14. The waking which has the semblance of sound sleep and has no liking nor cringing for anything; is said to be the idiosyncrasy of man by the wise and the harbinger of human liberation. 15. The living liberated man, sees his God as diffused throughout the universe; and not as the cause or instrument of its causation; and neither as witness of its sight. He does not leave to look on the outward phenomena, nor think of the inward noumenon that has displayed the whole. 16. He sees the world shining in and with the glory of God, and beholds it fair and perfect with the beauty and perfection of the Deity. (These so wondrous fair, thyself how wondrous then! Milton). 17. Viewed in the reality of Brahma, the unreal world becomes a reality; it seems then to be as tranquil as the nature of God, and the creation is seen in himself till at last all is lost in the womb of a void—vacuum, as it were hid in the hollow cavern of a rock. 18. The universe seems as womb of a luminous gem, and though it is thickly peopled everywhere, yet it is as void as empty air; it is a _nil_ and _ens_ at the same time, and as something and nothing of itself. (Here is a play of antithetical words and attributes applied to the world). 19. It is _in esse_ and _in posse_ to the minds of many, but to one who bears no duplicity in his mind, it appears as an extended reflexion of the infinite mind of One. 20. As an imaginary city, never disappears from the imagination; so the reflexion never vanishes from the mind of God; wherein all things are present at all times. 21. As the glistening gold glitters with and scatters its rays all around, without changing or wasting itself; so Brahma appearing to shine in his creation, is yet quiet and undecaying in himself. 22. The phenomenal world ever continues the same, though it is subject to incessant productions and destructions of all beings; it appears as unproduced and indestructible, and as various and variegated as the very many beings in it. 23. Brahmá is seated in his impenetrable tranquility and in the form of the rising world, without ever rising or setting himself; He is as free and void as vacuity and without any nature or property of his own, and is known to the enlightened understanding. CHAPTER XLII. A LECTURE ON NIRVÁNA—EXTINCTION. Argument:—A full exposition of the identity of God and the world, and the adorableness of our soul as one with God. Vasishtha continued:—The mind being as calm and quiet as the Intellect, there can be no difference between them; and it is impossible to assign the creation to the divine mind, in its undeveloped and tranquil state. (The difference of the mind and intellect, consists in their activity and inactivity).