Eternal Brahman

1. Trees are formed from the earth, and from trees we get wood. When the wood is burned it then returns back to earth.
2. Many types of vines that have many various parts such as branches, leaves, flowers, and fruits all come from the earth. Afterwards, when they dry and decompose, they return back to the earth again.
3. There are many foods that human beings eat for their meals that are prepared from various different grains. Afterwards, the food returns back to the earth as feces or vomit.
4. Many birds eat the various grains and in the same way, it becomes waste matter afterwards which then dries up and returns to the earth.
5. When the human body dies it is eaten by worms, or it is turned to ash when burned, and then it returns to the soil. A great many bodies have fallen and returned to the earth in these ways.
6. Many types of grass and plant matter have decayed and returned to the soil. Even the worms return to the earth after dying.
7. There are unlimited objects that have proliferated on the earth, how much can be told of their expanse? Other than the earth, what resting place is there for them?
8. Trees, leaves, and the grass are eaten by animals and become dung, manure, urine and ash which all get mixed together and once again return to the earth.
9. Whatever is created has a duration and gets destroyed. Everything returns back to the earth. Everything that gets created gets destroyed and again becomes earth.
10. There is a great abundance of seeds that grow up to touch the sky only to eventually merge back with the earth and disappear.
11. Many metals are buried in the earth by people and after many days they are turned into soil. Even the fate of gold is like this.
12. Gold as well as stones are formed out of the soil, but when exposed to great heat, they are merged back into the earth again.
13. Gold thread is made out of gold and then goes on to decay, and even the gold that has become molten liquid dissolves back into the earth in the end.
14. Metal is formed from the earth. After having been melted in fire, the molten metal again becomes solidified and returns back into the earth.
15. Water from different places releases various smells and odors. The presence of earth is revealed even there as day by day the water dries up, leaving only earth behind.
16. Many leaves, flowers, and fruits grow and are eaten by many living beings. After dying, all of these beings return back into the same earth from which they emerged.
17. Everything that has been formed has the earth as its support. So it happens that all living beings that assume form pass away and in the end return back to the earth.
18. How much more should be told about this? Utilizing the power of discrimination everything is understood. With discrimination the creation and dissolution of the universe is understood.
19. When water evaporates, only earth remains, and when the earth is burned and turned into ash, the ash dissolves back into water again.
20. Water is formed from light, and later becomes dried up by the heat of the light. Light is formed from the wind, and afterwards is absorbed back into the wind.
21. Wind was created in the sky, and afterwards dissolves back into the sky. One must see for oneself these processes of creation and dissolution in the universe.
22. From wherever anything is created, it returns to that same place when it is destroyed. All of the five elements are destroyed in this way.
23. The elements have been created and then get destroyed. After the elements disappear only the eternal Absolute Reality, Parabrahman, remains.
24. So long as Parabrahman is not realized, the cycle of birth and death can’t be escaped, and one is destined to be born into the streams of the four types of living beings.
25. The origin of gross manifestation is the moving, and the root of the moving is the still unmoving Reality that has no beginning or end. One must see this for oneself.
26. The primary premise as presented in the Vedas indicates that Illusion has emanated from Reality, while the "final conclusion" (siddhanta) negates the existence of Illusion. That which exists beyond both perspectives is Parabrahman.
27. This must be understood in one's own experience. Through investigation and thoughtfulness, the indications about Parabrahman are realized. Without such investigation and thoughtfulness one only becomes exhausted with foolish nonsense.
28. If a knowledgeable person gets caught up in attachments, how can he realize the unmoving Parabrahman when he is unnecessarily involved in the commotion of Illusion?
29. A wise and discerning person comes to the conclusion that when Illusion is completely destroyed there is nothing that remains.
30. When nothing remains after the dissolution of Illusion, this is what is called self-surrender. How can Supreme Knowledge (Vijnana) be realized when even words and their meanings do not exist?
31. One who is attached to what people say only gets lost in opinions and imagination. Therefore, the aspirant must see again and again with direct experience.