When differences cease, it is a sign of the dawn of wisdom. Sri Adi Sankaracharya in the Vivekachoodamani lists out the qualities of a Jivan Muktah or a human who is free while living. He says such a person knows no difference between his individual self, the supreme Brahman, and between Brahman and the whole creation.
This realisation dawns on him through the eyes of intuitive perception. He is a Jivan Muktah who remains balanced when he is worshipped by the good with flowers, devoted genuflection, or when tortured by evil persons.
For such a liberated person who has given up all attachments with the objects of the world and the objects of the senses may even flow like a river or remain like a body of water. He is completely absorbed in existence and is hence unmoved and not disturbed by them.
For the one who has realised this Brahman, there is no excited movement of life energy in the world of objects in the wheel of time. If it is there, then it just means that his mind is still focussed outside and has not experienced the presence of the Brahman.
If someone may argue that it is because of the past impressions in the mind that the person still continues to be attached to the objects of the world, then the answer is no. For the one who has realised the supreme truth within, even the impressions of past thoughts, feelings and desires get weakened.
The Acharya gives a shocking example to prove his point. A person may be having an extremely lusty mind, but his thoughts and desires do not work in that direction in the presence of his mother. In the same way, the extremely active mind running into the world of objects gets completely arrested in the presence of the Brahman.
(The writer can be contacted at sharanya.chaitanya@chinmayamission.com. She is Sevika, Chinmaya Mission, Coimbatore and )