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Prodigal Son
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Life is
a dream
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Its Already Here
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Real
Contentment
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Svetaketu story
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Ask Desirelessness
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Story of Every Man
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Siddha
Shaikh Farid
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You are Enlightened
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Ashtavakra & King Janak
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Akbar
and Tansen's Guru
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Transformation is Sudden
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Osho - Sage Ashtavakra and Janak
Osho :
When Ashtavakra was twelve years old, Janak hosted a huge debating
conference. Janak was an emperor, and he invited the pundits of the whole
country to debate on the scriptures. He had one thousand cows placed at the
palace gate and had the horns of the cows plated with gold and decorated
with jewels. He proclaimed, ”Whoever is victorious, shall take possession of
these cows.”
It was a great debate. Ashtavakra’s father also participated. As dusk was
falling, the message came to Ashtavakra that his father was losing. He had
already defeated all the others, but he was about to be defeated by a pundit
named Vandin. Receiving this message Ashtavakra went to the palace. The hall
was decorated. The debate was in its final stage and the decisive moment was
fast approaching. His father’s defeat was a complete forgone conclusion – he
was on the very edge of defeat.
The pundits saw Ashtavakra as he entered the royal court. They were all
learned scholars. His body was bent and deformed in eight places: he had
just to move and anyone would start laughing. His very movement was a
laughing matter. The whole meeting broke into laughter. Ashtavakra also
roared with laughter. Janak asked,
”Everyone else is laughing. I can understand why they laugh, but why did you
laugh, my son?”
Ashtavakra said, ”I am laughing because truth is being decided in this
conference of butchers” – the
man must have been extraordinary. ”What are all these skinners doing here?”
A deep silence fell over the meeting. Butchers? Skinners? The king asked,
”What do you mean?”
Ashtavakra said, ”It is simple and straightforward: They only see skin, they
don’t see me. It is difficult to find a man more pure and simple than me,
but they don’t see this; they see a bent and deformed body. They are
skinners, they judge by the skin. Your Majesty, in the curve of a temple is
the sky curved? When a pot is smashed, is the sky smashed? The sky is beyond
change. My body is twisted, but I am not. Look at the one within. You can’t
find anything more straight and pure.”
It was a very startling declaration. There must have been pin-drop silence.
Janak was impressed, astounded: ”Absolutely right, why had he gathered a
crowd of skinners there?” He became repentant, he felt guilty that he too
had laughed. That day the king couldn’t manage to say anything, but the
following day when he was out on his morning ride he saw Ashtavakra on the
way. Janak dismounted from his horse and fell at his feet. The day before,
in front of everyone, he couldn’t find the courage.
The day before he had said, ”Why do you laugh, my son?” Ashtavakra was a boy
of twelve years, and Janak had considered his age. This day he didn’t notice
the age. This day he got down from his horse and fell at Ashtavakra’s feet,
spread-eagled in prostration.
He said, ”Please visit the palace, and satisfy my eagerness for the truth.
Oh lord, be so gracious as to come to my home. I have understood! I couldn’t
sleep the whole night. You spoke truly: what depth of understanding have
those who recognize only the body? They are debating the being, but
attraction and repulsion for the body still arise; hate and attraction still
arise. They are looking at death while talking of the deathless! I’m blessed
that you came and disturbed me, that you broke my sleep. Please come to the
palace!”
Janak had the palace decorated magnificently. He welcomed Ashtavakra and
seated him on a golden throne – this twelve year old Ashtavakra. Then he put
his questions to him. The first sutra is Janak’s inquiry. Janak asked and
Ashtavakra explained. Beyond this, nothing is known about Ashtavakra. And
there is no need to know more, it is more than enough! Diamonds are not
many; only pebbles and rocks are so common. A single diamond is enough.
Source: “The Mahageeta, Volume 1” - Osho
Related Articles:
Sage Ashtavakra Instructions on
Test of Self-Realization
Sage Ashtavakra Instruction on
Self-Realization to King Janaka
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