Talks on the Gita -Vinoba 229

Chapter 18 CONCLUSION: RENUNCIATION OF THE FRUIT OF ACTIONS LEADS TO THE GRACE OF THE LORD 107. The Triple State Of The Realised One 29. Just like this state of consciousness, the jnani has also a state of activity. What sort of activities will the jnani do naturally? Whatever he will do will be nothing but sattvik. Although he is still bound by the limitations of the human body, his whole body, all of his organs have become sattvik; so all his activities are bound to be sattvik. If you look at it from the point of view of practical affairs, his behaviour will reflect the ultimate perfection of the sattvik nature; if you look at it from the point of view of vishwatmabhava, he appears to be doing all the sinful and the virtuous deeds in the universe, and still he is untouched by them. It is so because he has peeled off and flung away the body stuck to the Self. It is only when one flings away this worthless body that one attains the state of identification with the whole universe. 30. Besides the state of consciousness and the state of activity, the jnani has a third state too. That is the state of jnana, the state of knowledge. In this state, he can neither bear with sin nor virtue and flings aside everything quickly. He is ready to set fire to the whole universe. He is not prepared to undertake any action. Its very touch repels him. In the final stage of sadhana or in the state of moksha, these three states are conceivable for the jnani. 31. How is one to imbibe this state of no activity, this last state? The way is to train ourselves not to take upon our shoulders the burden of being the doer of the actions we do. We should keep reflecting, ‘I just happen to be instrumental. I am not really the doer of actions.’ We should first assume thisstand with humility. This, of course, will not immediately result in the complete eradication of the sense of being the doer. It can happen only gradually. Let us first feel that ‘I am nothing, I am just a puppet in His hands. He is moving me.’ The next step is to feel that ‘the activities do not touch theSelf; they are of this body. But I am not this transient and mortal body; I am full of divine consciousness.’ And, meditating over this feeling, you should remain completely untouched by the fetters of the body. When this happens,the state of jnani will be attained wherein connection with the body is as ifcompletely severed. This state will be three-dimensional as we have already referred. In the state of activity, wholly pure and perfect activities will bedone at the hands of the jnani. In the state of consciousness, he will have the feeling that he is the doer of all the sins and the virtuous deeds in the universe; yet he will remain untouched by them. In the third state of jnana, he will notlet any karma touch him and will burn it down. A jnani can be described interms of all these three dimensions of the final state.