A real jnani or seer is not the one who lives in solitude in a cave, lost in samadhi, totally disconnected from the world; a real jnani, according to Swami Muktananda, would never avoid the worldly drama. He constantly remains absorbed in the bliss of turiya, the transcendental state of consciousness, even while carrying out his day-to-day activities in the world. Such an enlightened being does not differentiate among the different states--waking, dream, deep sleep and turiya. To him each of them is equally permeated by the same chitti or Pure Consciousness.

How does one attain the lofty state of equality-consciousness? According to Swami Muktananda, when the seeker’s dormant kundalini is awakened by the grace of a perfect master, his inner eye of knowledge is opened. The awakening of kundalini is the dawn of knowledge. The kundalini, when awakened, begins to move up the central channel or the sushumna nadi, purging the seeker of all impurities in the process, ultimately uniting with Shiva in the sahasrara chakra, bestowing upon the seeker spiritual enlightenment.

The Witness

Such an enlightened being does not attach importance to the passing states of waking, dream and deep sleep; instead his attention constantly remains focussed on the Witness-Self---that both provides sustenance to and transcends the passing states. The Self is completely detached, observing the occurrences of the waking and dreaming states from a distance. Similarly, in the deep sleep state as well, when the body lies supine on the bed, the Self remains a detached observer, watching the oblivion of this state from a distance.

A jnani, while remaining  focussed on  the Witness-Self, realises from direct experience in deep meditation that in all the states, one arising from another, the Witness-self  constantly remains  undifferentiated, pure and untainted which has neither beginning nor end. Such a jnani, whose kundalini has been awakened by the guru’s grace, continually, remains established in absolute serenity not only in deep meditation but also while remaining engaged in the various activities of the waking state. He remains free of worries, always revelling in the bliss that surges from within. For such a jnani, there is nothing to renounce, nothing to acquire, for he sees nothing as different from himself.

Pure Consciousness

In fact, the jnani, whose eye of knowledge has been opened; himself becomes transmuted into pure Consciousness. Realisation dawns upon him that both the perceiver and the perceived universe represent the same consciousness. Pratyabhijnahrdayam, a well-known text of Kashmir Shaivism, informs that Chitti, by free will, unceasingly unfolds this colourful universe with   myriad names and forms. Chiti and the universe are essentially one. There is no other material cause of creation.

The jnani intuitively understands that when Chiti gets covered with three gunas, it becomes the mind, reflecting the whole universe just as a mirror reflects images; when chitti transcends the gunas and attains the knowledge of its own essential nature, it is pure Consciousness.

Swami Muktananda said, "Normally when two people are looking at each other, each appears as the object of perception to the other. But to the jnani, the perceiver is also the object of perception. Such awareness allows him to rest in the realisation of the knowledg 'I am Shiva'. This is the highest samadhi, the ultimate realisation".