In the Ashtavakra Gita, action and ethics get stripped down to their bare essentials. Karma—those deeds that spin the wheel of cause and effect—aren’t dismissed outright, but they lose their clout once the mirror of pure awareness reflects the Self. From the standpoint of absolute reality, every action is a ripple on the surface, never touching the depth of who one truly is. The liberated soul, or jivanmukta, moves through the world like a leaf on a stream—guided by its current but untouched by its turbulence.

Ethical conduct, then, isn’t enforced through rigid commandments. Instead, right behavior flows naturally when ego-driven cravings fall away. Truthfulness, compassion and non-violence aren’t moral burdens but spontaneous expressions of inner freedom—much like kindness bubbles up in someone who’s genuinely happy. There’s a famous image in the text: butter emerging effortlessly from churning milk. Ethical action works much the same way for the awakened mind.

This doesn’t mean ethical guidelines vanish for everyone. For seekers still tangled in desires and fears, simple practices—honesty in speech, generosity without calculation, non-injury—help steady the mind. In today’s world, where social media storms and climate urgencies demand responsible choices, these ancient pointers ring surprisingly true. When personal identity softens, choices that serve the collective good spring up almost on autopilot.

No moral credit or blame sticks to one who rests in true self-knowledge. Like a clear sky that welcomes all weather without flinching, the awakened one witnesses deeds without getting swept up. Actions carry on, but the sense of being “the doer” evaporates—and with it, all bondage. In a world chasing busyness, this teaching whispers a radical alternative: know the unchanging ground, and watch right living arise on its own.