the thought.Where there is division there is conflict.When thought ceases there is an immensity which is not a product of mind.It is sacred.
Astavakra:Self is indivisible,immutable,self abiding ,serene,blissful,formless,supreme and pure.

Take any random slokas from astavakra and it will have a corresponding quotable quote from krishnamurti.As mentioned earlier this excercise doesnot validate anything for truth is self validated by definition.
The only difference is in connotation of certain words.Like for krishnamurti consciousness is defined as content of consciousness and astavakra defines consciousness as pure cosmic life giving taintless energy.Krishnamurti has refrained from defining pure consciousness as by definition it defies description.That which is immense and nameless cannot be described in words.
" Consciousness, then, is totally different…. Perhaps we won’t even use that word consciousness…. It is of a totally different dimension….A dimension which exists naturally….You cannot speculate about that dimension. "

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