Ashtavakra’s first reply shocks the system: "If you desire liberation, my son, renounce the passions of the senses as poison. Seek the nectar of forgiveness, sincerity, kindness, and truth. You are pure consciousness. You are not the body nor the mind." Most spiritual paths offer you a staircase: meditate, be good, renounce, practice, and then someday you will be free.
OSHO points out that the Ashtavakra Gita offers no staircase. It offers a sudden jump.
This is not nihilism. It is absolute freedom. You don’t have to change the world; you simply have to wake up to your true nature as Shuddha Chaitanya (pure consciousness). Reading the original Ashtavakra Gita can feel dry or overly intellectual. It is a text for the advanced seeker, one who is already tired of spiritual toys. Ashtavakra geeta - OSHO
If that question stirs something deep within you, perhaps it’s time to pick up OSHO’s "Ashtavakra Mahageeta" (or listen to the discourses online). Let the crooked sage and the rebellious master remind you of who you have always been.
Have you explored the Ashtavakra Gita or OSHO’s discourses? Share your experience in the comments below. Ashtavakra’s first reply shocks the system: "If you
In the vast ocean of spiritual literature, certain texts stand out not just for their wisdom, but for their radical, uncompromising nature. The Ashtavakra Gita (or Ashtavakra Samhita ) is one such gem. And when a master like OSHO picks up this ancient dialogue between the sage Ashtavakra and King Janaka, the result is not a commentary—it is a wildfire.
As OSHO puts it: "The Ashtavakra Gita is a lion’s roar. It is not for sheep. It is for those who are ready to drop all support systems and simply be." You don’t have to renounce your home or become a monk. Just sit for a moment and consider: Is it possible that everything I think I am—my name, my body, my history—is just a temporary guest in the vast, unchanging space of my awareness? You are not the body nor the mind
"You are bound when you think 'I am the body.' You are free when you realize 'I am consciousness.'"
In his discourses compiled as "Ashtavakra Mahageeta," OSHO repeatedly emphasizes that Ashtavakra is not teaching a method. He is simply of your being. You are already that which you seek. The only "problem" is that you have forgotten it through false identification. "Ashtavakra says: You are never born, you never die. Only bodies take birth and die. You are the eternal watcher on the hill." — OSHO The Most Radical Statement: "You Are Already Free" One of the most powerful verses OSHO dwells on is this:
Janaka doesn’t ask for a better kingdom or a shortcut to heaven. He asks the most fundamental question: "How can I attain knowledge? How can I attain liberation?"