THE SEVENTH LIGHT (Chapter Seven)
Lord Shiva said: 1. O foremost among the pure-hearted! I shall now make known to you the Secret Teaching of the Thirty-Six Realities whereby a living being can cross the stormy Waters of Worldly Existence and go to the Island of Eternal Peace.
2. In the Beginning, there was just Radiant Intelligence: Boundless, Undying and Free. Being full to the brim with Freedom, Wisdom and Might, It was Alive, a Living Being, the Great Life Itself. This Great Being, Wishing to use His Freedom and Power, shaped the Universe within the infinite expanse of His Own Radiant Intelligence, even as a man fashions a thought or feeling in his heart.
3. For this reason, the Wise Ones have called Him Shiva which means, That in Whom everything rests (Shi) and by Whose Power everything moves (Va). I Am that Shiva, the Original Ever-Living One; the Unseen and Uncreated Who Ever Is before everything that is seen and created is born or dies.
4. From the Stillness of My Heart a Wish was first heard and then brought to Light. The Wish was made firm in the form of Thought. The Thought was made audible as a Word. And the Word was made visible as the World.
5. Thus, from Wish, to Thought, to Word, the World came into being at My Divine Command. Everything is born of That Supreme Sound. Even the Divine Form you are now beholding with your eyes is a Manifestation of That.
6. I Am That Supreme Reality. I am Boundless Freedom and Might and My Powers are Five: Omnipotence, Omniscience, Infinite Fullness-and-Satisfaction, Omnipresence and Eternity. These are My Five Powers Divine. When obscured by My Mighty Magic they become limited and the being who holds them is known as Soul. Thus the Soul is born as the sixth in the midst of the five. He is the power-holder and their master even as I am the Holder of the Five Powers Divine.
7. O Sages! first I created a Glorious World of Light, radiant as tens of millions of Suns. Therein abide the Radiant Ones and all beings that are fair and bright. Then, I enveloped Myself in Mighty Magic and created the World of man.
8. Of My Own Free Will I Envelop Myself in My Wondrous Power, even as the Sun conceals himself behind the Clouds created by his own heat. Verily, like unto the Sun that stands concealed behind the Clouds, even thus I conceal Myself from the World.
9. As in the day the light in the Sky, the Sun, is ever one but at nightfall the dark Firmament is bedecked with myriads of Stars, even so, behind the Veil of Magic I am One: ever shining in the boundless Sky of Universal Consciousness. But enshrouded in the Veil of Maya, I am myriads of Souls shining each like unto a Star in the dark night sky that envelops the Earth.
10. Verily, Night and Day, the Stars and the Sun, all are My eternal signs. I gave them to man that he might know the Truth at all times. The World being a manifestation of My Truth, it teaches and reveals the Truth to all who have an open heart.
11. But to the others it is like a sealed chest that no one can open and whose secrets no one understands. The Sealed Chest is Maya. The Key is My Word of Truth. The Treasure in the Chest is the Supreme Light.
12. Divested of My Light, the World is enshrouded in darkness and goes to sleep. I, the Ever Awake, having put the Souls to sleep, enchant them all with the Great World Dream. This is My Great Work of Magic. No Sleeping Soul ever rises from the Sleep of Maya save at My Divine Command. Verily, there is no Greater Work of Magic in the Three Worlds than that brought to pass by Maya.
13. O noble ones! in the Great Abode of Truth, Truth is Ever One. But in the abode of double- sided reality, It is twofold: the Truth perceived by the unawakened and That perceived by the Perfect Ones. Of these two the latter shall be regarded as True by the Wise, and not the first- named which is a mere shadow of the True Light.
14. Earth is the World of man, where everything is limited, divided and dark. It is not a real World being only like a dream, a World of shadows cast by a Higher Light.
15. I, the Great Light, am the World-Father. Maya, My Mighty Magic is the World-Mother. From our Union innumerable living Souls, all identical with their Creator, are born. Yet, deluded by My Power of Illusion, they do not recognise Me as their Maker. The Awakened Ones, the Buddhas, they alone know that Maya is the Mother and I Alone am the Father of the multitude of creatures born in this World.
16. He who abides under Maya’s Spell is a bound Soul. He who rises above Maya is its master. Therefore, Maya is the fetter to be conquered through Sadhana or Spiritual Discipline. He who knows the Great Secret of Maya, knows how the World comes into being. He knows how, though the Souls appear to be many, they are in reality One.
17. He who knows the Secret of Maya, knows that I create the World and man creates his own perception of the World. For this reason, although the World is one, every Soul has his own perception thereof. Through My Magic Might what is One appears as many and what is many appears as One. There is nothing that cannot be accomplished by Maya, the Power of the Supreme Sovereign. But he who by the power of his thought creates a World that is equal to mine in clarity, radiance and greatness, he is Equal to My Supreme Self. Verily, he who is a Master of the World-dream, is a Master of the World. Therefore, listen you to this Great Secret of Mine.
18. The Soul is born of Me. His powers are born of Maya, My Great Power. From that also springs the Material Energy, the Soul’s Twin. And of that, the Soul’s World is born. The Five Powers Divine; Soul, Material Energy, Intellect, Ego and Lower Mind; Five Senses; Five Powers of Action; Five Perceptions; and Five Material Qualities: these are the Six Groups-of-Five. In each of these I am the Sixth, the Hidden One ever abiding in their midst. I am the Unseen Witness Who knows them each and all. Thus the Five with Myself in their midst, are Six times Six.
19. The Thirty-Sixth is That Which contains all, pervading and animating them from within. It consists of all Powers Divine. It Is That-Which-Alone-Is, the Unsurpassable, the Only Existing Truth known to Yogis but unknown to all others. Yogis are the People of Unity who ever strive for Union with Truth. Whatsoever does exist in Heaven, on Earth and betwixt, is a product of the Thirty-Six. Verily and without doubt, there is naught else besides. He who teaches otherwise is a deceiver and most unwise. For he is only deluding himself.
20. O you who are ever Wise! in this World some laugh and others cry. But the wise Yogi is ever serene and content. For he is endowed with Knowledge that others claim not to possess even though it was revealed by Myself unto the World. Those who feed upon My Light of Truth, are nourished by It and grow Real. But the others, who reject My Truth, become unreal and mere shadows of true men. They resemble evil Spirits and ghosts that feed upon foul things.
21. The unawakened who deny My Revelation are as if dead. For in their delusion they know neither their true Self nor anything else that is of worth, but only the imaginations of their own mind. For them, Death is like a serpent that envelops man in his deadly coils and devours him while still alive.
22. But the Enlightened Yogi is never touched by Death. As he who is awake to the World is not overcome by sleep, so he who is awake to Truth is not harmed by Death. Verily, Sleep and Death cannot touch one who is Awake, even as darkness never touches the Sun.
23. O Sages! the body knows only itself. The mind knows the body. And the Soul knows body, mind and himself. It is for this reason that the Soul (Atma) has been called Self (Atma). For he is the Self of all three and the true Self of man.
24. The Soul is the Twenty-Fifth Principle, the Inner Witness who beholds the Mind, Body and outer World within his own Field of Knowledge. For this reason, he has been called, the Knower of the Field.
25. Beyond that, Ten more Life-Principles remain to be known. In truth, they are naught but the Glorious Powers of God: Omnipotence, Omniscience, Infinite Fullness-and-Satisfaction, Omnipresence and Eternity which are the Offshoots of His Boundless Freedom.
26. When obscured and greatly reduced by Maya, they are imperfect human powers. When free and unobstructed, they are indeed Infinite and Divine. They are the Yogic Powers of Buddhahood.
27. Above everything else I, the Thirty-Sixth Life-Principle, like the Sun shining above the Summit of the Mountain of Reality, Eternally Abide in the Highest Glory as the One, Self- Effulgent Supreme Deity. Looking outwards through the Veil of Maya, as through a magic crystal, I see Myself in the form of innumerable Souls. Turning My Gaze within, I again see Myself as the Only-Existing One.
28. O you who are Seers of Truth! though Uniform, Undivided and Eternally One, of My Own Divine Will I become Many. Dividing Myself into Two, Three, Four, Five and Seven-times- Five, by My Own Power I Create the entire Creation out of Myself.
29. Two-Formed, I am the Creative Light of Consciousness and also Its Creation, the Sovereign and His Kingdom, too. For, into these two I divided Myself at the Beginning of Time.
30. Churning the Primordial Ocean Of Consciousness with the Churning Rod of My Boundless Might, I manifested Ethereal Spirit and Material Matter, Heaven and Earth, Soul and Body, Creator and Creation, Shiva and Shakti, the Lord and His Infinite Power.
31. Three-Formed, I am the Powers of Will, Knowledge and Action, the functions whereby I, the Universal Consciousness, having created the World, operate therein at will. By these three, I rule over the World like a Mighty Sovereign over his Kingdom. They are the Trident-like Symbol of My Sovereign Power.
32. Four-Formed, I am the Four States of Consciousness. The first of these, Waking, is known to man. Dreaming, Deep Sleep and the Fourth, Enlightenment, are known only to Yogis and Beings Divine.
33. Five-Formed, I am the aforementioned Four and the Universal Consciousness that contains them all.
34. Six-Formed, I am the Six Powers Divine: Omnipotence, Omniscience, Infinite Fullness- and-Satisfaction, Omnipresence, Eternity and Infinite Freedom, their Source.
35. Now, concerning the Seven Groups of Five or Pentads, as the First of these I am the Four Universal Masters and their Overlord. They are called: the All-Pervading One (Vyapi Natha), the All-Encompassing One (Vyoma-Rupa Natha), the Infinite One (Ananta Natha), the Sovereign One (Anatha Natha) and the Self-Existing One (Anashrita Natha), their Supreme Ruler. They abide in the World of Perfect Vision, known to the Wise.
36. As the Second Pentad, I am the Five Universal Powers limited by Maya. As the Third Pentad, I am the Soul, Material Energy, Intellect, Ego and Lower Mind. As the Fourth Pentad, I am the Five Faculties of Action. As the Fifth Pentad, I am the Five Senses. As the Sixth Pentad, I am the Five Perceptions. As the Seventh and Last Pentad, I am the Five Material Qualities from Space down to Earth.
37. Above and beyond these Thirty-Five, transcending and at the same time containing all within Myself, I Eternally Abide as the Thirty-Sixth Life-Principle, the Unsurpassable, Unfathomable, Unutterable, Supreme Shiva (Parama Shiva) Himself.
38. I Alone Pervade everywhere. I Alone Encompass everything. Everything moves, breathes and lives by My Power.
39. In the human being, I am the breath upon which his life depends. Going in and out, it covers a space of thirty-six finger-breadths.
40. Multiplied Tenfold according to the Ten Powers, five human and five Divine, I am the Three Hundred and Sixty Rays of Consciousness that constitute the Fullness of Reality.
41. In earthly time, I am the three hundred and sixty days of the human year. In Celestial Time I am three hundred and sixty human years that constitute a Year of the Gods. The same, multiplied twelve thousandfold, is a Great Age or Cosmic Cycle.
42. In Space also, I am the three hundred and sixty degrees in the All-Encompassing Circle described by the Great Firmament itself.
43. I am the Self-Existing Light of all lights, ever shining in all directions with three hundred and sixty Rays: One hundred and eighty Rays belong to the Fire (of Consciousness). One hundred and twenty Rays belong to the Sun (of Knowledge). And sixty Rays belong to the Moon 71 SHIVA RAHASYA (of the Known Object). Together they make three hundred and sixty Rays of light that reveal the World. I Am all things that shine. There is nothing else beside.
44. Thus, O immortal ones! there is none other but I, the Supreme Lord. I Alone Exist as Everything. I am the Human Soul, the Path of Thirty-Six Steps leading to My Supreme Abode and the Self-Shining Guiding Light Which is the Ultimate Goal of all.
45. There shall be no doubt about this. When through the power of Yoga the Soul who is none other but I, penetrates the dark Veil of Maya, he shall behold Me Face to Face and come to know himself as what he really is: the Embodiment of Truth and Identical with My Supreme Self.
46. Verily, what is covered in many veils cannot be seen at a glance. Let no man expect to see My Truth at once. True it is that ordinary men do not know Me, the Lord. But the Self-Realised Yogi who by My Grace elevates himself to Divine Status shall become his Own God, that is, the Supreme Ruler of his Inner Universe.
47. Such one, by virtue of his Sovereign Freedom shall become God-like and, in consequence, shall be well capable of knowing Me. For, only like can know like.
48. Even ordinary men can know God deep inside themselves, in their heart of hearts. For every one of them is a Spark of Heaven, a Ray of Divine Sunlight and a Dewdrop of Universal Intelligence.
49. Yet this Divine State cannot be reached at once, save in extra- ordinary cases. It is to be attained gradually, ascending the well-trodden Steps of the Thirty-Six Yogic Principles, guided by the Light of the Right Means of Knowledge and adding one Ray of Light after another to one’s Royal Crown of Sunlight. And finally, United with Me, being seated upon the Effulgent Throne of Heaven.
50. He who knows the Thirty-Six knows the secrets of all numbers and of everything that is. Nothing is unknown to him. By means of this Secret Knowledge the Bound Soul shall awaken to his own Divinity. He shall cast off his limitations imposed upon him by Myself for the purpose of Limited Creation.
51. Liberating himself from the bondage of the Mind by means of Yoga, he shall enter upon the Great Journey from finite to Infinite, from speck of Stardust to Sea of Divine Radiance. From Man-God to God-Man. From Individual to Universal. Yoga, therefore, is to be known as the Expansion of the limited human Soul to Cosmic Dimensions.
52. By the Power of Yoga, man attains Identity with Me. Having attained Identity with Me, he becomes the Lord of Yoga, which is the Power that holds all things together and by means whereof one can know and accomplish all things. Yoga is the Union of things that stand opposed and the Power whereby two things that were divided become one again.
53. I, Supreme Shiva, the Soul of the Universe, the Adorable Sun of Consciousness, Shine with dazzling Rays of Light in Seven Forms radiating downlight from their Source according to their degree of Self -Luminosity and Unity with the Supreme.
54. Firstly, I am the Highest, Lord Shiva Himself, the Unique, All-inclusive and All-Pervading Light of Lights. Secondly, those Souls who are endowed with a high degree of Unity with Me and with other Souls. Thirdly, Souls who, although they possess a strong sense of Unity, begin to experience some distinction.
55. Fourthly, Souls with a fading sense of Unity. Fifthly, Souls in a state of transition, who are beginning to leave Unity behind. Sixthly, ordinary Souls who can experience distinction only. Seventhly and Last, insentient objects which, though made of Intelligence, do not experience themselves as such.
56. I, Lord Shiva, the First and Highest Form of Consciousness, Eternally Experience Myself as One with all Thirty-Six Life-Principles. The rest, the myriads of beings populating the Universe, occupy each their particular Place in the Universal Sky of Consciousness according to the Principles they experience by a process of Identity.
57. Verily the higher the Principle or Principles one identifies oneself or becomes one with, the higher the position one shall occupy in the Universe. For thus I have declared, The fearless one who Life’s Stairway to Eternity would scale, him Shiva’s Light shall make Divine without fail.
58. Such One alone is Reality, the Great Yogi, the Divine Self, the Sky-Encompassing Infinite One, the Ancient One Who can only be known through the Highest Spiritual Knowledge. He Alone is the only Saviour (Taraka). He is the Cause of Universal Dissolution. He is the Origin of All. He is the All Itself.
59. Some say that I, the Divine Self, am One, others that I am Many. Some say that I am that Self, others that He is another. But I, the Greatest God, declare that I am at once smaller than the smallest atom, yet greater than the greatest. Formless, yet endowed with Form. Uniform, yet of innumerable forms. I am All and Everything.
60. Verily, the Wise one who realises that Supreme Master in his heart, who beholds that Eternal Being Who manifests Himself as the Universe and is the Highest Goal of Sages, he alone shall be fit to ascend to My Supreme Abode beyond the plane of ordinary knowledge where he shall enjoy Bliss Undying and Divine.
THE EIGHTH LIGHT (Chapter Eight) 8
Wherein God’s Undivided Nature and Man’s Oneness with Him is proclaimed Om is the Eternal Sound Supreme. Of that all other sounds are born.
Lord Shiva said: 1. O noble ones! the Universe exists within Myself like a mind-created thought. Just as a man, through his own intellectual power, creates a thought in his own mind, even so I, the Lord, by means of Maya, My Own Power, cause the Universe to appear within My Own Infinite Self, without My Inner Purity and Peace being thereby disturbed.
2. Maya is a Creative Power without beginning or end. Arising from My Unmanifest Self, like a wave out of the Ocean, it creates the Universe. Thus the Universe is born of My Unmanifest Self by means of Maya.
3. As a multitude of waves, ever-rising, ever-subsiding, come into being upon the surface of the Ocean which, deep down, remains ever-still, so the multitude of breathing and non-breathing things that constitute the World constantly arise out of Me, the Infinite, Ever-Peaceful Ocean of Universal Consciousness and Bliss.
4. It has been rightly said that the Unmanifest, Which is Eternal Light and Bliss, is the Cause of all. Indeed, apart from Me, the Supreme Reality, nothing really exists.
5. Although I am Ever One, due to My Apparent Diversity, some have concluded that I am Manifold like the Universe. O saintly ones! I nevertheless remain the Supreme Reality, the Eternal, Changeless Self.
6. My Divine Powers are Infinite, Unmanifest and Permanent except when, by means of Maya, they appear to act in limited ways. I, the Absolute Unmanifest, Eternally Shine in the Celestial Regions beyond this World.
7. I, the Unmanifest, Eternal Self, being devoid of beginning or end and One with My Wondrous Might, am called diverse and divided due to My Manifold Power, though I am Eternally One, Undivided and Whole.
8. As Water, hidden within Air, entirely unseen at first, becomes a cloud, then rain, snow and ice, even so I, the Lord, though Unknown, Secret, Hidden and Unseen, Assume the Form of Soul, Mind, Body and a thousand things. In truth, it is not hard to see: what Water can, that I, the Lord, Can better still.
9. Though the manifestations of My One Power are many, they neither conceal each other, nor do they obscure My True Nature Which remains Ever-the-Same.
10. That Supreme Unmanifest, adorned with a Halo of Radiance, that Eternal Light, is My Supreme Abode. Upon That, the entire Universe is woven like a cloth, warp and woof. That Alone is Reality. He who realises That, is liberated.
11. The Supreme Being is that Entity Which words and thoughts, due to their limitations, cannot reach. He who has experienced the Bliss of the Supreme, becomes freed from all ailments, all fears and all doubts.
12. I am that Great Being shining like the Sun beyond the thought-created clouds of ignorance. He who realises Me as such, is liberated from worldly existence. Becoming One with Me, he enjoys undying Bliss. 77 SHIVA RAHASYA
13. Knowing that his own Self surpasses everything and is the Source Light of the lights of heaven, the knower becomes Identical with Me and becomes established in My Bliss Divine.
14. Those who know, and have become established in, Me, bear witness that I am Impenetrable, Subtle, Supremely Blissful and the Eternal Support of the Universe. And that, having attained Me, one needs not return to worldly existence.
15. The radiance that is seen to shine in the Sky is a reflection of that Self-Luminous Life- Principle residing in the Highest Heaven. In their supreme wisdom, the Sages meditate upon That as the Resplendent, Immaculate Abode of Heaven above the Mountain of Reality.
16. As many Moons, deformed and ever-moving, are seen reflected in troubled water, but only One, perfectly shaped and still appears in the mirror of calm water, just so I, the Pure and Perfect One, the Only Reality, appear in the inward mirror of the Yogi who has stilled his mind.
17. Having stilled their mind through meditation, God-Realised men experience the Universal Lord Himself, the Self of the Universe, the Greatest One, in their own Soul and upon seeing That, merge in the Supreme Bliss of Heaven.
18. I, the Lord, the One God, though being Unique, lie hidden in all beings. I am the Omnipresent, Immanent Soul of all. The Self-Realised men who see Me as One enjoy Boundless Bliss for ever.
19. I, Who can see, hear and speak everywhere, am the Highest Goal of all. Being Omnipresent, I dwell in the heart of all living beings. Nay, I Am all living beings. Verily, there is nothing other than I.
20. O foremost among the wise! this Revelation is the Greatest among Great Secrets, the Knowledge proclaimed in all true Teachings as the Word of God. Being difficult to understand even for Yogis, let it be guarded like a great treasure.
21. For, Truth has many enemies. They detest the Light of God and thrive in the shadows of doubt. They seek to deceive and ensnare the righteous and feed upon their Souls like vampires and ghosts. Therefore, My Truth shall be kept secret and revealed unto the faithful when the time has come.
22. I Am the Greatest of all. Among the Knowers of Spirit, I am the Great Spirit Himself, Self- Born and All-Knowing. Among Magicians I am the Original, Eternal and Greatest, the Master of Cosmic Magic and Lord of all Magicians. Among Yogis, I am the Lord of Yoga, the Abode of Supreme Unity and Peace. Among Immovable Things, I am the Himalayas.
23. Among Men, I am One Who is Equal to the Gods. Among Women, I am the Lady of the Mountain (Goddess Parvati) Who is ever devoted to Me. Among Suns, I am the Radiance of Knowledge. Among Fires, the Light of Consciousness.
24. Among the Beings presiding over the Spiritual Worlds, I am the Lord of Peace. Among Birds, I am the great Eagle sacred to the Gods. Among Elephants, I am the Royal Mount. Among Warriors, I am the Divine Hero.
25. Among Sages, I am the Wisest. Among Gods, I am the Lord of Heaven. Among Craftsmen, I am the All-Skilful. Among Spirits, I am the most Virtuous.
26. Among Ascetics, I am the most Austere. Among Divine Attendants, I am the most Efficient. Among Heroes, I am the Avenger of the downtrodden. Among Self-Realised Beings, I am the most Accomplished.
27. Among the Mountains, I am Heavenly Mount Mem. Among the shiny Stars, I am the Moon. Among striking Weapons, I am the Thunderbolt. Among Religious Practices, I am Truthfulness.
28. Among Serpents, I am Ananta. Among Military Leaders I am the Supreme Commander of the Hosts of Heaven. Among the Stages of human life, I am that of Householder. Among Sovereigns I am the King of Heaven.
29. Among the Units of Time, I am the Universal Aeon. Among World Ages, I am the Golden Age. Among Guardian Spirits, I am the God of Wealth. Among Priests, I am the Chief.
30. Among Lights, I am the Rising Sun. Among Sentiments, I am Selfless Love. Among Months, I am Margashirsha (November-December or sowing time, in India). Among Seasons, I am fruit-bearing Spring (or harvest time).
31. Among Ancestors, I am the Father of Mankind. Among the Guardians of the Quarters, I am the Northern One who guards the Gates to the Abode of all Powers Divine. Among the Forces of Nature, I am the rain-bearing Wind. Among the Nine Continents, I am the Land of Glory (Bharata or India, also known as the Land of Righteousness).
32. Among Animals, I am the Lion. Among Plants, I am the Mahaushadhi. Among Fishes, I am the Dolphin. Among Rivers, I am the Most Holy One. Among Seas, I am the Ocean.
33. Among composite Weapons, I am the far-shooting Bow. Among Letters, I am the Vowel Ah, abiding as the inner essential sound in all others. Among Holy Scriptures, I am the Original and Only True. Among Prayers, I am the Prayer to the Sun (Divine Light).
34. Among Mantras, I am the sacred Sound OM. Among Knowers of the Holy Scriptures, I am Manu (the First Man) endowed with Knowledge Divine. Among Holy Cities, I am Varanasi (also known as Kashi, Shiva’s City of Light).
35. Among Sciences, I am the Science of Spirit. Among kinds of Knowledge, I am the Supreme Knowledge of God. Among secrets, I am Silence. Among the Five Elements, I am Space, the most subtle. Among Judges, I am the Righteous Lord of Death (Dharma Raja, who administers divine justice to the departed Souls).
36. Among Bondages, I am the Cosmic Magic. Among Calculators, I am Time itself. Among the Three Times, I am the Present. Among Goals, I am Spiritual Liberation. Among the Greatest, I am the Supreme Lord.
37. O noble ones! whatever else in the World stands out through its shining excellence, know that to be a Manifestation of My Radiance Divine.
38. All the things in the Three Worlds were created that My Glory might be made known. But those that are greater than others are My Especial Signs given by Me unto man. For they illumine 79 SHIVA RAHASYA and uplift the mind of men and set it upon the Path of Truth that leads to the Highest Greatness of all. It is by means of great things that man rises above other creatures.
39. Therefore, having perceived My Supreme Perfection in those things that outshine all other things, man shall strive to become Perfect even as I Myself am The Most Perfect. Verily, man is born to strive for Perfection. For he that seeks Perfection is a Seeker of Truth.
40. All things are born of Truth and shall return to Truth. He who seeks Truth seeks his True Home. No Soul shall ever find peace till he has found his True Home. Home is that Place where a man finds Peace. Therefore the life of man is a quest for Peace. And Peace is found in Perfection, there is no Peace where there is no Perfection.
41. Having been put to sleep at the moment of creation, man begins his worldly life in the form of an inanimate thing made of space, air, fire, water or earth. He abides in that condition for forty-two thousand lifetimes. He then enters a state like that of dream and assumes the form of half-sentient things such as plants or trees. Thus he passes fifteen thousand lifetimes. In the form of insects or worms he abides for twelve thousand lives. Nine thousand in the form of a sentient beast such as land-borne, water-borne or air-borne creatures; and six thousand lifetimes in human form.
42. Having thus passed through eighty-four thousand lives, man is born only three more times: once as a Yogi and twice as a God. Then, having attained the Supreme Perfection of Heaven (Para Siddhi), he is born no more.
43. O Sages! I grant many lives to a Soul that he may steadily grow in wisdom and become wise. For, no creature that is born imperfect attains Perfection in one lifetime. To expect man to become Perfect after one brief life would be unjust and unwise. I, the Lord, am Ever Just and All-Wise, and so is My Work.
44. In the Beginning, I created the Upper World, the World of Light wherein abide all Beings Bright. I am the Eternal Ruler of that World. I then created the Lower World wherein abide the dwellers upon Earth. That World is ruled by the Radiant Ones who are the Rays of My Own Light and who rule over the World by the Power of Yoga and in accord with My Command.
45. Yoga is living in Unity with Truth. He who abides in Unity with Truth shall know neither fear nor grief; nor pain, nor yet disappointment shall he know but he shall ever rejoice in Heavenly Bliss. And rejoicing Therein he shall bring Joy unto the World even as the Sun brings joy to the flowers in the field.
46. Verily, the Yogis who have attained Perfection and have risen above earthly life are equal to the Gods. They are the Jewels of My Creation and rule the World together with the Gods.
47. The Yogis’ task is to make My Will known unto the World. They shall ever work for the establishment of Righteousness on Earth. They shall live a holy life and ever be an example of Divine Perfection unto all men. They shall sit in the Assembly of Holy Sages and be a guiding light unto the King. For they are My Messengers and I am their True Sovereign. This was ordained by Me for the welfare of all. I am Compassionate and All-Wise.
48. That land shall be known as Land of Righteousness (Dharmabhumi) wherein Yogis are honoured by all. For he that honours a Yogi who is ever immersed in Unity with Me, he honours none other but Me. This is My Eternal Law.
49. O Sages! the World is My Own Creation and a Manifestation of Truth. Therefore, righteous men honour and revere My Creation and live in Harmony with it. Verily, he who lives in Harmony with My Creation lives in Unity with Me. He who honours a work, honours the workman too. I and My Work are One and the Same.
50. It is out of Love that I created the World. Out of Love for My Creation I set the World in Order and I established My Law. I created the Day, that man might wake and Night that he might rest. I created fruit-bearing trees and rich fields of golden grain. I created milk-yielding cows and cool waters full of fish. I made forests and caves for shelter, the Moon that man might measure time, the Great Stars for direction and the light-bestowing Sun. And I gave him the Law whereby he might live in abundance and peace.
51. Verily, My Love for man manifests itself in that I give him life of my Own Life and that I offer him sustenance, guidance and protection. And man’s love of Me shall be seen in his following of My Law. By the following thereof he abides in Unity with Me. Therefore, he who desires a long and happy life in this World and the next, shall ever abide by the Law of Unity. He who abides not thereby goes the Path of Separation which is the Path of Sin and Discord.
52. The Farmer tends and tills the earth. The Merchant trades the fruits of the Farmer’s labour. The Warrior protects the land. And the Priest conducts the holy prayers. In the midst of the above four, the Yogi proclaims my Word of Guidance for the welfare of all. In this way, Righteousness is upheld upon Earth. This is My Eternal Law.
53. Let Earth be honoured at Sowing Time with festive song and fair dress. For, it is Earth that bears the seed, that it may grow and yield fruit. But Heaven shall be honoured at Harvest Time. For it is from Heaven that the life in all seeds comes and Heaven it is that sows the seed.
54. But I the Lord shall be honoured at all times. For I am both Heaven and Earth: I Create, I Make Grow, and I set the Harvest Time too. I set the Wheel of Time in motion. I determine the beginning and end of a day, the seasons, the year and the age of many years. I ordain both life and death. Therefore, let all Souls worship Me with devotion in temples, holy places, in their homes and in their heart. In every fortnight, they shall set aside the eighth and the fourteenth for My Devotion. Likewise, when the Moon is Full. But that worship which is done upon a Moonless Night shall be regarded as the best of all. These four shall be My Holy Days.
55. He who wishes to obtain the Four Goals (of Life, see Ch. 5:53: Righteousness, Material Prosperity, Love, Spiritual Liberation) and attain Perfection in this very life shall always follow My Law. He that earnestly follows My Law is a Yogi and a True Man. He lives in Unity with Me, with the World, and with his true self. He indeed is a blessed one! Verily, there is nothing that a follower of Unity cannot obtain. This is My Eternal Law.
56. Supreme Perfection is attained by abiding in Unity with Truth, Goodness and Beauty. Truth is That Which is Good, Which is Above all other things and Which Ever Is. Goodness is the Constant Abiding in Truth. Beauty is the Recognition of Truth and Goodness in all things that are good. 57. When the Great Life, the Great Lord, Perceives Himself and nothing else beside, that, O Sages! is the Supreme Truth. When God Establishes His Law, that is the Supreme Goodness. When He Beholds Himself in all things, that is the Supreme Beauty.
58. Therefore, O noble ones! let man also seek Truth, do Good, and love Beauty. By discarding all things that are false, perishable and wrong, man shall attain to Truth. By striving to establish My Law (Dharma Shasana) upon Earth, man shall do works that are Good. By seeing My Glory in all things that are both true and good, man shall see the Beauty of Him Who Is the One True and Truly Good.
59. Man is born of My divine Perfection and unto Perfection he shall return. This is the Eternal Law. Perfection is attained by the following of My Law. He who ever strives to be Perfect is a Yogi and a True Man. Him I shall elevate above all other men and to him I shall grant entrance into My Abode of Truth.
60. O you who are Rays of My Own Light! My Word of Truth shall not be doubted. For he that follows It is rightly guided. But he that follows It not, goes astray. Verily, no one can find the right path (satpatha) save he who is guided by the Guiding Light. I, the Lord, am that Eternal Light.
