2.3 Liberation Through Contemplation On Brahman

Mumkshaa purifies the mind in which it has arisen. That mind which has begun contemplating the pure self, it becomes purified. Now, to advance further, renunciation of all action is needed. This is because the intent of action, which was to purify the mind, has already been realized. Moreover, attainment of liberation cannot happen even through millions of actions. It will only happen through contemplation since bondage and disconnectedness are caused by ignorance and lack of contemplation.
 
This is quite amazing! Our own self is liberation and it is ever pure aware and free. If liberation was something other than our self, in another space or in another time then it would be attainable through action or emotion, but it would not be permanent nor of the identity of supreme happiness! Then who would ever want it? If liberation were possible by annihilating the mind, and at the same time, destroying the self, then everyone would fear such a thing. What is not eternal, not of the identity of knowledge and supreme bliss, and not our self, such a thing could be attractive to someone else, but not to a seeker of liberation.
 
That which is our own self and eternal, of the identity of supreme bliss, due to ignorance, appears as another, temporary and sorrowful. When a mumukshu's mind becomes pure, the only effort which remains is that of removal of ignorance. Illusion (bhrama) is a stream of thought rooted in ignorance and comes out of lack of contemplation. Therefore it has to be removed through a stream of thought rooted in knowledge, and that can only happen through contemplation (vichaara).
 
We see a the illusion of a snake on a rope due to ignorance. It creates fear and sorrow in our mind. Will they be removed through beating the rope with a stick, through charity, through rituals, through penance, through emotion, or though samaadhi? It will not. It will be removed only through contemplation upon the true identity of the rope. The illusion of being human, of being a certain caste, certain stage in life, doership and enjoyership, natural disconnectedness, all caused by ignorance of the pure self, none of these will go go away due to any action, emotion or yoga. Only contemplation, which has come out of hearing, doubt-removal and meditation upon the statements of the teacher and scriptures, will dispel these illusions.
 
Therefore, having taken the refuge of a saint, and keeping the notion of the identity of the self and brahman as foremost - this is the duty of a mumukshu and the only method of attaining liberation.