Wherever you perceive anything, dear Rama, know that non-perception is preferable; for liberation lies in non-awareness, while suffering springs from perception. By your own effort, you can instantly attain this state—the absence of mental constructs brings true well-being, and thus it should always be cultivated. Those passions and desires that arise in the mind are but unreal shadows; recognize them as such. By abandoning their root—attachment—and attaining the seedless state, you will no longer be subject to joy or sorrow, but will remain content. This tendency to cling to the unreal always arises, much like the illusion of seeing two moons in the sky. Therefore, Raghava, it is wise to abandon such illusions. Ignorance exists only for those whose wisdom is lost; it is accepted merely by name, and cannot exist for one whose wisdom is complete. Be wise, Rama, and examine rightly. There is not truly a second moon in the sky—it is perceived only through error. Apart from the essence of the Self, nothing exists, whether real or unreal; just as, in a vast mass of waves, nothing exists apart from the water. Do not impose these unreal states of existence and non-existence, which are creations of your own imagination, upon the eternal, pure, spotless Self. You are not the doer—what claim of ownership do you have in these actions? When there is only one reality, what is done, by whom, and how? Nor should you become a non-doer, O wise one—what use is there for you in not acting? That which is to be accomplished should be undertaken; therefore, remain composed and blameless. You are indeed the doer, yet due to non-attachment, you are not the doer, O descendant of Raghu. Because of non-attachment, even as a non-doer, act outwardly as a doer. If something is true, it is to be accepted; if it is false, it is to be discarded. Attachment to what is to be accepted is proper, for attachment is fitting only in action. But where all is an illusion, a magical display, entirely unreal, O Rama, what then are those notions of acceptance and rejection, and how can they arise there? This ignorance, O descendant of Raghu, is the tiny seed of worldly existence; though truly non-existent, it appears as if real and becomes manifest. This revolving wheel of worldly activity, which arises from enjoyment, is to be understood as latent tendency; it is mental and gives rise to delusion. Like a beautiful vine whose inner hollows are empty and fruitless, or like a river’s wave that is never cut off yet perishes, so is it. Even when seized by the hand, it cannot truly be grasped; though soft, its tip is exceedingly sharp, like a wave rising from a waterfall. It appears clearly visible, yet is of no real use; like a wave upon a river, established only in the form of a wave. At times crooked, at times straight, long or short, steady or unsteady; arising from its own favor, it comes to distinction from that. Though empty within, everywhere it is seen as a beauty without substance; though not settled anywhere, it is observed everywhere. Though inert, it seems conscious, living by the movement of another; even while not lasting a moment, it gives the impression of stability. Like a flame, pure in color yet dark at its core with soot; it flickers by another's favor, and fades away when not regarded. Pale in pure light, yet shining brightly in darkness; like a mirage, it appears full and splendid, displaying many colors. Crooked, perilous, slender, soft yet prickly and rough; a restless, hungry maiden—craving, like the tongue of a serpent. Just as a lamp quickly fades when its oil is exhausted, or as a streak of vermilion dust does not shine without color, so too does it lose its luster without attachment. Ephemeral and flickering, established in inertness, it appears suddenly and frightens the innocent, like a crooked lightning flash. Though seized with effort, it burns and repeatedly dissolves; even when found, it is not sought after, as fragile as lightning. Unasked, it arrives; though delightful, it brings misfortune. Like an untimely blossom, it is not welcomed for one's welfare. Utterly forgotten, it brings wandering joy; yet, like the creation of a bad dream, it arises only for harm. By the power of appearance alone, it creates and sustains the three vast worlds for a moment, then devours them. A moment becomes a series of years through it; a night of twelve years was fashioned for Harishchandra by its agency. For those separated from their beloved, for those suffering the pain of separation, a night becomes as long as a year by its influence. For one who is happy, time appears short; for one who is unhappy, it seems long. By the influence of this alone, time is marked by a single quality: reversal. By its mere existence, it appears to be the agent in these activities, just as a lamp seems to be the doer of the acts of illumination; but in reality, it is not so. Just as a painted figure with hips and breasts is not truly a woman, nor does it possess the nature of womanhood, so too this form, though it appears, is not truly fit to act as anything. Like a kingdom imagined in the mind, shining with forms but devoid of reality, even if it has hundreds or thousands of branches, in truth it is nothing at all. Like a mirage in the forest, adorned with false display, it deceives only the bewildered deer, not human beings. Like foam that arises and is destroyed, without true separation, it is inert, though appearing restless in form, and when grasped, is found to be nothing. Though not different from consciousness, it certainly appears as something else; like a short thread of a worm, it is inert, yet dependent on the non-inert. Turbid, with an arrogant appearance, dusted by the spread of passion, it is unsteady like a hurricane at the end of an age, encompassing its own world. Thus, Rama, see the nature of ignorance and worldly tendencies: they are fleeting, insubstantial, and deceptive, mere illusions arising and dissolving in the vast ocean of the Self. Remain composed, cultivate wisdom, and abide in the pure, eternal essence that is your true nature.