[Advaita-l] Dreams and Reality

[kuntimaddi sadananda]

--- On Sat, 2/21/09, Michael Shepherd <michael at shepherd87.fsnet.co.uk> wrote:
 
Michael - PraNams
 
Here is how I look at it.
 
Either dream or waking state, there can be two questions that can be asked?
 
Why I have a particular type of waking or dream world - in principle about the details or specific aspects on one individual's waking and dream world that one experiences, in contrast to other individuals' experiences. This involves detailed examination of the specific individual and his particular states in contrast to those of other individuals.
 
The second question is more at generic level why and what and how etc of waking state or dream etc Here we are not inquiring into details of individual or vyakti state but more philosophical analysis of the states.
 
At the vyakti or individual level - of the total vaasanaas - those that are ready to germinate form the cause for the birth - that provides the cause for waking state.
 
Similarly the vaasanaas that cannot be exhausted in the waking state (suppressions and oppressions of the waking state) will be thrown out in the dream state to cleanse oneself from the undigested vaasanaas. Hence details of the contents of the thrown depend on what is taken and not digested. A doctor may be interested in the throwns to analyze what was not digested and why. But a philosopher is not too much interested in the specific details of individual throw-ups but generic reason why a throw up occurs - or  why dream occurs - what is the material and intelligent cause - etc. That is what Mandukya Upanishad analyzes. Its purpose is to show the truth behind these three states that is beyond the three states. It is not much concerned with detials of the contents in each state, since the truth that scripture points out is unaffected by the details of the contents. 
 
If one is interested in the details of the throw-up one can do so, that may be of interest from the psychological point but from the truth point is unnecessary diversion since truth is beyond the specific details of the contents of the dream.

 
Hope this helps.
 
Hari Om!
Sadananda