11. These creations which are so conspicuous to sight, are at best but nothing in their transcendental light and all the forms of things, are as the empty shadows of them appearing in our dreams. 12. As the world with all its varieties of visible objects, appear in its inane and shadowy form in the dream; so it is seen in its vacuous and intellectual form only, in our waking state (although it seems to be tangible body). 13. It is the nature of the vacuous Intellect, to show the form of the world in its own firmament; so doth this earth appear unto us, amidst the spacious atmosphere, like the orbs of light in the skies. 14. It is the wondrous display of the Intellect, that shines before us under the name of universe; and these wonders are as inborn and innumerable in itself, as the watery and earthly particles, are connate with, and diffused throughout nature. 15. What thing is there in it, which you can mistake for a reality in this unreal world; that is situated as a vacuous body in the infinite womb of vacuity. 16. The words recipient, receipt and reception, or the percipient, perceived and perception (_i.e._ the subject, object and attribute), are all meaningless with regard to this vacuous world; and whether it is a reality or unreality, we have no perception of it. (Because the presence of everything is lost, at the absence of its properties, which are adscititious only). 17. Whether it is so or not or be it anything otherwise (as others may have it); yet why should mistake it for anything at all, in whatever light you take it, it will amount to your mistake of an empty ball for a fruit (so says the vedánta:--जगद्ब्रह्म स्वरूपत्वात् प्रागभाब तथा प्रध्रंसाभाब एबं अन्यान्य भाबानाम दुर्निरूप्यत्वात् केबलात्यन्ताभाबोऽस्ति ।). CHAPTER CLXVI. ON THE ATTRIBUTES OF THE DIVINE SPIRIT: IN THE FORM OF A DIALOGUE. Argument:--Definition of supreme soul and its synonyms and its simile to a blue stone. Vasishtha continued:--The true sense of the word soul or self, is to be understood from the title which is applied to it; and this title of the soul is borne out by the simile, of the solid and transparent blue stone. 2. It is from the beginning of creation, that the vacuous soul is thus diffused in itself; and the reflexion which it casts in its own vacuity, the same passes under the name of this world or creation. 3. There runs no river in it, nor there rises nor sinks any rock in the same; it is the mere vacuum subsisting in its infinite void, wherein the intellect reflects itself without any action or bidding or fiat of it. 4. This reflexion of the Divine Intellect, was without its utterance of “word” and quite without its “will” or “thought”. It was also without the appliance of any subsequent material (as matter), and this is the true sense of the word soul or self.