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ashtavakra gita, ch. 15.

Ashtavakra said:

A man of open intuition may realize the Self upon hearing a casual instruction, while a man of cluttered intellect inquires bewildered for a lifetime. Aversion to the world’s offerings is liberation. Attraction to the world’s offerings is the suffering of bondage. This is the truth. Now do as you please. This knowledge of Truth turns an eloquent, wise and active man mute, empty and inert. Lovers of the world therefore shun it. You are not the body. You do not have a body. You neither do nor enjoy. You are Awareness only--the timeless Witness. You are free.

Go in happiness. Attachment and aversion are attributes of the mind. You are not the mind. You are Consciousness itself-- changeless, undivided, free.

Go in happiness.

Realize Self in All and All in Self. Be free of personal identity and the sense of “mine.”

Be happy.

You are That in which the universe appears like waves appearing in the ocean. You are Consciousness itself. No need to worry.

Have faith, my son, have faith. You are Awareness alone, the Self, the One. You are the Lord of Nature. The body is made of worldly stuff. It comes, it lingers, it goes. The Self neither comes nor goes, yet remains. Why mourn the body? If the body lasts until the end of time or perishes today— is there gain or loss for you? You who are Awareness? Let the waves of the universe rise and fall as they will. You have nothing to gain or lose. You are the ocean.

You are the substance of Consciousness. The world is You. Who is it that thinks he can accept or reject it? And where does he stand?

In you who are One— immaculate, still Awareness— from where can birth, action or a separate person arise? Whatever you perceive is You and You alone. How can bracelets, armlets and anklets be other than the gold they are made of?

Leave behind such distinctions as “I am He, the Self,” and “I am not this.” Consider everything Self. Be desireless. Be happy. Your ignorance alone creates the universe. In reality One alone exists. There is no person or god other than You. One who knows for certain that the universe is illusion, a no-thing, becomes desireless, pure Awareness, and finds peace in the existence of nothing. In the ocean of existence only One is, was, and ever will be. You are neither bound nor free. Live content and be happy.

Do not stir the mind with “yes” or “no.” You are pure Consciousness. Be still, and abide in the bliss of Self. Give up completely all contemplation. Hold nothing in the mind or heart. You are the Self, forever free.

Of what use is thinking to you?

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ashtavakra gita, ch. 14.

Janaka said:

14.1 Though appearing asleep like other men, one whose interest in the world is exhausted, whose mind has been emptied, who thinks only by inadvertence, is in Reality awake.

14.2 When desire has melted, how can there be wealth, or friends, or the seduction of senses? What use is scripture and knowledge?

14.3 I have realized the Supreme Self, the Witness, the One. I am indifferent to bondage and freedom. I have no need for liberation.

14.4 The inner condition of one who is devoid of doubt yet moves among creatures of illusion can only be known by those like him.

[ndbookstudy]

ashtavakra gita, ch. 13

Janaka said:

13.1 The tranquil state of knowing Self alone is rare— even among those who own but a loincloth. I therefore neither renounce nor accept and am happy.

13.2 The body is strained by practices. The tongue tires of scripture. The mind numbs with meditation. Detached from all this, I live as I am.

13.3 Realizing that nothing is done, I do what comes and am happy.

13.4 Yogis who preach either effort or non-effort are still attached to the body. I neither dissociate nor associate with any of that and am happy.

13.5 I have nothing to gain or lose by standing, walking or sitting down. So whether I stand, walk or sit I am happy.

13.6 I do not lose by sleeping nor attain by effort. Not thinking in terms of loss or gain I am happy.

13.7 Pleasure and pain fluctuate and are inconsistent. Without good or bad I live happily.

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ashtavakra gita, ch. 12

Janaka said:

12.1 Becoming first intolerant of action, then of excessive speech, then of thought itself, I come to be here.

12.2 Neither sounds nor other sense perceptions attract my attention. Even the Self is unperceived. The mind is free, undistracted, one pointed. And here I am.

12.3 Effort is required to concentrate a distracted mind superimposed with illusion. Knowing this, I remain here.

12.4 Nothing to reject, nothing to accept. No joy, no sorrow. Lord God I am here.

12.5 The four stages of life, life without stages, meditation, renunciation, objects of mind— nothing but distractions. I am forever here.

12.6 Doing and not-doing both arise from ignorance. I know this. And I am here.

12.7 Thinking of the unthinkable One unavoidably conjures thought. I choose no-thought and remain here.

12.8 Blessed is he who attains this by effort. Blessed is he who is such by nature.

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ashtavakra gita, ch. 11

Ashtavakra said:

11.1 Existence, non-existence, change-- this is the nature of things. Realizing this, stillness, serenity and bliss naturally follow.

11.2 One who knows for certain that “Self creates All and is alone” becomes still, desireless, unattached.

11.3 One who knows for certain that adversity and success come and go in obedience to destiny becomes content. He neither desires nor grieves.

11.4 One who knows for certain that birth and death, happiness and misery, come and go in obedience to destiny sees nothing to accomplish. He engages in non-action, and in action remains unattached.

11.5 One who has realized that only by caring is misery caused in the world becomes free, happy, serene, desireless.

11.6 “I am not the body, nor is the body my possession— I am Awareness itself.” One who realizes this for certain has no memory of things done or left undone. There is only the Absolute.

11.7 “From Brahma to the last blade of grass-- I alone exist.” One who knows this for certain becomes immaculate, serene, unconflicted. Attainment has no meaning.

11.8 One who knows for certain that this manifold and wonderful universe is nothing becomes desireless Awareness and abides in the stillness of No-thing.

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ashtavakra gita, ch. 10.

Ashtavakra said: 10.1 Give up desire, which is the enemy. Give up prosperity, which is born of mischief and good works. Be indifferent.

10.2 Look upon friends, lands, wealth, houses, wives, gifts and all apparent good fortune as a passing show, as a dream lasting three to five days.

10.3 Where there is desire, there is the world. Be firm in non-attachment. Be free of desire. Be happy.

10.4 Bondage and desire are the same. Destroy desire and be free. Only by detaching from the world does one joyfully realize Self.

10.5 You are One— Awareness itself. The universe is neither aware nor does it exist. Even ignorance is unreal. What is left to know?

10.6 Attached as you have been to kingdoms, sons, wives, bodies, pleasures— life after life— still they are now lost forever.

10.7 Prosperity, pleasure, pious deeds… Enough! In the dreary forest of the world the mind finds no rest.

10.8 For how many lifetimes have you done hard and painful labor with body, mind and speech? It is time to stop.

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ashtavakra gita, ch. 9.

Ashtavakra said:

9.1 Opposing forces, duties done and left undone— when does it end and for whom? Considering this, be ever desireless, let go of all things, and to the world turn an indifferent eye.

9.2 Rare and blessed is one whose desire to live, to enjoy and to know, has been extinguished by observing the ways of men.

9.3 Seeing all things as threefold suffering, the sage becomes still. Insubstantial, transient, contemptible-- the world is fit only for rejection.

9.4 Was there an age or time men existed without opposites? Leave the opposites behind. Be content with what comes. Perfection.

9.5 The greatest seers, saints and yogis agree on very little. Seeing this, who could not be indifferent to knowledge and become still?

9.6 One who through worldly indifference, through serenity and reason, sees his true nature and escapes illusion— is he not a true teacher?

9.7 In the myriad forms of the universe see the primal element alone. You will be instantly free, and abide in Self.

9.8 Desire creates the world--renounce it. Renounce desires and you renounce the world. Now you may live as you are.

[ndbookstudy]

ashtavakra gita, ch. 8.

read ch. 7

Ashtavakra said: 8.1 When the mind desires or grieves things, accepts or rejects things, is pleased or displeased by things-- this is bondage.

8.2 When the mind does not desire or grieve, accept or reject, become pleased or displeased, liberation is at hand.

8.3 If the mind is attached to any experience, this is bondage. When the mind is detached from all experience, this is liberation.

8.4 When there is no “I” there is only liberation. When “I” appears bondage appears with it. Knowing this, it is effortless to refrain from accepting and rejecting.

[ndbookstudy]

How to regain your control?

By examining your thinking and correcting it. Develop the habit of honest introspection by asking yourself, “Wherein did I cause this to happen to me?” and holding it until the thought that caused the happening comes out of the subconscious into the conscious plane. Then you recognize your mastership that you caused that pleasant or unpleasant experience to happen to you. The more you will do this, the easier it becomes and the more able you become, until finally, you recognize that you were always the master. Q: Then I, myself, am my own block, and other people do not influence me. Lester: Yes. It's not what other people say; if you follow their thinking it's because you want to. Q: Yes, because I think they know more than I do. Lester: I say you know everything. You've got to accept this as a premise at least, if you want to grow. Q: Well, I can accept that a part of me knows everything, but that part of me does not appear to be operating, because my world out there is not in good shape. Lester: It does not appear to be operating? You don't operate that part of you? That is the way you're talking! No, you operate it. You choose not to use your omniscience, your basic nature. You choose to be ignorant of your omniscience by saying, “I am a limited mind-body.” That's your choice. When you choose to identify with your real Self, then you'll see that you always were omniscient, are right now, and always will be; and you'll stop foolishly saying you're not. Q: You mean I can actually make that choice? Lester: Yes, not only you can, someday you will. When you get tired enough of all this limitation you have set up for yourself, then you'll make that choice. Who thinks all your thoughts? You do! It's all your doing. What we accept is what we choose to accept. It's always our choice. It is now our choice to be extremely limited bodies. And when you don't accept your responsibility for that, you have no possibility of getting out of that extreme limitation. Q: I say I want to get out of that limitation and think I want to get out of that limitation and then when certain things happen I just don't get out; I'm right there in that limitation. Lester: What you need to do is not to say it, but want it so strongly that you override the contrary unconscious habits and do it!

━ Keys to the Ultimate Freedom, Lester Levenson

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" this sense of egoity is very basic, and very important. It’s the start of all trouble, and letting go of it is the elimination of all trouble. It’s the sense of not being the All, of not being that God which we are. And if you’re not the All, there’s something missing and you’re trying to get it. First a hundred dollars, then a thousand, then a million, and a billion, then the Earth, then the moon, then the solar system, then the galaxy—until you wake up the the fact that everything you’re trying to get, you are. And once you see that, there’s nothing to be gotten anymore: you are It. It’s really a joke when you see the overall picture of how people struggle to get tiny bits of what they are. (ego pleasures)" --Lester Levenson

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Lester Levenson, the ultimate truth: short version. pg 1

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[ndbookstudy]

Action is now.

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Focus your attention on the NOW and tell me what problem you have at this moment. I am not getting any answer because it is impossible to have a problem when your attention is fully in the Now. A situation needs to be dealt with or accepted. The mind unconsciously loves problems because they give you an identity of sorts.  This is normal, and it is insane. When you create a problem, you create pain.  All it takes is a simple choice, a simple decision: No matter what happens, I will create no more pain for myself.  I will create no more problems. – Eckhart Tolle

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Q: Do you agree with Jung's collective unconscious theory?

Lester: I only agree with Truth. And this is one thing I emphasize, truth is the only authority for truth. Accept nothing until you can prove it out. Don't even accept what I say, no matter how much I speak as though I know. If it doesn’t fit into your knowingness at present, you can accept it for checking. But only that which you can prove out for yourself, only that should you accept. This is basically important. IT IS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY TO PROVE ALL THIS KNOWLEDGE FOR YOURSELF. Otherwise it's hearsay to you. You must make this knowledge your knowledge.

Now, there's only one Truth, one Absolute Truth. So putting names to it doesn't mean anything. Whether so-and-so said it or I said it, doesn't mean anything. Is it true? Does it integrate into your understanding? That's the only thing that matters. That's the point wherein we are different. We try to make this very practical so that you can use this knowledge and move toward the total understanding as quickly as possible.

lester levenson, keys to the ultimate freedom, session 6.

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Why you're having trouble.

Refuse your old patterns of feeling and thinking. Leave your mind alone, go beyond it.

You are waiting at non-existent painted doors, which will never open. Don't wait, nothing will happen by waiting. There is only now.

Inquire who is causing trouble and to whom.

[ndbookstudy]

Nisargadatta