O Rama, consider this: when an object appears before you and later fades away, the memory of it lingers on. This very memory, a chain of recollection without purpose, becomes the subtle bondage that binds the mind. Wherever the mind fixes itself, just as your face is reflected in a mirror, a corresponding image arises within—this is the memory of creation itself, the mind’s own echo of what it has seen. In truth, at the very beginning, the world as you perceive it does not arise at all. If it has no existence of its own, then, in the absence of the illusion of “seer” and “seen,” liberation is attained. Therefore, O best among knowers of the Self, dispel for me through clear reasoning the notion that liberation is impossible, and reveal the utter impossibility of the world as it appears to us. Just as the world, with all its creation, appears real while actually being unreal, so too, Rama, listen as I explain this at length. Until these teachings are fully expressed in words of decisive clarity, the dust of doubt in your heart will not settle, just as silt in a lake remains unsettled until the water is still. When you come to realize the absolute nonexistence of this illusion called world-creation, you will move through the world established in unwavering meditation. The experiences of existence and nonexistence, of grasping and letting go, of the gross and the subtle, of movement and stillness—these will approach you, but they will not penetrate you, just as arrows cannot pierce a great mountain. There is truly only this one Self; no second exists, not even as a notion. Listen, O Raghava, as I reveal how this world appears to be. That great Self alone, beloved Rama, manifests all things. It is the very abode of the light of perception, thought, and mind; it rises and subsides in all forms, remaining ever itself. Now, listen with your highest understanding to how this universe has arisen from that supreme, tranquil, and pure state. Just as deep sleep gives rise to dreams, so too does Brahman alone shine forth as creation; all is truly one and peaceful—now hear the unfolding sequence. From that infinite, self-luminous essence, that pure jewel of consciousness, there is, by its very nature, a simple, continuous existence. Within that Self, something seems to become an object of awareness, though nothing is actually grasped; this is but a subtle stirring of consciousness, the earliest sign of cognition. Through imagined formations of future objects, this consciousness takes on the faintest conceptual form—subtler than space, pure, and the revealer of all that is to be. From that, the supreme existence turns toward consciousness, making itself fit for awareness, becoming slightly accessible. Then, through a dense awareness, it receives the name of the future individual soul and other identities; this is the Self’s own conception as it descends from the supreme state. When it abides in the notion of its own singular being, poised for manifestation, then, by the very nature of reality, these subtle bodies reside within it. Immediately after this, the emptiness of space arises—this is the seed of qualities such as sound, destined to give rise to all future objects of expression. Then, the sense of “I” emerges, together with the existence of time; these are the primary seeds for sustaining the world and its future objects. The supreme power of that Self, consisting only of self-awareness, manifests as this intricate network, which is unreal in nature but appears as if real, shining forth before us. Thus, this consciousness is the seed of the tree of intention, and the essence of ego acts as the wind, setting it in motion. Consciousness, endowed with ego, contemplates the subtle element of sound in space; gradually, it becomes denser and forms the subtle element of space itself. That which is destined to become objects is the seed of the tree of the multitude of sounds; it transforms through the abundance of words, sentences, measures, and groups of Vedas. From this, the entire splendor of the world in the form of sound arises, spreading through the transformation of countless objects created by countless sounds. This consciousness, together with its retinue, is called the jīva; through the web of future objects of sound, it becomes the seed of the tree of the multitude of elements. The fourteenfold class of beings, enveloped in space, then spreads forth as the many mechanisms within the womb of the world. Consciousness, which has not yet attained the essence of name and form, shines forth as living existence; through the notion of touch, it instantly becomes the subtle element of touch. The expansion of the wind principle is the seed of the tree whose sole branch is touch; from this, the pulse of all beings’ activities arises and spreads. Wherever consciousness, by its play, manifests as illumination through experience, that becomes the subtle element of fire, giving rise to the meaning of names yet to be. Through the expansions of the sun and other luminous bodies, this becomes the seed of the tree whose branches are light; from this, the world spreads forth in myriad forms. From the existence of the fourfold group, as if from the real and unreal, the taste of that assembly is called the subtle element of flavor. That which is the seed of the tree of flavor is the essence of the play of future water; through mutual tasting, the world spreads forth from this. The conception of fragrance, too, is of the nature of imagination; imagination itself bestows the subtle element of fragrance along with its qualities. From this seed, as the potential of the future world-sphere, the tree of forms arises; thus, from the universal substratum, the cycle of worldly existence spreads forth. The subtle elements, once conceived by consciousness, are transformed among themselves continuously, just as water changes within itself. In this way, these mixed and distinct elements are not found to be pure again, except when all has come to complete dissolution. Existing as nothing but pure consciousness within the expanse of the sky, they become like clusters of banyan trees within the tiny space of a seed. They witness the process of manifestation, branching out in hundreds, remaining as atoms within, and in an instant becoming vast as an aeon. They move about as transformations, yet some remain untransformed; all, known by consciousness, become compacted in a single moment. Thus, O Rama, from the pure and infinite Self, through subtle stirrings and imagination, the entire universe appears to unfold—yet, in truth, it is but a play of consciousness, ever one, ever at peace.