DESCRIPTION OF THE WORLD AS A PASSING DREAM.
Argument:--How our firm faith arises over this entity, and its answer.
Ráma said:--As we are, Oh sage! a dream drawn house, the body of the
lotus-born Brahmá--the first progenitor, is the same no doubt.
2. And if this world is a non-entity--_asat_, we must know our
existence the same, then how is it possible to arise the firm faith
over this entity--_sat_.
3. Vasishtha responded:--We are shining here as a created being by the
previous birth of Brahmá, but in fact, the reflexion of soul shines for
ever, nothing besides.
4. Owing to the omnipresence of consciousness, all beings exist as
reality every where, and if she rises from unreal knowledge, she as
real knowledge destroys the unreal one. (vice-versa).
5. Therefore whatever comes from these five elements, is but
transitory, but owing to the firm belief on _ego_, we enjoy a firm
faith for the same.
6. In a dream, we see good many things as reality; but as soon the
dream is over, we do not find the things dreamt of; so we see the
reality of the world; as long we remain in ignorance.
7. Oh Ráma! as the dreaming man counts his dream as reality, owing to
his faith on it; so this world appears a reality, like the supreme God
who has no beginning and end.
8. That which is to be created by the dreaming man, is to be called his
own; as we can say by guessing knowledge, what is in the seed, is in
the fruit.
9. Whatever comes from non-entity, is to be called non-entity; and that
which is unreal though it can be workable, is not reasonable to think
good.
10. As the thinking result of unreality is to be given up, so the firm
faith which is arising by the dreaming man; is to be given up likewise.
11. Whatever soul creates in dream is our firm belief, but that remains
only for a time being (hence it is _asat_--non-entity).
12. Brahmá's long drawn portion is this entity, hence we think also the
same, but in fact, this entity is a moment to Brahmá.
13. Consciousness is the creator of all elements, she creates every
thing according to her model, hence creator and creation are one and
the same.
14. As the backward and forward whirling motion of water, makes the
deep to swell, and as also fairy comes near in a dream, so all these
are in reality nothing.
15. So this entity with its change (of creation, sustentation and
destruction) is nothing. In whatever manner we look [at the] object,
that will appear in return in the same manner.
16. The rule of the erroneous dream is not to reproduce (in waking
state, what it produces in sleeping state, though it has a power to
create something out of nothing) as the production is not in the world,
but owing to ignorance it appears so.
17. In the three worlds we see wondrous objects, as we see fire burning
in the water like a sub-marine fire.
18. Good many cities exist in vacuity, as birds and stars remain in the
sky. We find lotus in a stone like trees growing without an earth.
19. One country gives every kind of object to the seeker, like a tree
that gives all objects to the seeker (Kalpa taru) and also we see in a
stone and rows of jewels (that is counting beads) giving fruits like
fruitful trees.
20. Life exists within a stone (Sálgram) as frog exists. Stone gives
water as moon-stone gives.
21. In a dream within a minute good many things can be made and unmade,
which in fact, are unreal like one's death in a dream.
22. The natural water of the elements remains in the sky, (that is, in
the cloud), when the heavenly river _Mandákiní_ remains in vacuity.
23. The heavy stone flies in the air, when the winged mountain does so.
Every thing to be got in stone, when every thing can be secured from
the philosopher's stone.
24. In the garden of bliss of Indra every desired object to be got, but
in salvation such kind of desired object is wanting.
25. Even dull matter acts like machine, hence every object acts like
wonderful erroneous magic.
26. By magical art (that is, Gandharva vidyá) we see even impossible
objects such as two moons, Kavandhas, mantras, drugs, and pishacha. All
these are the works of wonderful erroneous magic, which are in fact
nothing.
27. We see impossibility as real as we see possibility, hence
impossibility becomes real by our erroneous ideas only.
28. The erroneous dream though it appears as real is in fact unreal, as
that which is not real does not exist, which is real does exist (unity
is real, duality is unreal, hence existence and non-existence are one
and the same).
29. So this dreaming creation is looked by all worldly being here as
real, as dreamer takes his dream a reality.
30. By passing from one error to another error, from one dream to
another, one firm faithful being comes out.
31. As a stray deer falls into the pit repeatedly for green grass, so
ignorant man repeatedly falls into the pit of this world, owing to his
ignorance.