There is an ever-radiant Lord, unborn, divine, flawless, who abides eternally, never setting or departing. Everywhere, always, this Supreme Self is present—the great Lord, the source of all that exists. He is that from whom even words, in their attempt to describe, ultimately return in silence; He is realized only by the liberated. The names we use—such as ‘self’—are but imagined, for they do not arise from His own nature. This Lord is perceived in many ways: the Sāṅkhya philosophers see Him as Brahman, Vedāntins as pure consciousness, and those who truly know knowledge see Him as utterly pure awareness. To the proponents of emptiness, He is emptiness; to those who praise the sun’s brilliance, He is the illuminator. He is always the speaker, the rememberer, the true enjoyer, the seer, the doer—whatever role is perceived, He is that. In this world He is both existent and non-existent; though dwelling within the body, He remains far beyond it. Like the radiance that streams from the sun, so does the light of consciousness shine forth from Him. From Him arise gods like Viṣṇu, as rays emerge from the sun, and from Him countless worlds bubble forth, just as bubbles rise from the ocean. All objects of perception merge into Him, as rivers merge into the great ocean. He illumines Himself and all things, like a lamp shining in the darkness. He abides everywhere—in space, in bodies, in stones, in water, in vines, in dust, in mountains, in winds, and even in the netherworlds. He swiftly floods the eightfold city of the body, here and there; by His power, the deluded are rendered mute, like stones deep in meditation. By His will, the sky is made empty, mountains are made solid, waters flow swiftly, and the sun shines in its brilliance. From Him arise the varied visions of worldly existence, like showers from a cloud filled with inexhaustible nectar. Within Him, the waves of the three worlds—arising and ceasing—shimmer ceaselessly, like sunbeams dancing in sunlight. He is the very nature of destruction, yet indestructible Himself; hidden and distinct, yet dwelling within all things, present in every being. He is like a natural vine grown in space, bearing the fruit of the cosmic egg, with the mind and senses as its leaves, dancing in the wind. This consciousness-gem shines forth through every body; in Him, like rays in the moon, the streams of the world’s web flicker and play. Within the tranquil mass of His consciousness, in the nectar-raining brilliance, the elements flow as streams, and perceptions flash like lightning. Objects sparkle for one another by His illumination; by Him, the unreal is born as unreal, and the real attains true existence. This moving body acts without desire in the presence of that supreme jewel, which abides in the self, silent and motionless. Through Him, fate, space, time, movement, vibration, and actions appear and disappear, as He approaches all beings. Because His nature is pure consciousness, He becomes like space when space is known; through knowledge of objects, He assumes the state of objects, yet He remains unestablished, untouched. Even while performing the boundless activity of the great worlds, He never truly acts at any time; He remains established solely in His own undiminishing, changeless awareness, free from all notions of arising or abiding. For this God of gods, the Supreme Self, the highest attainment comes only through knowledge—not through the weariness of ritual practice. Here, only knowledge and its direct application are useful; nothing else is required. It is like the experience that dispels the illusion of water in a mirage. This truth is neither distant nor hidden in the sky, nor difficult to attain. It is the radiance of one’s own bliss, found within one’s own body. Practices such as austerity, charity, or vows do not help here at all; except for resting in one’s own nature, there is no other means. Scripture, the company of the wise, and the guidance of true yogis alone are the means and illumination here—whatever dispels the net of delusion without artifice. By merely recognizing, “This is that God,” suffering ceases for the living being, and one attains liberation even while living. By this very recognition of the self within the self, faults such as death and others are never experienced again. How could this great God, the God of gods, be attained from afar—by what intense austerity, by what hardship, or by how much effort? O Rama, that God is known through one’s own effort, through expanding discernment, not by austerity, bathing, or ritual actions. O Rama, unless one abandons attachment, aversion, darkness, anger, pride, and envy, austerity and charity are merely sources of suffering, not truly effective. When the mind is afflicted by attachment and the like, and one acquires another’s wealth through deceit, whatever is given in charity from that is fruitful only for the rightful owner. When the mind is tainted by attachment and the like, and one performs vows or rituals, that is mere hypocrisy; its result is negligible or none at all. Therefore, by one’s own effort, one should obtain the foremost remedy: association with true scriptures and noble people, which destroys the disease of worldly existence. Here, except for personal effort, no other means is suitable for attaining the cessation of all suffering. Listen, then, to what kind of personal effort leads to the attainment of self-knowledge, by which all the fevers of attachment and aversion are completely pacified. With whatever means are available, in a way not opposed to worldly norms or scriptures, with a mind content and satisfied, one should abandon greed for enjoyment. With whatever effort is possible, and without agitation, one should first take refuge in devotion to the company of the good and to true scriptures. He who is content with what comes to him, who disregards what is blameworthy, and who delights in the company of the virtuous and in true scriptures—he is quickly liberated. For even one of great intelligence who has not discerned the true nature of things through inquiry, even Brahma, Vishnu, Indra, and Shiva are to be regarded with compassion.