Wherever it may be, there is a mysterious power that releases the sprout of the world. The seed of all creation is fivefold, and at the heart of this fivefold seed lies the imperishable consciousness itself. As is the seed, so is the fruit; thus, the world, springing from this seed, is truly of the nature of Brahman. At the very beginning of creation, this group of five—rooted in the vastness of great space—arises. This fivefold group, made up of consciousness, space, and the elements, is not ultimately real; it is imagined. Yet through this imagining, everything that is spread out before us seems to expand and flourish. Even so, being of the nature of space and conceptual essence, it does not truly exist; for nothing can be established by that which is itself unestablished. How can something that is merely conceptual, like space, attain true reality? But if this fivefold is indeed Brahman, then by virtue of its Brahman-nature, it is Brahman alone—an illusion that manifests as the three worlds. Just as it flashes forth at the dawn of creation, so too does this fivefold arise again and again. At the very outset, this fivefold itself becomes the cause of the elements’ state; yet, in truth, nothing is ever truly born, though the world appears as if it is. Like a city seen in a dream or conjured by imagination, what is unreal is experienced as real. The space of Brahman, the outer space, and the space of the individual soul—all of these are contained within oneself. Thus, the pure-minded one realizes that earth and the other elements do not truly arise; the individual soul, as previously explained, is described as the very essence of space. Now, listen to how this space-like soul acquires a body: the soul-space is itself space, dwelling in the supreme expanse. Within this expanse, a particle of light contemplates, “I am this.” Through its own reflection, it imagines itself as elevated, as if it were truly established in the sky of the self. That which is unreal assumes the form of reality, just as the moon appears in the sky by mere thought. By contemplating thus, one remains both observer and observed, becoming dual from unity—just as in dreams or in the awareness of one’s own death. This spark takes on a slight solidity and perceives itself as a star; according to the way it contemplates, the meaning arises from the nature of consciousness. The soul is always space itself, yet it thinks, “I am this.” Because of its consciousness, it assumes an individual sense, just as you become a traveler in a dream. By imagining a star-like form—called the contemplated body—it becomes that very state, for the mind takes on the nature of what it perceives. Seemingly abandoning the external, it shines inwardly within the star’s core, though it remains outside, like a mountain reflected in a mirror. Just as a body may be seen in a well or may emerge outside, so too does awareness in dream and imagination know this; likewise, the individual soul perceives itself within the atom. The soul, residing in the hard, star-like essence, acts by itself—this is the stream of knowledge, taking the forms of intellect, mind, and so forth. From there, the space of the soul, contained within the star-like sheath, extends with the thought “I observe,” as if reaching out to see in the sky. Then, through two apertures, it projects what will later be called the external; what is used to see will be known as the pair of eyes. That by which it touches is called skin; that by which it hears is called hearing; that by which it smells is called nose. In this way, it perceives itself within itself. That which tastes will later be known as tongue; that which moves is the activity of air, the group of action organs. Contemplating that all forms, light, and creations of the mind arise in this way, the embodied being of the subtle body remains in space within space. In this manner, contemplating the expansion of the particle of light, Brahman abides, bearing the name “individual soul,” appearing unreal yet resembling reality. Thus, having entered into the confusion of conceptualizing the meaning of “jīva,” the soul assumes the nature of a subtle body, with a mind-body as its garment. By its own imagination, it perceives a form situated within the cosmic egg; some see it as being in water, some as having the form of a universal sovereign. It sees and even experiences the projection of a future cosmos, as one whose own nature is imagined by the mind—just as the womb-house of the self. It perceives the conceptualization of space, time, action, and substance; contemplating thus, it becomes the creator of words, binding itself with imagined words. This subtle body, within the illusion of the unreal world, moves about only in unreality—just as one soars in dreams. Thus, though not truly arisen, it appears as self-born, as the subtle-body self, the lord, the original progenitor. Even when this illusion, taking the form of the cosmic egg, is accomplished, nothing is truly accomplished; nothing is born or seen. That Brahman-space remains as pure space, unmoved; this city of imagination, though it appears to exist, is not ultimately real. This wondrous display has arisen in the sky—uncreated and without form. It is neither made nor truly experienced, not real, and yet it appears as if it were real. In the great cycle, when Brahma and others attain liberation, there remains no previous memory; the cause of all belongs to the self-born alone. Therefore, whatever the self-born is like, so too is the memory produced from it. Thus, the beginningless experience exists in this way, along with earth and the other elements. Just as the earth and other elements experienced in a dream appear upon awakening, so too is the world always remembered as having the nature of pure space. Wherever and however the property of fluidity exists in water, in the same way, there is no other creation in the Supreme Self. Thus, this creation is established, and this manifestation remains; what is called the universe shines forth, yet it is only the nature of space, without any actual creation. Therefore, this visible world is peaceful, having the nature of space, without division or confusion; it is without support or placement, nondual, and free from any unity. Even when the awareness of the world arises, nothing is truly born; the supreme space remains unvoid, clear, and firmly established.