29. Be of an even disposition, and rely on thy essence as one with the Supreme soul. Attend to thy multifarious duties, and thus be observant of unity in thy spiritual concerns, and dualities in thy temporal affairs.
30. Take care of falling into the hidden holes of this world, in your pursuit after the varieties of objects; and be not like an elephant falling into a hidden pit in the forest.
31. O Ráma of great soul! There cannot be a duality, as it is thought in the mind; nor O Ráma of enlightened soul; can there be any unity or duality of the soul. The true essence is ever existent with out its unity or duality, and is styled the all and nothing particular, and as itself—Svarúpa or suiform. (The soul is not unity, because one is the prime number of all others by addition with itself; nor is it a duality, having no second or another like it. It is the indefinite all or whole: and no definite that this or so says the Sruti: तस्मात्तत् सर्ब्बमभवत् नेह नानास्ति किञ्चन ।)
32. There is no ego or thy subjective-self, nor the objective worlds that thou seest. All this is the manifestation of the eternal and imperishable omniscience, and know this world as neither an entity nor non-entity by itself.
33. Know the Supreme being to be without beginning and end, the enlightener of all lights, the undecaying, unborn and incomprehensible one. He is without part, and any change in him. He is beyond imagination and all the imaginary objects all about us.
34. Know for certain in thy mind, that the Lord is always present in the full light of thy intellect. He is the root of thy consciousness, and is of the nature of thy inward soul. He is conceivable in the intellect, and is the Brahma—the all and everlasting, and the all pervading, the subjective I, and the objective thou and this world.
CHAPTER XVIII.
LIVING LIBERATION OR TRUE FELICITY OF MAN IN THIS LIFE.
Argument. The True Enfranchisement of the Soul, in the Living state of man in this world.
Vasishtha continued:—I will now relate to you, O Ráma! the nature of those great men, who conduct themselves in this world, with their desires under their subjection, and whose minds are not blemished by evil inclinations.
2. The sage whose mind is freed in his life-time, conducts himself unconcerned in this world; he smiles secure at its occurrences, and is regardless of the first, last and middle stages of his life (namely: the pains of his birth and death, and the whole course of his life).