At any point of time, even an atom-sized thought of fear is dangerous for the one who is learned in the books of knowledge too, says Sri Adi Sankaracharya in the Vivekachoodamani. If we have to completely understand the illusion of the world, it is important to give up thinking, doing and feeling differences.
To achieve the renunciation of these three activities, it is important for the seeker to not be able to see even a little difference in the Brahman. If the difference is seen, fear arises out of carelessness in the process of thought in the presence of duality.
To drop identification with the objects, situations and people of the world on account of its illusory nature has been taken for granted as necessary for emancipation.
The Acharya almost criminalises the identification. It has been confirmed by the Vedas, the Puranas and hundreds of books of logic that the world is an illusion, but one considers the world as the self, then he attains to sorrow after sorrow as he is doing a prohibited action like a thief does stealing.
Reiterating the same thought, the author says that one who is constantly contemplating the truth attains to that state of experiencing liberation which is great. He is ever free like one who has not committed any act of thieving.
This experience is eternal and never changes for him. However, if one is contemplating illusion and change, he loses what he sees and himself is destroyed in the process, like a thief.
Throwing more ideas to illustrate the point, the Master says the seeker who constantly meditates on the Self free of all the causes of bondage as myself is always happy. How so? The process of such contemplation makes him experience himself as the Brahman and this snatches away the supreme ignorance and its effect of sorrow.
There are two types of contemplation—on the objects of the senses and on the Self. The Acharya throws a roadmap to realisation of the Self. Give up the road of outer contemplation of objects to fulfil the pleasures of the senses as its effect is only sorrow, to be replaced by greater sorrow. Knowing this reality, take up right discrimination between the Self and that which is not the Self, give up whatever is other than the Self and choose meditation on that Self alone.
Any action is taken up with enthusiasm only if the results are known. The Acharya shows the flowchart to achieve the desired results. When the contemplation on objects of the world is stopped, the mind becomes completely available in the present moment. As a result, there is a pleasant attribute to the mind. In that experience of pleasantness, one is able to see the supreme Self of which this happy state of mind is only a reflection. When that Self is experienced clearly, the bondage of existence is destroyed.
Therefore, by the mere act of withdrawing from the world of change, one attains that state of total liberation.