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[anand hudli]

On Thu, 27 Jun 1996, Giri wrote:

>         Ok, it is my feeling (and I may be very much wrong) is that the
> Brahmajnana is *everyone's* natural state. Should the death of
> the body be dependent on jnana ? I am curious to know what the advaita
> position on this issue is.
>
>
   The position of advaita, according to my understanding, is as follows.
  Even after the attainment of jnaana, the body may continue due to what
  are called praarabdha karmas. All karmas may be classified as 1) those
  which are yet to fructify, 2) those which has started to fructify and
  3) those which will fructify in future. This makes, of course, the
  standard assumption that all karmas must bear fruit sometime after they
  are performed.

  What jnaana does is to burn up karmas belonging to categories 1) and
  3) above. That is, a jnaani's previous karmas which are yet to bear fruit
  will be burned up by jnaana, so these karmas will have no effect
  whatsoever. So also, karmas which a jnaani may perform after the
  attainment of jnaana will have no effect on him. The remaining karmas
  are those belonging to category 2). These are not destroyed by jnaana,
  because they have started to fructify. Such karmas are responsible for
  the continued existence of the body and its functions. These karmas
  are called praarabdha karmas. The jnaani's body continues to exist but
  the he/she does not identify himself/herself with the body any more.
  After the praarabdha karmas are exhausted, the body dies and the jnaani
 attains the much coveted "videha mukti."

  The time for which the jnaani's body lives after the dawn of jnaana is
  dependent on the amount of praarabdha karmas he/she has accumulated
  in the past lives and in this life before the attainment of jnaana.
  The body may thus live for 21 days or 10 years or 20 years or any
  period of time. Some jnaani's, even after becoming jnaani's, live up
  to a ripe old age. Some die young. The notion that the body dies after
  21 days is not supported by this theory.

  Anand