The Mind In A Jivanmukta
"With the disappearance
of the attachment of the body and with the realisation of the Supreme Self, to
whatever object the mind is directed, one experiences Samadhi."
Amana is a Sanskrit term which
means 'without mind.' "Amanaskata" is a condition where there is no
mind. It is mindlessness. You will find this in Jivanmuktas or liberated sages.
Residual Sattva
Jivanmukta is a sage free
(from the trammels of births and deaths) while living. Even in the case of a
Jivanmukta, though the instinctive mind with low desires is destroyed, the
spiritual Sattvic mind does not perish. Like flowers and fruits latent in a
seed, a residue of Sattva, the cause of intelligence, rests always in the heart.
If you say that his mind is completely annihilated as soon as he attains Jnana,
Jivanmukti state is impossible. How will he be able to do Vyavahara (worldly
dealings) without an instrument viz., the mind? A Jnani identifies
himself with the all-pervading Brahman and uses his mind and body as His
instruments for Vyavahara (worldly activities); an Ajnani identifies himself
with his body. There have been cases of Jivanmuktas like Raja Janaka who
attained Jnana and who utilised mind and body in this manner for the well-being
of the humanity at large.
Sri Rama and Sri Krishna were
ever resting on Brahman even when they were ruling their kingdoms. They were
ever very conscious of their essential Sat-Chit-Ananda Brahmic nature, even
though they assumed human forms. They utilised their minds and bodies as their
instruments when they were doing various activities.
Empirical Existence And Existence-Reality
Even this world does not
disappear as absolutely as is supposed in Jivanmukti state. Empirical world, in
fact, ceases to exist. But, this does not mean annihilation. It merely means
that existence changes its form and colour, as it were, for the Absolute. It is
empirical existence and not all-existence which vanishes. Existence-Reality
remains, but its limited forms vanish. Externality has to go; spatial and
temporal views of things must go; causal determination of one thing by another
must go; many-ness and oneness must go. This is inevitable. But, the universe
with all its reality will not go even for the liberated soul. It will merely
change its form, meaning and significance. Nothing will disappear except a
false view, a limited horizon, erroneous idea and a circumscribed vision. Fact,
Reality, Existence, however, will remain as fundamental as ever; but the
viewpoint will change.
The mind of the Jnanis cannot
be termed as a mind, but only as Tattva (Reality). That which gets
differentiated through diverse objects is the mind. The mind of a Jnani, on the
other hand, becomes stainless, like copper transmuted into gold by alchemic
process. The mind of a Jnani is Sattva itself, while persons without Jnana will
follow the path chalked out by their minds. When a Jnani sees outside, he may
simply see, but the Vritti may not assume Vishayakara as in the case of
worldly-minded persons. Just as the mind is free from any Vishayakara in
deep-sleep state in all, it is free from any Vishayakara in the waking state
also in a Jnani. The world appears to him as a mere dream. He dwells in Brahman
even while working. In those that have cognised their Self, the pure Vasanas
with which they perform Karmas will not entail them rebirths. The mind of such
a Jnani is called Sattvic, but a mind without Jnana is generally termed
Manas.
The Perfectly Balanced Mind
Now, mark the nature of the
mind of a Jivanmukta. It is perfectly balanced under all circumstances. His
mind is always cool and unaffected by the Dvandvas (pairs of opposites). His
mind is free from Harsha and Soka (elation and depression). It is neither
elated by enjoyments nor depressed by sorrow and grief. Without being affected
by the pleasures or pains of enjoyments though moving in them, the mind of a
Jivanmukta will become inured to them. Through internal contentment and freedom
from pains, there will arise in the Jnani an equanimity of mind in all
circumstances and at all places. Even when pains and the rest attaching themselves
to his body exhibit themselves on his face, his mind never writhes under them
or their antithesis. It is free from impure Vasanas. There will be no anger or
desire. There will not arise any evil impulse of Kama in such a mind. There is
not the least longing for objects. His mind is above worldly things. He is not
affected by the world. He need not have a separate room or Asana. He need not
close the eyes. He need not do any Pratyahara of the senses.
A mind which, though
apparently enjoying the diverse objects, does not, in reality, enjoy them, may
be stated to be Brahman itself.
Dual Consciousness
An occultist learns through
self-control and discipline to work on two planes at once, that is, to be
partly out of his body at the same time when he is working on the physical
plane; so that, while he is writing or speaking, he may be doing other things
with his astral body. When such is the case with an occultist, little need be
said of a full-blown Jnani who is resting on his own Svarupa. A Jnani has dual
consciousness. He has consciousness of Brahman as well as consciousness of the
world. He sees the world as a dream within himself. A Jnani is always in
Samadhi. There is no 'in Samadhi' and 'out of Samadhi' for a Jnani like that of
a Raja Yogi.
When you play on the
harmonium, you adjust the tune first. It may be fixed either on the second reed
or the fourth reed according to the strength and power of your voice. Then you
begin to play on the various reeds. The Sapta Svaras are pronounced now. You
can play now various Raga-Raginis. He who is aware of the main Sruti can be
compared to a Jnani who knows the Atman or support for this universe. He who is
aware of the Sapta Svara only without knowing the fundamental Sruti is like an
Ajnani who is unaware of the Atman, but who has knowledge of the sense-objects
only.
When you see an object with
your eyes, you know that it is through the light of the sun that you are able
to see it. You have a double Drishti. Similarly, a Jnani has always a double
Drishti when he does Vyavahara. Even when he works, he knows he is not working;
he is unattached. Even though he sees the world, it is all Brahman and Brahman
for him.
Sama Bhava And Sama Drishti
There is a slight difference
between Sama Bhava and Sama Drishti. The former is the condition of the mind
(as balanced in pleasure and pain, gain and loss, heat and cold, victory and
defeat). The latter is the condition of knowledge. The Jnani sees the Atman
alone in a scavenger and a king.
When you are expecting to meet
a friend of yours at the railway station, the mind tries to see him in several
other persons with a like physiognomy (Sadrisya), because the mind is engrossed
with the one idea of meeting a particular friend at a particular time. The mind
is very eager to see him. A lustful young man sees a woman in a pillar tied
with a woman's cloth, in fact, everywhere. The mind is charged with very
powerful and lustful thoughts. A God-intoxicated man, on the contrary, sees God
in a tree, a stone, boy, child, girl, cow, dog-in fact, in everything. "Sarvam
khalvidam brahma."
A Jivanmukta, though he has
infinite powers, cannot express all his Siddhis through his finite mind.
Extract from the book: MIND ITS MYSTERIES AND CONTROL
