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Men and God
223
Avidya vanishes, the true soul stands self-revealed, free from the impurities, as the star shines in a cloudless night.84 The nature of the liberated soul is a state of oneness with Brahman. Mokşa is described negatively, as the state of freedom where there is neither day nor night, where the stream of time has stopped and where the sun and the stars are no longer seen.
The state of perfection of Mokşa neeed not be attained only after shedding off this bodily existence. It is possible to attain such a state in this life only. The conception of Jivanmukta has, therefore, played an important part in the ancient thought. Samkara admits the possibility kramamukti (gradual liberation). He says that the meditation of 'Om' leads one to the Brahmaloka where one gradually attains perfect knowledge." He also admits the possibility of perfection and freedom from pain even in this life. As the potter's wheel continues for a time to revolve even after the vessel has been completed, so also life continues even after liberation for some time. In this stage the perfect being does not acquire new Karma. The Buddhists have also made a distinction between upadhisesanirvana and anupadhise şa-nirvana. The former comes nearer to the conception of Jivanmukti. Similarly the distinction corresponds to nirvāṇa and parinirvana. In the state of upadhiseṣa-nirvāṇa, there is the total cessation of ignorance and of passions, though the body and the mind continue to function but without passions." This state corresponds to the Jivanmukti of Samkhya and the Vedanta. The Buddha after his enlightenment is a representative example. The Mahāyānists added one more type of Nirvāņa in apratisthita nirvana, the state of Bodhisattva who does not accept the final release although he is entitled for it. He decides to serve humanity out of compassion.
34. Samkara's Bhasya, I. i. 4 and 1, 3, 19.
35. Ibid, -19.
36. Ibid. 1. 39.
37. Ibid. 1. 39; 2.13.
38. Madhyamika Karika Vrtti, p. 519.
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