Re:waking/dream and Deep sleep
From the Bhakti List Archives
• April 6, 2000
Dear Bhagavatha,
Let me share my knowledge about the
topic in question from visista-advaita point of view:-
Before going into the topic let me point out the
nature of jiva in the aspect of it being a Knower or
gnaatr.
The Jiva atman has gnanam or consciousness as its
essential(Dharmi) or substantive nature, which is the
implication of the term "I".This is self luminous and
hence is self revealed.This nature also qualifies it
as being a "Knower" or "Pratyagatman".
The Jiva also has consciousness as its eternal
attribute,which can only show objects to the jiva it
is connected with,but cannot know unlike the jiva,who
is a knower.This attributive consciousness is called
Dharmabhuta gnanam.By this the knower can know objects
which include prakriti(objects of material nature),the
jiva himself(as in self realization),other jivas and
the paramaatman(in the state of moksha).
It is to be noted that attributive consciousness which
is a dravya or substance in itself is subjected to
modifications due to forces of karma in bondage and
the substantive consciousness is never capable of
being modified either in bondage or release.
A typical conscious entity is compared to sun and its
rays,fire and its flame in the upanishads and Bhagavad
geetha.
Now,coming to the three states of consciousness with
the above understanding of the self:-
1.Waking state :- Here Dharmabhuta gnanam,which is the
attribute of the self revealed knower, flows through
the different senses starting from manas in the realm
of prakriti and contacts various objects existing
independent of the mind and illumines both the object
and itself, and the knower in question knows this.
2. Dream state :- Here Dharmabhuta gnanam is
withdrawn(or modified) towards the knower to the
extent that it illumines the mind.Here the knower
knows all the objects created by the mind due to
forces of karma,which is under the control of the
lord.
3. Deep sleep :- Here Dharmabhuta gnanam is modified
to
such an extent by Tamas a quality of prakriti,that the
knower does not know anything or there is no act of
knowing.
It is to be noted that the "I" is
continuous(permanent) and unchanging in all these
three states of consciousness based on ones own
experience and the authority of scriptures.
I hope the above analysis satisfies the questions of
Mr.Kvardar.
Sri krishnaarpanamasthu
Suresh B.N.
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