CHAPTER CVIII.
Description of the Knowledge and Ignorance Of The Soul.
Argument:—The Knowledge of the objective continuing with our ignorance of the subjective and the story of the wise prince Vipaschit, attacked by his rude enemies.
Ráma rejoined:—He whose mind is bound by his ignorance, to the bright vividness of visible phenomenal; views the palpable scenes of the noumenal, as mere his idle dreams, and as visionary as empty air.
2. Now, O sage, please to tell me again, the nature and manner of this ignorance of the noumenal; and to what extent and how long, does this ignorance of the spiritual bind fast a man.
3. Vasishtha replied:—Know Ráma, those that are besotted by their ignorance, think this earth and the elementary bodies, to be as everlasting as they believe Brahma to be. Now O Ráma! hear a tale on this subject.
4. There is in some corner of the infinite space, another world with its three lokas of the upper and lower regions, in the manner of this terrestrial world.
5. There is a piece of land therein, as beautiful as this land of ours; and is called the sama bhúmi or level land, where all beings had their free range.
6. In a city of that place, there reigned a prince well known for his learning, and who passed his time in the company of the learned men of his court.
7. He shone as handsome as a swan in a lake of lotuses, and as bright as the moon among the stars; he was as dignified as the Mount Meru or polar pinnacle among mountains, and he presided over his council as its president.
8. The strain of bards, fell short in the recital of his praises, and he was a firm patron of poets and bards, as a mountain is the support of its refugees.