Question and answer 28

Disciple: As long as there is an inner instrument, its native restlessness does not leave even the jñānī. That does not harm his liberation after the body falls; but because of it the happiness of liberation while living does not shine, so it is an obstacle. Must not the jñānī also practise upāsanā to remove it?

Guru: For the one whose knowledge is firm, samādhi and distraction are the same, so he does nothing for the sake of stilling the inner instrument. The jñānī has no ignorance, which is the cause of worldly activity, no delusion of difference, which is its effect, and no attachment and aversion, which are effects of that. Only prārabdha remains, and his activity comes from that. Since prārabdha differs with each person, there is no fixed rule about the activity it gives rise to. So the jñānī's engaging and withdrawing depend on prārabdha. Like Janaka and others, through a prārabdha that leads to enjoyment, one may have the desire for enjoyment and the effort to gain it; like Śuka, Vāmadeva and others, through a prārabdha that leads to withdrawal, one may long for the happiness of liberation while living and turn from enjoyment. Mere stillness of the inner instrument does not make the bliss of Brahman shine in particular. It shines only through the mode that takes the form of Brahman; that mode arises only through reflecting on the meaning of Vedānta; and that alone also removes restlessness. So even the one who wants the happiness of liberation while living needs reflection on the meaning of Vedānta, and has no need of upāsanā.

Disciple: As long as there is the inner instrument, since its innate property, restlessness, does not leave even the jñānī, though it is no harm to liberation after the body, since by it the happiness of liberation while living does not shine, being an obstacle, to remove it must not the jñānī too practise upāsanā?

Guru: For the one of firm knowledge, since samādhi and distraction are equal, he does not engage in anything for the sake of the stillness of the inner instrument. For the jñānī there are no ignorance, the cause of activity, nor its effect, the delusion of difference, nor its effects, attachment and aversion. Prārabdha alone remains; it causes his activity. That too, since it is various by the difference of persons, in the activity born of prārabdha karma there is no fixed rule. Hence the jñānī's engagement and withdrawal depend on prārabdha. Therefore, like Janaka and others, by prārabdha that is the cause of enjoyment, desire for enjoyment and effort to attain it, and, like Śuka, Vāmadeva and others, by prārabdha that is the cause of withdrawal, desire for the happiness of liberation while living and distaste for enjoyment arise. By mere stillness of the inner instrument the bliss of Brahman does not shine in particular. Because it shines by the mode of the form of Brahman alone, because that arises by reflection on the meaning of Vedānta alone, and because by this alone restlessness too goes away, even one who has desire for the happiness of liberation while living must practise reflection on the meaning of Vedānta, and need not practise upāsanā.