When either the body or the soul is afflicted, the entire being dissolves, coming to an end. In this state, what does the living being tire of, what does he hear, and what does he say? Consider the creature who dies after giving—how could the cow, once dead, save anyone? The dissolution happens right here; how could there be any reunion for them after death? For one consumed by fire, how could life arise again? As long as a person lives, he acts; but once dead, how will he return? The dead are destroyed; just as a seed, once spent, is destroyed and does not return. Seeking clarity, the devotee pleads, “Turn them back, O all-knowing one, for I have taken refuge in you. Speak again, best of sages, to dispel my doubt.” The sage replies: The living being moves on to another body, while the former body decays. Just as fire is seen in kindling that has been burnt, so is the soul’s presence. When the fuel is exhausted, the fire is no longer perceived. The soul’s movement, measure, or form is not known—one can only know that it perishes, like a fire at rest without fuel. Just as, when the fuel is gone, fire is no longer seen, so too, when the body is abandoned, the soul remains, like space. It is the fire within that sustains the vital breaths; let this soul be understood. When that bodily fire is lost, the body becomes insentient. This truth applies to all moving beings, and likewise to the immobile. Because these three—body, breath, and fire—are one, their duality is established in the earth. Know that those without form are formless, while those with bodies possess form. The devotee asks, “O sinless one, what are the characteristics of the soul there? Tell me this. I wish to know what kind of soul resides in the bodies of living beings.” When the body is broken apart, the soul is not perceived at all. When there is pain in the mental body, who is it that experiences that suffering? O great sage, when the mind is distracted, the soul is ineffective. When the mind is disturbed, the eye, though seeing, does not see. And when overcome by sleep, one does not know memory or effort. Who is it that desires, contemplates, hates, and utters speech? It is he who perceives scents, tastes, sounds, touch, forms, and the subtle qualities. He perceives pleasure and pain here, but when separated from them, he does not perceive the body. Then, when the fire of the body is calmed, the body perishes through its abandonment. There, the self—the mind-born Brahma—is the creator of worlds in all beings. Whoever is established in that body is like a drop upon a lotus, delicate and distinct. Know that darkness, passion, and purity are the qualities of the living being. Beyond this, those who know the field declare that he who set in motion the seven worlds is the origin. The living being, separated from the body, departs; the body’s dissolution occurs in ten and a half parts. This truth is perceived only by the keenest intellect, by those who see with subtle understanding. Having obtained nourishment and purified the self, one sees the self within oneself. With a serene self, established in oneself, one attains boundless happiness.