oneness with brahman

[Vidyasankar]

A succinct process is given in Naishkarmyasiddhi, by Suresvaracharya.

>My understanding of these steps:
>
>karma yoga - perform nitya karma and dedicate fruits to the Lord. This
>invariably seems to involve Bhakti.
>
>chitta shuddhi - mind gets purified and becomes sattvic.
>
>vairagya - realise that this world is transitory and necessary detachment
is
>developed

After this, there has to be mumukShutva - not only detachment but a wish to
be totally liberated from transmigration.

>take up sannyasa - give up samsara after developing detachment. This is
when
>real advaita-vedanta begins.
>

After this comes practice of yoga, which results in the mind being turned
inwards, which is necessary for fully realizing the truth taught in
tattvamasi.

vairAgyaM, tato mumukShutvaM, tatas sarva-karma-tat-sAdhana-saMnyAsas,
tato yogAbhyAsas, tatash chittasya pratyak-pravaNatA, tatas tattvamasyAdi
vAkyArtha pariGYAnaM ...

The process of shravaNa, manana and nididhyAsana is part and parcel of this
process. In the above passage, yogAbhyAsa is another term for nididhyAsana.
It may be noted that nididhyAsana is derived from the same root as the word
dhyAna, which is one of the eight "limbs" of traditional Yoga.

We must also note, however, that the result of yogAbhyAsa here is said to be
the turning inward (pratyak-pravaNatA) of the mind, not a complete stilling
(nirodha) of the mind.

>Are the above steps absolutely necessary for everybody? I don't think so.
If
>the person is already ripe for jnana, he doesn't have to follow all the
>steps. One example in recent times is Bhagavan Ramana Maharishi.
>

Or we may take it that the previous steps had already been done. We must
always remember that prior to the current birth, there must have been
countless other births, with performance of countless deeds, good and bad.

Vidyasankar