Amana is a Sanskrit term which means ‘without mind’. Amanaskata is a condition where there is no mind. It is mindlessness. This is the state in which jivanmuktas or liberated beings exist.
Who is a Jivanmukta:
A Jivanmukta’s state* is described in laudatory and eulogizing terms in all vedic scriptures.
[* : Special Note on the word “State”: We normally use this word to describe a phase or a transitory condition. It implicitly indicates that there are other states in which an entity could exist. But this is not the sense we use the word here. What we try to convey is the ‘disposition’, natural isness of Jivanmukta after one achieves ‘realization’.
So the ‘state’ of Jivanmukta is not something that comes and goes. As per Advaita Vedanta, this state is always there; other states, conditions may superimpose on that veiling it, making it invisible. For lack of a better word, we shall continue to use ‘state’ to denote the position of a Jivanmukta in order to differentiate from the condition or disposition of an ordinary seeker who has not yet reached that ‘state.’]
A Jivanmukta is a Knower of Brahman. He is ever immersed in Brahman. The apparent world is unreal to him and lacks true existence. He is Existence-Consciousness-Bliss. He is Truth-Knowledge-Infinity. He is forever happy unmindful of and unaffected by the goings on in the world. He is Brahman.
A Jivanmukta’s ‘self’ stays merged with the Supreme Self or the Cosmic Consciousness. His mind is totally tranquil, equanimous and always focused on Brahman. He is the world and the world is him. He is in close intimacy with every thing around much like an atom, which loses its individuality in a Bose-Einstein Condensate. In this intimacy, he loses his individual ID and consequently it is the end or ‘death’ of his separate individuating ‘personality’. This intimacy is called Universal love (‘maitri’).
A Jivanmukta’s behaviour and actions, his day to day life and working are, however, described to be indistinguishable from any ordinary man. Hence we do not have any externally visible and readily identifiable traits of a Jivanmukta. So we have to understand first without any ambiguity who is a Jivanmukta.
The best and simplest working definition for Jivanmukta adopted for the current study is taken from that given by direct path Advaitins.
“A Jivanmukta is one in whom a separate sense of ‘self’ has collapsed.”
We shall use this definition for all of our future reference in this paper.
Does a Jivanmukta have a Mind?:
Note: The term ‘mind’ is used here in a generic sense to encompass all activities related to mentation. Mind in Neuroscience and in the Western languages may have slightly a different connotation. In order to avoid awkward expressions or new terminology, we shall continue to use the word mind and the context itself makes it clear the sense in which it is used.]
A jivanmukta is a sage free from the trammels of births and deaths while living. Though the instinctive mind with low desires has been destroyed in him, his spiritual sattwic mind does not perish. Like flowers and fruits that are latent in a seed, a residue of sattwa, the cause of intelligence, rests always in the heart. If the mind were completely annihilated as soon as one attained jnana, the jivanmukti state would be impossible. How would the jivanmukta be able to undertake worldly dealings without the instrument of the mind? Therefore, a jnani identifies himself with the all-pervading Brahman and uses his mind and body as his instruments for worldly activities, whereas an ajnani (ignorant person) identifies himself with his body. There have been cases of jivanmuktas like Raja Janaka who attained jnana and utilized their mind and body in this manner for the well-being of humanity at large.
The world does not disappear absolutely, as is supposed, in the jivanmukti state. The empirical world ceases to exist, but this does not mean annihilation. It merely means that existence changes its form and colour, as it were, for the Absolute. It is empirical existence and not all existence that vanishes. Existence-reality remains, but its limited forms vanish. Externality has to go; spatial and temporal views of things must go; causal determination of one thing by another must go; many-ness and oneness must go. This is inevitable.
The mind of a jnani cannot be termed as mind, but only as tattwa (thing-in-itself). That which gets differentiated through diverse objects is the mind. Just as the mind is free from identification with objects in the deep sleep state in all, it is free from any such identification in the waking state also in a jnani. The world appears to him as a mere dream. He dwells in Brahman even while working.
Self-Knowledge leads one to a state of null mind (amanaska). Sankara says that it happens by itself (i.e. it is not causated). Modifications in the mind and their root-cause, intentions, too cease in a Jivanmukta. He transcends the mind. All his impressions (vasanas) collapse and he loses all thoughts of and about the world. The state of Jivanmukta will be as if he is in deep sleep but with Awareness (Yoganidra) unlike our deep sleep when we are ignorant of who we are.
In other words Self-Realization is synonymous to ending the mind. J. Krishnamurti calls it ‘emptying the mind’. A zero-thought position describes the state of a Jivanmukta. How does then a Jivanmukta continue to live and function in the world with an annihilated mind because mind is required to sense the world and transact within it?
We get many such doubts about Advaita philosophy. Much of the Advaita argot appears awfully ambiguous and confusing to us. Yogavaasishta, an Advaita text attributed to Sage Valmiki (of Ramayana fame), but considered to be of a later period by some, explicates and clearly explains many of these intricacies of Advaita philosophy.
Yogavasishta clearly states that the world does not end as long as mind exists (See Ref: 1). Regarding the mind of a Jivanmukta, the story of Sage Vitahavya was narrated to show how Vitahavya annihilated his mind through Knowledge. Sage Vasishta, observed that as a result, Vitahavya obtained noble qualities like universal affection (maitri). The dialog between Sage Vasishta (the Teacher) and Rama (the Pupil) went on the following lines at this point:
Rama: “Just a second Sir! On one hand you say that the mind was annihilated. On the other hand you say that noble qualities like universal affection have arisen. When mind itself was gone, where could these noble qualities reside?”
Vasishta: “Annihilation of mind is of two types. One is ‘Annulment of mind With Retention of Form [in memory]’. The other is Annulment of mind Without Retention of Form’. The annihilation of mind of the Jivanmuktas is of the first type. Videhamuktas achieve the other type of annihilation. [Jivanmukta is one who is liberated and is still living in his body and Videhamukta is one who is liberated without the body [dead!] ]. Vitahavya obtained annihilation of mind with retention of form at that time. Hence universal affection and other good qualities generated in it.”
Rama: “Sorry Sir! I am unable to follow. What is meant by annulment of mind? How could there be a form for a mind that is destroyed? How can a mind that is destroyed function again? Please do explain a bit more.”
Vasishta: “Rama! An annulled or annihilated or ‘Calmed Down’ Mind is the mind of a steadfast individual whose equipoise is not disturbed by external conditions of sorrow or happiness just like a mountain does not get affected by the inhalations and exhalations of a passerby man.
“His is a Calmed Down Mind whose expansiveness is not reduced by delimiting concepts of ‘we – they’.
“His mind is a ‘Calmed Down Mind’, if his face does not alter in expression under conditions of pleasure or peril, treasure or threat, incentives or impediments.……. In this state he gets rid of the idea that the world is true. His mind shines forth in its Pure, Pristine and True form.
“As far as ‘Annulment of Mind Without Form’ is concerned, it is a state obtained only in liberation without the body. There is no question of any impressions being residual in this state. Hence neither virtuous qualities like universal affection nor performance of actions related to them exist in a Videhamukta.”
Later on, Sage Vasishta also clarified that it was wrong to assume that the world would not be visible to Jivanmuktas. He said that the entire world would appear to them as pure Brahman (Pure Consciousness). He added, “Jivanmuktas experience sorrows and happiness in a similar way as they did in the past. The difference is that these experiences will be like burnt out seeds. Their actions and experiences do not create new impressions.”
Duel Consciousness:
An occultist learns through self-control and discipline to work on two planes at once: to be partly out of his body even as he is working on the physical plane, so that while he is writing or speaking, he may be doing other things with his astral body. When such is the case with an occultist, little need be said of a full-blown jnani who is resting in his own swarupa, essential nature. A jnani has dual consciousness. He has consciousness of Brahman as well as of the world. He sees the world as a dream within himself. A jnani is always in samadhi. There is no ‘in samadhi’ and ‘out of samadhi’ for a jnani like that for a raja yogi.
When you see an object with your eyes, you know that it is through the light of the sun that you are able to see it. You have a double drishti, vision. Similarly, a jnani always has a double drishti when he performs worldly activities. Even when he works, he knows he is not working; he is unattached. Even though he sees the world, it is all Brahman and Brahman for him.
Experience of Oneness:
A God-intoxicated jivanmukta sees God in a tree, a stone, boy, child, girl, cow, dog; in fact, in everything. He feels that the universe is filled with one life, that there is no such thing as blind force or dead matter and that all is alive, vibrating and intelligent. He experiences a sense of universality, a consciousness of eternal life. He who has cosmic consciousness feels that all the universe is his. He is one with the Supreme Lord, with universal knowledge and life. He acquires the celestial eye and experiences bliss beyond understanding or description.
The Case for Neuronal Correlates of a Jivanmukta’s Mind:
Jivanmukti is a ‘state’ when the sense of one’s existence as a separate entity distinct from what is around ceases. Yet this loss of individuation occurs within and to an individual. The man does not evaporate into thin air on Realization, on becoming a Jivanmukta, like the snake disappearing on seeing the rope. His body very well continues to exist in the world with all its needs for food and oxygen, experiences, joys and sufferings etc. The man (or rather his body) continues to be physically present and so does a mind that goes with the body. The ancient Indians conceived of an intangible mental body and mental world made up of very subtle ‘mindstuff’ to explain mind. Bhagavad-Gita (III – 42) gives a pecking order with increasing superiority of status and a concomitant fineness to mind and intellect with respect to the gross visible body as follows:
Physical Body --> Indriyas (Sense Organs)--> Manas (Mind) -->Buddhi (Intellect)--> Tat (Nameless ‘That’ or Brahman).
Ancient Indian tradition envisaged four distinct functional aspects of the mind, each different from the other. The four aspects are: (i) Thoughts and counter thoughts; (ii) Intellect; (iii) Memory; and (iv) I-consciousness or ego. In general as per modern usage, however, the word ‘mind’ subsumes all the four functions.
Neuroscience tells us that these are the functions of the brain or in other words, mind is nothing but what the brain does.
Brain scans using the latest imaging techniques record the activity of the cells (neurons, interneurons, glia). The activity pattern is relatable to the thoughts or other functions that happen in the brain. So brain is clearly the seat of mind. Whatever was attributed to physically invisible ‘mindstuff’ [mind] by the ancients can be seen in the brain using techniques like magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), Diffusion-weighted MRI, single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), positron emission tomography (PET), diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), arterial spin labelling magnetic resonance imaging (ASL MRI), magnetoencephalography, etc. in addition to the more simple electroencephalography (EEG). These are sensing systems beyond the immediate capability of our physical sensory organs.
The “Form” of mind is still said to be retained in a Jivanmukta, though vasanas (except in trace residual quantities) and mind are annihilated. Therefore, if we can identify such traits which can be observed in the brain of a Jivanmukta, we will have certain “characteristic markers” to differentiate a Jivanmukta from an ordinary man, though the physical body may not show any external difference detectable by the human senses.
Stripping out the hyperbole, mysticism, esoteric and ‘other worldly’ attributes and complex descriptors, let us see what Non-Dualism says.
On the attainment of Liberation “I” and “World” become One.
“I” loses its (individuating) status as a subject perceiving a separate object “World” out there.
When a distinct perceiver “I” is no more present, it logically follows that a distant perceived “World” also cannot be present (because there is no one to see it).
[Note: In other words, an object cannot and does not ‘exist’ by itself without a subject ‘seeing’ it. Putting it differently, as Advaita Vedanta holds, true “Existence” (transcending time periods of past, present and future) is intrinsic to “Subject” only. An object may exist for a period of time (however long may be the period), but it is considered as lacking ‘True Existence’ if it is ‘born’ at a time and ‘ends’ at another time.]
What will then remain is only “Am-ness” or “Being-ness” or simply “Existence” of whatever That Is. If this sounds as too much mumbo-jumbo, let us translate this into simple English.
Sentence 1:
“I See the World.” – (i.e. ‘I’ am here and the ‘world’ is out there).
Sentence 2:
“I Am the World” or “The World Is Me” -- (i.e. No distinctions through ‘names and forms’ are seen).
Sentence 3:
“Whatever that All Is, simply IS” -- (i.e. Just Seeingness or Is-ness is the remnant once the triad of observer-observing-observed differentiation ends, thus establishing Unity).”
The transformation of Sentence 1 to 3 in an individual is Liberation.
Sentence 1 is a phenomenon of normal perception. It involves the sense organs and sensory cortex in the brain. As it transforms to Sentence 3., via Sentence 2., there is no apparent reason to say there are no attendant cognitive changes (invoking Occam’s Razor). Further, the change is happening within and to a specific individual. So this change in cognition has to show up in that specific liberated Individual’s brain areas and their activities. (We cannot, though, rule out related changes in other body parts e.g. endocrine system).
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