28. The mind being subject to the sensational, emotional and volitive feelings; loses the purity of its intellectual nature, and plays many parts by its sensuousness. 29. The living soul also forgets the nature of the universal soul from which it is derived, and is transformed to a puny animalcule in the heart of man, where it plays its pranks like an ape in the woods. 30. Its desires are as irrepressible, as the waves of the ocean, and they rise and fall by turns like the waves, in expectation of having every object of the senses. 31. Our desire like fire, is kindled by every straw; and it burns and blows out in its invisible form within the mind. 32. Our desires are as fickle as flashes of lightning, and proceed from the minds of the ignorant, as the lightning darts itself from the watery clouds (জলদ); they are equally fleeting and misguiding, and must be speedily avoided by the wise. 33. Desire is undoubtedly a curable disease, as long as it is a transient malady of the mind; but it becomes incurable, when it takes a deep root in it. 34. The knowledge of the unreality of the world, quickly cures the disease of desire; but the certainty of worldly knowledge, makes it as incurable as the impossibility, of removing the blackness of a coal. 35. What fool will attempt to wash a coal white, or convert a materialist to a spiritualist? Or turn a raven or Negro to whiteness? 36. But the mind of a man, is as a grain of rice covered under its husk, which is soon unhusked upon the threshing-floor. 37. The worldliness of the wise, is as soon removed as the husk of rice, and the blackness of a cooking kettle. 38. The blemishes of a man, are blotted out by his own endeavours; wherefore you must try to exert yourself to action at all times. 39. He who has not been able to master over his vain desires, and hobby whims in this world, will find them vanish of themselves in course of time, as nothing false can last for ever. 40. The light of reason removeth the false conception of the world, as the light of the lamp dispels the darkness from the room at sight, and night vision removes the secondary moon (of optical deception). 41. The world is not yours, nor are you of this world; there is no body nor anything here akin to you, nor are you so to any; never think otherwise, nor take the false for true. 42. Never foster the false idea in your mind, that you are master of large possessions and pleasant things; for know yourself and all pleasant things, are for the delight of the Supreme Maker and Master of all. CHAPTER LV. MEETING OF VASISHTHA AND DÁSÚRA. Argument. Dásúra’s reception of Vasishtha, their conversation and Parting. Vasishtha said:—Hear me, Ráma, that art the delight of Raghu’s race, and shinest as the moon in the firmament of Raghu’s family; that after I heard the conversation that was going on between Dásúra and his son:—