Chapter LXX: Section IV: Nature of Bondage

21. Now hear me relate to you, O moon-faced Ráma! about the nature of this bondage, whereby you will be able to know the mode and manner of our liberation from it (as the diagnosis of a disease being known, it is not difficult to heal it).

22. The intimate relation of the spectator with the spectacle is called his bondage to the same, because the looker’s mind is fast bound to the object of his sight. It is the absence of the visible objects, therefore, from the mirror of the mind, which is the only means of his liberation. (So also is the removal of the objects of the other senses from the mind).

23. The knowledge of the world, _ego_ and _tu_ (as separate existences) is said to be an erroneous view of the soul (which is one and the same in all); and there can be no liberation of one, as long as he labours under this blunder of _bheda-jnána_ or knowledge of individualities. (This is called _savikalpa-jnána_ or cognition of biplicity, which cannot lead to _Kaivalya mukti_ or the felicity derived from a knowledge of universal unity).

24. To say that the soul is neither this nor that (_nedam-nedam_) is but false logomachy, which cannot come to an end. The discrimination of alternatives serves only to increase the ardour for the visibles. (_i.e._ The ardour of induction spreads the infection of materialism. The idle _neti-neti_ and _tanna-tanna_ of Vedanta Philosophy is mere amphilogy and prevarication of both, as _idem et non idem_).

25. It is not to be obtained by sophists by the chopping of logic or by pilgrimage or ceremonial acts, any more than by a belief in the reality of the _phenomenal_ world. (All these are observances of the esoteric faith and blind persuasion, but do not appertain to the science of esoteric spiritualism. Gloss).

26. It is hard to avoid the sight of the phenomenal world, and to repress one’s ardour for the same. But it is certain that, the visibles can not lead us to the Reality, nor the Real mislead us to unreality (_i.e._ the spiritual and physical knowledge are mutually repugnant to each other).

27. Wherever the invisible, inconceivable and intelligent spirit is existent, there the beholder views the visible beauty of God shining even in the midst of atoms. (_i.e._ Every particle of matter manifests the beauty of its maker; unless there be a dull material object to intercept the sight of the intelligent soul).

28. The phenomenal world has its rise from Him, yet those ignorant people that depart from Him to the adoration of others, resemble fools, that forsake rice to feed upon gruel. (_i.e._ They take the shadow for the substance).

29. Although this visible world is apparent to sight, yet O Ráma! it is but a shadow of that Being, who resides alike in the smallest atom as in the mirror of the mind, that receives the image of the largest as well as minutest things. (Compare. As full and perfect in a hair as heart. Pope.)

30. The spirit is reflected in every thing like a figure in the mirror, and it shines equally in rocks and seas, in the land and water, as it does in the mirror of the mind. (compare: Wherever I cast my eyes, thy beauty shines).

31. The visible world is the scene of incessant woes, births, decay and death, and the states of waking, dreaming and sound sleep, are presenting by turns the gross, subtile and evanescent forms of things for our delusion.

32. Here I sit in my meditative mood (_anirúdha_), having wiped off the impressions of the visibles from my mind; but my meditation is disturbed by the recurrence of my remembrance of the visibles: and this is the cause of the endless transmigrations of the soul. (_i.e._ The reminiscence of the past is the cause of our everlasting bondage in life).

33. It is hard to have a fixed (_nirúdha_) and unalterable (_nirvikalpa_) meditation (_samádhi_), when the sight of the visible world is present before our bodily and mental vision. Even the fourth stage of insensible _samádhi_ called the turíya, in the state of sound sleep (_susupti_), is soon succeeded by one’s self-consciousness and external intelligence.

34. On rising from this state of deep meditation, one finds himself as roused from his sound sleep, in order to view the world full of all its woes and imperfections opening wide before him. (Compare, “I wake to a sea of troubles, how happy they who wake no more”. Young).

35. What then, O Ráma! is the good of this transient bliss which one attains by his temporary abstraction (Dhyána), when he has to fall again to his sense of the sufferings to which the world is subject as a vale of tears. (Compare, “When the cock crew I wept &c.” Young’s Night Thoughts).

36. But if one can attain to a state of unalterable abstraction of his thoughts from all worldly objects, as he has in his state of sound sleep (_susupti_), he is then said to have reached the highest pitch of his holiness on earth. (For it is the entire oblivion of the world that is necessary for our spiritual perfection, as it is said, “forget the present for the future”).

37. No body has ever earned aught of reality in the scene of unreal vanities; for whenever his thoughts come in contact with any outward thing, he finds it inseparable from the blemishes of existence. (“Vanity of vanities, the world is vanity”. Ecclesiastes.)

38. Should any body (in the practice of the fixedness of his attention), fix his sight for a while on a stone, by forcibly withdrawing it from visible objects, he is sure to be carried away afterwards by the visibles pressing upon his sight.

39. It is well known to all that an unflinching meditation, having even the firmness of a rock, can have no durability, in the practice of the Yogi owing to his worldly propensities.

40. Even the _nirúdha_ or steadfast meditation which has attained the fixedness of a rock, cannot advance one step towards the attainment of that tranquillity which has no bounds to it. (_i.e._ The everlasting bliss of liberation or _moksha_).

41. Thus the sight of phenomena being altogether irrepressible, it is a foolish supposition of its being suppressed by practices of _Jap-tap_ or prayers and austerities and the like acts of devotion.

42. The idea of the phenomena (_drisyadhi_), is as inherent in the mind of the spectator of the visible world, as the seeds of the lotus flower are contained in the inner cells of the pericarp.

43. The ideal of the phenomenal world (_drisyadhi_), lies as hidden in the minds of the spectators of the outer world, as are the in-born flavour and moisture of fruits, the oil of sesamum seeds; and the innate sweet scent of flowers.

44. As the fragrance of camphor and other odoriferous substances inheres in their nature, so the reflexion of the visible world resides in the bosom of the intellect.

45. As your dreams and desires rise and subside of themselves under the province of your intellect, so the notions of things always recur to your mind from the original ideas of them impressed in the seat of the visibles (the mind).

46. The mental apparition of the visible world, deludes its beholder in the same manner, as the visual appearance of a spectre or hobgoblin, misleads a child (to its destruction).

47. The notion of the visible world gradually expands itself, as the germ of the seed shoots forth in time, and spreads itself afterwards in the form of a plant.

48. As the minute germs and animalcules, which are contained within the bosoms of fruits and embryos of animals, expand themselves to wonderfully beauteous forms afterwards, so the seed of this world (originally) lying hid in the Divine Mind, unfolds itself in wonderful forms of the visible phenomena in nature.