States of Mind - Part 2

Waking State, A Long Dream

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 essence (Brahman), the waking consciousness also will become quite false like a dream. Waking state is only a long dream. 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!

Dreaming in Waking State

Building castles in the air, recollection of the events and things of dream, recollection of things long past in the waking state are all dreaming in the waking state.

Deep Sleep State

When the mind enters the Puritat Nadi, the state of deep sleep sets in. In dreamless sleep, you have a cessation of empirical consciousness. There is no play of the mind in this state. There is neither attraction or repulsion nor like or dislike. The mind gets synchronized into its cause. Involution of the mind takes place. There is no play of the senses too. This state of profound sleep is not a complete non-being or negative, for such a hypothesis conflicts with the later recollections of a happy repose of sleep. The self continues to exist, though it is bereft of all experiences. The consciousness is continuous. You feel you have existed even during sleep as soon as you are awake. You feel that you exist always. This stage gives the clue to the non-dual state. A careful study of the three states waking, dreaming and deep sleep —is of immense practical use for the clear understanding of the Vedanta.

Says Ajata Satru to Gargya in Brihadaranyaka Upanishad (II-i-16): "“Where was the spirit whose nature is like knowledge at the time when one profoundly sleeps? When the spirit whose nature is like knowledge thus profoundly slept, then the ether in the midst of the heart, drawing in, together with the knowledge of the senses, slept therein in the ether. When the spirit draws in that (knowledge of the senses), then he sleeps indeed. Thus, life is drawn in, speech is drawn in, the eye is drawn in, the ear is drawn in and the mind is drawn in.”"

When, on the cessation of the two limiting adjuncts (i.e., the subtle and the gross bodies) and the consequent absence of the modifications due to the adjuncts, the Jiva (individual soul) is in the state of deep sleep, merged in the self as it were, then it is said to be asleep. "“When a man sleeps here, then my dear, he becomes united with the Sat; he is gone to his own self. Therefore, they say of him, '‘He sleeps, because he is gone to his own’'."” (Chhandogya Upanishad)

Adi Sankara observes that the phenomena of duality caused by the action of the mind are present in the waking and dreaming states only, but absent in deep sleep state. In waking and dreaming states, there is the play of the thoughts (and the simultaneous occurrence of names and forms) and hence the world as well. In dreamless sleep, there are no thoughts; and hence, there is no world too. We taste the nature of absolute bliss in dreamless sleep, where a man is cut off from the distracting world. It is the mind (lower Mind) that creates differences, distinctions, duality and separateness. If this mind is destroyed by increasing the Sattva (purity), then you will feel oneness everywhere. This needs continuous and strenuous efforts on the part of the aspirants.

Reference

Mind – Its Mysteries and Control by Sri Swami Sivananda