Vidyaranya Swami (1296-1386), author of the wonderful Advaita Vedanta text Panchadasi and Shankaracharya (head monk) of Sringeri Math, wrote another less well known text called Jivanmukti Viveka. In it he, in some considerable detail, outlines the path to Jivanmukti, or liberation in this life.

In Chapter 2 he repeatedly makes the point that liberation or jnana cannot occur without both manonasa (destruction of the mind) and vasana kshaya (destruction of the habitual tendencies).

We shall now address ourselves to the means which lead to Jivanmukti (Liberation in this Life). These are Jnana, manonasa and vasana-kshaya.

He states that these three should be practised simultaneously. Throughout this text he quotes extensively from many authoritative texts to back up his view, this time quoting from the wonderful Yoga Vasishta:

Hence, in the Yoga Vasishta, Vasishta says, while dealing with The Body of the Jivanmukta at the end of the Chapter on Supreme Pacification: ‘Oh best of intellects vasasa-Kshaya, Jnana and Manonasa, attended to simultaneously for sufficient length of time, bear the desired fruit…

Vidyaranya then quotes again from Yoga Vasishta emphasising the need to practice these three for and extended period of time:

‘Until these three are not well attended to with sufficient and repeated trials, the Condition [Jivanmukti] can never be realised,  even at the end of a hundred years.’

Here are some more quotes from Chapter 2 of Jivanmukti Viveka. In some of these quotes Vidyaranya Swami is quoting from traditional Adivata Vedanta texts of the time to back up his own assertions:

‘Jnana too is impossible unless the mind is entirely at rest’

‘Jnana never comes about unless all the vasansas have been destroyed’

‘The mind should be prevented from functioning until it dissolves itself in the heart. This is Jnana, this is Dhyana, the rest is all a concoction of untruth’ (Vidyaranya Swami here is quoting Amritabindu Upanishad verses 2-5)

‘When all desires occupying the heart fall of entirely, then indeed does the mortal become immortal, and realise Brahman even here’ (Vidyaranya Swami here is quoting Brihadaranyaka Upanishad to make is point clear)

‘When from proper realisation of the Truth of Atman, he ceases from all imagining, he reaches the condition where there is no mind, for, it then dies out for want of having anything to relate itself to’ (Vidyaranya Swami here is quoting Gaudapada from his commentary on Mandukya Upanishad to make his points clear)

 

Also see:

The entire path explained: the Path of Sri Ramana

IN BRIEF: HOW TO ATTAIN LIBERATION (MOKSHA)

Shankara on the Mind, Samadhi (stillness of mind), Manonasa (destruction of mind), and Liberation