58. As the notion of the spiritual, is distinct from that of all others which are material and corporeal; so the notion of Brahma is quite apart from every thing, except that of his self-consciousness.
(God says in the Scripture, “I am that I am,” which proves his consciousness of himself to constitute his essence).
59. Ráma said:—If consciousness is self-same with Brahma, and our consciousness of ourselves as Brahma, make us identic with Brahma Himself; then what is the use of devising a duality of the soul (as the divine and human souls), or of talking of the liberation and final absorption of the one in the other? (If what the Sruti says, Brahmásmi—I am Brahma; as the scripture declares—“In Him we live and move,” then what means our redemption or return to Him?).
60. Vasishtha replied:—Ráma, your question is irrelevant at this time, when I was going to prove another thing. Nothing can be appropriate out of its proper time and place, as the untimely offering of flowers to gods is not acceptable to them. (A question beside the mark is apropos de bottes, and brought in by the head and shoulders).
61. A word full of meaning, becomes meaningless out of its proper place; like the offering of flowers to gods and guests, out of their proper season. (So all intempestivous acts, go mal a propos, unless they are done in proper time).
62. There is a time for the introducing of a subject, and another to hold silence over it; so every thing becomes fruitful in its proper season. (Tempus coronat opus).
63. But to resume our subject; the living soul afterwards appeared from Him, as the human soul appears in dreaming; and thought in himself that he was the great father of created beings in time to come. (i.e. He would become the Maker of the world).
64. He uttered the syllable Om (on or ens), and was conscious of the verification of its meaning in his mind, which soon displayed all forms of beings to his mental vision. (i.e. The All One became many, which displayed themselves in the mind of the living God as visions in a dream).
65. All these were unrealities, that were displayed in the empty sphere of the divine mind; and the shadowy world seemed as a huge mountain, floating before him in the air.
66. It was neither born of itself, nor was made by Brahmá; nor is it destroyed at any time by any other power. It was Brahma himself, appearing as the phantom of an aerial city.