Prose-section 10
In plain words
“Do not fear,” the teacher says. “There is a means to cross this seemingly boundless ocean. Those established in the discipline have crossed by it, and you too can come to supreme bliss. Enquire into the meaning of Vedanta: its knowledge dissolves bondage here itself. Scripture commends trust, devotion and sustained meditation. Practise with constancy, and the bodily bondage arising from beginningless ignorance will fall away. You have always been the supreme Self. Ignorance alone has attributed the bondage of the non-Self to you. Knowledge born of discriminating enquiry burns both that suffering and the ignorance at its root.” The disciple responds with seven questions: “What is bondage? How did it arise? What sustains it? How is it ended? What is the non-Self? What is the Self? How are they discriminated? Please hear these questions and teach me, so that your answer may bring fulfilment.” The teacher begins his reply.
Word for word
“Learned disciple, do not fear. Henceforth there is no danger for you. I make known a great means by which the boundless and terrifying ocean of samsara can be crossed. By the means through which the good renunciants crossed this becoming, you too will cross the fear of this ocean, difficult for anyone to cross, and attain supreme bliss. Enquiry into the meaning of Vedanta brings the highest knowledge of reality. Through it, here itself, samsara’s bondage is utterly destroyed. Revelation itself declares, ‘Trust, devotion and the discipline of meditation are means of liberation for the seeker.’ If you adopt this excellent discipline and practise continually, bodily bondage arising from beginningless ignorance will depart. You always are the very nature of the supreme Self; this bondage of samsara belonging to the non-Self has come to you through ignorance alone. Therefore the fire of knowledge born from enquiry into Self and non-Self will burn the suffering of samsara’s bondage, an effect of ignorance, with its root—that is, together with the causal ignorance.” Addressing the teacher who spoke thus, the disciple asked: “Master, what is bondage? How did it arise? How does it persist? How does it perish? What is that non-Self? What indeed is the Self? What is discrimination between Self and non-Self? So that I may attain fulfilment by hearing the answer from your mouth, graciously hear these questions and bless me.” The teacher addressed the disciple: