Chapter 8: From Enlightenment/Self-Realization to the Liberated Soul (Jivan Mukta)!
Grounding the Absolute: From enlightenment to liberated life!
To attain the higher self you caught a glimpse of during the process of enlightenment, one needs to start living as the Absolute—one must remain fiercely focused. That is why it is considered to be walking the sharp edge of a razor. At this point, rest assured that though there will definitely be peak after peak, only a limited number of peaks are left. The journey from here is beautiful, as you have melted away all the low-life pricks within yourself. It is a journey of pure intelligence ahead.
As the Upanishads and ancient scriptures warn, this path ahead is as sharp as a razor’s edge. You must stay grounded. The silence practiced through deep meditation will be your anchor, tethering you to the bliss and peace you have witnessed.
The stage of self-enlightenment will often try its best to pull you back down. Because you can actively feel your higher intelligence, the mind will try to weaponize this by feeding your pride, which inevitably leads to a fall. You must actively renounce: renounce your pride, renounce your anger, and keep moving forward.
Unlike initial self-enlightenment, which can strike like lightning on one fine day, becoming a Liberated Soul - Jivan Mukta does not happen overnight. You become a Liberated Soul ounce by ounce, day by day, after the initial awakening. This is precisely where right knowledge plays its most critical role - acting as your compass and guide. Every single day, slowly and gradually, as you consistently apply this wisdom, you erode the final remnants of the ego until the illusion of the separate self dissolves entirely into the Infinite.
The Prerequisites for the Final Leap
At this point, the assumption is that you are faithfully following the scriptures and instructions to guide your way. The next step is strictly reserved for the limited few who have successfully crossed all dimensions of the physical plane.
• If you resonate deeply with the Ashtavakra Gita: The rest of this article is written specifically for you.
• If you do not: Pause here, continue to read through the Upanishads, and focus on gaining more clarity.
Prevention is always better than a cure. The Shrutis explicitly warn us not to jump the gun; attempting to do so at this stage is both foolish and dangerous.
The Illusion of Halfway Success
To halt your progress now is to fall into a trap of incomplete mastery. It is like being a good trekker who settles for Everest Base Camp when the actual goal was the summit or, it is like preparing for the toughest exam in Indian history—the Civil Services—but in all your attempts, you only clear the prelims and never the mains.
It is tragic to witness how many seekers make this blunder, losing their focus when only a few peaks are left to conquer. You will see plenty of them—those who rejoice with pride, claiming they are fully enlightened, yet have never engaged in true intellectual exposition. Because of this ego-trap, they ultimately stay far away from the ultimate truth.
These individuals mistakenly assume they are God and have already arrived at their final destination. In reality, without intellectual exposition—where experiences are shared by the best of the best to help you learn and grow—true progress stalls. They are merely staring at the peak of Everest from the safety of the base camp, assuming they have reached the summit when they have never actually experienced it.
The Wisdom of the Signposts
The philosophy shared by the Upanishads exists far beyond the dimensions where the ego lives. Notice that no single individual claims ownership of the truths in the Upanishads; the ancient seers merely guided us and provided signposts, which are essential for a human being to understand.
Consider this: a brilliant child can certainly begin learning on their own, but they still require a textbook to truly learn. Without a text or a guide, how can one claim literacy?
As you read this, certain people may come to mind. Learn from their mistakes: do not become one of them.
If you can self-affirm that your way of life is more like the last sections of Vivekachudamani, the Ashtavakra Gita, and other Upanishads, then the rest of the article is for you…
The Ultimate Surrender: Dropping the Vehicle
This is the truly magical part of the process. The path you are on is meant for a sacred, chosen few. To gaze directly upon the Truth and witness reality from these rarefied heights is extremely challenging, yet entirely possible. To assist you on this journey, teachers and gurus will always appear. When you study the commentaries of these established masters on scriptures of such complex metaphysics, you do not merely read them—you awaken these gurus within yourself. They reside inside you now, illuminating the path ahead. Coming here from the mundane realms of the masses feels like magic, but it is simply the reality of being guided at every single step. You do not become Liberated - Jivan Mukta overnight; rather, step by step, as you learn to embody this liberated life, your Guru will guide you through their sacred texts, instructing you on how to proceed.
Then comes the final and most difficult step. When you are truly ready, you will be asked to let go of the very last straw: you will be guided to drop meditation.
This instruction may initially bring a sense of deep discomfort. Meditation has been your trusted vehicle for so long. But remember, a vehicle is only meant to transport you to your final destination. If you already reside in New Delhi, why would you buy a ticket to travel there? Or consider it like medicine. A doctor prescribes medication to cure an illness, but once you are completely fine, you do not continue taking it. Similarly, at this advanced stage, you are advised to drop meditation as a formal practice because you have become the meditation.
Bliss is no longer a fleeting moment achieved through a sitting practice; bliss is now the very fabric of your daily life. The journey itself will reveal when you have arrived. It will happen entirely on its own, naturally and effortlessly.
You are Absolute Reality!!!
A quick note on my perspective: while the previous chapter relied heavily on Swami Chinmayananda’s commentaries on the Upanishads and the works of Ramana Maharshi, my journey actually began with Western spiritual philosophy. It was Western thought that ultimately pointed me toward Vedanta, leading me to explore the rich spiritual heritage of India. Indeed, many Western philosophers who engage with spirituality deeply appreciate the profound science of Advaita Vedanta. You will often find Western spiritual philosophy converging with and validating Advaita.
Alan Watts makes this connection explicitly in The Book: On the Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are, grounding his exploration of identity in Vedantic thought. In fact, just look up any search engine and you will find renowned figures across science, philosophy, and literature discussing Advaita.
As you read, take what resonates with you. The ultimate objective remains liberation—achieved first by cultivating balance amidst life's dualities, and then by transcending them.