70. Ignorance builds the imaginary castles in empty air, and causes the error of rising and falling towers in the clouds; it is the delusion of our fancy, that makes us feel the emotions of pleasure and pain in our dreams. 71. If the mind is not filled and led away by worldly desires, there is no fear then of our falling into the dangers, which the day-dreams of our earthly affairs incessantly present before us. 72. The more does our false knowledge (error) lay hold of our minds, the more we feel the torments of hell and its punishments in us, as one dreams of night-mares in his sleep. 73. The mind being pierced by error as by the thorny stalk of a lotus, sees the whole world revolving before it like the sea rolling with its waves. 74. Ignorance taking possession of the mind, converts the enthroned princes to peasants; and reduces them to a condition worse than that of beastly huntsmen. (All tyrants are the creatures of ignorance). 75. Therefore, Ráma! give up the earthly desires, that serve at best to bind down the (celestial) soul to this mortal earth and its mortifying cares; and remain as the pure and white crystal, with reflecting the hues of all things around in your stainless mind. 76. Employ thy mind to thy duties, without being tarnished by thy attachment to any; but remain as the unsullied crystal, receiving the reflections of outward objects, without being stained by any. 77. Knowing everything with avidity in thy watchful mind, and performing all thy duties with due submission, and keeping from the common track with thy exalted mind, thou wilt raise thyself above comparison with any other person. CHAPTER CXV. CAUSES OF HAPPINESS AND MISERY. Argument. The Nature and Powers of the Mind elucidated in the moral of Prince Lavana’s story. Válmíki relates:—Being thus admonished by the high minded Vasishtha, the lotus eyes of Ráma became unfolded as new-blown flowers. 2. He with his expanded heart and blooming face, shone forth with a pure grace, like the fresh lotus reviving at the end of night, under the vivifying beams of the rising sun. 3. His smiling countenance shone forth as the shining moon, with his inward enlightenment and wonder; and then with the nectarious beams of his bright and white pearly teeth, he spoke out these words. 4. Ráma said:—O wonder! that the want of ignorance should subdue all things, as if it were to bind the huge hills with the thin threads of lotus stalks. (Wondrous achievements of science). 5. O! that this straw of the earth, which shows itself to be so compact a body in the world; is no more than the production of our ignorance, which shows the unreal as a reality. 6. Tell me further for my enlightenment regarding the true nature of this magical earth, which rolls as a ceaseless stream, running amidst the etherial worlds.