Saturday, May 25, 2013

Ashtavakra - a sage unbroken in spirit...


Ashtavakra was born to a man
of extreme arrogance
while his mother was carrying him,
she would listen to Hindu scripture
with great rapture
due to this, her son to be
appeared to be very wise
in understanding of scripture,
even while in the womb
he would rouse and move
when he heard spiritual texts
being discussed
and when his father spoke wrongly
of a particular writing of the Vedas
he squirmed in a way that was not comfortable
for his mother
which expressed to his father
that he was wrong
this enraged this man of arrogance
and he
cursed his son while he was still
just a fetus
which made him to be born deformed
and crooked
(which is what Ashtavakra means - *broken
in eight places*)
his father did not put energy of love and light
towards his son
he went about shut inside himself
locked in his cage of mind like a man
that was of great airs and pride and
egotistical ways ...
one day, Ashtavakra's father was challenged
in a debate for great philosophers
his father lost the debate and because of this
was immersed under water by his opponent
Ashtavakra did not know this about his father
as he was very young at the time
and had always thought another man
he lived with was his father
Ashtavakra was not be dampened in spirit
by what took place on the outside
be it good or bad however
as he remained inward in his looking
from a very young age
and within him grew a great fire that burned to know
himself beyond the form that was
so very uncomely and hard to bear
he went about his day with decrepitude and
hunched over,  unable to pull his body along
easily
yet he managed to get by with great efforts
he did not let his thoughts sink into feeling
sorry for himself
for he had long journey to go within and he needed
his strength for this alone
he sought solace with his mother
she was to raise him with love and joy
(though he was not a baby that she expected)
she took him to her heart in love
as any mother would
she sorrowed for this boy however that
was so bent over and crippled
sometimes she would find him alone
looking up at the sky in wonder
other times she would find him
sitting under the spreading trees in the wooded
yard with his eyes closed in deep meditation
she also would see him look out over the heavens
or set his eyes on nothing and they would look
hollow and empty
this in some ways worried her, but she let it go
for this boy needed to find comfort somewhere
he was not to be taken in by the flock of boys
she saw playing in the streets with straight legs
leaping and shouting about in glee
while kicking a rock or
throwing a stick or whatever youngsters do
that gives them pleasure in the way of moving
and roaming about...
she tried to not worry about any of this for she
felt in her heart this boy was unusual in a spiritual way
and he would come through this misery of form
somehow...
one day,  Ashtavakra was in the forest
he heard a voice
it said, "come near child"..
and he went near to where the voice emanated
he found himself near a fountain that grew high
and left sprays of water on his face and form
he went closer and felt the water, cooling as it was,
dripping down his cheeks and falling on his shoulders
and on down to his feet
where the water sunk into the earth
with this came another voice so very
soft
and he had to strain to hear it..
but he did hear it
it said, "my child, you are born weak and not sturdy..
do not be upset by this
because you are to come out of it
if you stay in your heart and stay calm and quiet
you will be a sage of great clear vision
and understanding"
the boy was not sure what to think of this
he did not say anything, but looked about at the beauty
of the water falling in sprays about his awkward, twisted form
then he went back home and said to his mother
"mother, i heard a voice today that said i was to be a sage."
his mother said, "my dear boy, you must be hearing the voice of the wind
-- this happens sometimes in the woods... it is not anything to take as real"
"now get ready for bed and i will come tuck you in."
so he went to bed and fell asleep promptly after such a long day..
he fell into a deep dream
in which he went to the water to look at the waves
when he arrived there he felt a great swell of a wave come forward
and he saw in the water his father's face --
it was in great distress and horror...
he said, "father, what do you need?"
his father said, "son i have lost myself here in the waves and am sinking fast --
i will drown and die if you do not help me"
Ashtavakra went into the water immediately and pulled his father from the ocean
with all of his might as if he was made of strong bones and muscle
and he pulled him out and set him on the shore
then Ashtavakra took his fathers hands and said, "father i am so sad that you were lost like this --
i am so happy to see you face and hear your voice now"
"i want so much to tell you something, can you hear it?"
and his father said, "yes"
i want to tell you that i know i am not well in body, but i am very well in my soul".
and his father looked at him with tears of joy swelling in his eyes...
when he woke up from the dream he felt there was something missing that he did not know
he did not know about who truly his father was
when he did come to find out the man he was living with
was indeed not his father
and heard the true story of his father
he went to the great king Janaka and sought out the man that had challenged
his father in a debate and had banished him to the river to be drowned
to be let into the king's quarters, Ashtavakra showed great
powers of intellect and understanding of the non-dual texts
then his request to confront this man he sought out was granted
Ashtavakra defeated this man easily with his bright swift intellect and easy way of
coming forward with the answers
Ashtavakra's father was set free due to this winning ...
and he came to
see his son as a great soul of light and wisdom
and due to his father's love and reverence for his son,
he asked him to go and bathe in the sacred waters
so the curse could be removed..
Ashtavakra took his form into the sacred river, and went down deep where he
could not breathe..
and went into a deep meditation...
when he came out of it, he was completely new in body
he walked out of the river and walked straight as any man that was healthy
he was broad shouldered and upright in his gate
he walked in a beautiful fluid manner with a clear mind and heart
it felt very unusual to have a form that moved well and easily
but this truly mattered not to him
because he knew he was eternally beyond form
his consciousness abided in deep, unshakeable stillness
he moved on to his house that he lived and said "i am home."
and his mother came to greet him with great open eyes and immense surprise
and said, "my son, what happened?" "you are well and in full form and strength."
Astavakra said, "yes mother, i am very well and within eternal peace."
his mother said, "my boy, how very joyful for you. i am so very happy that you are here
in perfection of health and spirit."
and his father stood by in happiness that his son was with him
and that his form had been restored and that he radiated
such deep peace within..
Astavakra continued on to speak with great eloquence and power to the non-dual perfection of the pure soul.
he did not use one non essential word in his writings that were
to the point and yet so very majestic and beautiful in the way of conveying the
purity and non-dual nature of the SELF --
he was a great soul indeed and by his example
rose above the handicaps of body and mind --
to be a great light to humanity --

7 comments:

  1. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  2. Namaste - great story, thank you for sharing...

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  3. Namaste, thank you for reading - maha shanti om

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  4. Namaste, Thank you for this story. OM

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  5. Namaste, you are welcome -- shanti om

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  6. Namaste.. Thank you for sharing this story in such a beautiful manner. As a seeker it is inspiring to hear stories of great souls such as Ashtavakra. Thank you for this Guru Siddhananda OM

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  7. namaste - such grace that these mahatmas came in and blazed the path to the truth in spite of obstacles, they continued... their stories are indeed great inspiration to the sincere seekers... may you continue forward to the peace that passes understanding .. om shanti

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