Whatever a person practices in this world, that very nature they come to embody—this truth is clearly seen among the wise, from childhood onward. Therefore, it is vital to engage yourself in good tendencies for your own welfare, relying on supreme effort and mastering the five senses. As long as your mind remains untrained and you have not realized the ultimate state, you should act according to the guidance of the teacher and the authority of the scriptures. But when your inner impurities are burned away and the truth is realized, even the accumulation of good impressions should be abandoned, free from all attachment. By following that which is supremely good—practiced by the noble and pursued with a mind intent on what is truly delightful—you will attain a state free from sorrow. And then, having let go even of that, you will abide in supreme well-being. Therefore, relying on effort, which is your eternal companion on the path to the highest good, make your mind one-pointed and listen carefully to my words. Swiftly restrain, by strength of will, the senses that are seized by inner impulses and established desires, bringing them into equanimity. Now, I shall expound a compendium, distilled from the essence, which is a means to liberation and bestows the fruits of human endeavor—success both in this world and the next. Abandon any longing for worldly existence so that it does not return, and take up perfect tranquility and contentment with a noble mind. With careful attention to the meaning of teachings, both ancient and new, make your mind harmonious and reflective within yourself. Listen, O Rāma, to this means of liberation, which brings an end to pleasure and pain, is the sole path to supreme bliss, and will now be explained. Having heard this discourse on liberation, together with all the discerning ones, you will attain that sorrowless state where there is no destruction. This teaching was spoken in ancient times by Brahmā, the supreme creator—a teaching that brings an end to all suffering and is the highest comfort for the mind. “By whom, for what reason, and in what manner was this teaching first spoken by the self-born Brahmā, O sage? Tell me how it came to you, O master.” In response, the sage narrates: There exists the infinite, all-pervading, all-supporting space of consciousness—imperishable in nature, like a lamp shining within all things. From the movement and stillness of that consciousness, Viṣṇu arose, just as a wave emerges from the essence-filled ocean. From the central lotus of Mount Meru, from its petals and heart-lotus, radiant like the filaments of a star, the supreme creator, Brahmā, was born. Surrounded by an assembly of sages, lords of the Vedas and their meanings, Brahmā created the entire world with all its manifold distinctions, just as the mind creates various ideas. In this land called Bhārata, at the corner of Jambudvīpa, he created people afflicted by sorrow, disease, and suffering, along with their children. For those distressed by existence and non-existence, intent on calamity and destruction, he devised a supreme means for the nourishment of living beings. Seeing the suffering of these people, the Lord, creator of all worlds, was moved to compassion, just as a father is moved by the sorrow of his children. The Lord of beings, focused for a moment, pondered, “How can there be an end to the suffering of these hopeless, short-lived ones?” Thus reflecting, the blessed Lord again created austerity, righteousness, charity, truth, and holy places. Yet, having created these, the divine creator thought, “By these alone, the end of all suffering for people is not attained.” Nirvana is called the supreme happiness—by which a person is neither born nor dies—and it is attained only through knowledge. For crossing over worldly existence, knowledge alone is the means for a living being; austerity, charity, and pilgrimage are declared to be minor aids. Therefore, for the liberation from suffering of this noble humanity, I shall promptly reveal the direct means for crossing over. Thus reflecting, the blessed Brahmā, seated upon the lotus, conceived me in his mind and brought me forth. Having arisen from somewhere, I quickly appeared before my father, like one wave following another, O sinless one. The Lord held a water pot, and I too held a water pot; he wore a rosary, and I too wore a rosary; having bowed, I greeted him. Calling me, “Come, my son,” he joined me with his hand to the northern petal of his own lotus, like a white cloud joining the moon. Clad in a deer skin, wearing his own garment of deer skin, my father Brahmā, like a swan to a lotus, spoke to me. He said, “For a moment, my son, let your mind, restless as a monkey, be enveloped in ignorance, as the moon is covered by a hare.” Thus, being quickly cursed by him, immediately after reflection, I, the twice-born, forgot all my pure nature. Then I became dejected, remaining with an awakened mind, tormented by sorrow and pain, like a lowly person among people. I pondered inwardly, “How did this fault called ‘worldly existence’ come about?” and remained silent. Then my father addressed me: “Son, why are you sorrowful? Ask me the remedy for sorrow, and you will always be happy.” Then, questioned by me, the blessed one, creator of all worlds, seated on a golden lotus petal, gave the medicine for the disease of worldly existence. He asked me: “How has this great suffering called worldly existence arisen, and how is it brought to an end for a living being?” That knowledge, which is purifying and supreme, has been explained in great detail; by knowing it, I have become, it seems, even greater than my father.