Lessons from Uddhava Gita

When one gets the knowledge of the Self as to who one is one becomes liberated. The one who has not made any self enquiry and has not attained self knowledge continues to be bound and suffers. Even though I may be a millionaire sleeping with thousands of rupees in my pocket, the moment I see myself as a beggar in the dream, I identify myself with the body of the beggar and become unhappy with my poverty. The moment I wake up I become aware of who I am and the sorrows suffered as a beggar cease.

A liberated person does not consider himself as the doer of any action as all actions take place in the Totality and the bodies are only instruments through which the Totality seems to work. So he is not at all concerned with what happens in this world drama. He is undifferentiated in this outlook and has even mind which has no preferences or choice.

Through self enquiry and contemplation, the delusion that each Self is different and there are as many souls as there are beings, should be removed. We should keep our pure mind concentrated on the all pervasive Supreme Self and completely withdraw ourselves from all worldly activities.

Source – A Quintessence of Uddhava Gita – Swami Shantananda Puri