Chapter CLII - The sage's discourse at night

Argument:—Refutation of the Reality of Dreams, and the reason of the Preceptorship of the Hunter.

The sage resumed:—

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Saying so the sage held his silence, and lay himself in his bed at night; and I was as bewildered in my mind, as if blown away by the winds.

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Breaking then my silence after a long time, I spoke to that sage and said: sir, in my opinion, such dreams appear [to have] some truth and reality in them.

The other muni replied:—

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If you can believe in the truth of your waking dreams, you may then rely on the reality of your sleeping dreams likewise; but should your day dreams prove to be false, what faith can you then place on your night dreams (which are as fleet as air).

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The whole creation from its very beginning, is no more than a dream; and it appears to be comprised of the earth etc., yet it is devoid of everything.

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Know the waking dream of this creation is more subtile, than our recent dreams by night; and O lotus eyed preceptor of the huntsman, you will shortly hear all this from me.

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You think that the object you see now, in your waking state in the day time, the same appear to you in the form of dream in your sleep; so the dream of the present creation, is derived from a previous creation, which existed from before as an archetype of this, in the vacuum of the Divine Mind.

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Again seeing the falsity of your waking dream of this creation, how do you say that you entertain doubts regarding the untruth of sleeping dreams, and knowing well that the house in your dream is not yours, how do you want to dote upon it any more?

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In this manner, O sage, when you perceive the falsity of your waking dream of this world; how can you be doubtful of its unreality any more?

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As the sage was arguing in this manner, I interrupted him by another question; and asked him to tell me, how he came to be the preceptor of the huntsman.

The other sage replied:—

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Hear me relate to you this incident also; I will be short in its narration, for know O learned sage, I can dilate it likewise to any length.

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I have been living here, as a holy hermit for a long time; and solely employed in the performance of my religious austerities; and after hearing my speech, I think you too will like to remain in this place.

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Seeing me situated in this place, I hope you will not forsake me here alone; as I verily desire to live in your company herein.

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But then I will tell you sir, that it will come to pass in the course of some years hence, and there will occur a direful famine in this place, and all its people will be wholly swept away.

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Then there will occur a warfare between the raging border chiefs, when this village will be destroyed, and all the houses will be thinned of their occupants.

15. Then let us remain in this place, free from all troubles, and in perfect security and peace, and live free from all worldly desires, by our knowledge of the knowable.

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Here let us reside under the shelter of some shady trees; and perform the routine of our religious functions, as the sun and moon perform their revolutions in the solitary sky.

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There will then grow in this desert land and deserted place, many kinds of trees and plants, covering the whole surface of this lonely place.

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The land will be adorned by fruit trees, with many a singing bird sitting upon them; and the waters will be filled with lotus beds, with the humming bees and chakoras chirping amidst them. There shall we find happy groves like the heavenly garden of paradise for our repose.