02 Apr 2014
Note: This article is meant for intellectuals only
Dr. Nikhil asked: “In the state of deep sleep, Advaita Philosophers feel that awareness is aware of itself only and is unaware of anything else. This state makes the soul to be called ‘Praajna’ meaning the highest intellectual state. In such case, how the total non-awareness is presented in this state?”
Shri Swami: In this state, total ignorance is experienced and nobody has even a trace of awareness. This is the experience of all the human beings and not a few, which may be discarded on the basis of defects in the brains. Such vast experience cannot be contradicted by the saying of somebody. I do not mind to interpret the state of ‘Praajna’ as ‘Pra’=extremely + ‘Ajna’=ignorant. The experience of this state by the soul is said to be extreme happiness in the Veda. But, there is no experience at all during the period of this state. Now, there is a contradiction between the Veda and experience. The solution for this is that as soon as you awake from the deep sleep, for a few seconds, the state of deep sleep continues since the other two states did not appear. The small duration after deep sleep does not get the awareness of any worldly issue and hence, we cannot say that the awaken state (Jaagrat) appeared. Also, the state of dream (Swapna) is not touched since there is no experience of any issue of dream in this state. In absence of these two states, we have to say that the third state, deep sleep (Sushupti) is still continuing. Even the fourth state is not experienced since there is no experience of non-awareness of unimaginable God here. Of course, we cannot say that it is the same deep sleep because there is no experience at all in the deep sleep. It is a state of junction in which the train is about to stop on the platform with lowest speed. This state cannot be claimed as the fifth new state because there is neither anything new other than the process of experience nor anything new other than the object experienced. The happiness that is experienced in this state exists in the other states also and hence, the object of experience is not new at all. In this state, the happiness in the highest state possible for a human being is experienced and hence, this state indicates ‘Praajna’ or the highest state of intelligence.
We have to take only the significance of highest nature only as the point of comparison. Lion is the highest among the animals and a specific person is highest among the human beings. Hence, we can call the specific person in the name of the lion. The happiness is highest since all the happiness accumulated during the period of the long rest of the body due to deep sleep is suddenly experienced in one instance due to the sudden appearance of awareness. The happiness is not enjoyed in divided quanta throughout the state of deep sleep due to absence of any awareness as in the case of enjoying the meals continuously throughout the process of eating food in which the awareness is continuous. Sometimes, a person may take a similar total rest in the awaken state itself. This total rest of the body in the awaken state cannot be equal to the rest taken in deep sleep since the nervous system is not in rest in the awaken state. Hence, the happiness after the deep sleep is highest due to the special addition of happiness derived from the rest of the nervous system. This experience can be considered as the experience of the deep sleep, but, one should be cautious to note that this experience is not during the state of deep sleep but at the end of the state only. However, the qualitative similarity of this happiness of deep sleep and bliss of God cannot establish any similarity or relationship between the soul and God. Similarly, the partial happiness of the deep sleep and the bliss (infinite happiness) of God cannot also establish that the soul is a part of God. Happiness is subjective, which is a psychological factor of the subject enjoying the happiness. This happiness is certainly a link between the subject and a specific object. By this, two different objects cannot be linked in any way. You may become happy by seeing a friend. You may become happier by seeing another friend. This does not mean that since the happiness is basically one and the same both the friends are related in any way. Therefore, we can consider that the experience of deep sleep in its end as the total experience of the state, which does not mean that the whole state is full of awareness and the experience is continuous throughout the state. Hence, the deep sleep is total ignorance since the awareness disappears due to halt of function of the nervous system and the basic inert energy of the awareness alone is left over. This disappeared awareness appears again after the end of the deep sleep. Thus, the individual soul or awareness is born daily after death as said in the Gita (Athachainam Nitya jaatam…).
The word ‘Atha’ in the Gita indicates the possibility of an alternative doctrine only and is not in the sense of contradicting that doctrine. After mentioning this alternative doctrine, the Lord did not mention any negative remark about this doctrine. The alternative sense is due to treating the soul as inert energy or awareness. Since awareness is a specific work form of inert energy, the soul can be taken as inert energy or awareness. However, the distinction is already made since the basic inert energy (Sthanurachalah… Gita) is called as soul (Atman) and the awareness is called as individual soul (Jeeva). The awareness is only a specific work form of the inert energy functioning in the specific nervous system. [For better understanding, Shri Swami has presented the following topic as a debate between Himself and an opponent]
Opponent: Of course, the part of the activity of the brain that gives signals for the function of all the systems of the body like respiration, beating of the heart, circulation of the blood, work of kidneys is exempted here and only the other part that functions and rests alternatively is only considered here. The soul as inert energy is in the form of awareness also from the point of this partial activity of the brain that controls all the physical systems of the body. From this angle, the inert nature and awareness of the soul simultaneously exist always. The soul as awareness being born everyday can be taken from the point of the other part of the brain. Thus, the existence of alternative sense is continuous in the case of the soul and this is the reason for the Lord to mention the alternative doctrine continuously at anytime. Therefore, the awareness is continuous in all the times from the angle of the part of the brain that sends signals for the function of all the systems, so that this part of brain is always aware of the function of the systems of the body.
Shri Swami: The part of the brain that sends the signals to control the function of the systems continuously is not aware of this concept of control unless some scientist reveals it. Such a state of brain-work cannot be recognized as awareness. If you take the other part of the work which functions and rests alternatively, is aware of its activity. For example, when this part of brain sends a signal to the hand for the movement, the hand moves according to the plan of the signal and this part of brain is fully aware of the whole mechanism since the beginning stage in which the signal is planned. Hence, there is difference in the concept of awareness in both these parts of brain regarding the signals sent to control the systems. It can be treated as an inert mechanism of the passage of electrical pulses in the case of the part of brain that sends signals continuously without rest. Therefore, you cannot argue that the awareness is continuous and exists in deep sleep. You need not worry about the continuity of the awareness so that the suggestion of the alternative concept from the Lord should be maintained in all the times. If you talk about the alternative existence of both Sun and Moon on day and night respectively, you need not expect that both Sun and Moon should exist in the same time in order to maintain your argument continuously. If you take the argument in that way, the Lord Himself is suggesting that every day, the awareness is born and dead. If the intention of the Lord is that the awareness is continuous, He should not have mentioned the awareness as daily born and daily dead. The Lord Himself is establishing the awareness as temporary phase of the continuous inert energy. If the awareness is continuous like the inert energy so that there is continuity of the dual nature, the Lord would not mention the awareness in temporary phase as an alternative doctrine. You cannot have the permanent and temporary phases of awareness simultaneously in continuous manner because such attempt brings mutual contradiction. Hence, the Lord mentioned the two alternative doctrines in which one is the permanent inert energy called as soul and the temporary awareness called as individual soul. The alternative picture is between soul and the individual soul only and not between permanent inert energy and permanent awareness or between permanent awareness and temporary awareness.
Opponent: Shankara told that the awareness as soul or God exists in the deep sleep (Sushuptyeka siddhah). Hence, awareness should exist in deep sleep. Otherwise, the existence of the speaker (Shankara) itself is in danger.
Shri Swami: The statement of Shankara “Sushuptyeka siddhah” can be interpreted in the sense of God from the point of Shankara by taking the non-awareness of the unimaginable God as the sense of the word Sushupti. In the deep sleep, the non-awareness of both the absolute God and relative world exists. After the deep sleep, the awareness of the world appears but not the awareness of the absolute God. The total non-awareness of the deep sleep can stand as an indication in the case of God since God is never known just like nothing is known at anytime during the deep sleep. If you take this verse in the sense of soul, which is inert energy only, the soul alone remains in the deep sleep in the absence of awareness. The soul can be taken as a drop of infinite cosmic energy and is not separated by the body since the body (matter) is also another form of inert energy only. Hence, the continuity of the soul with the infinite cosmic energy is not disturbed. The infinite cosmic energy can be called as Brahman based on several merits like its meaning being the greatest, its infinite uniformness and oneness, being cause, controller and destroyer of the universe, etc. The single defect that it can never have the awareness discards this proposal to be the absolute God. Similarly, the awareness has all the defects as the absence of the above said merits and has single merit, which is the absence of the above defect. However, the task of Shankara was to make the then existing atheist accept the existence of the absolute God. Through the first proposal, the unity of soul with Brahman was achieved so that the atheist as a soul cannot deny his own existence and thereby, the existence of Brahman. This cosmic energy was forced by Shankara to get rid of the single defect and finally, the infinite cosmic energy itself is awareness. Such a Brahman was synthesized by Shankara for His purpose. On analysis, the truth can be clearly understood because the imaginable cosmic energy cannot have the unimaginable power to have awareness. For awareness, there is necessity of materialized nervous system, which is another form of the inert energy. This means in absence of matter (materialized nervous system) the inert energy is always inert. This analysis finally leads the spiritual aspirants to accept the existence of unimaginable God to have all the merits and not to have any defect due to the unimaginable power of the unimaginable God. Therefore, this verse stands in the time of Shankara, Who put effort to convert atheist into theist by unifying the soul with Brahman (absolute God) naturally without any effort to make him accept the existence of Brahman.
A patient and careful reading of this message should be done to grasp all the issues of this topic about the state of deep sleep. Otherwise, a fast reading of this message will lead you into deep sleep!
★ ★ ★ ★ ★