Liberation and citta vRtti nirodha

[Charles Wikner]

On Wed, 19 Jul 2000, Anand Hudli <anandhudli at HOTMAIL.COM> wrote:

> Vidyasankar has kindly supplied me with some of the relevant text of
> Shankara's bhAShya along with Anandagiri's TIkA, which I have made use
> of in the translation.

Your time and effort is much appreciated. Thanks!

[...]

> ananyasAdhanatvAchcha - and, due to there being no other means,
> nirodhasya- of restraint, na hi - certainly not, AtmaviGYAnasmR^iti-
                                                       ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> santAna- the continuous flow of memories of knowledge of the Self,

Tiny quibble: insert "tat" - AtmaviGYAnatatsmR^itisantAna - knowledge
of the Self and the continuous flow of memory thereof.

> vyatirekeNa - different from, chittavR^ittinirodhasya - of the restraint
>  of the modifications of the mind, sAdhanamasti - is there a means,
> abhyupagamya- admitting, idaM - this, uktaM - has been stated, na tu -
  ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> certainly not, brahmaviGYAnavyatirekeNa - different from the knowledge
> of Brahman, anyamoxasAdhanaM - another means to liberation, avagamyate
> - is known.
>
> Furthermore, there is no other means to even restrain the mind. There
> is certainly no means to the restraint of the mind different from the
> continuous flow of memories of knowledge of the Self. This has been
> stated after admission: certainly there is no means to liberation
  ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> apart from the knowledge of Brahman.

What has been stated/admitted?  Is this referring to an earlier
point that knowledge does not initiate (mental) activity?

[...]

> past actions (prArabdha karma's) may have started to yield
> results and these results might be stronger than the tendency to
> remember the Self constantly. In such a case, one should take care to
> be engaged in the upAsana of the Self through recourse to such qualities
> as dispassion and renunciation.

So the nature of it is not to "do" something (such as restrain
the mind), but a caution against "doing" (given the conflicting
natures of Self-knowledge and action).  This does imply that the
qualities, such as dispassion and renunciation, have previously
been so deeply ingrained in the aspirant's nature, that they can
be employed here passively as it were -- without the "doing"!
Tough call.

Regards, Charles.

--
bhava shankara deshikame sharaNam

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