The origin of the elements and the formation of the bodies

From that eternal and undecaying. One first originated Space; from space came Wind; from wind came Light; from light came Water. From water originated the Universe; and from the universe, all things that exist in it.

The bodies of all (earthly) objects, thence to light or heat, thence to the wind, and thence to space. The who seek liberation have not to return from space. On the other hand, they attain to Brahma.

The refuge of liberation, viz., Brahma, is neither hot, nor cold, neither mild nor fierce, neither sour nor astringent, neither sweet nor bitter. He is not endued with sound, or scent, or form. He transcends all these and everything, and is without size.

The skin perceives touch; the tongue, taste; the nose, scent; the ears, sounds; and the eye, forms. Men not conversant with Adhyatma succeed not in seeing what is above these.

Having withdrawn the tongue from tastes, the nose from scents, the ears from sounds, and the eye from forms, one sees his ownself.

It has been said that which is the Cause of the actor, the act, the material with which the act is done, the place and the time of the act, and the inclinations and propensities about happiness and misery, is called the Self (or Soul).

That which permeates everything which does everything, that which exists in the universe even as the Mantras say, that which is the cause of all, that which is the highest of the high, and that which is One without a second and does all things, is the Cause. Every thing clse is effect.

It is seen that person, on account of the acts performed by him, reaps fruits both good and evil, which exist harmoniously. Indeed, as the good and evil fruits begotten by their own acts live together in the bodies of creatures which are their refuge, so Knowledge lives in the .body.

As a lighted lamp, while burning, sees other objects before it, so the five senses which are like lamps fixed on high trees, find out their respective objects when lighted by Knowledge.

As the various ministers of a king, in a body, give him advice so the five senses which exist in the body all obey Knowledge. The latter is superior to all of them.

As the flames of fire, the current of the wind, the rays of the sun, and the waters of rivers, go and come, again and again, so the bodies of embodied creatures are going and coming repeatedly.

As a person by taking up an axe cannot, by cutting open a piece of wood, see either smoke or fire in it, so one cannot, by cutting open the arms, feet and stomach of a person, cannot see the principle of knowledge, which, does not partake of the nature of stomach, the arms, and feet.

As again one sees both smoke and fire in wood by rubbing it against another piece, só a person endued with true intelligence and wisdom, by uniting the senses and the soul, may see the Supreme Soul which, of course, exists in its own nature.

As in the midst of a dream one sees his own body lying on the ground s something distinct from one's own self, so a person, having the five senses, the mind, and the understanding, sees (after death) his own body and then goes from one into another form.

The Soul does not undergo birth, growth, decay, and destruction. Acts of life being followed by effects, the Soul, clothed in body into another, unseen by others.

No one can see with the eye the form of the Soul. The Soul again, is not touched by another. With the senses, the Soul performs no act. The senses do not approach the Soul. The Soul, however, apprehends them all.

As anything, placed in a burning fire before a spectator, assumes a certain colour on account of the light and heat that acts upon it, without taking any other colour or attribute, even so the Soul's form is seen to take its colour from the body.

Likewise, men, renouncing one body, enters another, unseen by all. Indeed, casting off his body to the five great principal elements, he assumes a form that is likewise made of the same elements.

Upon the destruction of his body the embodied creature enters space, wind, fire, water, and earth in such a way that each particular element in his body mingles with the particular element (out of his body) partaking of its nature. The senses also, which are engaged in various occupations and depend on the five elements enter their five elements what call forth their functions.

The ear derives its power from space; and the smell from the earth. From, which is the property of the eye, is the outcome of light or fire. Fire or heat depends on water. The tongue which has for its property taste, is merged in water. The skin which has touch for its property, is lost in the wind whose nature it partakes.

The fivefold attributes, (viz., sound, etc.) dwell in the five principal elements. Those fivefold objects of the senses (viz., space, etc.,) live in the (five) senses, All these again follow the mind. The mind follows the Understanding, and the Understanding follows That which exists in its true and pure nature, viz., the Supreme Self.

The actor in his new body receives all the good and bad acts done by him here, as also all acts done by him in his pristine existence. All these acts done in this life and the next ones follow the mind even as aquatic animals pass along a current.

As a quickly-moving restless object comes in view, as a minute object appears huge (when seen through spectacles), as a mirror shows a person his own face, so the soul becomes an object of the Understanding's apprehension. (when seen through spectacles), as a mirror shows a person his own face, so the soul becomes an object of the Understanding's apprehension.