Just as the gentle rays of the moon, filled with nectar, dispel the darkness of night, so too do the pure words of the great bring coolness and comfort to the heart. These wise sayings, resting in the highest meaning and bestowing unprecedented delight, are like showers of nectar that wash away even the deepest delusion. The sage who speaks such words is to be revered as a tree of virtue, from whom arises a vine of speech—the sole lamp illuminating the jewel of the Self and the ultimate truth. By the wise sayings of the virtuous, all misdeeds and ill-fated actions are wiped away, just as the cool rays of the moon dispel the densest darkness. Desires, greed, and all such chains that bind us to worldly existence have grown thin through your words, O sage, just as the clouds are dispersed by the clear winds of autumn. Now, by your teachings, our vision has become clear, and we have begun to behold the stainless Self—like those who, though born blind, with eyes anointed, see gold for the first time. The mist of worldly tendencies, which drifts in the sky of the heart, has begun to thin because of the autumnal clarity brought by your words. O sage, even the waves of nectar from the coral blossoms of the heavenly tree do not bring as much delight as the words of those endowed with noble understanding. O Raghava, each day spent in the company of great souls is truly illuminated; all other days are but blind, lost in darkness. Rama, the lotus-eyed, eager to see the true nature of things, now sought to awaken the tranquil sage once more. When the king had spoken thus, the noble-hearted sage Vasistha, facing Rama, addressed him with these words: “Raghava, sole moon of your lineage, wise one, do you remember the meaning of what I have previously explained, having considered it from all sides? Do you recall, O destroyer of foes, the distinctions among all the various creations, according to the differences in the qualities of sattva and the others? Do you remember the ever-taught form of the divine—the all, the not-all, the existent and the non-existent, the pure form of the supreme Self? “Just as this universe has arisen from the Lord of the universe, the ruler of rulers—do you recall that, O noble one, who is the sole recipient of noble teachings? Do you truly remember, O wise one, that ignorance is spread out, slight and fragile, infinite yet appearing finite? Do you recall well, O virtuous one, what was established—that the mind alone is the person, and nothing else—through the inquiry into salt and so forth? O Rama, have you thoroughly examined the meaning of all the statements, and has last night’s inquiry been placed in your heart? What is repeatedly reflected upon and firmly established in the heart bears abundant fruit; not so when it is neglected or treated carelessly. “You are the vessel for pure and distinguished words, O bestower of honor; your heart is solitary and pure, like a bamboo for the liberated.” When the occasion had thus passed, Rama spoke to the sage, the son of the lotus-seated one, who possessed great power and knowledge: “O revered one, knower of all dharmas, it is solely through you that this has been revealed; I have attained your supremely noble teaching. Whatever you command, all that is just so, not otherwise; free from sleep, I have reflected upon the meaning of your words during the night. To dispel the darkness of existence, O Lord, yesterday you spread forth a delightful array of radiant speech, like the sun upon the earth. All that, O undepressed one of undepressed spirit, has been taken to heart by me—charming, virtuous, and wondrous, like a collection of gems from the ocean. “Who would not, for success, bear your instruction upon their head—beneficial, pleasing, virtuous, and a source of bliss? We, whose veil of worldly delusion is being dissolved, are serene by your grace, like days at the end of the rainy season. Your instruction is virtuous—sweet at the outset, increasing good fortune in the middle, and yielding the highest fruit in the end. May your words, ever blossoming, white, unfading, delightful, and gladdening the heart, always bestow upon us splendid fruit. O master of all eternal scriptures, great lake of ever-flowing waters of virtue, steadfast in manifold vows—now let your favor, free from all sin, be extended to me.” Vasistha then said, “Listen attentively, O beautiful one, to this excellent and delightful section on tranquility, which is beneficial and well established in the highest doctrine. O Rama, this long-standing illusion of worldly existence is sustained by people of rajas and tamas, just as a pavilion is held up by sturdy pillars. But this matured illusion is easily cast off by heroic ones established in sattva, like you, who are endowed with virtues—just as a snake sheds its old skin. “Those wise ones who are of sattvic nature, or a blend of rajas and sattva, O noble one, thoroughly examine the world—its past, future, and highest truth. Through association with scriptures, good people, and noble company, and by being free from sin, the discerning intellect arises, shining like a lamp. By self-inquiry alone, one must examine oneself with one’s own mind; until the knowable is attained, it is not truly realized. “Among the wise, the prudent, the steadfast, and those of noble lineage, you, O delight of your family, are foremost among those born of rajas and sattva. See for yourself, O wise one, in the origins of worldly existence: what is true and what is untrue—be devoted to truth. That which does not exist in the beginning and at the end—how can that be considered real? That which is eternal at the beginning and at the end, O Rama, that alone is true, not anything else. If someone’s mind becomes attached to an object that is unreal at its beginning and end, how can discernment arise in that deluded, ignorant being?