Category: Philosophy for Everyday Life

Beyond Meditation: Ashtavakra and Advaita’s Deeper Call


In the Ashtavakra Gītā, two seemingly opposite statements puzzle many: “The practice of meditation keeps one in bondage” (1.15) and “When a weak man gives up meditation he falls prey to whims and desires” (18.75). Advaita Vedānta resolves this by distinguishing between dhyāna (technique-based meditation) and nididhyāsana (natural abidance in Self). For the immature seeker, meditation steadies the mind. For the mature knower, clinging to meditation sustains duality. Liberation is not attained by practice but by knowledge, effortlessly lived.

A Journey from Worldly Noise to the Quiet of Consciousness


I no longer seek guidance from heart or mind, for both belong to the restless play of duality. Instead, I turn inward, where Advaita Vedanta reveals the true relief of emptiness: the Self as pure awareness, untouched by sorrow or delight. Solitude is not misanthropy but clarity—a freedom from humoring the world’s illusions. To abide in stillness is to realize that the knower of light and darkness is itself eternal.

On Watching The Bengal Files: A “Complex Truth”


Watching Bengal Files reminded me of an old debate topic: “Truth is Complex.” The film doesn’t just depict communal carnage; it forces us to confront the deeper, persistent reality of violence. From history’s atrocities to the everyday sharp word or dismissive gesture, violence is not an exception—it is the undercurrent of human life. As Krishnamurti said, even separating ourselves by religion or nationality is a subtle form of violence. The movie, in its raw way, pushes us to ask: can truth ever be simple?

“Responsibility” Towards This World: Is the “awakened one” accountable to the world, or is it all God’s play?


When awakening strikes, the question often arises: does greater consciousness demand greater responsibility? A friend suggested that finding God is not freedom but a burden—an obligation to guide others. My response, echoing Ramana Maharshi and Nisargadatta Maharaj, is that the world itself is God’s doing, and the roles of both Jnani and Ajnani are part of that play. No “integration” is needed between ego and the Absolute—they were never separate. What remains is simple: God alone acts, through every form.