[Advaita-l] Causal Body

Srikrishna Ghadiyaram srikrishna_ghadiyaram at yahoo.com
Wed Jun 4 15:40:46 CDT 2003


Hari Om !!

--- Jay Nelamangala <jay at r-c-i.com> wrote:
> Dear sadAnanda and  Bhaskar-jI,
> 
> >If you are aware of the deep sleep state in the
> deep
> >sleep you have not slept yet! - The 'I' conscious
> entity does not sleep
> >unless you are Buddhist! Then whose experience is
> that? Now you provide
> >the answer.
> 

Sri Sadananda: At times when we have a sound
refreshing sleep, and wakeup slowly, there are moments
when the active mind has not started its projection.
At that time, I am aware of myself, but the kartrutva
bhavana has not risen. So, only the Ahamkara is a mode
of mind not Aham. It is a kind of 'freedom' from
'..kara'.

It is that the consciousness withdraws its
manifestation. Think of pralaya and 'sadeva'. You do
not have to answer who slept. Sleep is simply other
than waking and dream states. Absolute consciousness
does not have to think of sleeper or dreamer. But,
when the idea of 'let me create' comes up then the
projection starts that is the time when 'I am aware of
myself' comes into picture. Without this
self-consciousness there would not have been any
possibility of this life as we know.

> The answer is provided by Sri Madhwa  :  sAkshee.
> 
> Manas is external to the self,  where as sAkshee is
> the very nature of self
> and therefore internal to self.
> 
> The objects of sAkshee are the self, knowledge
> produced by manas,
> space, time, pleasure, pain, fear and so on.  Each
> knower has his own
> sAkshee.  SAkshee as a rule is pramANa.  The
> knowledge that results
> from it also is as a rule pramANa.
> 

Sri Jay:

I think Advaita also has same thoughts that the
'Supreme Conscousness' is conscious of itself. As long
as you do not postulate another sakshee (as referred
by Sri Sadananda in a later post) that is fine, I
think.

If the Supreme does not keep 'knowledge' of the
previous creation how is He going to project in
another Kalpa etc. Ofcourse, all this can be referred
as prakriti, which is inseperable in that Absolute
consciousness.

> As an instrument of knowledge, it is established by
> the fact that the
> knowledge
> that belongs to the nature of the self is at times
> non-manifest and requires
> an
> instrumental cause to make it manifest.  In sleep
> (sushupti) the self enjoys
> the natural bliss.  In the waking state this
> enjoyment is non-manifest.
> Its manifestation in sleep presupposes the operation
> of some instrument.
> That instrument is sAkshee.
> 
> So,  a knower (chEtana) has his experience through
> his sAkshee.
> He perceives the bodily functions through sAkshee
> and has the
> consequent enjoyment.  He is evident  as 'I'.  
> Knowing is his nature
> sAkshee is awake under all conditions, though the
> particular aspects
> of the body may or may not function.
> 
> So, in deep sleep,   the mind as an aspect of the
> body also
> sleeps, but sAkshee does not.   It is easy to
> understand the function of
> sAkshee during deep sleep.  SAkshee is an aspect of
> the self.
> It is therefore always active.  It is never at rest.
>   It is there so far as
> the
> knower is there.  In the state of deep sleep,  even
> the manas of the knower
> is at rest.  The knower has then only the knowledge
> caused by sAkshee.
> So, the function of sAkshee is a matter of direct
> observation during sleep.
> ( Hence its name "witness" or sAkshee )
> 

As long as you are referring to only one Self, I see
not contradiction with Advaita Vedanta (ofcourse, as I
understad Advaita Vedanta)

Om Namo Narayanaya !!

Srikrishna



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