Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Tracts on Foundation of Yoga & States of Consciousness - IV


1.69 When consciousness ceases to play the dual role of the subject and the object and withdraws itself entirely to itself, it is known as complete sleep or susupti. Here the cogniser becomes devoid of all contents, support and relation to objects.

1.70 It is called the seed of the universe where everything is merged in consciousness in the form of latent impressions which in the state of wakefulness give rise to the world of differentiated perceptions.

1.71 It is the microscopic equivalent of the state of universal destruction where all experiences of the realm of diversity melt into one or sameness.

1.72 Although the same cognising subject, as present in waking and dreaming states, persists here also, he appears to be absent on account of the absence of the object and the means of knowledge, with which he formerly identified himself.

1.73 In this state, the impurity of individuality continues to have infested the consciousness, leaving it in a state of abysmal emptiness. The individual consciousness in this state is called sunyapramatr.

1.74 In this state, manas is set at rest leaving only prana to function.

1.75 Here memory and its objects remain in the latent form.

1.76 For the yogin, the state of dreamless sleep lies quite close to the integral consciousness, as distinct from the waking and dreaming, since here the subject alone exists. It is called rupastha or restored to its original form because the Cogniser, as the creator of forms, lies in its pure form in this state.

1.77 While an average human being understands this state as one of absence of consciousness, for a yogin it is a kind of samadhi in which he is free of distinction between the subject and the object.

1.78 It is also known as the state of mahavyapti, the state of complete pervasion of consciousness in comparison to the dream state where the pervasion is partial.

1.79 Dreamless sleep, susupti, also has four phases.

1.80 When one is about to enter the state of deep sleep, there is a vague awareness akin to that of wakefulness, as it is potent with the residual impressions of the objective world.

1.81 This is called the emergent, udita, state – a state of susupti-jagrat or waking in dreamless sleep.

1.82 When latent impressions begin to proliferate, subtle traces of perception appear as one with one’s own true nature. This leads to greater self-awareness and brings one closer to higher consciousness. This is the state of susupti-svapna, dream in deep sleep. It is also known as vipula or extensive.

1.83 When residual traces of objective experiences get completely subsided, one has subtle and uninterrupted awareness. That is the state state of susupti-susupti and is also known as santa, tranquil.

1.84 On waking from this state, what the subject has lingering in his mind is a faint experience of sheer blessedness.

1.86 Repeated entry into the bliss of the state of deep sleep within deep sleep makes the experience more and more intense and vivid.

1.87 Finally one reaches the fourth state in deep sleep, susupti-turiya, which is a sub-state of transcendent consciousness and is highly blissful, suprasanna.

1.88 If the individual continues to dwell in this sub-state fully aware of his subjective being and its nature, it has the potentiality of getting matured into samadhi or the state of blessedness.

1.89 Normally, in the case of an individual, manas follows senses in their getting entangled with objects. But in the state of manomaya, the order is reversed inasmuch as here the senses follow the manas.

1.90 It results in further intensification on the focal point of consciousness leading to complete elimination of obstructions in the course of the flow of consciousness. This is vijnanamaya, the state of pure or higher consciousness.

1.91 If an individual were able to retain his awareness on the point between waking and sleeping, he is sure to have the experience of the supreme bliss of Consciousness.

1.92 It serves as the point of entry into the fourth state of consciousness, known as turiya.

(To be Continued....)

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