1.5
You have no caste.
No duties bind you.
Formless and free,
Beyond the reach of the senses,
The witness of all things.
So be happy!
1.6
Right or wrong,
Joy and sorrow,
These are of the mind only.
They are not yours.
1.7
Forever and truly free,
The single witness of all things.
But if you see yourself as separate,
Then you are bound.
1.8
"I do this. I do that."
The big black snake of selfishness
Has bitten you!
"I do nothing."
This is the nectar of faith,
So drink and be happy!
1.9
Know you are one,
Pure awareness.
With this fire of conviction,
Burn down the forest of ignorance.
Free yourself from sorrow,
And be happy.
1.10
Be happy!
For you are joy, unbounded joy.
You are awareness itself.
Just as a coil of rope
Is mistaken for a snake,
So you are mistaken for the world.
— Ashtavakra Gita, 1.5-1.10
(Translation by Thomas Byrom)
















