[Advaita-l] Re The stance of the upadeshasaahasrii on Ignorance, Deep Sleep

[kuntimaddi sadananda]

Subbhuji
- PraNAms
Here is my understanding after looking at
this problem critically from my own point based on scriptural teaching, as well
as from one’s experience, anubhava.
1. Mind is essential instrument
for any knowledge, including the knowledge of the self. Self does not need
self-knowledge. Mind by itself is inert and therefore cannot gain any knowledge
or cannot be a pramaata. Mind enlivened by the all-pervading consciousness is
chidaabhaasa. Hence consciousness + mind = chidaabhaasa. The wrong notions
about oneself are in the mind not in the self. The understanding that I am not
the mind has to occur using the mind in the enlivened mind only or in chidaabhaasa
only. The misconceptions in the mind as I am the mind or I am the BMI are vishiShTa
chaitanyam in the upahita chaitanyam (chidaabhaasa) only.
2. Mind is essentially folded
to its biija status during the deep sleep state - since all the senses are
folded. The body is still functioning with some of the physiological functions
going on normally - Hence all-pervading consciousness is still enlivening the
subtle functioning of the subtle body as vaishvaanara. 
3. The
kaaraNa shariira that exists in the deep sleep state is pure vaasana state of
avyakta state - it is not absence of anything but absence of cognition of
anything - na kanchana kaamam kaamayata - says manDukya - since no object
perception is possible due to absence of the sense input unlike in the waking
and dream states. Hence the existence or non-existence is indeterminate in the
deep sleep state as the instruments of perception and the associated mind are
folded. 
4. Hence not only I do not
know, I also do not know that I do not know - since for both mind is required. 
5. It
is the mind that says after waking up - I slept very well - The sleep experience
of the mind is its recognition of its absence during the sushupti state by
recollection of its absence of any recording of pramaata-prameya prakriya. It
is like missing 18 and half minutes of Nixon tape in the Watergate
investigation. The recognition of its absence or absence experience of the
subject-object duality itself is the recollection of the experience of deep
sleep state since all I can recollect is I do not know (any subject-object
relationships) and I slept very well due to the absence of duality. It is not
advaitic knowledge of the advaita state since for any knowledge mind is
required. Mind can only recognize its absence due to absence of any recording
of the dvaita during sushupti state. From the mind's point it is an inferential statement based on its recognition of its absence due to missing perception of duality. Hence I do not know - in terms of both
temporal and special relationships as both time and space are absent since mind
that recognizes duality is folded. 
Corollaries: 
1.Since mind is essential for
recognition of both ignorance - I do not know that I do not know and for
knowledge - I know that I know and even I know that I do not know,
self-realization also involves knowledge using the mind only to recognize that
I am not the mind but I am that which enlivens the mind. That while using the
mind I have to recognize that I am the upahita chaitanyam and not vishiShTa chaitanyam. 
2. As long as the BMI is there
perception of plurality takes place whether one is jnaani or not. However
Jnaani understands that I am the all-pervading consciousness enclosed - as
though- currently as upahita chaitanyam; and the vishiShTa chaitanyam is only
apparent or mithyaa. Aham brahmaasmi and the jagat is mithyaa - this knowledge comes with the vedanta as pramaana since it says - sat chit ananda alone was there before creation - hence whatever created is only apparent and not real since no inert things can comeout of pure consciousness Brahman. 
3. The
jnaani mind when it goes to sushupti it also gets folded just as in the case of
ajnaani - and when it wakes up it wakes up as jnaani just as ajnaani wakes up
as ajnaani.
4. In the deep sleep sate -
jnaani does not know that he is jnaani since mind that knows is folded and
ajnaani does not know that he is ajnaani since his mind is also folded. 
5.
Finally as in the salt crystal thrown into the ocean, when the BMI gets
dissolved when the praarabda of the BMI is exhausted, the upahita chaitanyam -
as though - becomes one with the all the all-pervading consciousness as
discussed in Maitreyii brahmana. 
The rest of the discussion of bhaava
ruupa and abhaava ruupa of the avidya is for time-pass, as I see it. 
Hari Om!
Sadananda
 
 
 
 
 


>________________________________
> From: V Subrahmanian <v.subrahmanian at gmail.com>
>   
>
>
>In the last verse of the BG 13th chapter, for the term 'bhUtaprakRti'
>shankara writes: bhUtAnAm prakRtiH avidyAlakShaNA avyaktAkhyA...tasyAH
>abhAvagamanam.  Now, if this avyakta is an abhAva vastu, one cannot use the
>word 'tasyAH'.  There cannot be an abhAvagamanam of abhAvaH.  Even if we
>say 'unknownness'  ends, still only what 'is' alone can come to an end.
>From this bhashya sentence itself we can understand that a certain 'sattA'
>is accorded to it when alone will it be possible to negate it. That is the
>way in which the term 'bhAvarUpatva' with relation to avidyA is to be
>understood.
>
>regards
>vs
>
>