jIvan mukta's world view

[Vidyasankar]

>Does the world vanish from the eyes when knowledge dawns? A jIvan mukta

No. gunA guNeShu vartante - the physical eye will still see the world as
part of its daily operation, but the inner vision that everything is
consciousness alone will not thereby be negated.

>still sees world when he partakes food, takes rest, or goes around temples
>etc., This means that the nAma-rUpa-kriyA appears as is in the eyes of the
>jIvan mukta as well. But we are certain that He is devoid of delusion.
>If one doesn't see nAma-rUpa-kriyA, but sees a homogeneous existence we
>would expect a motion-less state in his gross body. But we don't see this
>in jIvan muktas..

There are many jIvanmuktas who remain in a motionless state, popularly
called samAdhi, for long periods of time. But it is not necessary that all
jIvanmuktas should remain motionless.

The persistence of the body after the rise of knowledge is due to the
residual momentum of prArabdha karma - the action that was already begun
prior to the rise of knowledge (not just in the present body but in all
births prior). The jIvanmukta will not starve the body to death, as that
sets a wrong example for normal human beings. Hence it is traditionally
allowed to eat, in order to satisfy the normal rise of hunger.

There is no reason to expect that the senses will operate any differently
after the rise of knowledge. The point is that despite the disparate sensory
inputs to the complex of mind and intellect (antaHkaraNa), the jIvanmukta
knows the unity of the Self.


>> Sri Vidyashankar wrote:
>> No, for ultimately speaking, all action stems from avidyA.
>
>Should this be qualified with the aspect of doership in light of the
>fact that jIvan muktas also perform action?

There have been many advaitins who have written that there is a remnant of
avidyA even in the case of the jIvanmukta, which accounts for their doing
actions. According to these teachers, we must distinguish between
jIvan-mukti (liberation while remaining embodied), which awaits a
videha-mukti (final release from the present embodiment) and sadyo-mukti
(immediate liberation).

Vidyasankar