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| Jivanmukta Swami Sivananda |
by Swami Sivananda
extract from his book ¨ Jivanmukta Gita pgs. 41-47
It is very difficult
to judge a Jivanmukta. A
Shakespeare only can understand a Shakespeare. A Jesus only can
understand a Jesus. A man of experience who has mixed with Sadhus and
Sannyasins and lived with them for a number of years may arrive at certain
definite conclusions and infer something. But he may or may not be accurate. Only a Jivanmukta with his eye of intuition
(Divya Drishti) can directly see and understand a Jivanmukta.
A Sadhu may be physically nude. He may not keep anything
with him. He may use his hands as the begging bowl and live underneath a tree.
He may live in a forest. Yet he may be the greatest scoundrel; he may be the
most worldly minded man with internal and external attachments. He may dance in
joy when he gets an eight-anna piece for his opium-smoking. His mind may be
full of distractions and disturbances.
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| Nisargadatta a jivanmukta who lived in Bombay |
Householders make wrong judgments
in deciding the nature of Jivanmukta.
They take into consideration only the external conditions of a Jivanmukta. Even
educated people commit mistakes in this regard.
One cannot estimate the advancement of a Jivanmukta by a simple casual talk for an hour or
two. One has to live with him for a long time and then alone one will be able
to draw some accurate conclusions. There had been instances of realised persons who had elephants, horses
and all royal paraphernalia without being affected in the least by these
external objects. They had always Jnana Nishta and Svaroopa Stithi
(established in knowledge of Brahman) amidst multifarious activities. This is
the integral development. This is the gist of the Bhagvad Gita. This is the
central teaching of Lord Krishna.
What is wanted is mental nudity. Jnana is purely an internal
state. The external marks are no sure
criterion. So do not look into the external things of a Jivanmukta. A
man may take any kind of food, he may dress in any way he likes, he may part
his hair in any manner he finds it convenient. These are all non-essentials.
Always look into his internal mental state.
Do not judge a man by his Siddhis (psychic powers). Another great blunder people generally
commit is that they judge the enlightenment of Jivanmuktas by the Siddhis they
display. Siddhis are side-lights. They are invitation from Devatas. They have
nothing to do with Atmic realisation. A Sadhu may manifest Siddhis due to
strong passions and intense desires, and if that be the case he is undoubtedly
a big householder only. But this does not mean that a person manifesting
Siddhis is not a Jivanmukta. There are several instances of such persons who
have exhibited several Siddhis purely for the elevation and uplift of the
world, but never for selfish motives.
The ways of a Jnani are mysterious. Many do not recognise a
Jivanmukta. Real aspirants know him at once without any difficulty.
They follow him. They live in close contact with him.
He who has mastery over the mind and senses (indriyas), he who always
dwells on the inner Atman is the real Jivanmukta, Nityamukta, a great master,
the real hero indeed.
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| Jivanmukta Ramana Maharshi |
Jivanmukta is the Sun of Suns, the Light of lights. Sun
shines only during day. But the Jivanmukta shines day and night. Glory, glory
to such awakened inspired high souls! May their blessings be upon us all.
The great soul who does not offend anybody in thought, words
or deed, and who is not hurt even a bit
by the taunts, censures, insults and injuries by others is the real
Jivanmukta. He who dwells or lives in the Supreme Self only, he who delights
and rejoices within the Atman cannot hurt others and cannot be hurt by others.
He who is homeless, who is free from
all cravings, yearnings, longings, passions, desires, love of society, lustful
feeling, and who calls nothing his own is really a Jivanmukta, who has attained
freedom or emancipation from births and deaths. Hail, hail to such a great
Mahatma!
He who is above good and evil, virtue
and vice, who has transcended the mind and seed body (Anandamaya Kosha or
Karana Sarira - causal body) who has knowledge of the Vedas and wisdom of the Self, who finds
no faults in others, who is free from all kinds of doubts, who bears reproaches
and insults, who never gets angry even under extreme provocations, who is
always gentle and mild, and who always speaks the truth and utters sweet and
instructive words is really a Jivanmukta.
He who has broken all ties, who has subdued all senses (Indriyas),
who is free from all kinds of temptations, who has renounced Trishna (internal craving for sense-objects), Vasana (the subtle impression in the mind capable of developing itself into action, subtle desire),
Kamana (desire, pleasure-seeking) and egoism and who is dwelling in Atman and Atman alone is the greatest
of all men. He is a Jivanmukta. Even Indra and other Devas are envious of such
an exalted personage. Even Lord Vishnu follows the feet of such a great saint
to get the dust that is thrown off from his feet. Even Lord Siva keeps the dust
of his feet in a golden casket.
Self-poised state in pleasure and pain, censure and praise
etc., and universal love are the two important characteristics of a Jivanmukta.
If a person has no dislikes or hatred
for any creature in this world in thought, word and deed, he is a Jivanmukta.
A Jivanmukta or a full-blown Jnani is
full of pure love, compassion, mercy, exquisite gentleness and hidden power and
strength. Love and lustre (Brahma Tejas) shine through his brilliant eyes.
He who sees all things in one and one
in all things is really a Jivanmukta. He enjoys peace of mind. He lives in God.
A Jnana Yogi is always in Samadhi
(Jnana Nishtha). He need not sit in a room in an Asana. No Asana is needed for
him. He does not want a room. He is not affected by Maya. There is no ‘in
Samadhi’ and ‘out of Samadhi’ for a Jnana Yogi.
He is very silent. He speaks a few words. These words
produce tremendous impressions. They give a new life and joy to all who
understand him and his message. In his presence alone all the doubts of the
aspirant are cleared, though he remains mute.
When a Jivanmukta sees outside, he may simply see, but the
Vritti may not assume Vishayakara (form of the objects) as in the case of
worldly-minded persons.
A Jivanmukta may or may not have any
Siddhis (psychic powers). But if he likes, he can have. He will find out quickly the modus
operandi and exhibit them. He cannot have the Anima, Mahima Siddhis. He will
have spiritual Siddhis through Sat Sankalpa. A fully developed Jivanmukta can
achieve anything through his will.
Pain in the body and quarrels always exist in the world. A
Jivanmukta has to face these when he does Vyavahara. He does not mind them. He
rises above them. He laughs and smiles as they are unreal. He knows that there
is neither pain nor quarrel in the Atman.
When he is absorbed in Brahman (the Glory of glories, the
Soul of souls) he will not be able to work. But when he comes down from his
full Brahmic-consciousness owing to the force of Prarabdha and Vikshepa Shakti,
he will pour forth his love at the cry of a suffering soul. So radiant and
compassionate is he. He is the ocean of mercy and love and peace, a Buddha or
Jesus.
A Jivanmukta casts off this body as a slough when he
identifies himself with Brahman (Sat-Chit-Ananda) just as a snake throws off its
skin.
A Jivanmukta may give up his body in any place, at any time.
Just as the falling of leaves and fruits of a tree will not affect the tree
itself, so also the dropping the body will not affect the Atman, which survives
like the tree.
They are Jivanmuktas or the ‘delivered in life’ who have
come to know that ‘Brahman is real; the world is illusory and Jiva is Brahman
himself’ through the teaching of Sastras and Guru as well as through
Self-realisation; and who took upon all as Brahman.They who have the direct or intuitive knowledge of Brahman
(Aparoksha Jnana).
Direct knowledge (Aparoksha Jnana) is the knowledge
characterised by firm conviction of one’s being neither Brahmin nor Sudra nor
Purusha nor body, but the everlasting intelligence and Bliss Absolute, the
Self-effulgent, the Inner Ruler of all beings, all-pervading intelligence like
Akasa just as one labouring under Avidya has the same firm conviction: ‘I am
body, I am male, I am Brahmin, I am Sudra’ etc.
The direct knowledge ‘I am Brahman,’ annihilates the bondage of all Karmas.
The direct knowledge ‘I am Brahman,’ annihilates the bondage of all Karmas.
A Jivanmukta is perfectly
desireless, I-less, mine-less, fearless, and angerless. He beholds the Self only everywhere. He has equal vision. He
has balanced mind. He has no attachment, longings and cravings. His state is
beyond description and yet he will move in the world like an ordinary man. He
is ever calm and peaceful. He rests in the Turiya state. He identifies himself
with the Pure, All-pervading Brahman. He is free from dualities, differences
and distinctions.
Jivanmuktas will neither long for
things in the future nor think of the things of the past. They will always do actions for the solidarity
of the world. They are not frightened or astonished at any unusual
occurrence in nature. They will never be disconcerted even should the sun grow
cold or the moon turn hot or the fire begin to burn with its flame downwards or
the course of the river begin to rise upwards.
Jivanmukta is free from egoism,
desires, Gunas and attachment. He has equal vision. He enjoys perfect peace and
eternal bliss. Therefore he will never be afflicted in mind. Whether engaged in
business or retired from it, whether living with a family or leading a single
life, the man who identifies himself with the Immortal Self or Brahman and who
has nothing to fear, or care, or to be sorry for in this world, is regarded as
liberated in this life. He who knows himself to be without beginning and end,
decay and death, and to be of the nature of pure consciousness, remains always
quiet and composed in himself and has no cause for sorrow at all. He gets rid
of the knowledge that ‘this is I’, ‘that is another,’ ‘this is mine.