things, viz., Understanding and Soul.  One of these, viz., the Understanding, creates attributes.  The other, viz., the Soul, does not create them.  Although they are, by nature, distinct from each other, yet they always exist in a state of union.  A fish is different from the water in which it dwells, but the fish and the water must exist together.  The attributes cannot know the Soul.  The Soul, however, knows them.  They that are ignorant regard the Soul as existing in a state of union with the attributes like qualities existing with their possessors.  This, however, is not the case, for the Soul is truly only an inactive Witness of everything.  The Understanding has no refuge.[1448] That which is called life (involving the existence of the Understanding) arises from the effects of the attributes coming together.  Others (than these attributes which are created by the Understanding), acting as causes, create the Understanding that dwells in the body.  No one can apprehend the attributes in their real nature or form of existence.  The Understanding, as already said, creates the attributes.  The Soul simply beholds them (as an inactive Witness).  This union that exists between the Understanding and the Soul is eternal.  The indwelling Understanding apprehends all things through the Senses which are themselves inanimate and unapprehending.  Really the senses are only like lamps (that throw their light for discovering objects to others without themselves being able to see them).  Even this is the nature (of the Senses, the Understanding, and the Soul).  Knowing this, one should live cheerfully, without yielding to either grief or joy.  Such a man is said to be beyond the influence of pride.  That the Understanding creates all these attributes is due to her own nature,—­even as a spider weaves threads in consequence of her own nature.  These attributes should be known as the threads the spider weaves.  When destroyed, the attributes do not cease to exist; their existence ceases to be visible.  When, however, a thing transcends the ken of the senses, its existence (or otherwise) is affirmed by inference.  This is the opinion of one set of persons.  Others affirm that with destruction the attributes cease to be.  Untying this knotty problem addressed to the understanding and reflection, and dispelling all doubt, one should cast off sorrow and live in happiness.[1449] As men unacquainted with its bottom become distressed when they fall upon this earth which is like a river filled with the waters of stupefaction, even so is that man afflicted who falls away from that state in which there is a union with the Understanding.[1450] Men of knowledge, however, conversant with Adhyatma and armed with fortitude, are never afflicted, because they are capable of crossing to the other shore of those waters.  Indeed, Knowledge is an efficient raft (in that river).  Men of knowledge have not to encounter those frightful terrors which alarm them that are destitute of knowledge.  As