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"The
Jīvanmukta Changes Nothing" A Conversation Beyond
Illusion Introduction In a
recent exchange with a thoughtful druid mystic, we traced a deceptively
simple philosophical minim — “The jīvanmukta
changes nothing” — to its deeper roots in the Upanishads, Vedānta, and lived Hindua metaphysical insight. What
began as an exploration of Advaita Vedānta’s
standard interpretations evolved into a correction of its excesses —
and a return to a more sober, monist realism. This post
distils the key insights from that dialogue — not as a summary, but as an
unfolding reflection. The Druid Minim: A Surface and a Depth At first
glance, the statement “The jīvanmukta
changes nothing” might sound like a quietist slogan: the enlightened
person withdraws, does nothing, transcends the world. But the druid
challenged that view — and the reasoning behind it. He asked: ·
Does the jīvanmukta
“do nothing”? ·
Is action suspended in liberation? ·
Or is that a projection — a spiritualised
fiction? The
answer, we found, is not in negation but in recognition. From Non-Dualism to Monism: No Second Thing Shankara’s
standard Advaita often leans on a two-tiered ontology: vyāvahārika
(empirical reality) and pāramārthika
(absolute reality). But this distinction, while pedagogically useful,
conceals a deeper intuition of the Upanishads: There is
only one (thing/procedure). And that one (thing/procedure) is functioning. We turned
to Chāndogya Upaniṣad
6.2.1, where the phrase “eke tattva” (one principle) gives rise to
a monist metaphysics. The jīvanmukta,
in this light, is not a salvation seeker escaping duality but someone who has
ceased misreading the world. Not because he sees through it, but
because he sees it. Fidelity Without Ethics A central
correction in our dialogue concerned ethics. Ethics, as we clarified,
is an emergent, local phenomenon — not the ground of the jīvanmukta’s activity. He does not act out of
compassion, duty, or virtue. He acts because it is his function to do so
— and he identifies perfectly with that function. We
reframed what is often called “non-doer-ship” as a kind of deep fidelity
— not moral, not emotional, but ontological. “This is
perfect doing to complete Brahman’s function.” No
reform, no mission, no ego. Just the world, operating precisely as it must —
with the jīvanmukta as part of that
unfolding. Rejecting the ‘Burnt Rope’ View The druid
critiqued Adi Śaṅkara’s metaphor of the burnt rope — the
idea that a jīvanmukta’s actions are empty of
power or effect. This, he concluded, is not metaphysics, as description of
the essential or Ground, but apologetics: an attempt to preserve karma theory
from the implications of true liberation. In
contrast, he affirmed: The jīvanmukta acts. He functions. Because Brahman
functions. No Need to Change What Is Already Whole And so,
we returned to the minim: This is
not passivity, not stoicism, not sanctified inaction. Because: “Everyone is Brahman in
their space.” Like a
mature adult who no longer dreams of utopias, he neither withdraws nor
intervenes. He participates. But he does not agitate. He no longer
imagines the world must be different than it is. Conclusion: On Growing Up, Metaphysically The jīvanmukta, in the end, is not a mystic. He, as
atman, functions as mature, independent adult —fully conscious of his
identity with Brahman. He no longer seeks transcendence, improvement, or
withdrawal. He just does as he must. He fully
understands life. |