[Advaita-l] Who Slept Very Well? - Part IV

[श्रीमल्ललितालालितः]

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On Sat, Feb 22, 2014 at 12:32 PM, H S Chandramouli <hschandramouli at gmail.com
> wrote:

> sorry I did not have access to internet for last several days. I have
> posted scanned copy of the booklet moolavidya vimarshana to Sri Bhaskarji
> and Sri Nitinji directly to their mail IDs. If anyone else is interested in
> this please let me know.
>
> Chandramouli
>
>
> On Wed, Feb 5, 2014 at 9:53 AM, Nithin Sridhar <sridhar.nithin at gmail.com
> >wrote:
>
> > Very nice write up. I am yet to read it fully, have only glanced through
> > it. I think Gaudapada in his Karika beautifully explains about the
> > difference. In Deep Sleep there is a Non-Apprehension of both the objects
> > and thoughts on one hand, and of the Real Nature of Self on he other
> hand.
> > Where as in Turiya there is no such "Non-Apprehension". Hence, Ramana
> > Maharshi says that, Turiya or Jnana is experience of Sushupti in Jagrata
> > i.e. Deep Sleep in Waking state!!
> >
> > -Nithin
> >
> >
> > On Wed, Feb 5, 2014 at 9:45 AM, kuntimaddi sadananda <
> > kuntimaddisada at yahoo.com> wrote:
> >
> > > Continuation as Part IV
> > > -------------------------------------
> > >
> > > Deep-Sleep State:
> > >
> > > When we go to deep sleep state, we start withdrawing each of the
> koshas,
> > > one by one, with the desire or thought of going to deep-sleep state. 'I
> > > want to sleep' thought forms contents of the vijnana maya kosha or the
> > > intellect, when it goes to sleep or when it goes into an unmanifested
> > > state.  In the process of sleeping, there is a withdrawal of each of
> the
> > > grosser koshas into the subtler one - that annamya kosha to pranamaya
> > > kosha, pranamaya to manomaya, manomaya to vijnaana maya.  At the time
> of
> > > sleep, the vijnaana maya or the intellectual sheath becomes
> unmanifested
> > > state with all the koshas as part of its ingredients, but in
> > > undifferentiated form. That unmanifested state of intellectual sheath
> > with
> > > all its constituent koshas is now called anandamaya kosha, since there
> is
> > > absence of any discriminative thoughts, and associated relationships,
> > other
> > > than the homogeneous thought of ignorance or avidya. This is referred
> to
> > as
> > > avidya vRitti.  It is
> > >  in a sense an experience involving the knowledge of the absence of
> > > anything and everything.  Hence Mandukya says - na kinchana kaamam
> > > kaamayata - there is absence of desire for any object since there is no
> > > perception or recognition of any particular object of any kind in that
> > > unmanifested state.
> > >
> > > Along with the ignorance, there is an experience of happiness as the
> > > absence of any duality that involves all relationships. In essence, all
> > > human suffering comes from the notional relationships and ownerships
> that
> > > arise due to individual raaga and dweshaas or likes and dislikes. Hence
> > it
> > > is happiness born out of absence of suffering.  It is still a reflected
> > > happiness or consciousness since reflection by the homogenous ignorance
> > > thought or avidyaa vRitti. Tai. Up classifies the degree of happiness
> in
> > > the anandamaya kosha in terms of moda, pramoda, etc. The very
> > > classification implies it is not an absolute happiness but only
> reflected
> > > happiness as in waking and dream states.
> > >
> > > Hence it is ananda mayam, and it is kosha since there is inherent
> > > identification with the Vijnaanamaya now in potential or unmanifested
> > > form.  It is now in its pure existential form since there is no
> apparent
> > > duality or plurality.  Pure existence is nothing but Brahman. Hence,
> one
> > > can say that it is Brahman in the form of ananda maya kosha exists in
> the
> > > deep sleep state. Identification with the vijnana maya kosha is now
> > shifted
> > > to the identification with anandamaya kosha.  The experience of 'I
> slept
> > > well' involves both the existence (sat aspect of Brahman) as well as
> the
> > > bliss or ananda aspect of Brahman.
> > >
> > > In essence, this sequence of withdrawal of grosser koshas to the finer
> > > ones up to the anandamaya kosha is called going into deep sleep state.
> > > Since there are no two thoughts to differentiate from the other, and
> > there
> > > is just an experience of a single homogenous thought of ignorance
> called
> > > avidya vRitti, there is no concept of space and time. Time arises as a
> > gap
> > > between two sequential thoughts and movement in time is space; and both
> > are
> > > absent in deep-sleep state.
> > >
> > > What is there in deep sleep state is only an undifferentiable
> homogeneous
> > > thought that started originally a thought as 'I want to sleep'. The
> > > knowledge also in aananda maya kosha, which is nothing but vijnanamaya
> > > kosha in potential form or unmanifested form, occurs also spontaneously
> > as
> > > the all-pervading consciousness or sAkshI illumines this anandamaya
> kosha
> > > with the avidyaa vRitti. Although we can say that aanandamya kosha acts
> > as
> > > a knower and the known is the absence of everything or avidya vRitti,
> it
> > is
> > > unlike the knowledge in the waking state where the knower and known
> > duality
> > > involves distinct pramANa or means of knowledge resulting in tripuTi or
> > > triad mentioned earlier. In the deep-sleep state the consciousness
> > > reflected in the anandamaya kosha as chidAbhAsa acts as the subject
> > knower
> > > and the thought of ignorance as avidya vRitti forms the object of
> > > knowledge.  Since avidyaa vRitti involves homogenious undifferented
> > > ignorance of everything,
> > >  the reflected consciousness only illumines this ignorance as object of
> > > knowledge. The knower is the enlivening ananda mayakosha which is
> nothing
> > > but vijnaanamaya kosha with all its components (other koshes) in
> > > undifferentiated potential form. Hence in deep sleep there are three
> > > factors, a) vijnaanamaya kosha in potential form as anandamaya kosha,
> b)
> > > the reflected consciousness, chidAbhAsa reflected in this anandamaya
> > kosha
> > > c) undifferented homogenious ignorance as vRitti.
> > >
> > > When one awakes from deep sleep state (due to pressure of vaasanaas)
> the
> > > unfolding of the koshas occur in reverse order with vijnaana maya kosha
> > > taking its manifested form, with unfolding of each of the koshas, first
> > the
> > > manomaya and then praana maya  and then annamaya koshas. The knower
> > -known
> > > dualily in the potential form is now unfolded where the knower is the
> > > vijnaana maya kosha and known is the homogeneous ignorance of
> everything.
> > > Hence when the mind (vijaanamyaka kosha) says I slept well implies
> that I
> > > was there in potential form and I did not know anything expressing both
> > > experiences one as my existence as I was there to sleep well, and the
> > other
> > > is my ignorance while I was in that state. I being referred to here is
> > > again the unholy combination of the pure consciousness with the
> > anandamaya
> > > kosha or unfolded vijnaanamaya kosha.  One can also say that ahankaara
> in
> > > the potential form slept very well since as we mentioned that ahankaara
> > is
> > >  identification of I am with this - this here being the anandamaya
> kosha.
> > > Thus, upahita chaitanya (RC or reflected consciousness) identifying
> with
> > > the upAdhi as ahankaara jiiva slept very well and did not know anything
> > in
> > > the deep-sleep state.  As we mentioned before, the pure all-pervading
> > > consciousness has nothing to do with waking, dreaming or deep-sleeping
> > > states. It is the witnessing consciousness that is every shining
> > principle
> > > without any duality whatsoever.  Hence even the deep-sleep state is
> also
> > > from vyavahaara point only, as declared by Mandukya in mantra 7 as
> > turIyam
> > > as na prajnaana ghanam.  Since the experience in deep-sleep state
> > involves
> > > absence of all dualities, it is an experience of non-duality but
> without
> > > any knowledge of the absolute truth of advaita.  Here I am
> > differentiating
> > > non-duality from the advaita and the reason is advaita knowledge
> involves
> > > knowledge of non-duality, in spite of apparent duality, whereas the in
> > the
> > >  deep-sleep state there is only the absence of duality and knowledge of
> > > the ignorance.  Thus advaitic understanding differs from just the
> > > experience of non-duality. This aspect is very important since many
> want
> > to
> > > experience non-duality as the goal of self-realization. What is
> required
> > is
> > > the knowledge of the absoluteness of the self that is aham brahmaasmi
> or
> > I
> > > am the infiniteness. That knowledge has to take place with the mind and
> > in
> > > the mind only. Hence, the advice of the scriptures is to approach a
> > teacher
> > > for this knowledge.
> > >
> > > Analysis of our deep sleep experience should provide us many aspects
> for
> > a
> > > keen Vedantic student.
> > >
> > > 1.    It is an advaitic experience without knowledge of the absolute
> > truth
> > > - indicating that self-realization does not involve an experience of
> > > non-duality by shunning or shutting of the mind, since we are
> > experiencing
> > > this all the time when we go to deep sleep state. No one gets up from
> > > deep-sleep with advaitic knowledge or with self-realization.
> > >
> > > 2.    Self-realization therefore involves clear understanding of my
> > > advaitic nature irrespective of the presence or absence of duality.
> That
> > > understanding comes only with the mind which is ready to learn via
> > > shravana, manana and nidhidhyaasana that scriptures prescribe. That is
> > > listening to the scriptures under a competent teacher who himself has
> > > learned this from his teacher, and reflecting on the teaching until
> there
> > > are no more doubts and contemplating on the teaching until one
> recognizes
> > > all the time I am that pure existent consciousness, one without a
> second.
> > >
> > > 3.    In the deep sleep state, jnaani sleeps as jnaani and ajnaani
> sleeps
> > > as ajnaani. This is because the mind that has the knowledge or
> ignorance
> > of
> > > one's true nature is folded with its knowledge to be in potential form.
> > > Hence jnaanam or ajnaanam of oneself is in potential form in the
> > anandamaya
> > > kosha.
> > >
> > > 4.    The knowledge including the self-knowledge occurs in or with the
> > > upahita chaitanya or reflected consciousness, reflected in the
> vijnaamaya
> > > kosha. Hence viveka or discriminative intellect becomes important tool
> > > along with shraddhaa or faith in the teaching as emphasized by Lord
> > Krishna
> > > as - shraddhaavan labhate jnaanam.
> > >
> > > 5.  There are several misconceptions about deep-sleep state in the
> > > literature. See for example the discussion between Shree Ananda wood
> and
> > > Shree Dennis relating to Shree Atmanandaji account of deep-sleep state.
> > The
> > > discussion can be found at
> > > http://www.advaita.org.uk/discourses/atmananda/atmananda4f.htm
> > > It appears from the discussion deep-sleep is being described somewhat
> > > similar to turIyam while in fact in the description of turIyam the
> > > scripture negates the deep-sleep state as part of mithyaa only. The
> > > confusion can be due to the misunderstanding that pure consciousness
> > > involves objectless awareness as the description indicates. Even if one
> > > takes that operational definition, the deep sleep state is not
> objectless
> > > awareness. In deep sleep state we are aware of the homogeneous
> ignorance
> > > just as stated above with example of pitch dark room where we are aware
> > of
> > > objectless-ness.  In both pitch dark room and in deep sleep state we
> have
> > > an object for awareness; darkness in the pitch dark room and ignorance
> in
> > > the deep-sleep state. For that reason only we can say - I do not see or
> > > know anything there in the pitch dark room or in the deep-sleep state.
> > > Absence of non-existence of an object or objects is knowledge stated as
> > > anupalabdi pramANa. As a final
> > >  note again - self-realization does not necessarily involves objectless
> > > awareness but recognition that I am awareness with or without thoughts
> or
> > > vRittis or object-thoughts. Hence, advaitic knowledge involves
> > recognition
> > > that I am pure existence-consciousness-limitless with or without the
> > world
> > > of plurality present since the plurality that is present is only
> mithyaa
> > > and therefore cannot disturb my advaitic state.
> > >
> > > Hari Om!
> > > Sadananda
> > >
> > >
> > >
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