Jnanis remain absorbed in the Self at all times and their apparent behavior is just a reflection of the circumstances they find themselves in. Some may appear to be egalitarian. Others may not. They play their allotted roles, and though they may seem to be involved in them as ordinary people would be, they are not really touched by any of the events that occur in their lives. Equal vision may be there, internal equanimity may be there, but don’t expect all jnanis to behave in a prescribed, egalitarian way.
Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi often used to cite King Janaka as an example of a jnani
who was fully involved in the affairs of the world. But when his palace caught
fire and was burning to the ground, he was the only person in the vicinity who
was not disturbed.
In this same story there was a group of sadhus who lived near
the palace. When the fire began to spread, they panicked and began to collect
their sticks, their spare kaupinas, their water pots, and so on. They had very
few possessions, but they were still very attached to them, and they definitely
didn’t want to lose them to the fire. They were more worried about their spare underwear
than Janaka was about his palace. Janaka watched his palace burn to the ground
with complete equanimity. When you have this jnana, your inner peace is a solid
rock that cannot be disturbed.
Being rich and being a king will not obstruct jnana. It’s
just a question of having the right attitude.
There is a story in Yoga Vasishta about a king called
Mahabali. He had lost interest in his kingdom, his riches and his pleasures
because he had developed a strong desire for jnana. He summoned his Guru, Shukacharya,
to the court and asked him what he should do to attain jnana. Mahabali was
assuming that Sukacharya would tell him to renounce his kingdom and go to the
forest and meditate.
Instead Sukacharya told him, ‘I am the Self. You are the
Self. All is the Self. That’s all you need to know to attain this jnana you are
looking for. I cannot give you any lengthy teachings today because I have to go
and attend a meeting of the gods.
Anyway, lengthy teachings are not needed. Just remember the words
I have told you. If you can hold on to this knowledge “I am the Self ” at all
times, no further practice or initiation will be necessary.’
There is another story about Janaka that I like. A man
called Sukabrahman called on Janaka for spiritual advice.
‘I am a seeker of truth,’ he said. ‘What can you tell me?’
‘What did you see while you were coming here?’ asked Janaka.
‘I saw houses made of sugar,’ answered Sukabrahman. ‘I saw streets
made of sugar. I saw trees and flowers made of sugar. I saw animals made of
sugar. I saw your palace and saw that it was made of sugar. Everything I saw
was made of sugar. As I stand here, I see that you are made of sugar and that I
also am made of sugar.’
Janaka laughed and said, ‘You are a ripe soul. You don’t
need any teaching. You are already a jnani.’