MIND : Its Mysteries & Its Control - Chapter-38 : Swami Sivananda.

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Wednesday, April 26, 2023. 08:00. 

Chapter - 38 : The Mind In A Jivanmukta :

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Chapter - 38 : 

The Mind In A Jivanmukta :

“Dehabhimane galite vijnate paramatman

Yatra yatra mano yati tatra tatra samadhayah”

“With the disappearance of the attachment of the body and with the realisation ofthe Supreme Self, to whatever object the mind is directed, one experiences Samadhi.”

Amana is a Sanskrit term which means ‘without mind.’ “Amanaskata” is acondition where there is no mind. It is mindlessness. You will find this in Jivanmuktas orliberated sages.

1.Residual Sattva :

Jivanmukta is a sage free (from the trammels of births and deaths) while living. Evenin 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, aresidue of Sattva, the cause of intelligence, rests always in the heart. If you say thathis mind is completely annihilated as soon as he attains Jnana, Jivanmukti state isimpossible. How will he be able to do Vyavahara (worldly dealings) without an instrumentviz., the mind? A Jnani identifies himself with the all-pervading Brahman and useshis mind and body as His instruments for Vyavahara (worldly activities); an Ajnaniidentifies himself with his body. There have been cases of Jivanmuktas like Raja Janakawho attained Jnana and who utilised mind and body in this manner for the well-being of thehumanity at large.

Sri Rama and Sri Krishna were ever resting on Brahman even when they were ruling theirkingdoms. 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 theirinstruments when they were doing various activities.

2.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 merelymeans that existence changes its form and colour, as it were, for the Absolute. It isempirical existence and not all-existence which vanishes. Existence-Reality remains, butits limited forms vanish. Externality has to go; spatial and temporal views of things mustgo; 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 theliberated soul. It will merely change its form, meaning and significance. Nothing willdisappear except a false view, a limited horizon, erroneous idea and a circumscribedvision. Fact, Reality, Existence, however, will remain as fundamental as ever; but theviewpoint will change.

The mind of the Jnanis cannot be termed as a mind, but only as Tattva (Reality). Thatwhich gets differentiated through diverse objects is the mind. The mind of a Jnani, on theother hand, becomes stainless, like copper transmuted into gold by alchemic process. Themind of a Jnani is Sattva itself, while persons without Jnana will follow the path chalkedout by their minds. When a Jnani sees outside, he may simply see, but the Vritti may notassume Vishayakara as in the case of worldly-minded persons. Just as the mind is free fromany Vishayakara in deep-sleep state in all, it is free from any Vishayakara in the wakingstate also in a Jnani. The world appears to him as a mere dream. He dwells in Brahman evenwhile working. In those that have cognised their Self, the pure Vasanas with which theyperform Karmas will not entail them rebirths. The mind of such a Jnani is called Sattvic,but a mind without Jnana is generally termed Manas.

3.The Perfectly Balanced Mind :

Now, mark the nature of the mind of a Jivanmukta. It is perfectly balanced under allcircumstances. His mind is always cool and unaffected by the Dvandvas (pairs ofopposites). His mind is free from Harsha and Soka (elation and depression). It is neitherelated by enjoyments nor depressed by sorrow and grief. Without being affected by thepleasures or pains of enjoyments though moving in them, the mind of a Jivanmukta willbecome inured to them. Through internal contentment and freedom from pains, there willarise in the Jnani an equanimity of mind in all circumstances and at all places. Even whenpains and the rest attaching themselves to his body exhibit themselves on his face, hismind never writhes under them or their antithesis. It is free from impure Vasanas. Therewill 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 notaffected by the world. He need not have a separate room or Asana. He need not close theeyes. 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.

4.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 physicalplane; so that, while he is writing or speaking, he may be doing other things with hisastral body. When such is the case with an occultist, little need be said of a full-blownJnani who is resting on his own Svarupa. A Jnani has dual consciousness. He hasconsciousness of Brahman as well as consciousness of the world. He sees the world as adream within himself. A Jnani is always in Samadhi. There is no ‘in Samadhi’ and ‘out ofSamadhi’ 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 onthe second reed or the fourth reed according to the strength and power of your voice. Thenyou begin to play on the various reeds. The Sapta Svaras are pronounced now. You can playnow various Raga-Raginis. He who is aware of the main Sruti can be compared to a Jnani whoknows the Atman or support for this universe. He who is aware of the Sapta Svara onlywithout knowing the fundamental Sruti is like an Ajnani who is unaware of the Atman, butwho 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 sunthat you are able to see it. You have a double Drishti. Similarly, a Jnani has always adouble Drishti when he does Vyavahara. Even when he works, he knows he is not working; heis unattached. Even though he sees the world, it is all Brahman and Brahman for him.

5.Sama Bhava And Sama Drishti :

There is a slight difference between Sama Bhava and Sama Drishti. The former is thecondition 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 Atmanalone in a scavenger and a king.

When you are expecting to meet a friend of yours at the railway station, the mind triesto see him in several other persons with a like physiognomy (Sadrisya), because the mindis engrossed with the one idea of meeting a particular friend at a particular time. Themind is very eager to see him. A lustful young man sees a woman in a pillar tied with awoman’s cloth, in fact, everywhere. The mind is charged with very powerful and lustfulthoughts. 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 hisfinite mind.

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Next
Chapter - 39
The Powers Of A Yogi :
To be continued

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