Happiness Beyond Emotion: A Deep Dive into Ashtavakra Gita

reason for picking this is to show how we must transcend our emotions . Now I'm not talking about suppressing our emotions . If whatever comes up for you , whatever arises within you in terms of emotions , I think you should feel them fully and be in awareness of them . Yet we have to go beyond the polarities of emotions . This is the whole point of non-duality .

So the most radical text is the Ashtavakra Gita , and I'm reading the Heart of Awareness , which is by Thomas Byram , a very beautiful interpretation of the Ashtavakra Gita . And so the 13th chapter is happiness . That's what it's titled . Even if you have nothing , it is hard to find that contentment which comes from renunciation .

So even if we renounce something , that doesn't necessarily mean that we'll be happy or we'll find contentment . So it's better to not be so stuck in renouncing and not be so stuck in taking whatever we get . You know so it's . If we're in that space , we'll be constantly tugged with emotions . So he says I accept nothing , I reject nothing and I am happy .

So one needs to be centered , that's all . When one is in their natural state , which is awareness , this formless awareness , there's only still awareness . There's only stillness here . There's only awareness here . There's only calmness here . There's only peace here . There's only bliss here . There's only happiness here .

This is what it means by and I am happy , not happy based on a worldly thing . There's no object for the reason of happiness that Ashtavakra is talking about , reason of happiness that Ashtavakra is talking about . So he continues to say that the body trembles , the tongue falters , the mind is weary , forsaking them all . I pursue my purpose happily .

Whenever we have a purpose in life , whenever we want to give meaning to our life , we either do it with our body or we do with our tongue , so whatever we speak , and then with our mind , whatever our thoughts may be . So if we go beyond the body and mind , we we actually get to our purpose happily . We pursue it .

We don't look for any gain , so to speak , knowing I do nothing . I do whatever comes my way and I am happy . It's simple , right , if you think about it . Whatever life brings to you , whatever situations you come across , whatever situations you have to deal with , just be happy , do whatever comes your way and know that you're not the doer .

Once you know you're not the doer , you can go into the observing state , you can utilize your discernment much more effectively and this naturally helps you to do whatever comes your way . So , for example , if you have a business and the customer enters the shop , you serve them , but you're not the doer , you're just serving . The serving is happening by itself .

The same way , if you have an email that comes in , or you have or you have to , like I have to change diapers , I'm not the doer and I just do whatever comes my way . And actually you know , parenting is a great way actually to see this , because you don't have a choice in how you do things .

You just go with whatever the baby wants , obviously mindfully and using our discernment . So , bound to his body , the seeker insists on striving or on sitting still , but I no longer suppose the body is mine or is not mine . The body is mine or not or is not mine , and I am happy .

So , for example , we find that people say oh , you know , I'm a spiritual seeker , so I need to do this . I need to do that , I need to . So I need to do this , I need to do that , I need to follow this , I need to do this , this ritual , I must do that ritual , I must do this fast , I must do , I must go to the temple . It's all this thing .

We're striving for something because we think the body has to do it . And then another aspect is just sitting still . If I just sit down and meditate , I'll be happy , but there's no interaction going on . So , yes , you will be happy , but it's a very temporary happiness .

It's like something can easily irritate that happiness if one just thinks it's sitting still , you know . But you see people , they sit still , they're in samadhi and they think , oh yeah , that's person's enlightened or spiritual , not necessarily . If they're stuck on sitting still to reach awareness , then they've not found the true awareness we're talking about .

Right , so it's beyond even sitting still . But he says I no longer suppose the body is mine or is not mine . So it's not a matter for me anymore to say this is my body or this is not my body . And that's why one is happy when one goes again beyond the identification of both .

I am the body and I am not the body , even if you say , oh , I'm not the body . That's also another form of identification and with that comes all the emotions . So that's another way to see this . And then I would say I'm doing this on a very quick pace . If I wanted to give more time , I would , but this is good enough .

Sleeping , sitting , walking , nothing good or bad befalls me . I sleep , I sit , I walk and I'm happy . One just does the actions that are required . You know , one has to sleep , fine . One has to sit , fine .

One has to walk here and there , travel here and there , fine , but one doesn't say , oh , you know , because I slept , this is a good thing that happened . One has to walk here and there , travel here and there , fine , but one doesn't say , oh , you know , because I slept , this is a good thing that happened , this is a bad thing that happened .

Or I was sitting here and this bad thing happened , or this good thing happened , or I received this news , or that news was good , this news was bad . Walking , you know , one can slip or fall , or one can meet a friend , none of this matters . One is just sitting , sleeping , walking . So every action of life , not just those three , every action of life .

You just do the actions . But the actions are just being done and one is happy . Struggling or at rest , nothing is won or lost . I have forsaken the joy of winning and the sorrow of losing and I am happy . This is interesting . Struggling or at rest , nothing is won or lost . We gain nothing .

If you struggle great , if you rest great , nothing is won or lost . You know , we think that if we struggle then we may win , or we think if we rest , then we will lose . No , so he says I've forsaken the joy of winning and the sorrow of losing , given that idea that I will succeed or I will win , or I will fail or I will lose .

Those are not my concepts anymore and that's why I'm happy . I'm beyond those things . That's the way an enlightened person sees it . Then he says for pleasures come and go . How often I have watched their inconsistency . But I have forsaken good and bad , and now I am happy . We know that pleasures come and go and we've seen how they are not permanent .

And we've seen Some people say desires are good , some desires are bad . Yes , we must utilize desires . We will never get rid of desires . As long as we have a body . Desires are there . As long as we have a functioning mind , desires are there . Desires in itself are not bad . We're not meant to give up the desires or the desires for a certain outcome .

We are simply just living life . And if there's one message that you can get from spirituality , from non-duality , it's just you live , you're living , that's all . When one is in formless awareness , when one is resting in formless awareness , it's all about living .

Then , whatever emotions arise , whatever thoughts arise , we're able to just be the witness , be the awareness and discern whether this emotion is telling me something . You don't need to identify with the emotion . You don't have to say , well , I am feeling anxious , I'm feeling sad . There's't need to identify with the emotion .

You don't have to say , well , I am feeling anxious , I'm feeling sad . There's no need to do that . In fact , just be with the emotion , whatever it is that you're feeling , without labeling it , and see if that brings joy , see if that in that awareness , if that emotion even stays . That's all we have to do .

So spirituality is not something complicated , it's very easy . But to do so we have to let go of these polarities and just rest in the centered aspect of ourselves , of our true self , of this awareness where you don't have to mention a word on this self , and that's what you have to do . So , whatever emotions you feel , feel them .

Whatever thoughts arise , think them , but you don't have to label them . And by refusing to label them , you are simply remaining in awareness . And right now , even listening to these words , you can be in awareness . Right now we are in awareness . As I'm speaking to you , I'm in awareness . There's no separation here . There's only oneness .

Here we're all one and that's all we have to remember . So whenever we feel down , whenever we feel too high and up in the clouds , we need to come back to our center of the heart and just be yeah , that's all . So that's really what I wanted to share today . I know I didn't post at the weekend .

I was rather busy , had a few things to do but the one thing that I will say is yes , once you have the knowledge of the self , you know that you are formless awareness .

It's important to then remain in awareness and you know , the more and more I've been working on the course , the more I realize how the subtlest of the subtle , which is this awareness , is easily lost when we identify something , and the last identification we have is oh , I'm enlightened and you're not enlightened , or you are 50% enlightened and I am 99% enlightened

, or I'm 100% and suffering does not happen to me . My friend , the moment you say suffering does not happen to me , game's over . Suffering is there , and only clear insight sees this when one doesn't . One thing I will say is that , you know , we constantly

hear about how one needs to be in the company of a realized being and it's true , there's much to gain from being in the presence of a realized being . There's a lot of things that they can show , a lot of things that they can show , a lot of things they can help you with . That's understandable .

But the most important thing is is how ready are you and whether that realized being is even ready for you . I've seen some people who .

I saw one interaction and I'm not going to name names , but I saw one interaction last week between a so-called enlightened teacher and somebody who right now is going through a tough time , and this person asked a question to the so-called enlightened teacher and the enlightened teacher literally just laughed at him , mocked him for the question and just kept laughing

and the laughing was just off-putting . Then I realized , you know , not feeling suffering is also a bad thing . Because how are you meant to empathize when somebody asks a question ? They're asking from the sincerity of their heart , especially if it's recorded and you know it's on YouTube . Even worse , like that's imprinted . You know that's on the internet now .

So compassion that arises from happiness and compassion is the opposite of it , wouldn't be the opposite of suffering . But once you have true compassion , suffering doesn't touch you then . But compassion knows that if the other person is suffering still , even if they don't think they are , I cannot mock them . My laughter cannot mock them . I must mock them .

My laughter cannot mock them . I must bring them to peace . I mustn't tell them that they are not enlightened . Then one is missing the point . So Ashtavakra doesn't want us to be Raja Janak , they don't want us to be in the polarities . In the whole , I am enlightened , I am free and you're not .

No , even between the master and disciple there is an underlying oneness , an underlying respect which never gets crossed , and this is very important to realize and know . So that's how you can tell . Compassion is number one . So the Guru never abandons your emotions .

In fact they embrace them because they know that with that compassion , you will pull through , and that's what we can do . All we have to do is literally give our heart to that understanding and rest in formless awareness and then , whatever arises , the Guru will , will catch us , the guru will protect us , and that's the whole point .

I have noticed that some people do ask me questions privately or in a group , and then sometimes I don't hear back . I'm more than happy if you want to set up a zoom call to discuss things , so there is options for that . Um , in the show notes and video description . You can join my discord server and all that . You know .

All that information is down in the show notes and video description . But one thing I want to say is that if you ask a question , sometimes speaking is a lot easier for me , because typing is just sometimes a bit , takes a bit of time and you know I can make typos a lot of times .

But it'd be really important to to have those meetings or sometimes shooting an email is even better , because that's like a true correspondence or even a private message , but I prefer to discuss things Just so that it can help .

But , yeah , other than that , take care , stay safe and be at peace with your understanding , be at peace with who you are , be at peace with who you are , and may you always be blessed with the centered awareness . This formless awareness may always be there , present in your heart , or at least you should be aware of it . Okay , thank you .

Take care , namaste .