Miscellaneous - Religion   

Man of Self-realisation

CHENNAI : Liberation from bondage being the goal of human birth, scriptures emphasise that it should be attained in this birth and must not be postponed because there is no guarantee that one would be reborn as a human being. According to Advaita Vedanta liberation is possible while living (Jivanmukti) and such a man of Self-realisation continues to live enabling others also to emulate his ideal till the Karma which brought about this birth is exhausted while all other Karma are nullified by Self-knowledge at the time of Self-realisation. This is compared to a potter's wheel, which once set into motion has to come to a stop only when the force, which propelled it is dissipated.

In his discourse, Sri N.Veezhinathan said the Self (Atman) had no connection with the body-mind-intellect personality but the sense of identity and individuality was felt due to ignorance (Avidya). Jivanmukti is a state in which the performance of obligatory duties has been transcended but the scriptures emphasise that to reach this level one has to necessarily perform the prescribed duties. When action is performed without attachment to the result and for the sake of God it becomes Karma yoga and hence such action will not cause further bondage. This further purifies the mind of its latent tendencies, which is the preparatory stage for embarking on scriptural study leading to the path of knowledge (Jnana yoga).

What are the distinguishing marks of a Jivanmukta? Arjuna raised this doubt to Lord Krishna when He expounded the truth in the Bhagavad Gita: "What is the definition (mark) of a God-realised soul, stable of mind and established in perfect tranquillity of mind (Samadhi)? How does the man of stable mind speak, how does he sit, how does he walk?" The Gita says that such a person will have no cravings in his mind and remains satisfied in the bliss of the Self.

Like a tortoise, which withdraws its limbs from all directions, the Self-realised man also withdraws his senses from the sense objects and keeps his mind stable. Another quality is remaining unperturbed when someone provokes him. One may certainly wonder of what use is a man of realisation to the world. The work Jivanmuktiviveka says that there will indescribable peace in the presence of such sagely persons. Vidyaranya says that even the accidental glance of a Jivanmukta will wipe away all sins.

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