Listen, O Raghava, to the subtle truth of existence as revealed in the wisdom of the sages. All that appears in this universe—every object and phenomenon—exists only as awareness; within this awareness, the diverse succession of creation arises and is perceived. Just as a tree exists within its seed in the forms of past, present, and future, so too, existence and non-existence are not truly distinct—they are established as neither absolute being nor absolute non-being. Within awareness alone, true existence is present. Where there is no awareness, there can be nothing composed of being; ignorance does not exist there, just as oil cannot be found in sand. Consider: can gold ever be bitter? If it were, it would not be gold. In the same way, the pure self, by its very nature, can never be tainted by ignorance. When similar things come together, their connection is clear and gives rise to experience, like the union of resin and wood. But the connection between self and ignorance is not so, for they are not truly united. There is no separate self experiencing another; all is a single underlying reality. Everything is of the nature of the highest truth, and all distinctions arise only from that one source. Awareness, through its own power, perceives itself as manifold, though all things in the world are composed only of pure consciousness and being. Thus, these entities appear, each established in its own experience, but there is no true, ongoing connection among things that are dissimilar. Without mutual connection, one cannot experience another; when similar things meet, they instantly become one. A single form manifests only because of oneness—when consciousness and awareness unite, the appearance of the seen arises as cognition. If the inert joins with the inert, it becomes dense inertness; but unity between consciousness and inertness never occurs, for they are of different natures. Even if consciousness and inertness appear together, they are never truly united; consciousness is of the nature of awareness, and awareness arises only from consciousness itself. Wood and stone are distinct, not of the nature of consciousness; one object is experienced and transformed only by another object. Just as taste is perceived by the tongue and arises from its own kind, so too, unity and connection do not exist between what is substantial and what is insubstantial. Therefore, unity does not arise between the inert and the conscious. What appears inert is, in reality, consciousness alone—appearing as stones, walls, and the like, yet always united with consciousness. When oneness is realized, the seer and the seen become indistinguishable, for all—wood, stones, and everything else—are truly of the nature of the highest reality. Connected within itself, this reality is perceived as the seen; all, in every form and manner, is spread out as if infinite. Know, O best among those who know the truth, that this universe is nothing but existence. Even what is unreal appears as the universe through countless illusions of form. When consciousness is filled with wonder, nothing else is truly filled; the city of imagination appears to people mutually, but it is not as it truly is. Thus, all creations are established in consciousness—not for the awareness of space and time, but because the perception of difference itself is creation, arising from the delusion of ego and the like. Just as, when awareness of gold is set aside, the illusion of bracelets and ornaments arises, so too, the illusion of forms appears in gold due to conditions of place and circumstance. But when your vision is clear, there is no separate supreme ignorance; the great diversity of bracelets and so forth is but one pure Brahman. Because awareness is one, this creation is only existence, not nonexistence—like an army made of clay, appearing various, but consisting only of clay. Water is one, yet waves arise; wood is one, yet carvings appear; clay is one, yet pots are formed. Likewise, Brahman alone is the illusion of the three worlds. In the relationship between seer and seen, the essence in the midst of the seer is that which is beyond seer, seeing, and seen—this is the supreme. When the mind moves from place to place, the essence in the midst of the mind is the awareness free from dullness; always become absorbed in that. Identify always with that eternal essence of yours, which is beyond waking, dream, and deep sleep—beyond unconsciousness, insentience, and inertness. Setting aside only the dullness that is like the heart of a stone, whether you are disturbed or undisturbed, become identified with that, O Raghava. Here, nothing whatsoever arises or dissolves in anyone; whether disturbed or undisturbed, remain established in your own nature as you please. One does not desire or hate anything at any time in the body; remain established in yourself, free from anxiety, even as you engage in the activities of the body. Just as you do not dwell on affairs of distant villages or cities, so too, having realized the truth of your own nature, do not remain attached to the movements of the mind. See the mind as insentient, just as you would regard a man in a foreign land, or a piece of wood, or a stone—according to your true nature. Just as there is no water in a stone, and no fire in water, so too, there is no mind in your own Self; how, then, could it exist in the Supreme Self? That by which nothing at all is perceived or done—knowing this, realize that you are beyond the mind. If you follow the mind, which is utterly not your true self, why not follow a stranger dwelling at the edge of the land? Constantly disregarding the impurity of the mind from afar, remain established in yourself, free from doubt, as one unmoved by mud. For me, the mind does not exist; it is gone, as if dead today. Become steadfast, like a stone statue, firm in your resolve. In observation, the mind is not present; thus, you are truly without it. Why, then, are you troubled by what is meaningless, or by what pertains to it? Those who are dominated by the unreal play of the mind, whose intellect is feeble, for them, even the impossible seems to occur, like a thunderbolt arising from the moon. Abandoning the mind far away, whoever you are, remain as you are, steadfast. Be liberated through contemplation, endowed with supreme reasoning.