[Advaita-l] jIvanmukti (liberation right in this life) - A State or Status

V Subrahmanian v.subrahmanian at gmail.com
Wed Mar 25 05:26:04 EDT 2020


On Tue, Mar 24, 2020 at 10:48 PM Ramesam Vemuri <vemuri.ramesam at gmail.com>
wrote:

> Namaskarams, Subrahmanian Garu.
>
>
> In contrast, some of the modern teachers seem to speak about living the
> life as a *jIvanmukta* reaping the rewards of *jnAna phalam*.
>

In a way, the above could be seen positively too, for Shankara, at the
commencement of the delineation of the sthitaprajna (jivanmukta) traits in
the Bh.G 2nd ch. says:

यो ह्यादित एव संन्यस्य कर्माणि ज्ञानयोगनिष्ठायां प्रवृत्तः, यश्च कर्मयोगेन,
तयोः ‘प्रजहाति’ इत्यारभ्य आ अध्यायपरिसमाप्तेः स्थितप्रज्ञलक्षणं साधनं
चोपदिश्यते । सर्वत्रैव हि अध्यात्मशास्त्रे कृतार्थलक्षणानि यानि तान्येव
साधनानि उपदिश्यन्ते, यत्नसाध्यत्वात् । यानि यत्नसाध्यानि साधनानि लक्षणानि च
भवन्ति तानि श्रीभगवानुवाच —
श्रीभगवानुवाच — प्रजहाति यदा कामान्सर्वान्पार्थ मनोगतान् । आत्मन्येवात्मना
तुष्टः स्थितप्रज्ञस्तदोच्यते ॥ ५५ ॥
//In the entire Adhyatma Shastra, the scripture related to the Self, the
traits of the Jivanmukta alone constitute the means for the aspirant since
the goal of jivanmukti is attainable by effort. Hence, those traits that
are attainable thru effort are being explained here...//
So, it is a kind of imitation. One has to consciously come to 'behave',
conduct, like a Jivanmukta.
regars
subbu

>
>
> Of course, there are special historical, *purAnic *and* itihAsic*
> "personalities" specifically working for the betterment of society as
> liberated individuals, but that is a different situation altogether.  I am
> not referring to such individuals.
>
>
> A seeker primarily aims at liberation. S/he does not "hope" at spending
> the life as a* jIvanmukta*. Is there a discernible shift in the teaching?
>
> ***
>
> Thanks Roberto Mallon Fedriani for the reference. I am familiar with
> Prof. L. E. Nelson's paper on the subject.
>
>
>
>
>


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