Tripura Rahasya

Sage Dattatreya

After having heard Sri Dattatreya speak thus, Parasurama asked him further questions regarding the conduct and activities of the jnanis.

Lord, please tell me clearly how intellects differ according to the stages of jnana. Is not wisdom of one kind alone, being simply the revelation of the Self? Moksha is the simple unfolding of the Self and is alone to be sought. How can it be dependent on stages of development according to mental predispositions? Do the methods also differ in the same way.

Sri Datta, the ocean of mercy, began to answer his questions.

There is no difference in the methods, nor does jnana differ in fact. The fruits differ according to the grades of accomplishment. The same extends through several births and on its completion jnana easily unfolds itself. The degree of efforts is according to the stage of incompleteness brought over from past births. However, jnana is eternal and no effort is really needed. Because it is already there and needs no accomplishment, jnana is pure intelligence, the same as consciousness which is ever self-radiant.What kind of effort can avail to disclose the eternally self-resplendent consciousness? Being coated with a thick crust of infinite vasanas, it is not easily perceived. The encrustation must first be soaked in the running stream of mind control and carefully scraped off with the sharp chisel of investigation. Then one must turn the closed urn of crystal quartz - namely the mind cleaned in the aforesaid manner - on the grinding wheel of alertness and finally open the lid with the lever of discrimination. 

Lo! The gem enclosed within  is now reached and that is all! Thus you see, Rama, that all efforts are to be directed to cleaning up the mental impressions of predispositions.