There are those who devote themselves tirelessly to spiritual practice, yet they do not truly know the Self. The Self is pure, ever-awakened, most dear, full, free from all multiplicity and untouched by affliction. The deluded, absorbed in their actions and disciplines, imagine that liberation is attained by effort and doing; yet, it is the blessed one who, through knowledge alone, becomes liberated and remains unmoved. The one who is confused and restless aspires to become Brahman, but does not attain it simply by wishing or striving. The wise, however, even without the desire to become, effortlessly partake of the very nature of the supreme Brahman. The deluded, grasping and rootless, nourish the endless cycle of worldly existence. The wise, by contrast, have cut the root of this misery and suffering. Those who are deluded do not find peace, even as they long for it; but the wise, having seen the truth for themselves, abide always in a peaceful mind. Where can the vision of the Self arise for one who clings only to the objects of the senses? The wise turn away from these sights and behold only the imperishable Self. For the confused, who act compulsively, there is no true restraint. The wise, delighting in their own being, enjoy effortless freedom at all times. Some experience various states but are not the cause of those states; others are untouched by any experience and remain undisturbed. Those with distorted understanding may contemplate the pure, nondual Self, but, lost in delusion, they do not truly know it and remain unsatisfied throughout their lives. The mind of one who seeks liberation is always dependent on something, but the mind of the liberated, free from all desire, stands alone, needing nothing. Seeing the tumult of sense-objects, the frightened seeker quickly seeks refuge in the embrace of single-pointed restraint. But when one beholds the desireless Lord, the wild elephants of the senses fall silent; they flee, unable to serve, even when enticed by artificial means. The fearless one, whose mind is balanced, does not pursue liberation as a goal. Seeing, hearing, touching, smelling, eating—he abides as he pleases, unconcerned. The pure-minded, undisturbed by anything, sees neither proper nor improper conduct, nor even indifference—simply by hearing the truth. When action arises, he acts straightforwardly, whether the deed is auspicious or not; his conduct is spontaneous and innocent, like that of a child. By freedom, he finds happiness; by freedom, he attains the highest; by freedom, fulfillment; and by freedom, the supreme state. When one no longer considers himself the agent or the enjoyer, all mental modifications are exhausted. Even when unrestrained and spontaneous, the state of the wise shines forth; but the supposed peace of the confused, whose mind is attached, is only a pretense. Some revel in great enjoyments or dwell in mountain caves; but the wise, free from imagination and unbound in understanding, remain liberated wherever they are. When the wise see and honor a learned one, a deity, a sacred place, a woman, a king, or a beloved, no impression lingers in their hearts. Mocked or scorned by servants, sons, wives, grandsons, or relatives, the yogi laughs, entirely undisturbed. Though he may seem content, he is not caught in contentment; though he may suffer, he does not grieve. Only those like him can know the wonder of his state. Obligation alone is the root of worldly existence; but the wise, being formless and changeless, see no obligation, being free from affliction. The confused mind, even when not acting, is restless everywhere due to agitation; but the skillful, even while acting, remains undisturbed. He sits happily, sleeps happily, comes and goes happily; he speaks, eats, and acts happily—the one whose mind is at peace, even while engaged in activity. He who is, by nature, untouched by suffering—unlike ordinary people caught up in the world—shines unmoved, like a great lake, free from all distress. For the deluded, even withdrawal from the world becomes a form of activity; but for the wise, even action brings the fruit of withdrawal. Detachment from possessions is commonly seen in the foolish, but for one who no longer hopes in the body, where can there be attachment or detachment? The mind of the deluded is always caught up in imagining or not imagining; but for one established in himself, the mind is free from all such visions, regardless of thought’s presence or absence. The sage, who acts without desire in all undertakings, is untouched by action, like a pure child, even while acting. Blessed is the knower of the Self, who remains equal in all situations—seeing, hearing, touching, smelling, eating—his mind free from craving. For the one who is ever steadfast and without distinctions, like the sky, where is the world, where is illusion, where is attainment, and where is practice? Victorious is the one who has renounced possessions, whose nature is full and spontaneous, whose absorption is natural and unbroken. What more can be said? The great one who knows the truth, who desires neither enjoyment nor liberation, remains indifferent everywhere. Having abandoned the dualistic world, which arises only as names and concepts from the great principle downward, what duty remains for one of pure awareness? For the one convinced that all, even the mind’s wanderings, is but illusion and nothing truly exists, the pure, ungraspable radiance abides by its own nature. For him whose nature is pure radiance, who does not see objects as real, where is rule, where is renunciation, where is abandonment, or even tranquility? For the one who shines in infinite forms, who does not see nature as real, where is bondage, where is liberation, where is joy, and where is sorrow? In the world of the mind, limited by the intellect, only illusion appears; the wise, free from possessiveness, ego, and desire, shine forth. For the sage who sees the Self as imperishable and free from suffering, where is knowledge, where is the universe, where is the body, or the notions of “I” and “mine”?