Ch 12

12: Abiding in the Self

Janaka said: 

Becoming first intolerant of action, 

then of excessive speech, 

then of thought itself, 

I come to be here. 

Neither sounds nor other sense perceptions 

attract my attention. 

Even the Self is unperceived. 

The mind is free, undistracted, one-pointed. 

And here I am. 

Effort is required 

to concentrate a distracted mind 

superimposed with illusion. 

Knowing this, I remain here. 

Nothing to reject, 

nothing to accept. 

No joy, no sorrow. 

Lord God I am here. 

The four stages of life, 

life without stages, 

meditation, renunciation, objects of mind

nothing but distractions. 

I am forever here. 

Doing and not-doing 

both arise from ignorance. 

I know this. 

And I am here. 

Thinking of the unthinkable One 

unavoidably conjures thought. 

I choose no-thought  

and remain here. 

Blessed is he 

who attains this by effort. 

Blessed is he 

who is such by nature.