As the teaching unfolds, the sage addresses the seeker with gentle clarity. “Child,” he begins, “know that as long as your mind has not become peaceful and undivided through the practice of yoga, you cannot truly perceive Brahman, the absolute reality. Only those who, like us, have attained steadfastness—through diligent practice and the knowledge of Brahman—can genuinely see that supreme state. Reflecting further, the sage describes his own realization: ‘Just as the city of imagination arises within the mind, so too is my body made of space. I see that this very breath is Brahman, and with this body I behold that supreme state. I am the body of pure knowledge, just as others—those born from the lotus and similar beings—are. Brahman, the self, the world, and all that exists are but limbs within our own being.’ He cautions, ‘Without your practice, dear one, the form has not attained the state of Brahman; it remains merely the mind-made self, and thus you do not perceive that reality. Where your own city of imagination is not found within your own body, neither is the city of another’s imagination found within you.’ The sage urges, ‘Therefore, abandon attachment to this body, which is of the nature of consciousness-space, and you will see That—the supreme reality. Do this swiftly, O best among those who know what is to be done. Understand that the city of imagination is real only for the one who imagines it; whether with body or without, for others it is nothing at all.’ He explains, ‘At the beginning of creation, world-delusion arose and came to this state; from that time onward, destiny has gained strength. You said, O goddess, “Let us go to the house of the brahmin and his wife.” With this, I ask: how should we go, mother?’ The seeker responds, ‘Here, leaving behind this body with a mind aligned to pure being, I go to that supreme realm—tell me about it.’ The sage offers an analogy: ‘Just as your wish-formed tree in the sky, though existing, is of the nature of space—it is not like a wall, nor obstructed by a wall, nor does it destroy a wall. That is the nature of a mind-formed body made of pure, single substance; therefore, its manifestation is only slightly different from the supreme.’ He continues, ‘So, this body is of such a kind; I do not abandon it and go elsewhere. With this very body, I reach that place, just as fragrance is carried by the wind. Just as water merges with water, fire with fire, and wind with wind, so too does the mind-made body unite with other mind-made bodies. Yet, the awareness belonging to the earthly does not merge with the awareness that is not earthly; where is the union between two mountains made of imagination?’ ‘This mind-formed body of yours is indeed a vehicle of passage; but, due to long-standing conception, it is grasped by the intellect as if it were material. Just as in a dream, or in prolonged meditation, or in delusions, or in the fixed idea of an addict, or in the city of the Gandharvas—illusory cities—when the subtle impressions are truly diminished and your mind attains stability, then the physical condition does not return to the body.’ ‘When the belief in the subtle body becomes firm, this body attains solidity; but when that belief is lost in delusion, this body perishes. Whatever exists by name may undergo cycles of destruction and persistence; but what does not truly exist cannot be destroyed—what kind of destruction could there be?’ ‘When the illusion of a snake in a rope is dispelled by true understanding, the snake is not destroyed, nor is it not destroyed—such talk is meaningless. Just as, through true knowledge, the physical is not seen, so too, through knowledge of the subtle body, the physical is not perceived. If an imagined thing is removed by someone, then that imagination ceases; like a stone that is cast away, it is not present here at any time.’ ‘This body and its components exist, each fulfilling the other; this is the truth, dear one, which we see, though you do not perceive it. At the beginning of creation, when the mind is shaped by imagination, from that moment onward, individuality is seen as if it were an object. When the supreme reality alone remains, tranquil and undivided by directions, time, and other distinctions, how could there be any scope for imagination?’ ‘Just as the quality of a bracelet exists in gold, or a wave in water, or reality in dream-cities and imagined worlds, so in the experience of truth and in the realm of consciousness, there is absolutely no imagination apart from the self, which is by nature free from affliction. Just as there is no dust in the sky, so too, in the supreme there is no division; this undivided, peaceful, unborn reality is free from all conceptualization.’ ‘Whatever knowledge shines forth is pure and belongs only to That; like the luster of a jewel, which is called gold by the tale of goldsmiths.’ The sage then reflects, ‘For such a long time, O Devi, we have been wandering; who indeed are these, endlessly confused by the notions of duality and non-duality? You have been long disturbed and confused by restless, unexamined thought; this confusion arises from its own nature and disappears through inquiry. Unexamined thought is destroyed instantly by inquiry; thus, it is truly nonexistent, and therefore ignorance does not exist within.’ ‘Therefore, there is truly no absence of inquiry, no ignorance, no bondage; nor is there liberation. This world is pure consciousness, undisturbed. For as long as you did not reflect upon this, you were not fully awakened—confused and agitated, like the restless ocean. From today onward, you are awakened, liberated, and discerning; the seed of residual impressions has fallen away from your mind.’ ‘In the beginning itself, the spectacle—the drama of worldly existence—never truly arose; so when, how, and by whom could any impression or tendency be experienced? When there is the attainment of complete absence—of seer, seen, and seeing—then, established in supreme one-pointedness, one abides in non-conceptual samadhi.’ ‘Yet, if in this state where the seed of impressions is exhausted, even a slight sprout arises in the heart, then gradually perceptions such as attraction and aversion will emerge.’ Thus, the sage lovingly guides the seeker through the subtle layers of reality, revealing the nature of mind, body, and consciousness, and pointing toward the supreme undivided truth that lies beyond all imagination and division.