Ashtavakra Gita —
8. Bondage and Liberation
Bondage and Liberation
The mind desires this,
And grieves for that.
It embraces one thing,
And spurns another.
Now it feels anger,
Now happiness.
In this way you are bound. (8.1)
But when the mind desires nothing
And grieves for nothing,
When it is without joy or anger
And, grasping nothing,
Turns nothing away. . .
Then you are free. (8.2)
When the mind is attracted
To anything it senses,
You are bound.
When there is no attraction,
You are free. (8.3)
Where there is no I,
You are free.
Where there is I,
You are bound.
Consider this.
It is easy.
Embrace nothing,
Turn nothing away. (8.4)
* Translated by Thomas Byrom