Self Remains in Four States of
Consciousness
by Premansu
Chand
zone3
Presently most Yoga Masters teach Yoga just as a therapy or as a means
to keep body and mind healthy. to keep body and mind healthy is not
everything; it is the base of Yoga. The apex of Yoga is to realise the
true self(atman). According to the Indian Scriptures Atman is Brahman, the
Ultimate Reality. So practitioners should try to understand the 'self'
first.
Like all living beings, man has consciousness. For this he feels that
he has existence. Dead matter has no consciousness and so it cannot know
either its own existence or the existence of others. Since conscious man
knows his existence, he has a Self. Self is intimately related to his
consciousness. Consciousness awakens knowledge in him. This knowledge
tells a man that he has a Self or has an existence in relation to
others.
According to the Upanishads, this Self remains in four states - waking,
dreaming, deep sleep and true self(atman). The practice of Yoga is to move
inwards of consciousness from waking through deep sleep to true self
states.
In the waking state, consciousness of man spreads everywhere through
his sense organs. Self is knowledgeable about the gross body and the gross
world outside. It is the enjoyer of this gross material world. It enjoys
what it has imagined and created. Gross world has no real existence. If at
all it exists, it exists in the consciousness of beings. Gross world is an
imagination and creation of all beings. For this, in the waking state,
Self is called Universal(vishva).
In the dreaming sate, consciousness spreads inwards i.e. in the subtle
dreaming world. Self is knowledgeable about its subtle body and subtle
dreaming world. This world is its own creation and very much private.
Through its own creation, it enjoys its own creation. The same mind and
senses work here. The difference is everything is subtle here and
everything is an illumination only. For this Self is called
Illuminous(taijasa).
When one goes to sleep, one passes from waking state to dreaming state.
Body and world change from gross to subtle. But the same mind and senses
remain active. For this dreaming world appears to be as real as waking
world. However no world is real.
When one enters into deep sleep state, mind and senses cease to
function. For this one sees nothing or hears nothing. Mind and senses
immerse in the consciousness. For this consciousness is pure here or Self
attains purity. there is none other than the Self. For this one sees
nothing or hears nothing. There is no dualism and there is oneness of all.
Gods and Goddesses, beings and worlds, hell and heaven become one
here.
In the absence of dualism, there is neither virtue nor vice, neither
joy nor sorrow; Self is intelligent and blissful. Brightness acts as a
sense organ and through this Self enjoys only the bliss. For this after a
deep sleep one remains blissful and peaceful. In the deep sleep state,
Self is called Intelligent(prajna). This Intelligent Self is the God of
all. It becomes the cause of all worlds. This is the state where creation,
sustenance and destruction of all beings are determined.
Waking and dreaming states are experienced by all, because mind is
active in these two states. Effect of deep sleep is only felt and not
realised. The fourth state is neither felt nor realised by all. Only a
true Yogi may feel and realise third and fourth states. deep sleep may be
realised by a Yogi through meditation when he has risen above body and
senses. Throgh meditation mind enters the deep seep and realises it. Then
in total concentration(samadhi) he may realise the fourth state again
through the mind.
In the fourth state, Self has neither the knowledge of the outside
world nor of the inner world; Self is neither intelligent nor ignorant.
Only there is the manifestation of true self(atman) which is peaceful,
graceful and unique. Self is called soul(atman) here, which is the only
thing to be known and to be realised in the whole universe.
So practitioners should learn that Yoga from him, who clears all
ignorance and shows true divine or spiritual path. Awake and arise and
stop not till the goal is achieved.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
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