Tattva Bodha - Post 30

JIVAN MUKHTI

Evam cha vedaanta-vaakyaih; sadguru-upadeshena cha;

sarveshu api bhooteshu yeshaam brahma-buddhih utpannaa;

te jeevan-muktaah, iti arthah.

Thus, by the words of Vedanta and the teachings of the Sadguru,

those in whom, in all beings, the vision of the Truth has been awakened,

they are the liberated ones. This is the meaning.

There are many ways in which the general public tries to assess saints and sages. There criteria are invariably tied up with their own desires. If a saint gives them what they want, he is a Mahatma! Indeed, a saint may do much to help people by alleviating them from suffering, blessing them, caring for them, advising them, etc.

But those are not the key factors that mark him as a realized being. This verse strikes at the very root of sainthood. Without the quality mentioned, a saint is not realized. 

The verse also states that to each person, God is as he is. If a person is very body conscious, he will see God that way, also, and put Him in a body. If a person is unlimited by his body or mind, then that is what God will be to him. 

The culmination of realization is that one sees the Self in all beings. It is not that I am the Self and all else are demons. 

The waves are nothing but water in essence. Sat chit ananda alone is appearing in all these names and forms. 

Jivan Mukti – Liberation while living 

Jivan Mukti means that I continue to face the challenges in life. At the same time, I am free from these unhealthy responses. All unhealthy responses are emotional problems called Samsara. 

It is purely at the mental or psychological level and not at the physical level – because it is knowledge and therefore gives benefit at the mental level. 

The three benefits of Jivan Mukhti are : 

Independence – Svatantriyam 

The first and most important benefit is independence. I am

mentally emotionally or psychologically an independent person. This means that the presence or absence of things will not affect me emotionally. 

Only when I am dependent on external factors, their presence and absence will affect me emotionally. Jnanam gives me independence from all setup – whether it is a person or situation or an object. I don’t seek company nor do I feel lonely. 

Fullness – Purnatvam 

The second benefit is Purnatvam – sense of fulfillment in life. I know I am the Atma which is not confined to this body but I am the Atman which is Sat Chit Ananda Svaroopa and therefore I am free from limitation. Nothing is away from me. Everything belongs to me. There is no sense of isolation or rejection. 

If I am a person, I can be rejected. But nobody can reject me because I am all pervading. Sense of isolation, sense of rejection and sense of limitation go away just as space cannot be rejected by anyone, I the Atma cannot be rejected by anyone. 

Balance of Mind – Samattvam 

The third benefit is Samattvam. This means the emotional strength to face ups and downs of life. Jnanam becomes a great shock absorber. Similarly, in life I cannot control my future situation where many things are beyond my control. 

But by Jnanam even the worst troubles may affect me sometimes, but not permanently. 

It is to be noted that physically we will surely have to depend on the world. We require food, clothing and shelter. We will never get physical independence. But psychologically we may be able to become independent. This is called Jivan Mukhti. The word literally means Freedom while Living. 

Continued……

Love.