Tripura Rahasya

Sage Dattatreya

The jnanis of the lowest order behave like ignorant men in their care for their bodies. They have not attained sahaja samadhi. They are in the State of Perfection only when they are calm or composed. They have as much of the body-sense and enjoy pleasure and pain with as much zest as any animal, when they are not engaged in the investigation of the Self. Though they are not always inquiring into the Self, yet there are periods of the perfect state owing to their previous practice and experience. All the same, they are emancipated because the animal sense is only an aberration during interludes of imperfection and does not leave any mark on them. Their aberration is similar to the ashy skeleton of a piece of burnt cloth which, though retaining the old shape, is useless. Again, the intervals of realization have an abiding effect on their lives, so that the world does not continue to enthral them as heretofore. A dye applied to the border of a cloth creeps and shades the body of the cloth also. 

The middle class of jnanis are never deluded by their bodies. Delusion is the false identification of 'I' with the body; this never arises with the more advanced jnanis, namely the middle class among them. Identification of the Self with the body is attachment to the body. The middle class of jnanis are never attached to the body. Their minds are mostly dead because of their long practice and continued austerities. They are not engaged in work because they are entirely self-possessed. Just as a man moves or speaks in sleep without being aware of his actions, as also this class of yogi does enough work for his minimum requirements without being aware of it. Having transcended the world, he behaves like a drunken man. But he is aware of his actions. His body continues on account of his vasanas and destiny. Jnanis of the highest class do not identify the Self with the body but remain completely detached from their bodies. Their work is like that of a charioteer driving the chariot, who never identifies himself with the chariot. Similarly the jnani is not the body nor the actor; he is pure intelligence. Though entirely detached within from action, to the spectator he seems to be active. He performs his part like an actor in a drama, and plays with the world as a parent does with a child.