Listen, O you whose presence is as nourishing as a rain cloud! I shall address your inquiry thoroughly, dissecting it with clarity, as a lion subdues a wild elephant. O lotus-eyed one, you have spoken of the supreme Self with words that awaken the knowledge of Brahman, capturing its essence in a way that leads to true understanding. This Self, however, cannot truly be described or reached; it is beyond even the mind’s grasp. It is pure consciousness, subtler than the subtlest space. Within this supreme atom of consciousness, existence seems to rest as if it were non-existence itself. Thus, the world appears to shine forth as if real, yet it is as if it does not exist at all. Because it is experienced in some way and stands as the very essence of all creation, it once assumed the state of being as its own nature. Yet, being beyond the senses, this subtle atom is both nothing and infinite; all-pervading, it enjoys everything, but is untouched by any single thing. From the reflection of this minute atom of consciousness, the one appears as many. Though this multiplicity is unreal, it seems real—just as a bracelet appears to be different from the gold from which it is made. This atom is the supreme space, subtler than ether, invisible, beyond the mind and the six senses, yet abiding as the Self within all. Though it is the Self of all, it is never void. To claim that what exists does not exist is the talk of madness. By no reasoning can non-existence be ascribed to what truly exists; the all-pervading Self is hidden, like camphor dissolved in space, yet it is revealed to those who seek. He alone, the subtle essence of pure consciousness, stands as all this dense existence. Nothing else exists, for he is beyond the senses, stainless, and ever-present. He alone is one and yet many, being the inner self of all beings. He upholds this universe and countless worlds as well. The waves of the three worlds are but children of the great ocean of consciousness. Just as wheels move upon water because of its fluidity, so do all beings move and act within this consciousness. Because he cannot be grasped by the mind or senses, he is subtle, void, and assumes the form of space. Yet, because he is known by self-awareness, he is not void—he is also the very nature of space. When dualistic perception arises, I become you; you become me; and I am born as you, manifesting as the vast expanse of consciousness. When all is absorbed into the awareness that is the essence of ‘I’ and ‘you,’ then neither you nor I nor anything else remains; nothing exists independently. This subtle essence, even as it seems to go, does not go. Even if it traverses countless leagues, it does not move, for all distance exists only within consciousness itself. He does not depart, even when he appears to have gone, nor does he arrive, even when he seems to have come. Abiding within the space of his own being, he is untouched by place and time. When that which is to be reached already resides within the body, where could it possibly go? It is like a child resting in the hollow of its mother’s breast, inseparable from her. When the vast region to be reached is inexhaustible, ever-present, and is both within and the agent of all actions, how could it ever go anywhere? Just as, when a pot is moved to another place with its mouth sealed, the space inside does not move or change, so too is it with the Self. When inner awareness abides in the experience-based self, both consciousness and inertness are present; thus, duality arises. When the form of consciousness is unified with the existence of both sentience and inertness, then it is consciousness alone, like a stone possessed by a spirit. In the supreme space, without beginning or end, composed of the ultimate atom of pure consciousness, this marvelous triple world is created and dissolved. By that awareness, fire maintains its existence, and its fiery nature is never lost. Though it pervades all, it does not burn, yet it cooks the substances of the world. Without burning, radiant and purer than the sky, when consciousness alone blazes forth, fire arises from that. From awareness arises the beginningless, supreme illuminator; its primordial nature does not perish, even through the endless cycles of time. Not attainable by the eyes, it is the very nature of experience, the lamp within the heart’s abode, bestower of all existence, infinite and supreme. From this arises all illumination, beyond the reach of mind and senses, by which even the marvels of both the visible and invisible worlds are revealed. In creepers, shrubs, sprouts, and even in those without senses, it is subtle; its form is the awareness of elevation, and its light is the very experience itself. By self-awareness of time, space, action, existence, and nature, it is the master, agent, father, and enjoyer; and, being the very nature of space, it is nothing else. Its subtlety is unbroken; it is the tiny jewel-case of the world, whose essence is measure, measurer, and the measurable; the world exists there, in awareness. It alone shines clearly throughout all worlds. When the world is contained within it, it is the supreme gem. Because it is difficult to comprehend, it is called darkness; because it is pure consciousness, it is the seer of light. It exists as awareness, but, being beyond the senses, it is considered unreal. That mountain seems distant, unattainable by the senses; yet, as consciousness, it is not far. Because it is experienced by all, it is both the mountain and the atom. What appears as the world is merely pure awareness; thus, there is no reality in the mountain and the like, and the greatness of Meru is found only in the atom. The appearance of a moment is called a ‘moment’; likewise, the appearance of an aeon is what we call an ‘aeon.’ The play of creation in an aeon appears within a moment, just as a vast city exists in the mind. Within the womb of a single moment, the beginning of an aeon arises, like the construction of a great city within a spotless mirror. Within the atom are found countless mountains, oceans, cities, aeons, and moments. When everything exists within the atom, how can there be duality or unity? All is that one undivided consciousness, the innermost essence of all that is.