J.O MYa'l'iU EXJr'EKJLEMU.fc-a

denial and of knowledge, has not attained such fulness of the
Truth as thou hast. I am more than thy father, and thou art
more than I, in the attenuation of sense-cravings.'

^Then was Shuka satisfied, and sat, all silent, firmly fixed
in the Supreme. Free of sorrow, free of fear» free of laboured
effort, free of wish and free of doubt, he went into the solitudes
of M^ru later on, for practising" Samadhi, and, being" perfected
therein, at the end of myriad years, he entered into the JStman,
even as a tiny drop of water merges into the ocean."

CHAPTER II

The Disciple and the Teacher

Turning to the gathered Eshis, Vishvamitra continued :

"Thus hath Rama also found the Truth. The proof thereof is
this—that he takes joy no more in things of sense. For while
the mind revolves and revels in them is it bound. Soon as it
turns away from them is it emancipate. And this comes not
to pass, this turning back, till after manifold frustration of the
search for pleasure. Even as the dawning of- the day is
simultaneous with the passing of the night, so is the dawning"
of true knowledge simultaneous with the passing of desire.
And that which Rama feels within himself already is the Truth,
and he requires but confirmation from the lips of some one
who has gone before in the same path, to know it so, even as
the Sun requires support from Time to rise into the perfect
strength and glory of noonday. Let Vasishtha give the con-
firmation needed. He is the ancient teacher of the Solar Race
of Kings. He sees thelpast, the present, and the future, all as
present. Dost thou recall to mind, 0 Sage Vasishtha !, the
teaching that the Lotus-Born(1) Himself addressed to thee and

(1) Brahma. The land snrfaoe of the earth is like an open lotus