nce
of their being always presided over by the Soul. Like dust following the
wind that moves it, the creature-Soul, divested of body, but endued still
with inclinations born of Passion and Darkness and with principles of
causes constituted by the acts of the life that is over, moves on,
following the direction that the Supreme Soul gives it. The Soul,
however, is never touched by those inclinations and propensities. Nor are
these touched by the Soul that is superior to them. The wind, which is
naturally pure, is never stained by the dust it bears away.[726] As the
wind is truly separate from the dust it bears away, even so, the man of
wisdom should know, is the connection between that which is called
existence or life and the Soul. No one should take it that the Soul, in
consequence of its apparent union with the body and the senses and the
other propensities and beliefs and unbeliefs, is really endued therewith
as its necessary and absolute qualities. On the other hand, the Soul
should be taken as existing in its own nature. Thus did the divine Rishi
solve the doubt that had taken possession of his disciple's mind.
Notwithstanding all this, people depend upon means consisting of acts and
scriptural rites for casting off misery and winning happiness. Seeds that
are scorched by fire do not put forth sprouts. After the same manner, if
everything that contributes to misery be consumed by the fire of true
knowledge, the Soul escapes the obligation of rebirth in the world."'"

SECTION CCXII

"'Bhishma said, "Persons engaged in the practice of acts regard the
practice of acts highly. Similarly, those that are devoted to Knowledge
do not regard anything other than Knowledge. Persons fully conversant
with the Vedas and depending upon the utterances contained in them, are
rare. They that are more intelligent desire the path of abstention from
acts as the better of the two, viz., heaven and emancipation.[727]
Abstention from acts is observed by those that are possessed of great
wisdom. That conduct, therefore, is laudable. The intelligence which
urges to abstention from acts, is that by which one attains to
Emancipation. Possessed of body, a person, through folly, and endued with
wrath and cupidity and all the propensities born of Passion and Darkness,
becomes attached to all earthly objects. One, therefore, who desires to
destroy one's connection with the body, should never indulge in any
impure act. On the other hand, one