("freedom in the
act of living") The idea that one may achieve ultimate soul liberation
while still alive and then dwell in a liberated condition for the rest of one's
life in later Indian philosophy.
Many of the subschools of Advaita Vedanta, one of the six
schools of traditional Indian philosophy, make the claim of jivanmukta (one who
is freed while still alive).
The Advaita school adheres to a philosophical viewpoint
known as monism, which believes that all things are essentially different
manifestations of a single Ultimate Reality known as Brahman.
The difficulty with human bonding, according to Advaita
proponents, is that humans, blinded by avidya or misunderstanding, fail to
comprehend this ultimate connection.
Liberation is achieved by comprehending what has always been
the case, and therefore swapping a faulty idea for a true one, rather than by
"doing" anything or becoming someone one is not.
Although this understanding permanently alters how a person
perceives the universe, it has no ontological implications, implying that on a
physical level, one continues to exist as before until the karma that generated
one's current body has been spent.
For further detail, read Karl H. Potter's Advaita Vedanta up to Samkara and His Pupils, Advaita Vedanta up to Samkara and His Pupils, 1981.
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