In the vast expanse of existence, there is a presence that, through its own self-awareness, perceives time, space, action, existence, and nature. By this very awareness, it becomes the master, the agent, the father, and the enjoyer of all. Though it takes on these roles, its true nature is like space itself—subtle, all-encompassing, and nothing other than that pure expanse. This subtlety is unbroken and constant. It is as if the world is held within a tiny, precious jewel-case, whose essence is both the measure, the measurer, and the measurable. All of creation exists within this awareness. It alone shines, illuminating all worlds; and when the entire world is contained within it, it stands as the supreme gem. Yet, because it is so difficult to comprehend, it is often thought of as darkness. But in truth, it is pure consciousness—the very seer of light. It exists as awareness, but being beyond the grasp of the senses, it is sometimes deemed unreal. This reality is likened to a distant mountain, unattainable by the senses. Yet, as consciousness, it is never far away. Since it is experienced by all, it is both the great mountain and the tiniest atom. What appears as the world is, in truth, nothing but pure awareness. There is no ultimate reality in mountains or any such objects; the greatness attributed to Meru itself is found within the atom. Just as the brief appearance of a moment is called “a moment,” so too the emergence of an aeon is referred to as “an aeon.” The entire play of creation within an aeon can appear in a single moment, just as a vast city can exist within the mind. Within the womb of a single moment, the beginning of an aeon can arise, much like the construction of a great city reflected within a spotless mirror. Within the atom, countless mountains, oceans, cities, aeons, and moments are found. When everything exists in the atom, how can there be any real duality or unity? The thought, “I did this before,” arises in the mind, and in an instant, both truth and untruth appear, much like the confusion within a dream. In times of suffering, time seems to stretch endlessly; in happiness, it feels fleeting and light. For King Hariśchandra, it is said, a single night of sorrow felt as long as twelve years. Whatever conviction arises within—whether true or false—shines forth, just as the form of a bracelet appears in gold, or a wave rises from the ocean. There is no blinking, no measure of time, no nearness or distance; these various distinctions arise only as reflections within consciousness. There is truly no real difference between light and darkness, near and far, moment and age, or between two sheaths of consciousness. There is not the slightest division. What is directly perceived is so because of the senses; what is not directly perceived lies beyond them. Yet, it is only the seer who truly exists, for by the very act of being seen, the seen arises. As long as the awareness of the bracelet persists, there is no awareness of the gold underlying it; and as long as the perception of the seen arises, that underlying art is not perceived. When the perception of the bracelet-form is dissolved, only the gold remains, spread out in its purity. In the same way, when all forms are cleared away, only the pure, awakened Brahman remains. Because it is all, it is called real; because it is so hard to grasp, it is called unreal. Being consciousness, it is conscious; and where cognition is impossible, it is called insentient. In this very Self, whose nature is the pure wonder of consciousness, where the world appears only as a reflection, how can there be any true measurement of wind, trees, or the world itself within the play of consciousness and its objects? Just as the appearance of water in a mirage is not real water, so too this world, which appears as a single, full reality, is but the shining forth of nondual consciousness. That which is fashioned by rays subtler than sunlight, untouched by affliction, may exist or not exist—what discernment can there be of a wall or the like in that? Just as gold seems to shine in the sky because of the dust of illusion, so too does this world appear; but when consciousness and its objects are not distinguished, how could such a world arise at all? The experience of a wall in a city imagined in dream or fantasy is neither real nor unreal. In the same way, know this world to be a long-standing delusion. Those whose minds are purified through repeated contemplation of such reasoning come to see things as they truly are, passing beyond the seeming wall that divides. There is truly no difference between the space within a wall and space itself, except by firm conviction; any distinction, whether of Brahma or a living being, is established only by such belief. In the space of pure appearance, notions of bed, wall, and emptiness arise only through condensation, just as rays of light appear as solid beams. The apparent separateness of appearances arises from their own wondrous power; for the supreme appearance is all-pervading, like the seed within the essence of a tree. Just as the seed contains the tree within, and though the forms are many, the vision is one, so too do countless worlds rest in Brahman, peaceful like the space within a vessel. As the tree within the seed abides in undivided space, so the worlds within Brahman remain unmoved in the stillness of that space. This is the state: peaceful, whole, unborn, one, without beginning or middle—here, there is no aspect or calculation at all; utterly tranquil, beyond duality, extraordinary, manifold, pure, appearing only as semblance, yet fully blossomed. Abide in this. At this point, the minister’s words of ultimate truth are praised for their purifying power, and now the lotus-eyed king is invited to speak. He says: From the perception of the atom arises the notion of wind, and wind is seen only through delusion. Thus, nothing truly remains of wind or anything else—only pure consciousness. From the perception of sound arises sound, and sound too is seen through delusion; thus, the notion of sound and its meaning vanishes entirely. That atom is everything and nothing; I am that, and not that, and only that. The only cause here is the radiance of the all-powerful Self. The Self is attained through countless efforts, yet when it is found, nothing is gained; what is found is simply this, called the supreme nothing. So long as the root-cutting awakening has not arisen, the cycle of transmigration continues for a long time, through the many springs of birth. As this subtle entity, appearing as its own form, seems to move about, its true nature is absorbed by the mind itself, just as water is by heat, yet it remains unchanged. By this consciousness, all things—Mount Meru, the three worlds, even blades of grass—are expelled outward, and it perceives within itself only the essence of illusion. Whatever exists within the atom of consciousness is seen outside; for those passionate for experience, it is like the embrace of a desired object in imagination—what is within is projected without. Thus, all is the wondrous play of consciousness alone.