All that exists in this universe is nothing but the pure essence of consciousness itself, which appears as the world—just as a vibrant woodland bursts forth in joy during the honeyed month of spring. Know with certainty that this world is truly made of consciousness alone, just as the lush thickets are but the very life of spring manifest. Because consciousness is the essence underlying all that is composed, it is likened to the thousand-handed, thousand-eyed One; this ultimate, indivisible atom is the eternal source from which all manifestation arises. Even in the awareness of a single, fleeting moment, the subtle atom of consciousness appears, while countless ages pass by as swiftly and insubstantially as dreams or a child’s sleep. Within that atomic instant, effortlessly, hundreds of millions of aeons are encompassed, for the single radiance of consciousness pervades and expands through all expressions of existence. Just as one who has not eaten may yet believe, “I have eaten,” so too do convictions arise; in the same way, the determination of vast aeons occurs within a single moment. There are those who are convinced, “I have enjoyed,” even without actual enjoyment; influenced by their latent tendencies, they experience even death in dreams. Within the atom of consciousness, worlds arise and exist; it is from there that all appearances emerge, and thus the phenomena of the world proceed. Whatever exists in a place arises from that very place; in the creator, transformations are observed, but never in the pure, unchanging sky. All beings that now exist in consciousness will come into being, just as trees grow from the potency held within the seed. Just as a grain and a morsel of food are alike in the brief span of a blink, so too, neither curved nor straight forms constitute the atom of consciousness, which remains its own unique essence. Seated as if indifferent, untouched even in the slightest, this sky-like Self, while performing the roles of enjoyer and doer, creates even the worlds. This existence of the world arises from the pure atomic consciousness; yet, in that supreme atom, where could the states of enjoyership and doership truly be established? In truth, nothing in the world is ever done by anyone, nor does anything ever dissolve, for the division of this primal essence is not possible. Know, O Rakshasi, that all this—appearing as a single flavor—is contained within the vast, space-like expanse. It is called by the term “world-process,” yet is ultimately nameless. The atomic consciousness, for the sake of the appearance of the seen, assumes an inner marvel of awareness, established in itself, and displays it outwardly. This, being both outside and inside, exists only in word, not in substance; it is spoken of for the sake of instructing beings, since the three worlds are of the nature of consciousness. The seer, moving toward the seen, perceives himself—just as the eye, when directed toward objects, seems to be established as real or unreal. Yet, the seer does not truly become the seen, for the seer is insubstantial; since nothing exists in the Self, how could anything ever become manifest before it? The perceiving faculty itself is the eye, and that tendency is its own form; by taking on manifold appearances as the seen, it arises as the perceiver. Without the perceiver, there is never any existence of the perceived—just as there is no son without a father, or duality without unity. It is only the perceiver who becomes the perceived; there is no perceived without the perceiver—just as there is no son without a father, or enjoyment without an enjoyer. Indeed, the seer alone has the power to create the seen, just as pure gold has the capacity to be fashioned into a bracelet. But the seen does not have the power to create the seer, due to its inertness—just as a bracelet or delusion cannot produce gold. The creation of the seen arises from consciousness and is truly unreal; the illusion of the bracelet is caused by ignorance, with gold as its sole basis. Just as, in the appearance of a bracelet, there is no bracelet-nature in gold—only gold truly exists—so too, in the presence of the seen, the form of the seer alone shines forth. When the seer stands as the seen, it seems to abandon its own seerhood—just as, when the bracelet is perceived, gold appears to lose its goldness. In a single appearance, there is no real existence of seer and seen; when the notion of a man is manifest, the notion of an animal does not arise. While perceiving the seen, one does not perceive oneself as the seer; for when the seer assumes the form of the seen, its existence seems both to be and not to be. When the seen has dissolved in knowledge, only the existence of the seer shines forth—just as, when the bracelet is not recognized, only the gold remains as gold. When the seen is unreal, there is no seer; when the seer does not exist, the seen is not there; and without the two, there is no unity, nor is there even non-unity between them. Having truly understood everything, for one whose nature is pure consciousness, only a certain state of repose, beyond the reach of words, remains. The self, the act of seeing, and the seen are all illuminated as if by a lamp; all this is accomplished by that ultimate atom of pure consciousness. The three—knower, known, and means of knowledge—are deposited in the intellect; like the form of a bracelet and so on in gold, they appear as if real but are not truly so. Just as there is not the slightest water apart from a wave and the like, so too, nothing at all exists apart from this essential atom of its own nature. Because all experience is of the nature of the all-experiencer, and all forms of experience are truly one, when the experience of unity is established, all is recognized as one. By its own will, separateness appears, like waves on the great ocean; according to the nature of that will, the manifestation of objects arises as a single appearance. The supreme Self is utterly unconditioned by direction, time, and so on; being the Self of all, it is all, and by its own nature, it is the universal experiencer. This is existent due to the nature of consciousness, and nonexistent due to lack of awareness; in the true form of the great Self, there is neither duality nor unity. If there were a second, then unity would belong to the one; the mutual establishment of duality and unity is like sunlight and its shadow.