Duet of One: The Ashtavakra Gita Dialogue

One of the best texts of Vedanta out there. I originally purchased the digital edition but bought this copy to add to my library.

Ramesh's writings, translations and interpretations are fantastic, particularly his interpretation of Nisargadatta and the Ashtavakra Gita. He is now dead. I've listened to some old audio of him, but his writing is where he really shines.

The Ashtavakra text will cut through any fog you have concerning perception, and what is Real. Strong medicine for all students.

Really love this book. Worth it and then some. Have the Other Gita and think this one surpasses it. ALots of point blank learning. Got to keep and re read.

Amazing book! Ramesh did it again! Very good!

excellent work and commentary

If you are reading these words, it means that you are one of the few who have somehow found their way to the 'Ashtavakra Gita.' As such, you should consider yourself extremely lucky, for it is one of the most profound and beautiful of all Indian texts and deserves to be far better known. More familiar to Western readers, of course, is the 'Bhagavad Gita,' no doubt because it resonates with those who are drawn to the worship of a personal God.The 'Ashtavakra,' in contrast, is a pure Advaita (a-dvaita) or non- dualistic text, a text which postulates the 'Not-two.' In other words, for Advaita there is no devotee confronting a personal God - there is only Self or the One. Its initial appeal is therefore not so much to the devotionally inclined as to the more intellectually inclined.The 'Bhagavad Gita' exists in countless editions, but I'm familiar with only three editions of the 'Ashtavakra.' The first is an excellent translation, lightly annotated, by Hari Prasad Shastri  Ashtavakra Gita . This is a slim book of just sixty pages and reads very well.The second, the  Astavakra Samhita  by Swami Nityaswarupananda, is more for the advanced student. After a stimulating introduction, we are given, verse-by-verse, the Sanskrit text in Devanagari, a word-by-word literal translation, a final translation, detailed notes, and full commentary, all of which have been impeccably done. This invaluable edition is available both from Amazon and sriramakrishnamath_dot_orgThe third edition I keep constantly at hand is the present one, 'A Duet of One.' Besides giving us another really fine translation, Balsekar, who as a disciple of the late Nisargadatta Maharaj may be supposed to know what he's talking about, has also provided what must be the richest and fullest commentary currently available in English. The book is written in faultless English, is well-printed on excellent paper, and is indispensable for anyone with a serious interest in the 'Ashtavakra.'These ancient Indian texts, whether Vedantic such as the 'Ashtavakra Gita,' or Buddhist such as the Prajnaparamita 'Heart Sutra,' even when quite short, are by no means easy to understand. One could easily spend a lifetime studying the original texts, their translations and commentaries, and still end up no wiser. Ultimately, what they demand is not so much understanding as insight. What is the 'Not-Two'?Traditionally one reads, studies, and assimilates the text. Then one meditates upon the text. Then, after prolonged meditation, insight may come. But meditation can take years, and we are busy and harassed modern folks. Is there a simpler, easier, faster way of arriving at this insight? Amazingly, there is.If you really want to grasp what all these great Indian and Tibetan and Chinese and Japanese Masters and Sages and Rishis have been trying to convey to their disciples down through the centuries, all you need do is read a short book of just eighty pages by Douglas E. Harding called  On Having No Head: Zen and the Rediscovery of the Obvious Why, after these thousands of years, it should have been left to an Englishman to discover a simple mental act, an act which anyone can perform anywhere at any time and which unlocks the mystery of 'Not-Two,' I have no idea. But after spending more than twenty years puzzling my head over Oriental texts before finally discovering Harding, I can assure you that his instructions for "reversing the arrow of attention" really do work. Although this book is now out-of-print in the US, new copies at the original price seem to be still available at Harding's website headless_dot_orgMake Harding your Master. Let him neatly sever your head. Then return to Ramesh S. Balsekar's inspired treatment of the 'Ashtavkra' and you will find that the Not-Two is not a mystery any more. For you will have become it.

There is a question that is often posed to book lovers: "if you were stranded upon an island somewhere and could only have one book to accompany you, which book would it be?"I've been an avid reader since I was sixteen or seventeen years old. And if you were to ask me that very question, I wouldn't even have to think about it. Automatically, I would say: "Ramesh Balsekar's A Duet of One."I've read several versions of the Bhagavad Gita, The Upanishads, The Wisdom of the Vedas, The Ramayana, Immortal Talks, The Dhammapada, and NONE have so POWERFULLY, like the sharpest of swords, sliced right through all my conceptual/subjective identifications!I heard or read somewhere that Einstein, himself, was a voracious reader, and that to better process the information he was accessing, he would not only underline the messages that impacted him, but he would jot down notes on the side margins. My copy of "A Duet of One," is highlighted on almost every single page! Lots of notes of thoughts, perceptions, and interpretations on the side margins.But here is the thing. The very powerful, powerful thing. This book is not about "retaining" or even "understanding" the information. For all of this requires the "mental" sphere. This book is not about learning the jargon or the Vedanta Philosophy. It is SO much more than that! It is about slaying the patterns of mind, themselves, so that You, as Pure Awareness, can become Aware of the trans-mental Source underlying all forms.The plot is similar to The Bhagavad Gita and some of the Upanishads, where you have a leader of the people, a King, a student, someone is has matured to the level and is prepared to know the Truth directly. The Guru shows up, Ashtavakra, and what he points to, or slices right through with the sharpest sword of words, is genuinely profound!Many years ago, I recommended this as the book pick for a reading group that I belonged to, and everyone loved it!I highly, highly recommend this book! It is truly a literary GEM!

Nicht in Worte zu fassen

A must read for a seeker to no more remain a seeker, RAMESH Balsekar puts its perfect - no doubt he was in the company was Nisargdatta Maharaj. Reality speaks through him and perfect understanding of what Sage Ashtavakra wanted to say is implied. Though unless reality dawns one may not get the real sense of what’s is there. But best book for seeker

Thomas Byrom 訳 ‘The Heart of Awareness ‘ ( SHAMBHALA ) とは一味違うAshtabakra Gita がここにある。これにより、Byrom訳はより深く理解できる。289個の詩句だけを通して読んでみるのも良い。世界が一変するだろう。The Self が唯一の実在である。そして、You are the Self. So be happy!ということである。Chapter Seven で「あなた」は消える…

On of the best expositions of advaita you are likely to come across. Not an easy read for beginners but if you've around the block with this philosophy and found many neo 'gurus' to be a bit light on real understanding this will definitely satisfy.

The book quality is very good. There are a few spelling printing mistakes but very excusable. The content is timeless. It is just pure brilliance.The ashtavakra gita itself is so rich and succinct as a text but to read Ramesh's 'take' on it is even more enjoyable. Ramesh is a brilliant teacher.