Don't Discard Opinions, Discard the Opinionated Mind
नाना मतं महर्षीणां साधूनां योगिनां तथा । दृष्ट्वा निर्वेदमापन्नः को न शाम्यति मानवः ॥
nānā mataṃ maharṣīṇāṃ sādhūnāṃ yogināṃ tathā dṛṣṭvā nirvedamāpannaḥ ko na śāmyati mānavaḥ
Where is that man who having observed the diversities of opinions amongst the seers, sages, and yogis, and thus becoming completely indifferent, does not attain tranquillity?
~ Chapter 9, Verse 5
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Questioner: What is meant by ‘indifference’ here?
Acharya Prashant: The word that Ashtavakra uses is ’nirvēda’ . Nirvēda here denotes ‘free of knowledge’. He is saying that once you see how there are just opinions and opinions—*nānā mataṃ, nānā mataṃ maharṣīṇāṃ sādhūnāṃ yogināṃ*—and if you are observant enough, you come to see that all we have is projections, perceptions, opinions disguising as Truth. And this is happening even in the case of the so-called learned man. Even the most learned of men are caught only in their perceptions. Maharṣīṇāṃ sādhūnāṃ yogināṃ.
Some knowledge and more knowledge can only give you opinions and more opinions. Then what is the point in just having knowledge when instead of Truth, all it gives me is opinions? Seeing this, the wise one becomes free of opinions, nirvēda . Do you get the flow?
I look at the best of learned men around me—and what do I see? They are caught in their opinions which they claim to be the Truth. And what I see is that here we have one set of opinions, and there we have another set of opinions, and there we have another set of opinions. Now, can there be multiple Truths? So, obviously, all these are mere projections, mental projections, games of ego.
When no opinion can come even close to the Truth, then why should I hold on to any opinion? This is what the wise man comes to, *nirvēdata*—not holding on to any knowledge. He realizes that all knowledge, all content of mind is mere rubbish.
And then, instead of discarding one set of opinions, he discards knowledge itself. He says, “Knowledge itself is not valid. As far as the world of senses and perceptions goes, knowledge may have some utility. Only as long as I am ignorant, knowledge may have some utility. But if I’m talking about the Real, if I am talking about the Truth, then knowledge does not mean anything.”
Emptiness means something—what does it mean? It means emptiness. Something here is not some thing; something is nothing. Nothing means nothing. Emptiness is nothing; just a clean, vast, open, spotless, blemishless sky free of all the dirt and dust that there can be.
Questioner: Does ‘being indifferent’ here mean understanding and experiencing the real nature of the Self?
Acharya Prashant: There is no real nature of the Self. The Self has no real nature. Its real nature, in that sense, is freedom. Freedom from what? Freedom from anything that you want to accord or assign to it. That is why we say that mukti , freedom is our real nature. That's a very wise way of saying that nothing is our real nature. Whatever you will call as your ‘real nature’, your real nature is free of it.
You see, when you say, “Freedom is my nature,” do you know what you have said? You have said that my real nature would be free of whatever you call as my real nature because freedom is my nature. So, there is no real nature. Whatever you will call as your nature will just be some kind of confinement, a boundary.
Questioner: Will not the opinions and knowledge of the seers and sages help in evoking this understanding?
Acharya Prashant: That may happen. Obviously, that is why the sages speak. But evocation is one thing. An evocation is like an invitation.
You are invited to the celebration tonight. Now, what will you do? Worship the invitation card? Kiss it, hug it, and party with it? The invitation card, the love-letter? “Let me worship it! Let me frame it and put it somewhere high up on the wall! Let me sleep with it!” Is that what you want to do? Decorate it? Just an evocation!
Get evoked and forget the evocation.
So, words are there not for their own sake. What does it mean to remember a verse by Ashtavakra if the verse is just a verse? That verse is, for sure, an evocation. Is the evocation happening?
You are not getting it. What is the point of an invitation card that is not responded to? Is that invitation card of any worth if you do not attend the party and you are contented with the card itself? That card is by Ashtavakra, and it has all the verses written on it. But that card was sent to you so that you can come to the party tonight. You didn't come to the party; you’re holding on to the card. Ashtavakra Gita is that card. Where is the party? And to all of you who are bringing these books here, I am asking, where is the party? Where is the celebration? These are mere invites, but where is the celebration?
And after you enter the party, what do you do with the invitation card? Is it still important? It was an entry pass. Probably, it will be useful the next time, again. But right now, when you are into the party, what will you do with it? Celebrate! Not hug it, kiss it, worship it. There are better things to do.
But remember, you cannot enter the party without the invitation card. Only those who are already in the party have a right to forget the invitation card for a while. The others must cling to the card as they are clinging to their life. So, it is not a license to not read. You require that invitation card. The guards won't allow you in.
