Prose-section 35
In plain words
Even when the ego has been slain like this, if the mind dwells on it for a single moment it comes back to life and throws up endless disturbance, like a rain cloud driven by the wind. The one who thinks ‘I’ and ‘mine’ about the body and the things it sees is bound; the one without such thinking is free. Thinking about objects creates a sense of difference, and that is the cause of bondage. So give this enemy, the ego, not the smallest opening by thinking about objects. Such thinking is what brings it back to life, as water poured on a withered citron tree revives it. When an effect grows, its seed grows with it, and when the effect is destroyed the seed dies too. So first remove the effect, the thinking. When thinking grows, the tendencies it springs from, beginning with ‘I’, grow; as the tendencies grow, thinking grows; and thinking leads to outward action. Through these two the tendency swells until it builds every kind of bondage for everyone. To cut the bondage, all three must be destroyed. The best means, in every place, at every time and in every state, is to see: ‘All this that appears in many forms is only Brahman.’ By the strength of holding Brahman in this way, action first grows quiet, then thinking dies, and then the tendencies wear away; and that wearing away is liberation. As the good tendency ‘all is Brahman’ ripens, impure tendencies such as ‘I’ fade the way darkness fades at dawn. When the sun rises, darkness and all the harm it brings are gone without a trace; in the same way, when the experience of non-dual bliss rises, bondage and every trace of the sorrow it brought are gone. So you too dissolve into Brahman everything that appears as something seen, and with the steady conviction ‘I am only That Brahman, all bliss’, stay in samādhi at all times, outside and in, and let the time pass for as long as the karma of this body lasts.
Word for word
Even if ego has been slain in this way, if it is subsequently entertained in the mind for even a moment, it revives and causes countless distractions, like a monsoon cloud driven by wind. One who thinks ‘I’, ‘mine’ and the like concerning perceived objects such as the body is bound; one without this is free. Dwelling upon objects causes worldly bondage through the sense of difference. Therefore give no opening to the enemy ego through such thinking. Like water given to a withered citron tree, this thinking revives it. Since growth of an effect also grows its causal seed, and destruction of the effect is seen to destroy the seed, first remove the effect, thinking. As thought grows, the causal dispositions beginning with ego grow; their growth increases thinking in turn. Outward action arises from thinking. Through thought and action the disposition greatly increases, producing many forms of worldly bondage for everyone. To cut this bondage, all three must be destroyed. A most effective means, in every place, time and state, is the vision: ‘All this appearing as diverse forms is Brahman alone.’ Through this contemplation of Brahman, action first subsides; then thinking dies; through this, disposition is exhausted. That exhaustion is liberation. As the good disposition ‘All is Brahman’ matures, impure dispositions beginning with ego subside like darkness before dawn. Then, as sunrise entirely destroys darkness and all the harms it causes, the arising of non-dual bliss entirely destroys bondage and every trace of suffering produced by it. You too should resolve these perceived appearances into Brahman alone. Through steady contemplation ‘I am solely that Brahman, dense bliss’, remain established in samādhi at all times, outwardly or inwardly, and pass the time as long as the karmic bond remains.