Individuality in Mukti?
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Individuality in Mukti?

A serene and spiritual artwork featuring two enlightened figures resembling Yogananda and his guru

Question: I doubt whether or not individuality remains in Brahma-sāyujya. I came across an article from The Autobiography of A Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda, which indicates that individuality remains even in oneness with Brahman.

Sri Yukteshwsar Giri (the guru of Yogananda) tells Yogananda:

“When a soul finally gets out of the three jars of bodily delusions,” Master continued, “it becomes one with the Infinite without any loss of individuality.”

He seems to say that even after attaining Brahma-sāyujya, an enlightened jīva retains his individuality and can at any time materialize his body. So this is my doubt, Babaji: How can one retain individuality after attaining Brahma-sāyujya?

Answer: Individuality is never lost. It cannot be lost. But I disagree with the idea that once attaining Brahma-sāyujya, one can materialize his body. That is not possible. Brahma-sāyujya means complete identification with Brahman. The jīva who has attained Brahma-sāyujya, does not become Brahman. Only during the jivan-mukti state, he thinks himself to be Brahman. Once he has attained Brahma-sāujya, he has no freedom to materialize a body. He does not have a mind to think.

Like in our conditioned state, we think we are this material body. We do not think we are separate from the body. But we are not the body. Similarly, in Brahma-sāyujya, the liberated ātmā fully identifies with Brahman but has an eternal identity separate from Brahman. It is like a drop entering the ocean. However, the drop does not become the ocean. A drop always remains a drop.

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Question: Do the demons killed by other forms of Godhead like Rāma, Narasiṁha, or Varāha attain any of the five types of mukti mentioned in the Bhāgavata?

Answer: According to Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu (2.1.40), all Viṣṇu forms have the quality of hatāri-gati-dāyaka—the ability to give gati to the one they kill. Gati means svarga or mokṣa.