O Rama, let me share with you the wisdom of the sages. When people are consumed with the desire to destroy one another, there is never any true good to be found; their moments of happiness and sorrow flicker and vanish like lightning in the sky. But those great souls—detached, dwelling in solitude, and noble in spirit, much like yourself—are worthy of reverence. Only they partake fully in both the joys of life and the freedom of liberation. To cross over the dreadful river of worldly existence and its many dangers, one must rely on supreme discernment and practice dispassion. In this world, the illusion of samsara is like a poison that confuses and stupefies; those who know should remain ever discerning, never heedless. If a person encounters samsara and remains indifferent, it is as perilous as sleeping in a burning house or lying in the path of a rushing flood. There exists, without doubt, a state which, once attained, leaves no cause for sorrow and from which there is no return; it is accessible to the wise. If, upon inquiry, you find it is not present, then there is no fault for you; but if it is found, you will cross over the ocean of existence. When a person swiftly turns to the inquiry into the means of liberation, he is said to attain liberation. Unfailing and unshaken composure—free from confusion—cannot be found anywhere in the three worlds except through the state of aloneness. In reaching that supreme attainment, hardship is unnecessary; neither friends, nor wealth, nor relatives can help. Nor is there need for movement of hands and feet, traveling to distant places, excessive austerity, or pilgrimage to holy sites. That state is attained solely by conquering the mind, directing all action toward a single purpose—the true aim of human life. It is achieved only by discernment and firm resolve through inquiry; by abandoning the nets of sorrow, one attains it. Seated comfortably, reflecting alone, a person can reach that state; upon attaining it, there is no grief nor rebirth. The noble ones recognize this as the ultimate boundary of all happiness; they call that supreme, incomparable flow the true elixir. All states in heaven and among humans are perishable; there is no lasting happiness in either, just as there is no water in a mirage. Therefore, mastery over the mind should be contemplated, for it is attained through tranquility and contentment. From the enjoyment of endless peace, true bliss arises. Whether living, moving, wandering, or falling—be it demon, celestial, god, or human—upon attaining that supreme happiness born of the pacification of the mind, one gains the fruit of the highest discernment, like the blossom of the flower of tranquility fully opened. Even one engaged in worldly affairs, not seeking a multitude of actions, is neither abandoned nor desired, just as the sun remains steady in the sky. A mind that is utterly peaceful, crystal-clear, rested, free from confusion, without desire or longing, neither craves nor rejects anything. At the gateway to liberation, listen in order to the gatekeepers; by attachment to any one of them, entry to the door of liberation is gained. The long desert of worldly existence, filled with suffering and faults, becomes cool for a living being through the refreshing water of tranquility. Through tranquility, the highest good is attained; tranquility is the supreme state, the auspiciousness, the peace, and the dispeller of delusion. For one satisfied by tranquility, whose nature is pure and cool, whose mind delights in tranquility, even an enemy becomes a friend. For those whose intentions are adorned by the moon of tranquility, supreme purity arises, just as it does from the ocean of milk. Those whose hearts are lotus-like, with tranquility blossoming within, are truly the two lotus hearts of Hari, fully opened among the virtuous. For those whose faces shine without blemish, graced by the beauty of tranquility, they are the lords of their lineage, worthy of veneration, surpassing even the moon in beauty. The glories of tranquility, dwelling within the heart of the three worlds, are not for enjoyment like riches; they are like the wealth of sovereignty. All sufferings, cravings, and unbearable hardships are destroyed in those of peaceful mind, just as darkness vanishes before the sun. The mind naturally follows after the serenity of all beings; not even the moon evokes such wonder as a peaceful person does among people. In one established in tranquility and goodwill toward all creatures, the highest truth reveals itself spontaneously. Just as with a mother, all beings—whether harsh or gentle—place their trust in one who is tranquil. Not by drinking elixirs or embracing fortune does one attain such happiness as a person does through inner tranquility. O Raghava, comfort the mind, afflicted by all kinds of ailments and bound by the cords of craving, with the nectar-stream of tranquility. Whatever you do, whatever you eat, when done with a mind cooled by tranquility, that alone tastes supremely sweet—not otherwise, in the mind. O Raghava, when the mind, bathed in the nectar of tranquility, attains contentment, even limbs once severed are restored by it. Neither spirits, nor demons, nor daityas, nor enemies, nor tigers, serpents, and the like bear enmity toward one who abides in tranquility. When one is fully protected by the armor of the nectar of tranquility, sorrows cannot pierce him, just as arrows cannot penetrate a stone of diamond. A king, even when surrounded by ministers and the women of his inner palace, does not shine as much as one adorned by the beauty of tranquility and steady conduct. Thus, O Rama, know that the supreme joy and the highest good are found in the serenity of the tranquil mind.