[Advaita-l] Waking and Dream States - II

[kuntimaddi sadananda]

Michael - PraNAms - 

Here is some clarification based on my understanding.


--- On Wed, 4/1/09, Michael Shepherd <michael at shepherd87.fsnet.co.uk> wrote:

It is clear that we are only dealing with a situation where there appears to be little consciousness available -- no chidaabhaasa -- yet a 'by-product'
which remains for a short time in awareness. What is watched, passively
(though some allege they can be trained to 'participate' in the dream), is
constructed from memories, which by definition are in chitta -- leftovers
from the feast !

--------
KS: Let me explain here what chidaabhaasa means and then you can resolve in your self the above statements.

1. Consciousness is all pervading.

2. The subtle body, constituting the mind, intellect along with jnaanedirayas and  panca praaNas etc, reflects the all pervading consciousness - that reflected consciousness is called chidaabhaasa. The reflection depends on the purity of the reflecting medium. If you have general light all over, the light cannot be seen or recognized unless it gets reflected by an object. When we say looking out through the window there is sunlight out there, that is recognized only because there are objects that are reflecting that light for us to see. In the same way, the all pervading consciousness cannot be recognized without the reflecting medium - the subtle body - let us use just the generic term - the mind. That general reflection is called chidaabhaasa. 

3. If any thoughts arise (thoughts are called vRitti-s which are based on the perception of the objects outside or from recollection from memory) those thoughts are also as though illuminated by the ever shining all pervading consciousness and that reflected light is the knowledge of the vRitti or the knowledge of the object- discussed exhaustively in the knowledge series. 

4. When the knowledge takes place - this will be stored in the memory - called chitta. 

5. A sequence of thoughts that also arises that tires to own these knowledge thoughts as my knowledge and I am this - essentially mamakaara and ahankaara - These thoughts constitute the ego. Ownership is a notion. Hence ego is a notional entity. 

Vaasanaas or samskaaras form via the thought patterns (as though grooves in the mind that form) that eventually determine the thinking pattern or tendencies - depending on their texture - saatvik, rajasik and tamasik - and thus eventually determine how a person views the world and behaves in the world. 

Self realization is looking at the reflected illumination and from that  understanding or realizing that I am the very source for this illumination - similar to looking at all the reflected sunlight as say yes it is sunny out there. By looking at the reflection I am going to the original. That is a realization that I am the original light that is getting reflected by the mind as chidaabhaasa. 

Whether it is waking state or dream state or even deep sleep state  - chidaabhaasa or reflection of the consciousness will be there -you can call this as witnessing consciousness - or saakshii chaitanyam. 

In the waking and dream state - there are in addition the vRittis or thoughts that are flowing and these are reflected by the consciousness for one to have the knowledge of those vRittis. In deep sleep that will be presented next, the saakshii will be there but no vRitti's there - absence of vRittis itself is knowledge or experience in that state  - which can be recognized only when the mind start functioning - to say that I slept very well - or I had a blissful sleep - the experience of the absence of thoughts was recognized by the mind as there is no storage of info or bin is empty. 

Awareness and consciousness are synonyms in advaita. 

The types of vRittis are thoughts that arise depends on the objects perceived - that are external cum internal in the waking state but purely internal in the dream state and their complete absence in the deep sleep state.

What kind of thoughts come depends on two aspects - one is the objective thoughts and the other subjective thoughts - If I see $1000/- lying on the road - the objective vision is just seeing those objects. The subjective thoughts that subsequently arise depends on ones samskaara - should I look out and take and run away or should I pick it up and see who dropped there by mistake etc all depends on my value system. These subjective impressions will leave further subjective impressions and these forms the basis for the dream world. In all cases the thoughts rise in the mind and get reflected by all pervading consciousness that I am. I am - here as sakshiii is there in the waking, in the dream and in the deep sleep state. 

With this background if your look again your question - you will see there is confusion in the words - little consciousness- no chidaabhaasa  - by product - what is watched etc. 
General reflection - saakshii caitanyam which is also chidaabhaasa is there all the time. The thoughts only keep changing in the waking and dream states and they are absent in the deep sleep state. 
Only difference between the waking and dream is there are external objects that are Iswara shRiShTi that are illumined by the external light for me to see while in the dream world, they are illumined by the consciousness itself - since these are internal perceptions in the mind - This was discussed in the knowledge series. 

--------------------

Michale:

Given this, and the situation which you have pointed out, that any
'analysis' takes place in a different state of being, I revert to my
original question : may we learn anything from our dreams? Or is their
playing-out, itself a psychotherapy which we may happily leave to itself, as
a film playing to an empty cinema...

As I say -- this is small matter in regard to Brahman and maya; but the
question persists... a strange phenomenon !

-----
KS - Yes the purpose of this analysis is to help us to use this analysis of these states in the realization of the truth - that will be discussed slowly in the future posts.



Hari Om!
Sadananda