25. As the waves move freely in the sea, and pour the gems and pearls which they bear over distant shores; so the best of men rove everywhere free of all desire, but enriching mankind with the treasure of their knowledge.
26. As the sea is not soiled by the floating woods it carries from the shore, nor the face of the sky by the flying dust of the earth; so men of great minds and souls, are not perverted by their conduct with the world. (Or, worldly conduct).
27. Those that are masters of themselves, are not moved to love or hatred, in their behaviour with their comers or goers; or with those that are steady or fickle in their friendship, and with such as are vicious and ignorant.
28. Because they know, that whatever passes in the mind relating to worldly matters; are all its vagaries and reveries of thought, which are but airy nothing.
29. The knowledge of one’s self and of other things, belonging to the past, present and future times; and the relation of the visibles with the sense of vision, are all the workings of the mind.
30. The visibles depending upon sight only, may be false from the fallacy or deception of our vision; and our vision of them likening an apparition in darkness, it is in vain that we are glad or sorry at their sight or disappearance.
31. What is unreal is always unreal (and can never be a reality); and what is real is ever the same (and can never be an unreality); but that which is real and unreal at the same or different times, must be a false appearance, and not deserving our rejoicing or sorrowing at their presence or absence.
32. Refrain from a partial (i.e. superficial or onesided) view of things, and employ yourself to the full (or comprehensive) knowledge of objects; and know that the learned man of vast knowledge, never falls into the erroneous conceptions of things.
33. I have fully expounded the relation of the visibles and their vision, and shown the spiritual pleasure which is derivable from the contemplation, of the abstract relation subsisting between them.
34. The abstract meditation of things is said to be a divine attribute (or Platonism of the mind); and our consciousness of the relations of vision and visibles, afford the highest delight to the soul.