Jivanmukta

Description

The various texts and schools of Hinduism describe the jīvanmukti state of existence as one of liberation and freedom reached within one's lifetime. Some contrast jīvanmukti with videhamukti (moksha from samsāra after death). According to these ancient Hindu Philosophical texts, Jīvanmukti is a state that transforms the nature, attributes and behaviors of an individual.

For example, according to Nāradaparivrājaka Upanishad, the enlightened individual shows attributes such as:

• He is not bothered by disrespect and endures cruel words, treats others with respect regardless of how others treat him;
• He when confronted by an angry person he does not return anger, instead replies with soft and kind words;
• Even if tortured, he speaks and trusts the truth;
• He does not crave for blessings or expect praise from others;
• He never injures or harms any life or being (ahimsā), he is intent in the welfare of all beings;
• He is as comfortable being alone as in the presence of others;
• He is as comfortable with a bowl, at the foot of a tree in tattered robe without help, as when he is in a mithuna (union of mendicants), grama (village) and nagara (city);
• He does not care about or wear śikhā (tuft of hair on the back of head for religious reasons), nor the holy thread across his body. To him, knowledge is śikhā, knowledge is the holy thread, knowledge alone is supreme. Outer appearances and rituals do not matter to him, only knowledge matters;
• For him there is no invocation nor dismissal of deities, no mantra nor non-mantra, no prostrations nor worship of gods, goddess or ancestors, nothing other than knowledge;
• He is humble, high-spirited, of clear and steady mind, straightforward, compassionate, patient, indifferent, courageous, speaks firmly and with sweet words.

Advaita view

Ādi Śankara explains that nothing can induce one to act who has no desire of his own to satisfy. The supreme limit of Vairāgya ("non-attachment"), is the non-springing of Vāsanās in respect of enjoyable objects; the non-springing of the sense of the "I" (in things which are the Ānatman) is the extreme limit of bodhā ("awakening"), and the non-springing again of the modifications which have ceased is the extreme limit of Uparati ("abstinence"). The Jīvanmukta, by reason of his ever being Brahman, is freed from awareness of external objects and is no longer aware of any difference between the inner ātman and Brahman, or between Brahman and the world. He knows that he is Brahman. "Vijnātabrahmatattvasya yathāpūrvam na samsrtih" – "there is no saṃsāra as before for one who has known Brahman".

There are three kinds of Prārabdha Karma: Ichha ("personally desired"), Anichhā ("without desire") and Parechhā ("due to others' desire"). For a self-realized person, a Jīvanmukta, there is no ichhā-prārabdha but the two others, anichhāa and parechhā, remain, which even a jīvanmukta has to undergo. According to the Advaita school, for those of wisdom, prārabdha is liquidated only by experience of its effects; sancita ("accumulated karmas") and āgami ("future karmas") are destroyed in the fire of Dñāna ("knowledge").

In the śramaṇic traditions, the jīvanmukta is called an arhat in Buddhism and arihant in Jainism.

Implication

The Advaita school holds the view that the world appearance is owing to Avidyā (ignorance) that has the power to project i.e. to superimpose the unreal on the real (Adhyāsa), and also the power to conceal the real resulting in the delusion of the Jīva who experiences objects created by his mind and sees difference in this world, he sees difference between the Ātman ("the individual self") and Brahman ("the supreme Self"). This delusion caused by ignorance is destroyed when ignorance itself is destroyed by knowledge. When all delusion is removed there remains no awareness of difference. He who sees no difference between Self and Brahman is said to be a Jīvanmukta.

Significance

The Advaita philosophy rests on the premise that noumenally the Absolute alone exists, Nature, Souls and God are all merged in the Absolute; the Universe is one, that there is no difference within it, or without it; Brahman is alike throughout its structure, and the knowledge of any part of it is the knowledge of the whole (Brihadarānyaka Upanishad II.4.6-14), and, since all causation is ultimately due to Brahman, since everything beside Brahman is an appearance, the Atman is the only entity that exists and nothing else. All elements emanated from the Atman (Taittirīya Upanishad II.1) and all existence is based on Intellect (Aitareya Upanishad III.3). The universe created by Brahman from a part of itself is thrown out and re-absorbed by the Immutable Brahman (Mundaka Upanishad I.1.7). Therefore, the Jīva (the individual self) is non-different from Brahman (the supreme Self), and the Jīva, never bound, is ever liberated. Through Self-consciousness one gains the knowledge of existence and realizes Brahman.

Karma and jivanmukti

In karma theory, actions are classified as prarabhda (ripened, already bearing results), samcita (accumulated but not yet active), and anagata (future). Future and accumulated karma may be altered or destroyed, but prarabhda karma must be experienced once it has begun. According to Vijnanabhikshu and other Vedanta, Samkhya, and Yoga thinkers, liberating knowledge destroys samcita karma but not prarabhda, leading to jivanmukti. In this state, the jiva has attained liberating knowledge and continues to live in the body until the ripened karmas are exhausted and no new karma is generated.