Whatever exists in this world can be purified, just as water is cleansed by the rays of the sky. If ignorance—regarding the body and such—were truly real, then it would be proper to accept it. But those who cling to unreality, who remain attached to the body and its illusions, and who teach such views in this world, are themselves ignorant; some even call them mere puppets among men, lacking true understanding. As one contemplates within, so does reality become in an instant. Consider the certainty with which we see the moon, or a reflection, or an image fashioned as Indra; the mind shapes experience just so. However the mind shines—reflecting itself in various forms—so does it appear as the self of the body. But when one realizes the single knowledge, “This body exists, yet I am not this,” one abides free from desire. The body and the sense of “I am this” arise naturally. People strive for the sake of the body, and thus it inevitably meets destruction. Just as a child, imagining ghosts, experiences fear, so too, when such notions are absent, there is no fear, by any reasoning. Thus did the venerable Lotus-born One speak to me. Then, O descendant of Raghu, I questioned the Lord of beings again, eager to draw forth more of his wisdom. I asked, “O Lord, you yourself have declared that the powers of curses, mantras, and the like are unfailing. How then have these become ineffective at times?” He replied, “By the power of curses or mantras, even the mind, intellect, and senses can be seen to become deluded in living beings. Yet, just as two movements of the wind or as oil and clarified butter are not different, so too, mind and body are always truly undivided. Or, indeed, the body does not truly exist at all; it is only associated with the mind, and is falsely experienced, like a dream, a mirage, or a second moon. When one of these two—mind or body—is destroyed, both are considered to perish; but certainly, when the mind is destroyed, the decay of the body is inevitable. Again I asked, “O Lord, how is it that the mind is not affected by faults such as curses, or how is it affected? Please tell me, Supreme Lord.” He answered, “There is nothing in the universe that cannot be attained by people through pure effort, especially those who perform virtuous actions. From Brahma down to the immobile beings, at all times, all creatures in this world possess two bodies. One is the mind-body, which acts swiftly, is unstable, and does not accomplish anything by itself; the other is the body made of flesh. The body of flesh is always subject to the control of others and afflicted by curses and diseases. It is almost mute, powerless, miserable, and perishes in a moment; as unsteady as water on a lotus leaf, its condition is dependent, like that of gods and others. The second body, called the mind, exists among embodied beings. Though it depends on beings, it is not dependent in the three worlds. If one supports oneself with one’s own effort and steadfast courage, then, remaining inaccessible to suffering, one remains blameless. Just as the mind-body strives, so does it become the sole enjoyer of the results of its own resolve. No effort of the physical body ever bears true fruit; every action of the mind-body, however, is indeed fruitful. When one remains established, remembering with a pure mind, curses and the like are ineffective—just as arrows are against a stone. Whether the body falls into water, fire, or mud, whatever the mind pursues, that alone it surely attains. All extraordinary effort, arising from the subduing of all states, yields its result without hindrance—mind alone grants fruit to mind, O sage. By the strength of effort, making the inner mind full of delight, even artificial suffering is not experienced, not even under strict commands. By effort, making the mind free of passion and affliction, Māṇḍavya overcame suffering, even while standing at the tip of the stake. Even while dwelling in a dark pit, a sage, through mental accumulations of sacrifice and long austerity, attained the city of the gods. By the resolve of men, sons of the moon, through meditation, the state of Brahman was attained—a state not diminished even by me. Other wise ones, attentive and steadfast, such as the great sages and gods, never abandon their inquiry into the mind, not even slightly. Afflictions, diseases, curses, and the vision of evil do not harm them, just as blows from lotus leaves do not break a stone. Those few who are harmed by curses or afflictions, I consider their minds incapable of discernment and lacking in strength. Never, at any time in this world, is an attentive mind corrupted by webs of faults—even in dreams, no one is so tainted. Therefore, by the mind itself, a person should, through their own effort, direct their own mind onto the pure path. Whatever appears to him, that alone becomes his reality; in an instant, the mind grows full, like the forest of childlike ghosts, O sage. The mind immediately abandons its previous state in accordance with what appears, just as a pot follows the work of the potter and returns to a lump of clay. The mind, O sage, attains the nature of whatever appears to it in an instant, just as water, which is mere vibration, becomes a high wave. By mere contemplation, the mind sees night even in the sun’s disk, just as impure eyes perceive a double image of the moon. Whatever the mind perceives quickly becomes its reality; together with joy and sorrow, it experiences that very thing as true. Likewise, when the mind sees hundreds of flames in the moon, it feels burning and, as if scorched, suffers pain. Similarly, when the mind perceives nectar even in brine, by seeing and drinking it, it attains supreme satisfaction and exults with pride.