Chapter 4: Liberation
1: janmauṣadhimantratapaḥsamādhijāḥ siddhayaḥ
Altered states of consciousness can come from samādhi, austerities, prayer, herbs or naturally.
2: jātyantarapariṇāmaḥ prakṛtyāpūrāt
Diversity and change are nature’s bounty.
3: nimittam aprayojakaṃ prakṛtīnāṃ varaṇabhedas tu tataḥ kṣetrikavat
Like a farmer, nature picks and chooses, but doesn’t directly cause.
4: nirmāṇacittāny asmitāmātrāt
Beings are created by conceit alone.
5: pravṛttibhede prayojakaṃ cittam ekam anekeṣām
The one citta is diversified by its various activities.
6: tatra dhyānajam anāśayam
Of these, only the meditation-born is fruitless.
7: karmāśuklākṛṣṇaṃ yoginas trividham itareṣām
The karma of [such] a yogi is neither white nor black; [but] for others is threefold,
8: tatas tadvipākānuguṇānām evābhivyaktir vāsanānām
the fruition of which corresponds to the tendency on display at that time.
9: jātideśakālavyavahitānām apy ānantaryaṃ smṛtisaṃskārayor ekarūpatvāt
The uniformity between [subconscious] activity and memory ensures the correspondence [of cause and effect] despite distance in time, space, and rebirths
10: tāsām anāditvaṃ cāśiṣo nityatvāt
which are without beginning, being based on never-ending desires.
11: hetuphalāśrayālambanaiḥ saṃgṛhītatvād eṣām abhāve tadabhāvaḥ
Because of the connection between cause and effect, basis and support, [it follows that] if one goes, the other must too.
12: atītānāgataṃ svarūpato 'sty adhvabhedād dharmāṇām
So, past and future do exist, in their own way.
13: te vyaktasūkṣmā guṇātmānaḥ
Gross or subtle, [things] are [merely] composed of sense-impressions.
14: pariṇāmaikatvād vastutattvam
The “that-ness” of an object is [merely the perception of] homogeneous change.
15: vastusāmye cittabhedāt tayor vibhaktaḥ panthāḥ
Materialism and idealism are two, divergent paths [for describing reality].
16: na caikacittatantraṃ vastu tadapramāṇakaṃ tadā kiṃ syāt
If an object were [merely] the construction of a single consciousness, how could it be measured? [If not objective,] what could it be?
17: taduparāgāpekṣitvāc cittasya vastu jñātājñātam
[Yet,] an object can only be known if it excites the citta.
18: sadā jñātāś cittavṛttayas tatprabhoḥ puruṣasyāpariṇāmitvāt
The [idea of an] unchanging “self” arises from continuously knowing this whirling citta.
19: na tat svābhāsaṃ dṛśyatvāt
[But] it cannot see itself as an object.
20: ekasamaye cobhayānavadhāraṇam
Never cognizing both [seer and seen] simultaneously,
21: cittāntaradṛśye buddhibuddher atiprasaṅgaḥ smṛtisaṃkaraś ca
[the best it can do] is to see a previous mind moment by becoming aware of awareness’s impact on memory and mental activity.
22: citer apratisaṃkramāyās tadākārāpattau svabuddhisaṃvedanam
Unmoving awareness assumes the shape of the particular conscious experience.
23: draṣṭṛdṛśyoparaktaṃ cittaṃ sarvārtham
Any object inflames the citta with the seer and the seen.
24: tad asaṃkhyeyavāsanābhiś citram api parārthaṃ saṃhatyakāritvāt
Activity combines that object with others, along with the countless underlying tendencies.
25: viśeṣadarśina ātmabhāvabhāvanānivṛttiḥ
[Directly] seeing this distinction between “being a Self” and “[the process of] becoming” is the counter-whirling.
26: tadā vivekanimnaṃ kaivalyaprāgbhāraṃ cittam
The citta then inclines towards detachment and is therefore borne onwards towards liberation.
27: tacchidreṣu pratyayāntarāṇi saṃskārebhyaḥ
Activity is a gap in our attention.
28: hānam eṣāṃ kleśavad uktam
Calming [all activity] is as described for the kilesas.
29: prasaṃkhyāne 'py akusīdasya sarvathā vivekakhyāter dharmameghaḥ samādhiḥ
Ever intent yet aloof through the second attainment of detachment, [the meditator eventually attains] the “Dharma Cloud” samādhi.
30: tataḥ kleśakarmanivṛttiḥ
This is a break from the kilesas and from karma.
31: tadā sarvāvaraṇamalāpetasya jñānasyānantyāj jñeyam alpam
When the imperfection covering “the all” is removed that which remains to be known is little.
32: tataḥ kṛtārthānāṃ pariṇāmakramasamāptir guṇānām
Their purposes served, sense-contact and the sequences of change end.
33: kṣaṇapratiyogī pariṇāmāparāntanirgrāhyaḥ kramaḥ
“A sequence” [because] an end to change is attainable.
34: puruṣārthaśūnyānāṃ guṇānāṃ pratiprasavaḥ kaivalyaṃ svarūpapratiṣṭhā vā citiśaktir iti
Going against the stream of the senses, empty of purpose for a self, the liberation of appearances from being established is the ultimate power of awareness.