10. The mind is no other than its perceptions, which are manifested by God himself; and the whole being an infinite vacuum, there is no bondage nor liberation of any. 11. All this is the immense Brahma, extending in the form of this vast immensity; so you may enlarge your invisible soul by yourself, and by means of the knowledge of yourself. 12. By this comprehensive view of Brahma as all in all you can find no difference between a piece of wood or stone and your cloth; why then are you so fond of making these distinctions? 13. Know the soul as the only indestructible substance, which remains quiescent from first to the last; and know this to be the nature of your soul also. 14. Know this boundless universe with all the fixed and moving bodies it contains, to be a transcendent void; where there is no room for your joy or sorrow whatever. 15. The shapes of death and disease and of unity and duality, rise constantly in the soul, in the form of interminable waves in the sea. 16. He that remains in the close embrace of his soul, with his inward understanding, is never tempted to fall a prey to the trap of worldly enjoyments. 17. He that has a clear head for right judgment, is never moved by the force of earthly delights; but remains as unshaken as a rock against the gentle winds of the air. 18. The ignorant, unreasonable and stupid men, that are guided by their desires only; are preyed upon by continued misery, as the fishes of a dried tank are devoured mercilessly by cranes. 19. Knowing the world to be full of the spirit, and without the matter of ignorance _avidyá_, close your eyes against its visible phenomena, and remain firm with your spiritual essence. 20. Plurality of things is the creation of imagination, without their existence in reality. It is like the multifarious forms of the waves in the sea, which are in reality its water only. The man therefore, that relies on his firm faith in the unity, is said to be truly liberated and perfect in his knowledge. CHAPTER LXXX. INVESTIGATION OF THE PHENOMENALS. Argument. Description of Divine Meditation, which keeps the mind from its attention to temporary enjoyments. Vasishtha continued:—I will now describe to you that pensive excogitation, which keeps the reasoning mind, from attending to objects placed in its presence. 2. The eyes are for seeing only, and the living soul is for bearing the burthen of pain and pleasure alone; they are like the eyes and bodies of a beast, or like bull of burden, which sees and carries a load of food, without being able to taste it. 3. The eyes being confined to the visible phenomena, can do no harm to the soul residing in the body; as an ass fallen into a pit, is but a slight loss to its owner.