Seven stages of knowledge which bestow Liberation

These are the seven states of ignorance. I shall now tell you the seven stages of knowledge which bestow Liberation.

149. The elders have analyzed them as:

150. Subheccha: desire for Truth;

151. Vicharana: investigation into the Truth;

152. Tanumanasi: pure and attenuated mind;

153. Sattvapatti: the Realization of the Truth;

154. Asamshakti: a detached outlook on the universe and its contents;

155. Padarthabhavani: untainted awareness of Self;

156. Turiya: the highest and indescribable state.

150 & 151. To explain further:

1. To wean away unedifying associations and to desire knowledge of the Supreme is the first plane called Subheccha.

2. To associate with enlightened Sages, learn from them and reflect on the Truth, is called investigation.

3. To be free from desires by meditating on the Truth with faith, is the attenuation of the mind.

4. The shining forth of the highest knowledge in the mind owing to the development of the foregoing conditions, is realisation.

5. To be free from illusion by firm realisation of truth is the detached outlook on the universe.

6. The bliss of the non-dual Self, devoid of triads (knower, knowing, known, and so on) is untainted awareness of Self.

7. Sublime silence of the very nature of Self is turiya.