All that a person enjoys through the body—be it a house, land, or any other possession—extends also to sons, grandsons, and all those born from that body. In truth, a person’s actions are performed for the enjoyment of all these bodies, not just his own. Just as a house made of clay is smeared with more clay and cow-dung to maintain and purify it, so too is the body, which is composed of fivefold enjoyments, made to partake in pleasures of five kinds. As beings journey along the path of transmigration, passing through thousands upon thousands of births, they accumulate the dust of ignorance and delusion. But, O gentle one, when this dust is washed away by the warm water of true knowledge, and when the weariness brought on by delusion fades, the mind becomes clear and tranquil. Then, the self is revealed as pure, composed of liberation, and made of knowledge. Just as water cannot mix with fire, though it may touch the vessel that holds the fire, so too the self, by mere contact with nature, becomes tainted by ego and other impurities. In this way, the seed of ignorance has been explained. There is nothing apart from yoga that can bring an end to these afflictions. At this point, Khāṇḍikya, sweet as nectar, spoke again, inspiring his companion. “You have grasped the meaning of the scriptures in this brief moment,” he said. “Where the sage, having attained absorption in Brahman, abides unwavering, there is true realization. Bondage arises from attachment to objects; liberation is found in freedom from them. Therefore, to attain liberation, one should contemplate the Supreme Lord, who has become Brahman. Just as iron is drawn by the power of a magnet, so too is the self drawn by its own inherent power. The union of the self with Brahman is called yoga. He who achieves this union is known as a yogi, one who desires liberation. When established in samadhi, such a yogi attains realization of the Supreme Brahman. Liberation is attained through repeated practice over many lifetimes. The yogi, through the fire of yoga, quickly attains union, burning away accumulated karma. Free from desire, he should continue to practice, guiding his mind with discipline, ever directing it toward Brahman and the Supreme. Desire-driven rituals may yield superior worldly results, but for those without desire, they bestow liberation. The disciplined ascetic should practice both yamas and niyamas, which are the restraints and observances. Prāṇāyāma, or breath control, is to be understood as having both a ‘seeded’ and ‘seedless’ aspect. When these are practiced properly, a third state arises from the restraint of the first two. The yogin who practices remembers the infinite, which is the true support. One devoted to pratyāhāra, or withdrawal of the senses, should act in accordance with the mind. Without mastery over the senses, one is neither a yogin nor a true practitioner of yoga. Once the senses are mastered, one should firmly establish the mind in an auspicious refuge. Whatever is the complete support for the mind, it removes the arising of faults. Contemplation may be on form with and without shape, on the supreme and the non-supreme as well. This is known as contemplation on Brahman, on action, and on both natures. Similarly, another form of contemplation is on both natures together; thus, contemplation is threefold. By contemplation on action, all others—gods, immobile and mobile beings—are understood to exist. Contemplation is truly present in those endowed with understanding of their proper role in the universe.