In Chapter 33: Babaji, The Yogi-Christ Of Modern India, in Autobiography of a Yogi, Yogananda says that Babaji is Mahaavatar (great incarnation). Sri Mahavatar Babaji is believed to be avatar of Shiva who is still teaching Kriya Yoga to people of Kali Yuga in Himalayas. In the book Apprenticed to a Himalayan Master , Sri M mentions Sri Guru Babaji changing his form to Lord Shiva.

Yoganada explains the difference between Jivanmukta and Paramukta in his books as follows:

The Upanishads have minutely classified every stage of spiritual advancement. A siddha ("perfected being") has progressed from the state of a jivanmukta ("freed while living") to that of a paramukta ("supremely free"-full power over death); the latter has completely escaped from the mayic thralldom and its reincarnational round. The paramukta therefore seldom returns to a physical body; if he does, he is an avatar, a divinely appointed medium of supernal blessings on the world.

An avatar is unsubject to the universal economy; his pure body, visible as a light image, is free from any debtto nature. The casual gaze may see nothing extraordinary in an avatar's form but it casts no shadow nor makes any footprint on the ground. These are outward symbolic proofs of an inward lack of darkness and material bondage. Such a God-man alone knows the Truth behind the relativities of life and death.

My question is not Babaji but about difference between Jivanmukta and Paramukta. According to Advaita, in reality Atman is Brahman and due to Maya Atman doesn't know its true nature. Jivan mukta is someone who got realization while living in this Maya. He still lives in this Maya but doesn't feel it or perceive it. Yogananda says Paramukta is pure light and manifests as physical body (called as Avatar) at its will.

• Does that mean when Jivanmukta leaves his physical body, he becomes Paramukta?

• It is generally said, Lord Vishnu, the preserver takes Avatar but according to Advaita, World with Saguna forms of God (Brahma, Vishnu and Rudra) disappear when we realize. Who really takes avatar according to Advaita? Nirguna Brahman or Saguna Brahman?

Please answer these questions only from view of Adishankaracharya Advaita.

In Chapter 33 of book Autobiography of a Yogi, Yogananda says that Babaji is Mahaavatar (great incarnation). Sri Mahavatar Babaji is believed to be avatar of Shiva who is still teaching Kriya Yoga to people of Kali Yuga in Himalayas. In the book Apprenticed to a Himalayan Master , Sri M mentions Sri Guru Babaji changing his form to Lord Shiva.

Yoganada explains the difference between Jivanmukta and Paramukta in his books as follows:

The Upanishads have minutely classified every stage of spiritual advancement. A siddha ("perfected being") has progressed from the state of a jivanmukta ("freed while living") to that of a paramukta ("supremely free"-full power over death); the latter has completely escaped from the mayic thralldom and its reincarnational round. The paramukta therefore seldom returns to a physical body; if he does, he is an avatar, a divinely appointed medium of supernal blessings on the world.

An avatar is unsubject to the universal economy; his pure body, visible as a light image, is free from any debtto nature. The casual gaze may see nothing extraordinary in an avatar's form but it casts no shadow nor makes any footprint on the ground. These are outward symbolic proofs of an inward lack of darkness and material bondage. Such a God-man alone knows the Truth behind the relativities of life and death.

My question is not Babaji but about difference between Jivanmukta and Paramukta. According to Advaita, in reality Atman is Brahman and due to Maya Atman doesn't know its true nature. Jivan mukta is someone who got realization while living in this Maya. He still lives in this Maya but doesn't feel it or perceive it. Yogananda says Paramukta is pure light and manifests as physical body (called as Avatar) at its will.

• Does that mean when Jivanmukta leaves his physical body, he becomes Paramukta?

• It is generally said, Lord Vishnu, the preserver takes Avatar but according to Advaita, World with Saguna forms of God (Brahma, Vishnu and Rudra) disappear when we realize. Who really takes avatar according to Advaita? Nirguna Brahman or Saguna Brahman?

Please answer these questions only from view of Adishankaracharya Advaita.

In Chapter 33: Babaji, The Yogi-Christ Of Modern India, in Autobiography of a Yogi, Yogananda says that Babaji is Mahaavatar (great incarnation). Sri Mahavatar Babaji is believed to be avatar of Shiva who is still teaching Kriya Yoga to people of Kali Yuga in Himalayas. In the book Apprenticed to a Himalayan Master , Sri M mentions Sri Guru Babaji changing his form to Lord Shiva.

Yoganada explains the difference between Jivanmukta and Paramukta in his books as follows:

The Upanishads have minutely classified every stage of spiritual advancement. A siddha ("perfected being") has progressed from the state of a jivanmukta ("freed while living") to that of a paramukta ("supremely free"-full power over death); the latter has completely escaped from the mayic thralldom and its reincarnational round. The paramukta therefore seldom returns to a physical body; if he does, he is an avatar, a divinely appointed medium of supernal blessings on the world.

An avatar is unsubject to the universal economy; his pure body, visible as a light image, is free from any debtto nature. The casual gaze may see nothing extraordinary in an avatar's form but it casts no shadow nor makes any footprint on the ground. These are outward symbolic proofs of an inward lack of darkness and material bondage. Such a God-man alone knows the Truth behind the relativities of life and death.

My question is not Babaji but about difference between Jivanmukta and Paramukta. According to Advaita, in reality Atman is Brahman and due to Maya Atman doesn't know its true nature. Jivan mukta is someone who got realization while living in this Maya. He still lives in this Maya but doesn't feel it or perceive it. Yogananda says Paramukta is pure light and manifests as physical body (called as Avatar) at its will.

• Does that mean when Jivanmukta leaves his physical body, he becomes Paramukta?

• It is generally said, Lord Vishnu, the preserver takes Avatar but according to Advaita, World with Suguna forms of God (Brahma, Vishnu and Rudra) disappear when we realize. Who really takes avatar according to Advaita? Nirguna Brahman or Suguna Brahman?

Please answer these questions only from view of Adishankaracharya Advaita.

In Chapter 33: Babaji, The Yogi-Christ Of Modern India, in Autobiography of a Yogi, Yogananda says that Babaji is Mahaavatar (great incarnation). Sri Mahavatar Babaji is believed to be avatar of Shiva who is still teaching Kriya Yoga to people of Kali Yuga in Himalayas. In the book Apprenticed to a Himalayan Master , Sri M mentions Sri Guru Babaji changing his form to Lord Shiva.

Yoganada explains the difference between Jivanmukta and Paramukta in his books as follows:

The Upanishads have minutely classified every stage of spiritual advancement. A siddha ("perfected being") has progressed from the state of a jivanmukta ("freed while living") to that of a paramukta ("supremely free"-full power over death); the latter has completely escaped from the mayic thralldom and its reincarnational round. The paramukta therefore seldom returns to a physical body; if he does, he is an avatar, a divinely appointed medium of supernal blessings on the world.

An avatar is unsubject to the universal economy; his pure body, visible as a light image, is free from any debtto nature. The casual gaze may see nothing extraordinary in an avatar's form but it casts no shadow nor makes any footprint on the ground. These are outward symbolic proofs of an inward lack of darkness and material bondage. Such a God-man alone knows the Truth behind the relativities of life and death.

My question is not Babaji but about difference between Jivanmukta and Paramukta. According to Advaita, in reality Atman is Brahman and due to Maya Atman doesn't know its true nature. Jivan mukta is someone who got realization while living in this Maya. He still lives in this Maya but doesn't feel it or perceive it. Yogananda says Paramukta is pure light and manifests as physical body (called as Avatar) at its will.

• Does that mean when Jivanmukta leaves his physical body, he becomes Paramukta?

• It is generally said, Lord Vishnu, the preserver takes Avatar but according to Advaita, World with Saguna forms of God (Brahma, Vishnu and Rudra) disappear when we realize. Who really takes avatar according to Advaita? Nirguna Brahman or Saguna Brahman?

Please answer these questions only from view of Adishankaracharya Advaita.