The Inner Journey of Self-Enquiry

Ashtavakra Gita is the pinnacle of spirituality. It’s unlike any other book or text. This is the book about the ultimate truth of life, of the self. The ultimate truth, which is not talked about anywhere these days. Forget about the ultimate. Where even is the truth? We live in lies from morning to night. Are you clear on the difference between truth and lie? Whatever you think within yourself from morning to night is a lie. So, you’re living in a complete lie. That means, whatever is different for each person is a lie. In simple words, I am sitting here. Is this true or false? It is true. But this cannot be called the ultimate truth. It is a relative truth. Because right now, if you see with your eyes, I am there. But if you use any other instrument, I will be sitting here, but I will no longer be visible. So, this is relative to your eyes. It is true from that perspective. So, one is relative truth in relation to something or someone. Another is absolute truth. It is not connected to any instrument. It does not depend on anyone. And what is a lie? Whatever you are thinking about me, whatever you are feeling about me, some of you may be feeling very well. Some may not be. Some have come here to learn something new. Some have come to see. What do they say? I have heard many people. Today, let’s listen to them and see. So, whatever you are feeling about me, whatever you are thinking about me, they are all different. They are not the same, right? For example, if I ask you, what are you thinking about me right now? You are feeling what you are thinking. Feelings cannot be different from thinking; understand it properly. You feel what you think. There is a human being. A human being may feel differently about them. The other person is feeling differently. Based on what? What thoughts are lingering inside about that person? Someone wants to marry that person. Someone wants to divorce that person. At the same time. Such is the world. Someone wants to keep a job. Someone is yearning to leave that job. So what is all this? At the level of thinking, feeling, emotions. What is all this? A lie. Because how can anything that is different for all of us, or where there is scope for difference, be true? What does truth mean? That which is common to all of us. Not just for us, but for animals as well, for scientists, that can be scientifically verified, proven. Like, there’s water here. What you’re thinking about this water is a lie. A lie means it’s just your imagination. Just like we say a dream is a lie. That doesn’t mean it’s not a dream. But what do you say when you wake up from a dream? The dream is a lie. What does that mean? It felt like it was true, but it’s actually not true. Whatever I was thinking of myself in the dream isn’t true. On the basis of what? You speak when you wake up and become aware of your body. You don’t speak when you’re dreaming. So, there’s water here. What is it? Is it a lie? Is it true? It’s true. What’s the doubt? If a scientist comes and examines it, he’ll also say, yes, it’s water. It’s common to all of us. So, whatever is common to all of us is true. But which truth? Relative truth. Understand this word clearly. Not absolute truth. What does absolute mean? Irrespective of the instrument through which we’re perceiving that. So, what are we going to talk about in the next five days? About absolute truth. Of what? Not of something or someone about yourself, the self that’s never discussed anywhere. What matters is that you have to become this, do this, achieve this. But what are you? We never ask this. We never think about it................