SRI GURUBHYO NAMAH SRI PARAMAGURUBHYO NAMAH SRI PARAMESHTHI GURUBHYO NAMAH

When Sri Rama asked Sri Vasishta to explain him the Jeevanmukta and Videha mukta, Sri Vasishta first explains the JEEVAN MUKTA.

1. The jeevanmukta is one to whom this world of senses ceased to exist although he lives with it. For him, only the all-pervading Vyoman ( knowledge) exists.
For a Jeevan mukta everything becomes non existent as in deep sleep. The self-effulgent, all-pervading intelligence alone remain. During deep sleep for everybody there is absence of mental transformation, temporarily equal to that of a Jeevan Mukta, but cannot be equated with the state of Jeevan Mukta because in deep sleep also the seeds for future mental transformation exists.

2. The Jeevan Mukta is one whose face neither beams in pleasure not becomes drawn in pain. This needs no explanation. Pain or pleasure does not bother him/her.

3. The Jeevan Mukta is one who is awake through in deep sleep. For him/her there is no waking state also because his knowledge is devoid of desires. This needs an explanation because two statements are contrary to each other. 1) In deep sleep one is awake-2) There is no waking state. In deep sleep senses are functioning by themselves without being controlled by the mind because of the absence of the Mental State. “ Jagranna Vidyate” “No wakeful state” because waking state is known by the perceiving of objects through senses, which is not there in Jeevan Mukta. “ Niravaasanah bodhah” ‘ Knowledge devoid of desires’. In the knowledge such as “I am Brahman” also may tarnish the mind of a person. For a Jeevan Mukta even, such taints are absent because his mind is free from such transformation.

4. Jeevan Mukta is one who although responsive to the spurs of love, hatred, fear and the like, is absolutely PURE in heart as ‘AKASHA’. Jeevan mukta though express Love, hatred, fear, the mind remains pure because it has attained tranquillity. I think this needs a little explanation. Suppose he sees a poisonous snake; he moves away from it. Sri Vasishta compares a Jeevan Mukta to ‘Akasha’ because ‘Akasha’ is always clear in spite of presence of Dust, smoke and clouds which are seen from the ground, because being clear and pure is the Nature of Akasha.

5. Whose inner self is not affected by egotism, whose mind is free from all modifications in spite of his being engaged in Sastrik activities, rituals or not is called Jeevan Mukta. When an Individual performs certain rites according to Shastra, scriptures, his self is affected as “I am the doer’ and his mind undergoes a transformation with a pleasant thought that he will go to heaven. Similarly, if an individual fail to perform certain rites according to scriptures his self is affected by the sorry state of mind that he has lost the heaven. The Jeevan Mukta is free from both and doing rites or not doing rites does not affect him.

6. The Jeevan Mukta is one who does not frighten the world, nor he is afraid of the world; he is free from joy, anger, and fear as well. He never goes to insult others and hence the world is not afraid of him and for this reason no one does such thing to him. If any wicked fellows do indulge in such activity against him, he remains unperturbed because such things cannot bring about any transformation in his mind.

7. The Jeevan Mukta is one who is free from all worldly behaviour – Friend, foe, honour, dishonour etc., are the ways of the world, which are no more to him. Sixty four kinds of Vidya or arts are called kala; although he is accomplished in them, neither he uses them nor he is proud of them; so he is as if without them. The mind as such surely with him, but because of the absence of any modification, he is, as if without it. ‘sachintopinishchintah’ . By the force of former impressions his mind takes on the form of contemplating the self, but free of other worldly transformations, so as if without it.

8. The Jeevan Mukta is one who, although dealing with all sorts of things remain cool, as if the matter concerns some one else and he, whose self is whole. Good example could be one having gone to someone else’s house on some occasion may be for a marriage or to mourn the death , as normal individuals we partake in the activity but usually remains unaffected by the joy or sorrow of someone in the same manner as the one affected by the joy or sorrow. For a Jeevan Mukta the same thing happens in case of joy or sorrow to oneself. He is cool not only for the absence of anxiety but also for the awareness of his self as Complete Whole.

After explaining the characteristics of a Jeevan Mukta, Sri VasiShta continue explaining Videha Mukta.
We shall see that in the next part.

Part1 link – “Jeevan Mukti Viveka” Series: Part1

Part2 link – “Jeevan Mukti Viveka” Series: Part2

Part3 link – “Jeevan Mukti Viveka” Series: Part3

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