That which touches is known as skin; that which hears is called hearing; that which smells is called nose. In this way, the self perceives itself, each sense turning inward to recognize its own nature. The power that tastes is later called tongue, and that which moves is the activity of air, expressing itself through the various organs of action. As the embodied being, subtle in form, contemplates that all appearances—light, shapes, and even creations of the mind—arise in this manner, it recognizes itself as existing within space, a space within space. In this contemplation of how a single particle of light expands, Brahman abides, taking on the name ‘individual soul.’ Though this appears as a separate, real entity, it is in truth only an appearance, resembling reality but not actually so. Having entered the confusion of conceptualizing the meaning of ‘jīva,’ the self assumes the nature of a subtle body, with the mind and the sense of individuality as its garment. By its own imagination, it perceives a form situated within the cosmic egg; some see this form as existing in water, others as bearing the shape of a universal sovereign. This subtle being sees and even experiences the projection of a future cosmos, just as one’s own nature is imagined by the mind, as if the self is its own womb-house. It perceives the arising of space, time, action, and substance, and, reflecting upon these, becomes the creator of words, binding itself with imagined names and concepts. In the illusion of this unreal world, the subtle body moves about only in unreality, much like one soaring through dreams. Thus, though it does not truly arise, it appears as self-born—the subtle-body self, the lord, the original progenitor. Even when this illusion, taking the form of the cosmic egg, seems to be accomplished, nothing is truly accomplished; nothing is actually born or seen. That Brahman-space remains pure and unshaken, while this city of imagination, though it appears to exist, is not truly real. This wondrous display has arisen in the sky, uncreated and without form; it is neither made nor experienced, not true, yet it appears as if it were real. In the great cycles of creation and dissolution, when Brahma and the others are liberated, 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 persists, 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 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. This visible world is peaceful, having the nature of space—without division or confusion, without support or placement, nondual and free from any notion of unity. Even when the awareness of the world arises, nothing is truly born; the supreme space remains, unvoid, clear, and firmly established. When total dissolution occurs, only that which is remains; there is no support, no supported, no object seen, nor any seer. There is no universe, no creator Brahma, nor any cosmic egg anywhere; there is no world, nor earth—the entirety abides in perfect stillness. Only Brahman moves, pure and clear, self within self, by its own nature—like water, fluid because of its essence, swirling within itself. This appears as unreal, yet is experienced as if real; in the end, the unreal perishes, just as death occurs in a dream. Or, due to its very nature as existence, this is truly real, free from affliction—undivided, without beginning or end, with knowledge alone as its vast expanse. Just as space itself, the supreme, the first lord of beings, always moves by its own nature, equal in its emptiness; for he has a subtle body, not a material one, and thus, when earth and the rest are not born, existence is not present. Thus, all that is seen—the world, ego, and so on—is nothing at all; since it is unborn, it does not truly exist, and what does exist is only the supreme. That supreme space itself is what lives and is conscious in beings, just as water stirs within the unmoving womb of the ocean. The inner activity of consciousness appears as if it knows, without abandoning its sky-like nature, just as it seems visible within the mountain of dream and imagination. The body of the great cosmic self, which is devoid of earth and other elements, is merely a subtle vehicle, composed solely of pure consciousness and space. It is like an imperishable mountain of dream, resembling a stable city of dream; its form is that of an army assembled by the mind, established by the creative activity of consciousness. It is comparable to a mass of pillars and their offspring, not dug into the ground; in the space of Brahman, the self is undug, like a statue on its own pillar. The first creator, formerly known as the self-born, is renowned; he is without prior causes, for there were no previous effects of his own actions. At the end of the great dissolutions, the first ancestors are released; therefore, what previous karma could exist for them? The wall-like self must be relinquished, for it is both visible and invisible, and there is neither the seen, nor the seer, nor the creator—everything is indeed that. He is the reflection of all objects; from him arises the stream of living beings, just as a series of lamps comes forth from a single lamp. Imagination alone, arising from imagination, is indeed devoid of earth and the other elements; yet, like one who possesses earth and the rest, it appears as if manifest, just as from one dream another dream arises. From this very reflection, these living beings emerge; and when the auxiliary causes are absent, they are indeed that alone. In the absence of auxiliary causes, the effect and the cause are one; therefore, there is no other source for the illusion of creation. Brahman alone is the original, whose form is the cosmic person; and from the cosmic person arises creation. Thus, the space of living beings is that alone, since earth and the rest are unreal.