1. When asking various people about their experience, quarrels arise quickly bringing about confusion and a big commotion. The listeners are asked to listen to the narration of this confusion with interest.
2. Some say that just by living a mundane worldly life, one crosses to the other shore naturally because the burden of all the worldly activity is not on the individual being, as it is all only God.
3. Some say that this is not possible because greed comes in and one gets attached to worldly things while earning a living to buy bread and serving one's family.
4. Some say that one should just live a worldly life comfortably and gain some merit by doing charity, and that this is the true path.
5. Some say family life is worthless and one should take up renunciation and roam around the world, and that in this way that the door to heaven will become open.
6. Some say "Where should one go unnecessarily and why should one wander around? It is better that one should remain in one’s own house carrying out the proper duties of a householder."
7. Some say "How can anyone speak of one's proper duty when everywhere it is seen that there is a lack of doing one's proper duty? In this worldly life one is forced to do many actions that are not proper."
8. Some say that people should try to have many good habits and a good predisposition, and in this way one can easily cross over the worldly life.
9. Some say that faith is the only means by which one can realize God, and that anything else is unproductive and confusing.
10. Some say that elders and other beings should be honored as God himself, and that one should worship one's mother and father with single-minded devotion.
11. Some say that one should worship idols of God, and in this way Lord Narayana (Vishnu) who is the mother and the father of all will be pleased.
12. Some say that the scriptures should be studied as the explanations there are given by God, and that by following that instruction one can go beyond this world.
13. Some say, "Oh, you people! The scriptures are vast and the study of them is endless. Therefore, one should go and surrender to the sages."
14. Some say to give up all this talk that is worthless, and that one should have compassion for all living beings.
15. Some say that one should behave in whatever way that one thinks is best, and in the last moments of life one should repeat the name of God.
16. Some say that only if one has gained merit in life will one remember to repeat the name of God, and otherwise, during the last moments of life one will forget.
17. Some say that as long as one is living one should make life worthwhile, and some say that life is made worthwhile by wandering around and visiting places of pilgrimage.
18. Some say that this is all going to a lot of trouble just to go to a place with some water and stones, and that while bobbing around in the water there one only become short of breath unnecessarily.
19. Some say to give up such talk, that the greatness of holy places is incomparable on this earth, and by just seeing them the worst of one's wrongful deeds turn to ashes.
20. Some say that the natural pilgrimage means control of the mind, and some say that one should sing songs of praise and narrations about God with a sense of ease and composure.
21. Some say that the path of yoga is the best and should be practiced first, and in this way the body can be made immortal.
22. Some say that this is all just a waste of time and nobody should do it. Some say that one should hold on to the path of Devotion (Bhakti Marga).
23. Some say that the path of Knowledge (Jnana Marga) is best. Some say it is necessary to do spiritual practice (sadhana), and some say that you are always already free.
24. Some say that one should not behave in an uncontrolled manner and should avoid bad behavior, while others say, "Our's is the path of no self-control."
25. Some say that one should not criticize or be envious of others. Some say that one should give up and abandon bad company effortlessly.
26. Some say that one should die serving in front of the one who gives us food, and in that way one will attain the state of liberation.
27. Some say that all of this type of talk should be abandoned from the beginning and that one must have bread first, and only then can one go on conversing comfortably.
28. Some say that there should be rain so that all things will be good and there will not be any drought, and everything will be fine.
29. Some say that by performing various austerities one can acquire all types of powers. Some say that one must first attain the status of "King of the Gods."
30. Some say that one must practice magic in order to please Satan to get his co-operation, and in this way one can attain the status of the gods in heaven.
31. Some say to learn the Aghora Mantra of Shiva and that with this mantra one becomes free and the Goddess Laxmi will be pleased.
32. Some say that all duties happen only because of Laxmi so how can there be any question of performing actions and activities, as even bad deeds are due to her.
33. Some say that one should make effort to chant the healing Mrityunjaya Mantra of Shiva so that all desires will be fulfilled.
34. Some say that it is the worship the child Shiva which gives one prosperity, and some say that it is a ghost that gives all that one desires.
35. Some say that different forms of the Goddess Kali or other female deities should be worshipped if one wants blessings.
36. Some say to worship Lord Ganesha, some say that it is the worship of the form of Shiva as Shankara is best, and some say that only if one worships the Goddess Bhagavati does one receive blessings quickly.
37. Some say that worship of Shiva in the form of Mallari makes one quickly fortunate, and some say that it is best to have great devotion to Lord Vishnu.
38. Some say that what matters are the merits of one's past life, some say that one must make efforts, and some say that all of the burden is on God.
39. Some say, "What is this God who puts all kinds of troubles on good people?" Some say that all troubles are normal things that happen in accordance with the Kali Yuga.
40. Some consider everything as a wonder while some always get surprised. Some get bored and say that we just have to see what is going to happen.
41. These are the signs of the experience of common worldly people. There are many signs, so a few examples have been given.
42. Now, let this be enough of this talk. Please listen with alertness as I explain the experience of the Knowledgeable (Jnanis).
43. Some say that one should have devotion to God, Lord Vishnu, and he will give emancipation. Some say that Brahman can only be attained by actions.
44. Some say that suffering cannot be avoided, nor can the cycle of birth and death be broken. Some say there are many spontaneous uprisings of ignorance.
45. Some say that "Only Brahman exists, so what actions and activities are there in Brahman?" Some say that such talk is not proper and that one should not talk like this.
46. Some say that everything gets destroyed and only Brahman is what remains. Some say that this is not a satisfying statement.
47. Some say that both of the statements "All is Brahman," and "Only what remains is Brahman," are wrong statements based on logic and that the secret of experience is quite different.
48. Some say that Reality cannot be described in words, and that even the Vedas and scriptures have become silent when trying to speak about it.
49. At this time, the listener asked, "Who has given the conclusion to all of this? According to the "final conclusion," the doctrine of siddhanta, how can there be any experience?"
50. The listener continued, "The experience of each body is different. You have said this previously. You cannot say something different now.
51. Some speak of being the witness that is different from appearances, and that one's Self, which is the seer, is the state of one’s own experience.
52. The seer is different from what is seen, and this is the art of being detached. One's Self is different from appearances and this is one's own experience.
53. When the knower of all appearances is known to be different from the appearances, one easily understands that even though there is the appearance of the body, one is not limited to the body.
54. Some say that because this is one’s own experience one should abide as the witness, because the seer of all visible appearances is different from them.
55. Some say that Reality does not have any differentiation, that it is One, alone and undifferentiated. How then can one with dull intelligence bring in any witness?
56. Just as sugar is naturally sweet and no bitterness can be found in it, similarly, how can any separate witness be found in one's experience when all is only Brahman?
57. The expanse of the universe and the Absolute Reality, Parabrahman, are one and not different, but those who take up a dualistic perspective see only division and duality. However, all of manifestation is really only the Self reveling in it's own Self-Bliss while taking form.
58. Just as with ghee where there is a fluid fluid state and a solidified state, similarly, that which is without attributes (Nirguna) has become that which is with attributes (Saguna). What separation is made there by the observer?
59. The witness and all of the visible appearances are only the one Lord of the Universe (Jagadisha), so what is the need to make an effort to be the witness?
60. So, now I have recounted two types of experiences of various knowledgeable people. The first being that Brahman alone exists and has become all forms everywhere.
61. The second type of experience of knowledgeable people is that it is the Self (Atman) that has taken form and that one can never be separate from the Self."
62. After hearing all of this, the speaker replied; "Please listen to a third type of experience. Some say that when all of the visible world is eliminated or forgotten so that nothing remains, that this is God."
63. Some say that when all of the visible appearances are separated out and only the invisible remains that this is the experience of Brahman.
64. However, this should not be called Brahman. It is like a remedy that really causes harm. How can one say that this void, or nothingness, is Brahman!
65. When going beyond all visible appearances, the invisible void remains. Thinking that to be Brahman, one returns back from there.
66. On one side there is what is visible, and on the other side, there is the attributeless God. In between the two, there is nothingness, or the void. It is because of dull intellect that some say that this is Brahman.
67. For example, when one does not recognize the king, the servant is mistaken to be the king. But when the king is seen, the old concept is discarded.
68. Similarly, one thinks of the void as being Brahman, but afterwards when one sees Reality, the delusion of taking the void to be Brahman disappears.
69. This is a subtle obstacle to realization which can be recognized and discarded with the power of discrimination, similar to how the Royal Swan is able to sip and drink only the milk while leaving the water.
70. First, visible appearances are given up. Then, going beyond the void one sees the "Primal Illusion" (Moolamaya). Only from there, can the Absolute Reality, Parabrahman, be realized.
71. When one tries to see from a perspective of being a separate observer, one finds the state of the void, and doubts increase in the mind about this state of nothingness.
72. Experiencing a sense of separateness from it, one labels it as the void. However, if one's goal is the realization of Reality, one must first recognize undivided oneness.
73. Be Reality itself to see Reality. When looking with a sense of separation, one only gets the experience of the void.
74. The experience of the void can never be the realization of the Absolute Reality. By being Reality, one sees Reality with one’s own experience.
75. The fact that one is Reality oneself is confirmed. Do not imagine that "I am the mind." The sages teach the true remedy. "You are the Self."
76. The saints have never said that the concept "I am the mind" is true. By whose word should you consider the concept "I am the mind" to be true?
77. Firm faith in the statements of the saints is itself the pure experience of the Self. In this way, it is natural for the mind to say that "I am Reality."
78. One whose experience is that he himself is Oneness spread out everywhere, is in his own experience the very Life of the universe.
79. When a man who is greedy for wealth becomes wealthy, that fortunate man is able to comfortably enjoy that wealth.
80. Similarly, the spiritual aspirant who gives up the identification with the body gains the knowledge and experience of Reality that has been described.
81. Fundamentally one is Reality oneself. This is the Knowledge (Jnana) gained through the power of discrimination. Now, this chapter on Knowledge is complete.
82. Self-Knowledge (Atmajnana) has been explained. I have given the explanation to the best ability of the intellect. The listeners are asked to please excuse any shortcomings.