Ajātaśatru and Bālākī sat together, deep in dialogue about the ultimate truth. Bālākī began by pointing to the person seen in the mirror, saying, “This is the one I meditate upon.” But Ajātaśatru gently corrected him, “Do not take this as the highest reality. The image in the mirror is but a counterpart, not the ultimate. Yet, if one meditates in this way, a counterpart will indeed be born to him in his offspring, but not one who is not a counterpart.” Undeterred, Bālākī continued, “This is the person in the echo; him alone I meditate upon.” Again Ajātaśatru replied, “Do not take this as the highest. The echo is the second, inseparable from the first, but not the ultimate. Whoever meditates in this way attains the second, and becomes possessed of a second.” Bālākī pressed on, “This is the sound that follows the person; him alone I meditate upon.” Ajātaśatru answered, “Do not meditate on this as the highest either. This is the Asura, not the ultimate self. Whoever meditates thus will not have progeny before the proper time and will fall into confusion.” Still searching, Bālākī said, “This is the shadow-person; him alone I meditate upon.” Ajātaśatru replied, “Do not meditate on this as the highest; the shadow is death. Whoever meditates in this way will not have progeny before the proper time and will perish.” Bālākī named another, “This is the person in the body; him alone I meditate upon.” Ajātaśatru responded, “He is Prajāpati, the lord of creatures, but not the ultimate. Whoever meditates on him in this way is born with offspring and cattle.” Continuing, Bālākī said, “This is the intelligent self by which one experiences dreams in sleep; him alone I meditate upon.” Ajātaśatru explained, “He is Yama, he is the king, but not the highest. Yet, whoever meditates thus attains all excellence.” Then Bālākī declared, “This is the person in the right eye; him alone I meditate upon.” Ajātaśatru replied, “He is the self of name, of fire, of light. But do not take him as the ultimate. Whoever meditates thus becomes the self of all these.” Bālākī continued, “This is the person in the left eye; him alone I meditate upon.” Ajātaśatru said, “He is the self of truth, of lightning, of brilliance. But do not take him as the highest. Whoever meditates thus becomes the self of all these.” At this, Bālākī fell silent. Ajātaśatru asked, “Is this all, O Bālākī?” Bālākī replied, “This is all.” Ajātaśatru said, “In vain have you meditated. I will tell you about Brahman. Whoever is the maker of these persons, whose work this is, he alone is to be known.” Humbled, Bālākī approached Ajātaśatru with fuel in hand, seeking instruction. Ajātaśatru remarked, “It would be a reversal if a Kṣatriya were to instruct a Brāhmaṇa, but come, I will teach you.” He took Bālākī’s hand and led him to a man who was asleep. Ajātaśatru called out, “O king Soma, clothed in white!” but the man remained silent. Ajātaśatru struck him with a stick, and the man immediately awoke. Ajātaśatru asked, “Where was the person who was in this body? From where did he return?” Bālākī could not answer. Ajātaśatru then explained, “Where the sleeper was, from where he returned, there are the arteries of the heart, called hitā, spreading from the heart to the body’s periphery. They are as fine as a thousandfold split hair, white, black, yellow, and red. In these, the self dwells. When one sleeps without dreaming, he becomes one with the vital breath. Speech with all names, the eye with all forms, the ear with all sounds, the mind with all thoughts—all enter into him. When he awakens, just as sparks fly from a blazing fire, so from this self the vital breaths go forth to their places. From the breaths come the gods, from the gods the worlds. Just as a razor rests in its case or a spider sits in its web, so this intelligent self has entered the body, from hairs to nails.” He continued, “This self recognizes itself. Just as a master sits at ease and enjoys with his people, so this intelligent self enjoys with these selves, and they enjoy with him. Before Indra knew this self, the Asuras overpowered him. But when he knew it, he conquered the Asuras and attained supremacy, sovereignty, and lordship over all the gods. In the same way, one who knows this self destroys all evils and gains supremacy, sovereignty, and lordship over all beings—whoever knows thus, whoever knows thus.