Ashtavakra Samhita Chapter 10 Verse 2 - Look upon friends, land, wealth, houses, wives, gifts and such other things as

Verse 02

svapnendrajaalavat pashya dinaani trini pancha vaa
mitrakshetradhanaagaradaradaayadisampadah

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Translation

Look upon friends, land, wealth, houses, wives, gifts and such other things as nothing but a dream or a magician’s show which last for three or five days.

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It is difficult to restrain the mind and senses without cultivating detachment and dispassion. Induced by the gunas and the desires and samskaras they create, they to flow out towards external objects and interact with the things they desire. Wealth, possessions, relationships, name and fame, these are the things to which the mind is naturally drawn because they tend to produce transient pleasures. People are drawn to them in the hope of enjoying life.

This outward flow of the mind is responsible for desire-ridden actions, sinful karma, spiritual downfall, bondage and suffering. The Bhagavadgita (6.35) says that the mind is fickle, restless and difficult to control. However, through effort and continued practice of detachment it can be tamed. The Yogasutras (1.12) also states that constant practice (abhyasa) and detachment (vairagya) are the best means to control and stop the modifications of the mind (vrittis).

Yogis try to resolve this problem by reversing the natural flow of their minds and withdrawing them from external objects. They cultivate detachment and indifference towards them realizing their impermanence and illusory nature. Knowing that material things such as land, wealth, houses, wives, gifts, etc., are unreal and only the Self is real, they cultivate distaste towards them and abide in the Self. With that, they set in motion the inward movement of the mind which uplifts and purifies them and prepares them for self-absorption or Samadhi.

Here, Ashtavakra suggested a spiritual method by which one can restrain the mind and withdraw from material things. He suggested that a yogi should practice renunciation and cultivate distaste and indifference towards external objects by constantly remembering the impermanence of things and the sinful consequences of desire-ridden actions. Seeing the world as unreal and dreamlike, he should realize the illusory nature of the objective reality and become indifferent to them.

One may suppress desires through effort or replace old habits with newer ones, but the old samskaras (latent impressions) and long held habits do not just away. By just wishing away, things do not disappear. At the slightest opportunity, the mind reverts to its old ways. Desires and attachments also do not disappear forever. Even after one succeeds in controlling them, they remain latent in the consciousness and become active in unguarded moments when the control is weak or the mind is distracted.

A seeker of liberation should be aware of this and constantly remain on guard. Since he has to live in the world and cannot avoid interacting with it, he should not allow any weakness to enter his mind and destabilize it. The best way to practice self-control (atma samyama) is to remain on guard constantly and cultivate indifference to all external things, and to the pleasure and pain which arise from them. The Yogasutras says that the practice of renunciation, dispassion and detachment is firmly established when it is done uninterruptedly over a long period of time. In other words, a yogi cannot let up his guard. He must uninterruptedly practice detachment and dispassion (vairagya) to restrain his mind and senses and remain indifferent to all things that can potentially disturb his mind and body.

Whenever a yogi interacts with the world and its attractions, he has to remember its impermanence so that he will not inadvertently draw himself into it and lose control and stability. He has to remember that the mortal world is subject to death, destruction and impermanence and no one can escape from it except through liberation. The world is ruled by the Lord of Death (Kala) for whom everything here is food. He makes sure that nothing lasts forever, and no one can escape from death or destruction. Therefore, a yogi should view the world and the things in it as in a dream or a conjurer’s show, so that he does not waste his time cultivating attraction and aversion to them or become embroiled in them.

A householder has an obligation to live in the world to perform his duties and serve the Lord. The lawbooks permit him to seek material things, engage in desire-ridden actions and live with his family and enjoy the pleasures of life within the confines of established practices. Material things such as friends, land, wealth, houses and wives are a part of his life as a practitioner of Dharma. His life revolves around them as he pursues the four aims of human life namely Dharma, artha, kama and moksha. He cannot avoid them since they are a source of pleasure, happiness and fulfillment for him, and he develops attachment and mental dependence upon them.

From a spiritual perspective, a householder pursues Dharma as a sacrifice, temporarily postponing his own salvation, in service to God. For the order and regularity of the world, he has to remain a householder and perform his duties amidst the impurities of the world. Hence, the life of a householder is considered superior to that of renunciation. However, it is not the best life since a householder is not guaranteed liberation, however virtuous he may be, unless he renounces worldly life and gives up everything including his wealth, belongings, family and relationships. When he does that, he has to practice similar methods to restrain his mind and senses and draw them into himself to cultivate sameness, equanimity and indifference.

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