NO EXPERIENCE EXISTS IN DEEP SLEEP

O Learned and Devoted Servants of God, [April 2, 2014] 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. his state !a"es the soul to #e $alled %Praa&na' !eaning the highest intelle$tual state. In su$h $ase, how the total non(awareness is presented in this state)* S a!i re"lied: In this state, total ignorance is experienced and nobody has even a trace of awareness. his is the e+perien$e of all the hu!an #eings and not a few, whi$h !ay #e dis$arded on the #asis of defe$ts in the #rains. ,u$h vast e+perien$e $annot #e $ontradi$ted #y the saying of so!e#ody. I do not !ind to interpret the state of %Praa&na' as %Pra' - e+tre!ely . %A&na' - ignorant. he e+perien$e of this state #y the soul is said to #e e+tre!e happiness in the /eda. 0ut, there is no e+perien$e at all during the period of this state. 1ow, there is a $ontradi$tion #etween the /eda and e+perien$e. he solution for this is that as soon as you awa"e fro! the deep sleep, for a few se$onds, the state of deep sleep $ontinues sin$e the other two states did not appear. he s!all duration after deep sleep does not get the awareness of any worldly issue and hen$e, we $annot say that the awa"en state 23aagrat4 appeared. Also, the state of drea! 2,wapna4 is not tou$hed sin$e there is no e+perien$e of any issue of drea! in this state. In a#sen$e of these two states, we have to say that the third state, deep sleep 2,ushupti4 is still $ontinuing. 5ven the fourth state is not e+perien$ed sin$e there is no e+perien$e of non(awareness of uni!agina#le 6od here. 7f $ourse, we $annot say that it is the sa!e deep sleep #e$ause there is no e+perien$e at all in the deep sleep. It is a state of &un$tion in whi$h the train is a#out to stop on the platfor! with lowest speed. his state $annot #e $lai!ed as the fifth new state #e$ause there is neither anything new other than the pro$ess of e+perien$e nor anything new other than the o#&e$t e+perien$ed. he happiness that is e+perien$ed in this state e+ists in the other states also and hen$e, the o#&e$t of e+perien$e is not new at all. In this state, the happiness in the highest state possi#le for a hu!an #eing is e+perien$ed and hen$e, this state indi$ates %Praa&na' or the highest state of intelligen$e. 8e have to ta"e only the signifi$an$e of highest nature only as the point of $o!parison. 9ion is the highest a!ong the ani!als and a spe$ifi$ person is highest a!ong the hu!an #eings. :en$e, we $an $all the spe$ifi$ person in the na!e of the lion. he happiness is highest sin$e all the happiness a$$u!ulated during the period of the long rest of the #ody due to

deep sleep is suddenly e+perien$ed in one instan$e due to the sudden appearan$e of awareness. he happiness is not en&oyed in divided ;uanta throughout the state of deep sleep due to a#sen$e of any awareness as in the $ase of en&oying the !eals $ontinuously throughout the pro$ess of eating food in whi$h the awareness is $ontinuous. ,o!eti!es, a person !ay ta"e a si!ilar total rest in the awa"en state itself. his total rest of the #ody in the awa"en state $annot #e e;ual to the rest ta"en in deep sleep sin$e the nervous syste! is not in rest in the awa"en state. :en$e, the happiness after the deep sleep is highest due to the special addition of happiness derived from the rest of the nervous system . his e+perien$e $an #e $onsidered as the e+perien$e of the deep sleep, #ut, one should #e $autious to note that this e+perien$e is not during the state of deep sleep #ut at the end of the state only. :owever, the ;ualitative si!ilarity of this happiness of deep sleep and #liss of 6od $annot esta#lish any si!ilarity or relationship #etween the soul and 6od. ,i!ilarly, the partial happiness of the deep sleep and the bliss (infinite happiness) of God cannot also establish that the soul is a part of God. :appiness is su#&e$tive, whi$h is a psy$hologi$al fa$tor of the su#&e$t en&oying the happiness. his happiness is $ertainly a lin" #etween the su#&e$t and a spe$ifi$ o#&e$t. 0y this, two different o#&e$ts $annot #e lin"ed in any way. <ou !ay #e$o!e happy #y seeing a friend. <ou !ay #e$o!e happier #y seeing another friend. his does not !ean that sin$e the happiness is #asi$ally one and the sa!e #oth the friends are related in any way. herefore, we $an $onsider that the e+perien$e of deep sleep in its end as the total e+perien$e of the state, whi$h does not !ean that the whole state is full of awareness and the e+perien$e is $ontinuous throughout the state. :en$e, the deep sleep is total ignoran$e sin$e the awareness disappears due to halt of fun$tion of the nervous syste! and the #asi$ inert energy of the awareness alone is left over. his disappeared awareness appears again after the end of the deep sleep. hus, the individual soul or awareness is #orn daily after death as said in the 6ita 2Athachainam Nitya jaatam4. he word %Atha' in the 6ita indi$ates the possi#ility of an alternative do$trine only and is not in the sense of $ontradi$ting that do$trine. After !entioning this alternative do$trine, the 9ord did not !ention any negative re!ar" a#out this do$trine. he alternative sense is due to treating the soul as inert energy or awareness. ,in$e awareness is a spe$ifi$ wor" for! of inert energy, the soul $an #e ta"en as inert energy or awareness. :owever, the distin$tion is already !ade sin$e the #asi$ inert energy 2Sthanurachalah 6ita4 is $alled as soul 2At!an4 and the awareness is

$alled as individual soul 23eeva4. he awareness is only a spe$ifi$ wor" for! of the inert energy fun$tioning in the spe$ifi$ nervous syste!. O""onent: 7f $ourse, the part of the a$tivity of the #rain that gives signals for the fun$tion of all the syste!s of the #ody li"e respiration, #eating of the heart, $ir$ulation of the #lood, wor" of "idneys is e+e!pted here and only the other part that fun$tions and rests alternatively is only $onsidered here. he soul as inert energy is in the for! of awareness also fro! the point of this partial a$tivity of the #rain that $ontrols all the physi$al syste!s of the #ody. =ro! this angle, the inert nature and awareness of the soul si!ultaneously e+ist always. he soul as awareness #eing #orn everyday $an #e ta"en fro! the point of the other part of the #rain. hus, the e+isten$e of alternative sense is $ontinuous in the $ase of the soul and this is the reason for the 9ord to !ention the alternative do$trine $ontinuously at anyti!e. herefore, the awareness is $ontinuous in all the ti!es fro! the angle of the part of the #rain that sends signals for the fun$tion of all the syste!s, so that this part of #rain is always aware of the fun$tion of the syste!s of the #ody. S a!i: The part of the brain that sends the signals to control the function of the systems continuously is not aware of this concept of control unless some scientist reveals it. ,u$h a state of #rain(wor" $annot #e re$ogni>ed as awareness. If you ta"e the other part of the wor" whi$h fun$tions and rests alternatively, is aware of its a$tivity. =or e+a!ple, when this part of #rain sends a signal to the hand for the !ove!ent, the hand !oves a$$ording to the plan of the signal and this part of #rain is fully aware of the whole !e$hanis! sin$e the #eginning stage in whi$h the signal is planned. :en$e, there is difference in the concept of awareness in both these parts of brain regarding the signals sent to control the systems. It $an #e treated as an inert !e$hanis! of the passage of ele$tri$al pulses in the $ase of the part of #rain that sends signals $ontinuously without rest. herefore, you $annot argue that the awareness is $ontinuous and e+ists in deep sleep. <ou need not worry a#out the $ontinuity of the awareness so that the suggestion of the alternative $on$ept fro! the 9ord should #e !aintained in all the ti!es. If you tal" a#out the alternative e+isten$e of #oth ,un and ?oon on day and night respe$tively, you need not e+pe$t that #oth ,un and ?oon should e+ist in the sa!e ti!e in order to !aintain your argu!ent $ontinuously. If you ta"e the argu!ent in that way, the 9ord :i!self is suggesting that every day, the awareness is #orn and dead. If the intention of the Lord is that the awareness is continuous, e should not have mentioned the awareness as daily born and daily dead. he 9ord :i!self is esta#lishing the awareness as temporary phase of the

continuous inert energy. If the awareness is $ontinuous li"e the inert energy so that there is $ontinuity of the dual nature, the 9ord would not !ention the awareness in te!porary phase as an alternative do$trine. <ou $annot have the per!anent and te!porary phases of awareness si!ultaneously in $ontinuous !anner #e$ause su$h atte!pt #rings !utual $ontradi$tion. :en$e, the 9ord !entioned the two alternative do$trines in whi$h one is the per!anent inert energy $alled as soul and the te!porary awareness $alled as individual soul. he alternative pi$ture is #etween soul and the individual soul only and not #etween per!anent inert energy and per!anent awareness or #etween per!anent awareness and te!porary awareness. O""onent: ,han"ara told that the awareness as soul or 6od e+ists in the deep sleep 2Sushuptyeka siddhah4. :en$e, awareness should e+ist in deep sleep. 7therwise, the e+isten$e of the spea"er 2,han"ara4 itself is in danger. S a!i: he state!ent of ,han"ara Sushuptyeka siddhah* $an #e interpreted in the sense of 6od fro! the point of ,han"ara #y ta"ing the non!awareness of the unimaginable God as the sense of the word "ushupti. In the deep sleep, the non(awareness of #oth the a#solute 6od and relative world e+ists. After the deep sleep, the awareness of the world appears #ut not the awareness of the a#solute 6od. he total non(awareness of the deep sleep $an stand as an indi$ation in the $ase of 6od sin$e 6od is never "nown &ust li"e nothing is "nown at anyti!e during the deep sleep. If you ta"e this verse in the sense of soul, whi$h is inert energy only, the soul alone re!ains in the deep sleep in the a#sen$e of awareness. he soul $an #e ta"en as a drop of infinite $os!i$ energy and is not separated #y the #ody sin$e the #ody 2!atter4 is also another for! of inert energy only. :en$e, the $ontinuity of the soul with the infinite $os!i$ energy is not distur#ed. he infinite $os!i$ energy $an #e $alled as 0rah!an #ased on several !erits li"e its !eaning #eing the greatest, its infinite unifor!ness and oneness, #eing $ause, $ontroller and destroyer of the universe, et$. he single defe$t that it $an never have the awareness dis$ards this proposal to #e the a#solute 6od. ,i!ilarly, the awareness has all the defe$ts as the a#sen$e of the a#ove said !erits and has single !erit, whi$h is the a#sen$e of the a#ove defe$t. :owever, the tas" of ,han"ara was to !a"e the then e+isting atheist a$$ept the e+isten$e of the a#solute 6od. hrough the first proposal, the unity of soul with 0rah!an was a$hieved so that the atheist as a soul $annot deny his own e+isten$e and there#y, the e+isten$e of 0rah!an. his $os!i$ energy was for$ed #y ,han"ara to get rid of the single defe$t and finally, the infinite $os!i$ energy itself is awareness.

,u$h a 0rah!an was synthesi>ed #y ,han"ara for :is purpose. 7n analysis, the truth $an #e $learly understood #e$ause the i!agina#le $os!i$ energy $annot have the uni!agina#le power to have awareness. =or awareness, there is ne$essity of !ateriali>ed nervous syste!, whi$h is another for! of the inert energy. his !eans in a#sen$e of !atter 2!ateriali>ed nervous syste!4 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. herefore, this verse stands in the ti!e of ,han"ara, 8ho put effort to $onvert atheist into theist #y unifying the soul with 0rah!an 2a#solute 6od4 naturally without any effort to !a"e hi! a$$ept the e+isten$e of 0rah!an. # patient and careful reading of this message should be done to grasp all the issues of this topic about the state of deep sleep. $therwise, a fast reading of this message will lead you into deep sleep%