After countless lifetimes, some beings, through profound knowledge or the fire of austerity, ascend to the supreme state of the Creator, attaining the highest goal. Yet, there are others who, even after reaching the exalted throne of Indra, are overcome by a sense of limitation; they fall once more into animal birth, and from there, are reborn as humans. Some, endowed with great intelligence, are born from the very state of Brahma, and in that single birth, merge entirely into that supreme source. Others, in different cosmic eggs, become those who are lotus-born, or attain the state of Hari; thus do living beings proceed according to their unique destinies. Some descend to the state of animals, others rise to the condition of celestial beings; yet there are those who do not attain any particular state at all, O Rama. Just as it is here, so it is in other realms. This world is vast, but beyond it lie countless other worlds—many have faded away, and many more are yet to come into being. Through diverse causes and in wondrous ways, new creations arise and dissolve for these beings in a continuous succession. Some become gandharvas, others are born as yakshas; some attain the state of celestial women, while others enter the realm of demons. In each universe, beings exist according to their own mode of conduct, though the arrangements may differ from one world to another. By the force of their own nature and through mutual interactions, all these creations revolve, like waves upon a flowing river. Through cycles of appearance and disappearance, of rising and subsiding, these creations continue their endless dance, just like the ceaseless waves of a river. From that ineffable, self-experienced source, streams of living beings constantly emerge and shine forth, only to dissolve back into it. Just as sight arises from a lamp, rays from the sun, particles from heated iron, and sparks from fire; just as seasons arise from time, fragrance from flowers, droplets from falling water, and waves from the ocean—so too do streams of living beings, over and over, abandon their succession of bodies and return to their own essential state, dissolving into the source. This creation, spread out without interruption, rises, stands tall, perishes, and grows, yet all in vain—like a wave in the ocean, it is the illusion of bewilderment cast over the three worlds, all within the supreme state. At this point, Rama asks, “By what process, O Lord, does the living being, having attained stability in the Self, take up the body, this cage of bones?” The sage replies, “I have already explained this before, O Rama—have you not understood? Where has your discernment, fit for examining past and future, gone?” He continues, “This body, along with all the world, both stationary and moving, is but an appearance; it is unreal, like a vision in a dream. This, O Rama, is a long dream, seen falsely—just as one might see two moons due to confusion, or a mountain appears distorted to one whose vision is impaired. When the sleep of ignorance has truly subsided and all notions have fallen away, one whose mind is awakened sees the dream of worldly existence, yet knows it for what it is—not truly there. O Rama, the cycle of worldly existence, conceived by one’s own nature, always persists within living beings, until the state of liberation is attained. That which is conceived by one’s own nature always exists within everyone; the body of the living being is fleeting, like a whirlpool in water. Just as a sprout arises from a seed, a leaf from the sprout, a flower from the leaf, and fruit from the bud of the flower, so too does the body arise. Since the body, formed by imagination, exists within the mind, O Rama, it therefore appears outwardly, distinctly manifest. Whatever appearance arises in the mind, that very thing quickly becomes manifest—just as a lump of clay becomes a pot. This world, O Raghava, is nothing but a manifestation of the mind’s imagination; it is not real, like the water seen in a mirage. By this very appearance, the body is seen before one, just as a child, frightened, sees a goblin standing ahead. In the primal creation, the first appearance of a body arose in the mind of the all-pervading Brahmā, who abides within the lotus-womb. By the sequence of his intention alone, this endless creation has come into being, like an illusion produced by a mighty magician. The individual soul, having reached the state of mind, attains the station of the Creator; just as Brahmā did, so does everything—let me explain this to you in detail, O Rama. Hear, mighty-armed one, the process by which Brahmā assumes a body; by this illustration, you will understand the state of worldly existence. The essence of self, unlimited by space, time, and the like, by its own power, playfully assumes a body marked by space and time. This, which is called the individual soul, absorbed in impressions, becomes the restless mind, inclined toward both conceptualizing and non-conceptualizing. At first, the power of mind, by its imagining, instantly brings forth the pure notion of space, oriented toward the essence of sound as its seed. As that space becomes condensed, the mind gradually conceives the vibration of solidity, and then the vibration of air, oriented toward the essence of touch as its seed. When space and air, perceived by the mind as sound and touch, come into contact, fire is produced from their friction. The mind, having attained density, instantly brings forth luminosity—pure, clear light—which then increases in radiance. Endowed with such qualities and the perception of taste, the mind instantly grasps the coolness of water; thus, the awareness of water arises. Then, possessing such qualities, the mind instantly conceives the substantial form with scent, by which the earth is manifested. Thus, O Rama, from the play of the mind and the power of imagination, the world and all bodies arise, only to dissolve again into that one, ineffable source.