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Istopadeśa - The Golden Discourse
अगच्छंस्तद्विशेषाणामनभिज्ञश्च जायते । अज्ञाततद्विशेषस्तु बध्यते न विमुच्यते ॥
(44)
The Yogi, not digressing from the contemplation of the Self, does not think about the nature of alien objects, and, as he remains inattentive to alien objects, not only is he not bound by karmas but gets released from them.
EXPLANATORY NOTES
The idea of meditation is to reach a stage of spiritual excellence where the faults and obstructions associated with the soul are destroyed. This can be likened to purifying a piece of gold which might have external impurities like dross and internal impurities like silver and copper. By washing and scouring the external impurities can be removed and by melting the internal impurities can be removed. In the soul, karmas externally produce faults such as attachment, delusion and nescience, and internally obstruct right faith and knowledge. When these faults and obstructions are removed the soul becomes pure and fit for attaining omniscience.
To the soul whose stains of infatuation are destroyed, there exists no attachment for sense objects because it abstains from activity towards the 'other' whereof that infatuation is the root. Realization dawns that no external substance could be its resting place. The restraint of the internal faults follows as it has nothing else but only the Self for refuge. Thereupon, through the disappearance of flightiness caused by infatuation as well as internal faults, comes steadfastness in its innate nature of unlimited knowledge
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