Test of the Realized One

Ashtavakra: "O King, now tell me - how does the one who knows the Self move through the world? What are the marks of the realized one?"

Janaka: "The one who knows sees this world as a blade of grass, yet is not indifferent. He has no hatred, no attachment, no sense of 'I' and 'mine' - yet functions perfectly."

Ashtavakra: "And desire?"

Janaka: "Where can desire take root when you know the world to be like a magic show? I see forms appearing, changing, disappearing - like clouds forming and dissolving in the sky. What would I cling to? What would I push away?"

Ashtavakra: "Yet you still rule, still act, still engage?"

Janaka: "The body continues its natural course. It eats when hungry, sleeps when tired, governs when situations arise. But there is no one inside directing traffic, no controller believing himself responsible for outcomes."

Ashtavakra: "Is there fear?"

Janaka: "Fear of what? Death is the end of a dream-character. I am not the dream-character. Gain and loss, praise and blame, honor and dishonor - these are movements in the dream. How can the dreamer fear what happens to a figure in his dream?"

Ashtavakra: "And when others see you?"

Janaka: "They see a king. Let them see what they see. Some may call me wise, others foolish. Some may seek my counsel, others criticize. I have no investment in their perceptions. I am simply what I am - beyond all descriptions."