The Jnani

DHS 48/100



Definition: Jnani

A Man of Knowledge. It may be used to mean one who follows the Jnana-marga, but in its correct meaning it is one who has attained complete Enlightenment and is established in the Absolute Knowledge which is liberation from all illusion of duality. It thus means the same as Mukta, the liberated or perfectly realized man.

So, with that definition under our belt, this story from Robert Adams' book Silence Of The Heart.

"There was once a Jnani who lived in a little shack on the mountain by himself. He was radiantly happy. He was coming back from his walk, and he saw some thieves breaking into his house. He crept up by the window to see what they would take, and of course, he owned nothing. There was just a torn blanket on the floor. So the thieves started to curse, and one said to the other, "This guy has nothing here. Let's just take the blanket and leave." So they took the blanket.

"The next day he intuitively perceived that the two robbers were caught by the police. So he hurried down to the police station to see what would happen. When the sergeant saw him he said, "Come in. Are these the men who stole from you?" And he said "Yes." So the policeman asked him, "What did they take?" And he said, "They took my hat and my shirt and my pants and my shoes." And the two thieves started screaming, "What a liar this man is. He didn't have anything. He just had a torn blanket." And the sergeant said, "Is this true?" The Jnani said, "When I put the blanket on my head it becomes my hat. When I put it around my shoulders it becomes my shirt. When I tie it around my waist it becomes my pants. And when I walk on it, it becomes my shoes." Of course the sergeant laughed and he said, "Shall I press charges?" And the Jnani said, "No." The two thieves became his disciples.

"The meaning of that story is, because you're a Jnani it doesn't mean you don't have compassion. A real Jnani has more love and compassion than anyone else. But, it's not attached to anything. And he'll be the first one to run to somebody's aid, to help somebody. It sounds like a contradiction, but it's not. For while the Jnani carries a body, the body becomes under the Jnani's jurisdiction, and becomes an instrument for good in this world. ...

"[W]hen I tell you there is no God and there is no universe, and there is no world, and there are no people, there's only Absolute Reality, do not take it too seriously. See where you're coming from. Be true to yourself. Do not fool yourself. Whatever you're into, whatever you're going through, if you sit in the Silence and practice Self-inquiry, things will begin to stir within you. Things will begin to happen. You will find that your feelings change, your reaction changes, you become less selfish, you develop loving kindness, you understand what this universe is all about. And you're at peace."

{Underlined section is my emphsis.}

Discover silence.