Sri Shankaracharya says only stillness of mind can get rid of Samsara

[Guest guest]

D.: Cannot samsara be got rid of by any means other than making the mind still?

 

M.: Absolutely by no other means; neither the Vedas, nor the shastras nor

austerities, nor karma, nor vows, nor gifts, nor recital of scriptures of mystic

formulae (mantras), nor worship, nor anything else, can undo the samsara. Only

stillness of mind can accomplish the end and nothing else.

 

D.: The scriptures declare that only Knowledge can do it. How then do you say

that stillness of the mind puts an end to samsara?

 

M.: What is variously described as Knowledge, Liberation, etc., in the

scriptures, is but stillness of mind.

 

D.: Has any one said so before?

 

M.: Sri Vasishta had said: When by practice the mind stands still, all

illusions of samsara disappear, root and branch. Just as when the ocean of milk

was churned for its nectar, it was all rough, but became still and clear after

the churn (viz., mount Mandara) was taken out, so also the mind becoming still,

the samsara falls to eternal rest.

 

Source: ADVAITA BODHA DEEPIKA Book

 

Originally Sri Shankaracharya and other great Sages had written several works

like the commentary on the Vedanta Sutras and thus furnished the methods for

those engaged in Self enquiry to accomplish their purpose.

 

From those, Sri Karapatra Swami later condensed the salient points into Sanskrit

verse in a work of twelve chapters,called Sri Advaita Bodha Deepika.

 

Still later, some great man seems to have translated this into Tamil prose.

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Love And Love Alone

 

Om namo Bhagavate Sri Ramanaya

Prasanth Jalasutram