Rama, ever thoughtful, inquired: “Is the multitude of living beings limited, or is it infinite? Or is there, perhaps, one infinite Self, the aggregate of all beings, unmoving like a mountain? Why do living beings emerge at all—like streams from a raincloud, droplets from the ocean, or sparks from heated iron? O venerable sage, I have understood much, but please reveal to me clearly the true nature of this web of living beings.” The wise sage replied: “Rama, in truth, there is only one living being. How could there be a multitude? To speak of many souls coming and going is like claiming the horn of a rabbit has arisen and vanished—an impossibility. There is no individual soul, nor any multitude of souls, nor even a great entity like a mountain made of souls. All notions associated with the term ‘jīva’—the individual self—are but mental constructions. Be steadfast in the understanding that none of these truly exist. What truly exists everywhere is pure consciousness alone, the immaculate Brahman, limitless and all-powerful, manifesting whatever aspect it chooses. Just as a vine unfolds leaf by leaf, so too does consciousness, whether manifest or unmanifest, swiftly perceive itself in any form it wishes. The terms we use—‘jīva’, ‘intellect’, ‘activity’, ‘movement’, ‘mind’, ‘duality’, and ‘unity’—all these are merely experiences, directing their own existence toward experience itself. With awareness, consciousness reveals itself as Brahman; with ignorance, it falls into destruction, lost in observation, yet remains unaware of its own true nature. Just as darkness vanishes when seen by a lamp, though its essence cannot be grasped, so too is the nature of ignorance. Thus, the individual soul is Brahman alone, undivided and uninterrupted, all-powerful, without beginning or end, bearing the very essence of supreme consciousness. Because it pervades all, there can be no real division within it; whatever conception arises is merely experienced as such. By the wish of this one living being, all the beings of the world appear, yet do not truly exist separately, for there is only the unity of the great Self. This great Self, which is Brahman, is the source of all powers; it abides as it wills, undivided and uninterrupted. Whatever this Self desires comes to be swiftly; but if its desire ceases, duality arises from that cessation. Thereafter, among the powers divided by duality, their own activities are projected, and thus, through this process, action takes place. By that primordial divine power, the regulation of the world is established—without it, nothing else arises; only the primary will prevails. Of that power called the individual soul, whatever desire bears fruit, it is only by the regulation of the primary power, not otherwise. If the regulation of the primary power is not firmly established, then, due to the presence or absence of power, the intended result does not occur anywhere. Thus, Brahman, the great living essence, exists without beginning or end; when it appears as the multitude of living beings, it seems as countless hosts, yet in truth, it remains nothing else but itself. Through awareness of objects, the individual soul arises and enters the cycle of worldly existence; when that awareness ceases, its form attains peace and departs from the world. In this way, the lesser souls, through the sequence of actions of the greater souls, rise up to the state of the original soul, just as copper, through refinement, attains the state of gold. Here, in this infinite supreme space, even this group of beings, though non-existent, appears as if it exists—such is the wonder of consciousness, like the very essence of space. That very wonder which arises in consciousness by itself is known as the sense of ‘I’, which later becomes the notion of name, body, and so on. That which is the light of consciousness, endless and of the same nature as consciousness, is this enjoyment of worlds—thus the worlds are but its reflection. That imperishable consciousness, though indivisible in its true form, is described by words such as transformation and modification, and is known by its own power. Whatever taste consciousness experiences in itself, being the play of uninterrupted delight, that alone is established as the world of the unmanifest light. This power of consciousness, subtler even than space and pervading all, naturally perceives itself as the sense of ‘I’. Whatever shines forth in the self, by the self and for the self—from the smallest sense of ‘I’ to the end of the world—that alone does it perceive. That which consciousness marvels at, which brings forth wonder and beauty, is spread out within itself as what is called the world. Consciousness itself is the mind, ego, and imagination, O Raghava; thus, from the subtle elements onward, all is consciousness—so where, then, can duality or unity truly be established? Abandon the notions of ‘you’ and ‘I’ in the cause of the individual soul, without forsaking existence; what remains between being and non-being becomes meaningful in itself. Just as consciousness was conceived at first in its own existence, so it arises; it appears undivided like space, and then I know its being and non-being. Consciousness-space, space, the world, desires, oceans, gods, and mountains—all are of the nature of space and the marvel of consciousness; truly, there is nothing else. Whatever manifestation arises from something is never different from it; even if the essence appears to have parts, what need is there to discuss the partless? Consciousness, ever untouched, has no form; whatever form appears in the world is merely a manifestation of its radiance. Mind, intellect, ego, elements, mountains, directions—these are all alternate expressions; the world’s existence is rooted in the essence of consciousness. Know that the world is the state of consciousness; there is no world without consciousness. If there were a world without consciousness, consciousness would be inert; but since there is no difference in existence, whence could the world arise? The wondrous play of consciousness, like the seed of a mirage, is itself established as the sole essence of the living being and the world.