ATMA BODHA 49

 

ATMA BODHA 49

“JEEVANMUKTHASTHU TAD-VIDVAN POORVO-PADHIGUNAN-TYAJET

SACHIDANAND- ROOPATTWAT BHAVED BHRAMARA-KEETAVAT.”

“A LIBERATED PERSON ENDOWED WITH SELF-KNOWLEDGE GIVES UP THE QUALITIES OFHIS  EARLIER EXPLAINED EQUIPMENTS ( UPADHIS)> IT IS BECAUSE OF HIS NATURE OF SAT-CHIT-ANANDA. HE VERILY BECOMES BRAHMAN LIKE (LIKE THE WORM THAT GROWS TO BE) A WASP.”

A liberated person is called Jeevanmuktha when he realizes the infinitude of his existence as the SELF even while living in this world. He is the one who through his Self-realization has become totally free from ignorance or avidya even as he lives. This avidya continues to exist as long as its experiences (prarabda) last. He is the enlightened soul that has so well integrated his spiritual personality as to renounce fully the properties of the matter surrounding him and the ego with the help of his upright, physical and intellectual activities. He is one of the fortunate few who has died the “mystic death”: the death of his personal limited individuality.

Such a liberated soul lives a life of a spiritual giant.He is unshakable in his inward experiences. He has liberated himself from all the attractions around him. He lives as the SELF in his own Divine SELF. There is no longer any bondage for him from the gross, subtle, and causal bodies.(upadhis) As the knower of the Brahman, he becomes the Brahman just as the worm that becomes a wasp. “ Brahma vid Brahmaiva bhavati”

Sankara illustrates the point by the example of how the wasp builds its nest!  The wasp builds its mud nest with no other outlet but a small hole in it.  Having done so, it places a small worm. It stings the worm now and then and sits at the door constantly. The helpless worm is compelled to look at the terrible wasp constantly. With such single pointed contemplation over the form and nature of the wasp, the worm  grows itself with wings and is totally metamorphosed into a wasp itself!

When the yogi, through the negation of matter and the assertions of the spirit meditates for years upon the3 Divine nature of the SEL, his ego centric limited individuality drops off its worm-existence. It transforms itself into the nature of the LIFe Principle, the SELF!!