Listen, O Rama, to the subtle truth of the Self, as it unfolds like a gentle stream. When a tale brimming with passion is told to children, its essence is lost on them, just as exalted teachings fall flat for those whose understanding has not yet matured. In the journey of life, there comes a particular moment when something within a person shines forth—just as the fruit appears on the tree only in autumn, never in spring. The words of instruction gladden the hearts of the mature, like radiant colors absorbed by a pure cloth; and the stories of noble wisdom truly take root in one who has realized the Self. I have spoken to you before, Rama, giving a brief answer to your question. Because I did not explain it in detail, your understanding remains unclear. But if, noble one, you realize the Self by your own Self, you will know the answer without doubt. When, at the right moment, you attain understanding, then I shall explain this sequence of questions and answers to you in detail. The Self knows itself by itself, for it is established in its own being. Serene and tranquil, the Self attains itself. O Rama, I have explained to you the inquiry into doer and deed; one who truly understands this becomes free from all tendencies and impressions. Indeed, bondage is nothing but the bondage of tendencies, and liberation is simply the cessation of these tendencies. Abandon all tendencies, even the desire for liberation itself—let go completely. First, abandon the dark tendencies that are attached to sense objects. Then, cultivate pure tendencies, such as friendliness and similar noble qualities. Even these, let go inwardly, while outwardly acting through them; within, remain utterly still, established only in the tendency of pure consciousness. And then, abandoning even that which is accompanied by mind and intellect, remain firmly established in samadhi, the deep peace of absorption. Whatever remains to be abandoned, abandon that as well. Let go, from the root, all imagination of consciousness and mind, all darkness of manifestation, all tendencies and their sources, along with the prior movement of breath. Having abandoned everything completely from the root, you will become like clear space, with a tranquil mind. O wise one, become that without delay. The great-minded one who has let go of everything from the heart and remains without agitation is truly liberated, the supreme lord. Whether such a one engages in meditation or in actions, or refrains from them, if the heart is free from all objects, that one is liberated and possesses the highest intention. For such a person, there is no purpose in inaction, nor in action, nor in meditation or recitation, for the mind is free from impressions. The scriptures have been examined thoroughly and discussed for long ages, but apart from abandoning impressions through silence, there is no supreme state. All that is seen and all that is to be seen has been observed, wandering through the ten directions, yet only a few people perceive things as they truly are. Whatever is seen, wherever one goes, apart from what is desired or undesired, a person does not strive for anything else there. All undertakings and actions people perform are only for the sake of the body; nothing is truly for the sake of the Self. In the netherworld, in Brahma's realm, in heaven, or on earth, only a few rare saints with true vision are found. Exceedingly rare is the knower whose certainty in rejecting or accepting has faded in the realization of the unreal. Let one rule the world, or enter fire, or water; except for attaining the Self, no creature finds true rest. Those who are great thinkers, heroes who have conquered their own senses and destroyed the fever of birth—these wise ones are to be revered. Everywhere are the five elements; there is nothing else as a sixth. On earth, in the netherworld, or in the sky—where does the wise mind find delight? For the knower who crosses the world by reasoning, the world appears as small as a cow’s hoofprint; but for one who abandons reasoning, it is like a vast ocean of delusion. The universe, clear as a cluster of kadamba fruits, is the sphere of the expansive mind; what is there left to give or enjoy when all this is attained? Rama, I consider all these great acts of war performed by the unwise to be for the sake of mere begging, bringing about the destruction of the marks of duality. By mere time, by a single epoch, in the fragile belly of time, even here, destruction occurs like a great thunderbolt to a tender sprout. Of the Self, even the smallest portion is not surpassed by anything, not even a blade of grass; when the three worlds are attained in that, what more could one who knows the Self possibly gain? Though this earth be filled with hundreds of mountains and many oceans, how vast, truly, is the body of this earth, that it could fill the infinite expanse? In this world, with its mountains and nether realms, there is nothing at all that could serve any purpose for the knower of the Self. For the one who has become one with all, who is expanded like space, who abides in the Self, established in pure consciousness—the three worlds, vast as a great forest, are but hollow spaces, dusted with the mist of bodily illusion, delightful in their tranquil movement. All the great mountains are but foam on the pure ocean of infinite Brahman; the splendors of the world are like mirages in the blazing sun of consciousness. The waves of the great ocean of the reality of the Self are the kings of creation; the showers from the cloud of the supreme state are the visions of the scriptures. The lights of the moon, sun, and fire, like pots and sticks, and the radiances of the lamp of consciousness, as well as the hosts of elements, are all to be illumined. Long hidden are those selves wandering in the forest of worldly existence; humans, gods, and demons are like deer, devoured by the pleasures of desire. The bodies of the world are barred by bones, their heads covered, bound by sinews; the jewels of living beings are encased in flesh within the world’s forms. Thus, Rama, know this wisdom as it has been revealed, letting your heart rest in the peace of the Self, beyond all agitation and striving.