Jivanmukta - From Sadananda

[Guest guest]

From Sadanandaji

 

(This is a long article but very detailed and comprehensive very useful

for advanced level students studying the Bhagavd Gita - the article arrived

on our mail list but is classic from a very wise list member ...........jay)

 

===article on jivanmukat by Sadanandji========

 

Interesting discussions on Jivanmukta. In an answer to the original

questions from the Ramakrishna list, here is my understanding of jivanmukta

state.

 

 

> I have 2 general doubts : Once a person has realised his Self, will he

have

> interest in the worldly 'stuff' ? Or would he like only to enjoy the

Bliss?

>

> Again, if he decides to come into the world, should he have any fear of

> falling from his exalted state, due to his activities in the world?

>

> Could anyone pls advise me what the Scriptures tell about this.

>

> regards,

> Hari

 

1. When we are discussing about the state that is beyond our intellectual

comprehension (beyond the mind and intellect), and at the same time if we

donot want to rest our understanding completely on the statements of a

particular person or persons, we have to resort to 'a pramaana' or a means

of knowledge that is not illogical and at the same time that which

everybody can agree upon including those individuals on whom we have our

personal trust and whom we think are realized. Hence Shaastra becomes a

more valid pramaana or valid means of knowledge of such states. This is

one of the reason why all our 'achaaryaas' have dealt exhaustively on

epistemological issues before they discussed on the ontological aspects.

Hence Shree Sunder Hattangadi's reference to B.G - 'StitapraJNalakshna' is

extremely relevant to the topic of the discussion.

 

2. Who is Jiivanmukta and what is the state of realization? - Recognizing

that the root cause for bondage is the 'ignorance' - either ignorance of

'one-self' or 'ignorance of the nature of the Lord' depending on how one

interprets it; then realization is removal of that ignorance or clear

understanding of 'who one-self' is or 'what is the nature of the reality'

is. From Advaita point - 'I donot know my self as my-self and I take

my-self as other than myself. I am being 'the subject' the knower I -

takes myself the object that which I am aware of - as myself. Here

ignorance plays as two aspects - one is taking object is different from

subject (for example - this is my body, my mind, my intellect and this is

my world and I can see this world and the world is different from me and

this world is a creation and creator is different from me since I did not

create this world, etc.). The second is taking the object as the subject -

that is this is my body translates next as I am the body, mind and/or

intellect - when I take object as subject then limitations of the objects

become my limitations - I suffer the consequence of these limitations and

all the life struggles in terms of 'pravRitti' and 'nivRitti' - trying to

gain what I like and get rid of what I dislike - become a means to solve

the self-ignorent problem based on my misunderstanding about myself.

 

3. Self-realization or state of jivanmukta is then realization of one self

as the 'true self'. But what is that true self ? - First, that self is

the subject and not an object of any means of knowledge - all means of

knowledge are valid because of the subject and therefore is a self-evident

entity - or self- conscious entity - that is it is chit - and has to be

existent entity since we cannot talk of non-in existent self -hence it is

'sat' and since free any limitations since it is pure bliss and hence it is

unlimited or infinite or anantam - therefore one without a second (since

limitations come from the presence of the second). Hence knowledge of the

self is the knowledge that " aham Brahmaasmi " - 'I am the Brahman' - or the

'I am the Infinite Consciousness' -a notion of finite consciousness is

illogical since that gives rise to a logical question of what is there

beyond that finite consciousness? - if there is something then who is

conscious of that - If one is conscious of that then that 'beyond thing'

is not really beyond since it is within the consciousness - hence

consciousness has to be infinite and there is nothing beyond consciousness.

 

 

4. A Jivanmukta is one who is a mukta while body is alive - that is he is

liberated while living and liberation is liberation from all

misunderstandings that he is an not an object and is the very subject for

all objectification - He has understood that his true nature is 'aham

Brahmaasmi' or 'ayama atma Brahma' - This is realization as JK puts

'understanding as understanding as a fact' 'not as a thought'. Hence is

'self-realization' - realization of 'who one-self is' - and that oneself is

the - existent - conscious and infinite self that one is.

 

Krishna declares about this in B.G. Ch 6.

sarvabhuutastam aatmaanam sarvabhuutanica aatmani|

iikshate yogayuktaatmaa sarvatra samadarshaNaH||

'my-self is in all beings and also all being are in myself' - one who sees

or understands such a yogi everywhere (at all times and places) has

equanimity or sees the same everywhere.

 

Interestingly Krishna reiterates the same message in the very next sloka

even from a Bhaka point -

yo mam pasyati sarvatra sarvanca mayi pasyati|

tasyaaham na praNasyaami sa ca me na praNasyati||

he who sees Me everywhere and everything in Me - he can never be away from

Me nor I can be away from him -

 

Hence there is no more misunderstanding of oneself - Please note that in

the very understanding of one-self or his-self -there is also a

simultaneous recognition that there is no other 'self' other than

'one-self' - since the self I am is unlimited and infinite. This

understanding also includes ' not only I am in all of them but all are in

me - that is they are not different from me. Hence the world is in my

consciousness - I am not separate from the world and I am in the world and

the world is in me - Just as clay saying I am in all pots and all pots are

in me. Yet the 'nama and ruupa' the superficial entities which are just

projections as well as the consequences of those projections - that is

'individual notions' - I am a mud pot or I am a honey pot etc., belong not

to me only to the superficial names and forms.

 

This is stated by Krishna in Ch. 9

mayaatata midam sarvam jagadavyakta muurthinaa|

mastaani sarva bhuutani na ca aham tesvavastitaH||

 

I pervade this universe in an unmanifested form and all manifestations are

in me but I am not accountable or responsible for the sufferings of these

beings due to their misunderstandings. Those belong to them and not to me.

 

Hence one is Jivanmukta when one has not just intellectual but clear

'understanding' of who one is and there is no more misunderstanding taking

'I am this or that'. That one 'individual' who has realized is 'no more' -

he is dissolved. His true nature after realization is that 'I am Brahman'.

Hence the correct understanding the 'ego' what was identifying that I am

this body etc. is no more - that ego is replaced by a correct understanding

" I am the totality' or 'aham Brahmaasmi'.

 

Since the original 'ego' (based on ones misunderstanding that one is an

object) is completely dissolved - Since he is no more, there is no more a

question of talking about 'him' as an individual. The correct question is

how does that 'Brahman' operates that 'body or uses that body' - Krishna

gives an elaborate answer in the 'stitapraJNa LakshNa' which we have

discussed elaborately when Shree Madhava presented that part of B.G. for

discussion.

 

Since That one who was living there in that body is dead and gone is

replaced by the one who has clear understanding that He is the Brahman, in

reality it is the 'Brahman' the infinite consciousness 'living there' and

uses the readily available equipment (body, mind and intellect - since the

tenant has left) for the benefit of the universe - (either to fulfill the

vaasanas of the samishTi who need a living teacher for their realization -

or sitting in a remote cave meditating on the universality of the self -

for the good of all). Unlike someone pointed out, - he does not really eat

- sleep or do things - since there is no more 'he'. - From the total self

point - ' akartaaham abhoktaaham ahamevaaham avyayaH " - I am neither doer

nor the enjoyer - I am all by myself and unlimited and inexhaustible -.

Then who eats and sleeps - Krishna again answered that -

prakrityevaca karmaani kriyamaanaani sarvashaH|

All actions are done by prakriti itself - of course under my president ship

- But that prakriti is only my lower nature -not different from me.

 

>From the point of the realized souls It is suffice to understand at this

stage to take that Lord himself manifests in the body of the Jivanmukta and

operates for the benefit of all mankind. Hence we pray -

'Gururbrahma gururvishnuH gururdevo maheswaraH' - essentially the

guru is the manifestation of the Lord himself - since He is nothing but

Brahman and he has the true understanding that 'I am Brahman'.

 

>From these discussion we understand that there is no more 'ego' as we

understand operating in the Jivanmukta, and Jivanmukta is the one who has

clear understanding of himself as oneself.

 

5. The definition of clear understanding is that is there is no more

misunderstanding. If after one has clear understanding if one gets

misunderstanding then that understanding is not clear!

yad gatvaa na nivartante taddhaama paramam mama|

Once one has reached my state - or clear understanding of oneself or

understanding of Brahman (brahma vit bramhaiva bhavati - the one who knows

Brahman becomes Brahman) there is no more return - no more misunderstanding

again. Realistically if one get into misunderstanding again then we have a

real problem - the liberation can never be real since there is always a

chance that the misunderstanding can be occur again and we are back to the

base all the struggles start again - then what good is that realization? )

Hence one understand as a fact there is no more notions left for

misunderstanding.

 

6. As long as there are equipment's, through the equipments (and

depending on the limitations of the equipments), jivanmukta can 'see' and

'act' in the world (with clear understanding that he is not really the

actor but prakriti itself acts in his presence). Hence plurality can still

be there but he does not have a notion or misunderstanding that the

plurality is a reality or separate from him! Hence we see that he sees,

acts etc. like normal being but he knows he is not the seer or actor but

appropriate seeing and acting is going through those equipments in His

presence). He may use not to confuse the rests - I am hungry or I am

sleepy etc. but that is for vyavahaara or convenience for transaction but

true understanding is different - just like we all know the Sun does not

raise or set yet we can operate even with that understanding enjoy saying

that - look at that beautiful sun set. - This is the difference between

atma rati and atma kreeda - Jivanmukta can revel oneself, in oneself by

oneself - atmanyeva atmanaa tushTaH - Yet can enjoy his own glory -

aisvaryam - the creation projected as plurality.

 

To answer the question if he decides to come back - he is no more as he was

but he is now as 'I am Brahman' hence what is 'coming back' is with clear

understanding that I am Brahman - when he comes back - it is Brahman that

is operating through the equipments - not the old ego that was there before

realization. Since He is Brahman, one without a second - what is there to

be afraid off. He does not act - but divine actions comes forth from those

equipments since He is full of divinity. All actions are for the benefit

of the entire world, since world is Him and He is the world.

 

A note - there is nothing wrong in believing in any individual that one

feels he is realized soul and his words are the reference. That rests on

how much one has faith in that individual. But for the benefit of all, who

may or may not have the same degree of faith in a particular individual or

individuals, we need to resort to Shaastra as the appropriate means of

knowledge otherwise we may not a have a norm to go by. Fortunately all

most all our masters only confirm what the scriptures say and therefore

there is no problem. But here even though they may confirm, the

difiniteness comes from the Shaastras. But as " Brahmasuutras' emphasizes -

'shaastra yonitvaat' - because the shaastras as pramaana - as well as all

our great acharyaas reemphasize what is said in the shaastras - ultimately

we need to go back to shaastra as the real pramaana for those that cannot

be logically deduced or intellectually comprehended.

 

Lastly about the gradual versus sudden - Swami Chinmayanandaji used to tell

us a story of Mr. Jones and the cat. Mr. Jones somehow got the feeling or

understanding that 'he is a rat and not a man' - So he was always trying

to avoid any cat nearby and runs away from one, since he being a rat is

afraid of his safety. His wife learned about his problem and takes him to

a doctor - after many sittings and repeating reinforcement - 'I am man and

I am not a rat' - he 'understood' that he is man and not a rat. After

paying the doctor fees he goes back home, but after a hour he came back

running to the doctor gasping for his breath - when confronted by the

doctor - Mr. Jones said - ' I know very well I am man and I am not a rat'.

Doctor asked then what is the problem? Mr. Jones said " I am afraid

because, I know that I am a man and not a rat, but the cat on the street

may not know that I am man and not a rat " - Understanding we are talking

about is the understanding as a fact - not any more a thought - That

understanding is complete and once and for all - That occurs only once and

that is the end of all misunderstandings. Till then what Frank calls as

gradual is only vague understanding or the glimpses of our true nature and

that understanding does not stay with us due to lingering vaasanas that

propel us back to our old notions about ourselves. When the mind is clear

of all misunderstandings then the self is self-revealed. Till then, even

as of now for everyone, one has glimpses of the self, but the

misunderstanding still prevails. The happiness that one gains during the

sensuous enjoyments is also 'glimpses of the self' - 'vishyaanade

paramaanadaH' - says Vidyaranya in 'Pancadasi'. Clear understanding of the

nature of reality is what Bhagavaan Ramana calls as 'sat darshan' as

'dRiDaiva nishTa' - firm understanding of the self. There are no

gradations in the self-realization - but there is gradation is the

purification of the mind - as the mind is getting purified - clearer the

screen - the more light of self -illumination beaming through. I am that

self is total, complete and firm and occurs only when the 'ego' falls down

since it is false.

 

By the by the dissolution of the mind is not understanding - it is only

temporary elimination of the mind that - that can occur in meditation or by

medication. but understanding or realization is occurs when there are no

more 'notions' in the mind and mind is free from ignorence of oneself. It

is knowledge - all are in me and I am in all of them - then mind is not the

problem or the body nor the world - since they are all in me and I am in

all of them - they are not separate from me. I am the totality - aham

brahmaasmi. That is the teaching from the scriptures and that is the true

understanding of jivanmukta.

 

Hari Om!

Sadananda