Tattva Bodha - Post 19

DREAM STATE

Jaagrat avasthaayaam, yad drishtam, yad shrutam,

tat janita vaasanayaa

nidraa samaye yah prapanchah prateeyate

saa svapna avasthaa

Sookshma shareera abhimaanee aatmaa “Taijasa” iti uchyate.

In the waking state, whatever is seen or heard,

from the impressions formed from that,

that world which, at the time of sleep, is projected –

that is the dream state.

Identifying Itself with the subtle body, the Self is called “TAIJASA” in this state.

Svapna Avastha – Dream State 

This is also called the Dream State of experience. In Sanskrit it is called Svapna Avastha. And with regard to Svapna Avastha also, we have to see the three factors. 

Mind

During Svapna or dream, our memory faculty alone is functioning. Whatever experiences we have been gathering in the Jagrat Avastha, they all get registered in the memory-slab of the mind. 

Whatever emotions we experience in dream, are not freshly received emotions but are only replaying the recorded emotions experienced in our waking state. 

Therefore, in dream state, everything that happens in dream is only from memory and hence, the other faculties are not functioning: 

- The Manaha or emotional faculty for gathering fresh emotions 

- Rational faculty does not function 

- Ego faculty does not function. Even the ego experienced in the dream is the memory based ego and the fresh ego is not functioning. 

Nature

In dream, we experience a world which is internal. Because this world is generated out of my own personal private memory and therefore it is not something existing outside, there is no connection between the dream objects that I have and the surroundings that I have. I may be sleeping in a place but my dreams may be connected to another place. 

In dream, the world available for me is not accessible to other people. This is a subjective universe. 

Sometimes we may get a doubt – 'Sometimes I experience a rare dream that I have not experienced in the waking state'. If you say so, there are only a few possibilities: 

- One is, you create a new dream by combining various things experienced in the Jagrat Avastha. New objects cannot be created. This is because objects are memory-based or thought-based, and thought being highly fluid the objects are highly fluid in Svapna Avastha. Therefore, since they all get jumbled up, we get mixed dreams. 

- Sometimes whatever we imagine in the Jagrat Avastha, they get registered and they can be thrown out. Whatever is fantasized or imagined or read in books or seen in movies leading to imagination, they all can come in Svapna. 

- Sometimes even if I have not experienced in this Janma, the experience of the previous Janma also can come. 

Three aspects of the second level: There are three aspects of the second level of reality: 

1) the Dreaming state of consciousness, 

2) the Unconscious state of mind, and 

3) the Subtle realm of manifestation.

These three are all operating at the same level of reality or existence. 

The Dreaming state of consciousness: The second of the three states of consciousness is the state where the Unconscious mind is most active. The Conscious mind has receded and awareness is directed toward the seemingly endless stream of images and impressions of the Unconscious or the Subtle realm. 

The conscious control of attention available in the Waking state is less available here, where attention is easily drawn into the streams of images and impressions flowing in the Unconscious field of mind, or coming from the Subtle realm. 

The Unconscious aspect of mind: The second of the three states of mind is the Dreaming state, where one is aware of objects from the internal stream of thought patterns or the images and objects of the Subtle world. The Conscious aspect of mind has receded while the Subconscious is providing a constant flow of impressions to feed into the Dream process. 

The Subtle realm of manifestation: The second of the three stages of manifestation is the Subtle realm. Its endless stream of alluring or fearful objects is the focus of attention for the Unconscious mind, used in the Dreaming state. 

Swami Sivananda roars,

"Learn to be the witness of your thoughts in the waking state. You can be conscious in the dream state that you are dreaming. 

You can alter, stop or create your own thoughts in the dream state independently. You will be able to keep awake in the dream state. If the thoughts of the waking state are controlled, you can control the dream thoughts also.

You dream that you are a king. You enjoy various kinds of royal pleasures. As soon as you wake up, everything vanishes. But you do not feel for the loss, because you know that the dream creatures are all false. 

Do not allow the mind to run into the sensual grooves. Fortify yourself by developing the intellect through enquiry of Brahman, reflection and contemplation. 

When you know the real Tattva, Brahman, the waking consciousness also will become quite false like a dream. Even in the waking consciousness if you are well established in the idea that the world is a false illusion, you will not get any pain.

Wake up and realize, my child!"

Love.

Tattva Bodha - Post 18

AVASTHA TRAYAM

Avasthaa trayam Kim

Jagrat-Svapna-Sushupti avasthah

What are the three states

Waking, dream and deep sleep - These are the three states

             

WAKING STATE

Jaagrat avasthaa kaa?

Shrotra aadi jnaana indriyaih,

shabda aadi vishayaih cha,

jnaayate iti,

yaa jaagrat avasthaa.

Sthoola shareera abhimaanee aatmaa “Vishwa” iti uchyate.

What is the Waking State?

By the organs of perception like the ears, etc,

the sense objects like sound, etc,

are perceived thus,

that state is called the waking state.

Identifying Itself with the gross body, the Self is called “VISHVA” in this state of experience.

Jagrat Avastha – Waking State 

This refers to waking state of experience. Avastha means a state of experience and Jagrat Avastha means waking state of experience. Now in this state of experience, first we will find the condition of the mind or to be precise, the internal organs – Antah Karanam.

Mind 

In the waking state, the mind or the inner organ is fully functional or operative which means that all faculties are functioning – the emotional, rational, thinking, ego, memory faculties are all functioning and open.

And since all these four faculties are functional, all these four experiences will also be there – emotions, thinking, discrimination, gathering fresh knowledge, gathering fresh experience. 

Nature 

The second factor to study is the nature of experience in Jagrat Avastha. In Jagrat Avastha we experience a world which is external to ourselves, our body-mind complex. 

And since it is an external universe, it is a concrete tangible world of experience. We can very clearly tangibly feel it because it is made out of tangible matter. Therefore, it is external, it is concrete and is available for all other people also. 

It is a common public world and hence is an objective experience. We will know the significance of each adjective when we compare with dream experience. Here objective means – commonly available for all people. 

I experience the world with the help of the sense organs in the form of Shabda, Sparsha, Rūpa, Rasa and Gandha and the consequent pleasure and pain and other responses. 

So the four adjectives to be remembered are: 

- External,

- Concrete,

- Objective and, 

- Sense Organ

... based experience. This experience involves both ways of transaction. The transaction involves receiving experience and it also involves responding to the world. I function both as a Bhokta as well as a Karta – receiver and contributor. 

Medium 

The dominant medium involved in the waking state. To experience the waking state, we are making use of the sense organs. This is a sense-organ based experience. And, to use the sense organs, we require a physical body because every sense organ has a physical location. 

Three aspects of the waking state: There are three aspects of the first, or most external level of reality: 

1) the Waking state of consciousness, 

2) the Conscious state of mind, and 

3) the Gross realm of manifestation. 

These three are all operating at the same level of reality or existence. 

The Waking state of consciousness: The waking state is the most external of the three states of consciousness. It is the state where the Conscious mind is active, and in which awareness is most often directed towards either one's own Conscious thought process, or towards the external or Gross world. 

The Conscious aspect of mind: The conscious mind is the most external of the three states of mind. It is the dominant aspect here, where one is also in the Waking state, and where one is most often aware of the objects that are in the Gross world. The Unconscious and Subconscious are usually operating invisibly, behind the scenes. 

The Gross realm of manifestation: The gross realm is the most external of the three stages of manifestation. Its objects are usually the focus of attention for the Conscious mind, that is used in the Waking state of consciousness. While the Subtle and Causal realms are existent in the same moment, these are usually not seen at this level of mind and consciousness. 

Our experience of the world and of ourselves is subject to the limitations of the physical space and time.

We feel that everything that is not perceived by the senses and affected by our karma indriyas (the mouth that speaks,  feet walking, sex organs that generate life and excretion) is not part of our reality.

The majority of the humans believe that all that they see/do in their waking state is what life is all about.

Swami Sivananda roars,

"You dream that you are a king. You enjoy various kinds of royal pleasures. As soon as you wake up, everything vanishes. But, you do not feel for the loss because you know that the dream-creatures are all false. 

Similarly, even in the waking consciousness if you are well established in the idea that the world is a false illusion, you will not get any pain. 

When you know the real Tattva (Brahman), the waking consciousness also will become quite false like a dream. Jagrat state is only a long dream (Dirgha Svapna). 

The state of waking consciousness does not exist either in dream or sleep. Therefore, it is illusory. 

Reality always exists in all conditions or states. 

Wake up and realize, my child!"

Love.

Tattva Bodha - Post 17

Kaarana shareeram kim?

Anirvaachya, Anaadi, Avidya roopam;

shareera dvayasya kaarana maatram;

Sat-swaroopa ajnaanam;

nirvikalpaka roopam

yad asti tat kaarana shareeram.

What is the Causal Body?

That which is inexplicable, beginning less, and in the form of ignorance;

the sole cause of the two bodies (Subtle and Gross);

ignorant of one’s own true nature;

having a form that is free from all thoughts

such is that Causal Body.

Kaarana Shareeram – Causal Body

Kaarana Shareeram is also called the causal body. 

Material 

The material out of which this is made is called causal matter. The subtlest form of matter. Technically it is called Avidya. Normally Avidya means ignorance, but in this context it is different. 

Components 

The components of Kaarana Shareeram are nothing but Sthoola Shareeram and Sookshma Shareeram when they are in subtle or potential form before they were created. 

Hence Kaarana Shareeram consists of Sthoola Shareeram and Sookshma Shareeram in seed form before they were created hence before the origination of the world and before the origination of creation or Pralaya Kala. 

This is like, a tree a few years ago was not available in this form. Twenty years ago this tree was there but in potential form or unmanifest form. This is because tree cannot come without a seed. 

That being so, before the creation also, Sthoola Shareeram and Sookshma Shareeram must have existed in potential form. That potential form of the two bodies is called Kaarana Shareeram. 

And Kaarana Shareeram evolves into Sthoola Shareeram and Sookshma Shareeram, just as a seed evolves into tree. 

Functions 

It serves as the receptacle or ground or source from which these two bodies arise. 

From causal matter, subtle and gross matter arise. From subtle and gross matter, again causal matter conversion takes place. Hence the function is that the causal matter or Kaarana Shareeram serves as the store house for receiving the two Shareeram and again in the next Srishti (next birth of a human being) throwing the two Shareerams. 

From the definition in the above verse come three important facts about this ignorance: 

i) Anirvaachya: This is saying that the Causal Body (or Ignorance) is inexplicable. The very definition of this body is indefinable! 

It is neither Sat, nor Asat (neither Truth nor untruth). It has a conditional existence. It does exist – Vedanta accepts that – but the condition is “only while ignorance is there”. As soon as ignorance is removed by knowledge, the causal body vanishes.

ii) Anaadi: This tells us that the Causal Body is beginning less, it has no cause. Therefore it has not evolved out of anything. Logic tells us that if something has no cause, it has to be “beginning less”. 

iii) Avidya: Its form is nothing but deep ignorance. The Causal Body is a mass of homogenous ignorance, having no “parts”. We cannot remove our basic ignorance part by part; it has to be rooted out in one piece. 

From these three considerations, we can see that here we are dealing with something very major in the creation of this universe and in particular the human being. 

The physical body is inert. It has a beginning and an end. It is full of impurities. It is perishable. It is a product of five elements. It is full of parts. It can be seen by the naked eye. It is finite. It is changing. So, it cannot be self-existent, self-luminous, and Satchidananda.

The subtle body is also inert. It has a beginning and an end. It is a product of five Tanmatras or subtle elements. It is changing. It is perishable. It is also finite. This cannot be the ever pure, intelligent Atman.

The causal body is nothing but Ajnaana or primitive ignorance. It is also inert. Man says: I am a person of Ajnaana. Though it is beginning less, it has an end. It is death for the causal body when one gets Knowledge of the Self. This cannot be the eternal, pure, indivisible, infinite Atman.

The Atman is entirely distinct from the three bodies. He who has realised his Atman and who knows that he is entirely distinct from the three bodies is an emancipated person. He has crossed this ocean of Samsara. He is Brahman Himself. He is adored in the three worlds. His glory is indescribable.

Love.