8: Bondage and Liberation

Ashtavakra said:

** 8.1 When the mind desires or grieves things, accepts or rejects things, is pleased or displeased by things– this is bondage. **

IGNORANCE AND KNOWLEDGE.

Bondage: Bound by ideas.

[B] Desire, sorrow, renunciation, acceptance, joy, anger.

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

All ideas reduced to cognition only. No attachment to any idea. Let ideas come and go. My ashrama, my [unreadable] no such thing there. “My” is the test of the Jnani.

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

You can see things, but if the “I” is not there, no harm..

Attachment involves “I”. The first idea to come and the last idea to go is this “I”.

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.

The argument of the yogi, the religious, the practical man - Why should I worry myself with [S] jnanam or [S] danam (wealth), if there will be no “I”?

Rejection: Even rejection involves the expression of the ego.