How Existence is Like a Dream Part One

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Profvk's note: I have sent a message to the member to split this paper into two

halves and also tell us the source and references for this post. Pl. see the

copy of my mail under advaitins mail box. We should wait for a response from the

member.----VK

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Ananta Yoga Darshana - Chapter 25

 

How Existence is Like a Dream Part One

 

bindu:

Namaste Dear.

 

Sadhu:

Hello Sir.

 

bindu:

I have come to tell you how existence is like a dream, just as Sri

Vasista has shown us.

 

Sadhu:

Excellent!

 

bindu:

A man goes to sleep and thinks he dreams; he awakes and thinks he has

awoken; or he falls asleep and sleeps soundly. He comes and goes to

other places thinking he has come or gone.

 

No-one came and no-one went, no-one awoke. It was all The Self.

He walks around thinking he is moving between this place and that;

all of this occurs in both the dream and the waking states.

 

He meets people and has experiences of all descriptions and believes

he lives and dies. He meets many others who appear to be having an

experience of life; who go through the same things he does. But there

are none, they are all in The Self and nothing is happening to them;

nor are they doing anything at all.

 

In the case of a realized person this is not the case at all.

The realized people cannot be said to be in any state

because realization means Self-realization.

 

The Self has realized Himself; no-one realized Him.

The Self has awakened in Him!

 

For him there is no awareness of other than The Self. The

thought "Oh, God is watching "MY" thoughts" does not exist in him, as

the knowledge that the thoughts of all beings belong to The Self

resonates as Om. Om is shining "AS" existence! There is no other

personality. We call Him Sri Krishnaaa!

 

In all states, there is the awareness of the other states. For

example, The Self is aware that He is dreaming even as He dreams, He

is also aware of the body laying on the bed and of the deep-sleep; in

this way He is always aware of The Conscious Self. He has awakened to

Himself!

 

Normally though, the "i" one "thinks" is ones-self (defined as "a

referred-toME" in the mind-space of the body, in the case of the

waking state; and defined as mere presence in the dream) is always

thought to be the "REAL" Self because thinking (consciousness) is due

to the reflective nature of consciousness. Hence, the "i" appearing

as the reflection is thinking "it" thinks but it is not. All that is

occurring is that the reflection is happening in The Self and The

Self is hidden from view by the mirror of it's own nature.

 

The reflection, (The Thinking ONE") mistaken for The Self is the

Jiva, individual soul or "I" existing as reflection in the psychic

space of The Self. While "The REAL SELF "IS" the I-Am who is aware of

the fact of being aware. Simply put; this means that the nature of

consciousness is self-awareness which of course leads to the

understanding that anything of which anyone can be conscious is

consciousness but that which gives definition such that it can be

said "i this being" am conscious" can only be The Self.

 

The "I-Am" pre-exists any self-designation or self-reference to "i-

ness" that may be added to the utterance of the words "I-Am". For

example, a person may say: "I-Am" then due to the reflective nature

of consciousness something will be added to the "I-Am" thusly

providing attributes to what does not have attributes.

 

The idea that the Self exists as a limited "Individual I" with

attributes of name and form is where the problem named "existence of

I" arises in both the dream and the waking state. All due to The

Nature of Consciousness.

 

For the Jiva, an "i" must be placed in all states if they are to be

known to have been experienced If this were not so, there could be no

reporting of any experience that was had by anyone in any state.

 

Therefore, "The Self" must pre-exist as the "EXPERIENT" of all

states; the states themselves, (along with the contents, including

the Jeeva) are therefore projected "AS" existence by The Conscious

Absolute Self. This means that existence itself is predicated upon-

and-by "The Conscious Absolute". The Conscious Absolute is therefore

the background and foundation of existence as well as all that exists.

 

Sadhu:

Yes but, why does The Real "I" existing as The Turiya tend to

differentiate and show such a huge variety of experiences even though

it is itself non-dual and ONE?

 

bindu:

Oh we shall see. What is not understood is this:

 

That "I" that is placed in any state is the cause of the Cosmos,

Realm, Loka or Dimension within which it is placed whether or not the

place it is existing is a dream or not. This means that because it is

put there, that Cosmos appears or comes into being as the reflection

of the Self. (The Cosmos is created by placing that "I" into the

State). This happens because in order to have the experience of that

state - the Real Self appears as the Cosmos or world and the

projection of the Jiva, soul or "I the being" called "ME this man" or

referred to in mind as "I" appears within that Cosmos, Universe,

World, Loka or Realm.

 

Think about this a moment. This is why there are such huge variety of

dreams, and is also why the Cosmos a given Being experiences in any

state, appears to be a different one to the one someone else

experiences.

 

I am saying that while an "I" of any description is thought, imagines

or is projected into being, the Absolute Self appears as the Cosmos

(though it isn't) and the Jiva is placed in it and begins to project

a self-definition simply by Being. Verily Jiva is The God of its own

Universe!

 

bindu:

Do you follow>?

 

Sadhu:

Yes ...

 

bindu:

Simply put it means the Self Creates the Cosmos so that the Jiva can

go there and be in "A" state, else where would the jiva exist? It

would not.

 

Sadhu:

The I Am, The Absolute, creates cosmos which is Him and through Jiva

it reflects itself to experience what is Him?

 

bindu:

Yes, that is exactly and precisely what is happening!

 

Now because the will of The Absolute is locating itself in the

jivaAtma, the jiva appears to be living in, and experiencing the

state of either dream, deep-sleep or waking because The Real Self has

manifested as the Cosmos for the jiva to go into and the Cosmos

appears real due to that; as does the dream appear real to the

dreamer also.

 

However a man lies down and goes to sleep and his outer world

disappears totally; he is oblivious to it. He awakes and remembers he

had a dream - or he says i slept soundly; not remembering the state

of his mind as he lay dormant in the state of laying inert or in

dreamless sleep. The JivAtma thinks he is a being or man.

Does this mean that the dream world (the Astral Plane) is real and

the waking world false, or does it mean that the waking world is real

and the dream false?

 

Does it mean they are both false --- or it does it mean that they are

both nothing more than reflections of each other?

 

The Dream within reality –

The Reality within the dream –

both are but reflections –

The one of the other appearing in the Prakasa -

They appear in the psychic space of the unimaginable mind of God!

 

If they are reflections of each other then neither is real ... but

this causes the question ... From where did the reflection, originate

in the first place?

 

In the first place, it must have begun in order to begin to exist as

a reflection - this means the reflection must be caused by something

outside the mirror, and therefore beyond Time itself.

 

Now then, it is obvious that the consciousness (which appears as

perception in all beings), appears due to interaction with the Cosmos

or the senses. For example without the Jiva (who must have senses in

order to experience being in "A" state) being placed in one of the

states in order to experience it, there could be no state experienced

at all. (If he had did not have senses he could not and would not

experience any state.)

 

This does not mean there would be no experience of that state as is

commonly thought to be the case; it means the JivAtma would not be

experiencing it due to the fact of there being no senses in the case

of the missing Jiva. There could be no perception had by anyone; and

therefore no Cosmos would exist for that man who had no senses. For

him even God would cease to exist. Yet the Self is Conscious of

HIMSELF "AS" The I Am.

 

In the case of the Turiya, it is not another state because the Jiva

is not placed or deliberately projected by the Will of God such as is

the case with the dream, waking and deep-sleep states. Nor is any

idea of selfhood projected, visualized or imagined as existing in it.

 

The Turiya consists in and of, all and every kind of combination of

emptiness and imagination, of both real and imagined imagination and

emptiness; in either the physical or metaphysical existences, which

exist or do not exist.

 

It is a completely free state of manifestation of anything existing

coming into being or having existed or not existed, being in

existence, potential existence, or partial existence; existing as

pure Naked-Conscient-Prescience. The mind of the one who has realized

this resides in it permanently no matter if the body is asleep,

walking about or dead. He has become Infinite Being; He exists or he

does not exit. It is the state of The Being of The Absolute. In other

words it is the actual being-ness of The Absolute. In the mind-body

it is known and felt as an effervescent evanescence.

 

In the case of The Absolute; He is still aware of the things a normal

person sees and experiences, but they are seen and known is a totally

different way. He does not see them as if an experience is being had

by any form of limited beingness. He does not name or label anything;

everything is brand new ALL the TIME. He recognizes nothing and

everything all at once!

 

It is a case of the Absolute actually seeing and experiencing the

things which exist as His I Amness. The Realized one has entered the

Absolute and is Conscious as it.

 

He sees the body of the man who has realized him; He sees the bodies

of all beings; He sees the states of dream, waking and deep sleep. He

sees that the same Self in All beings is none other than himself. He

has realized Himself! He has become Narayana!

 

He sees the man who has realized Him lay down to sleep but He never

goes to sleep. He sees the dream happening but is never unaware of

the room in which the man sleeps; nor is He unaware of the deep-sleep

even as the man sleeps.

 

He is aware at all times of who He is.

 

In the case of the man who thinks he is the jiva, soul or "I this

being"; that one thinks he exists and goes into a Cosmos or state as

that I-who-he-thinks-he-is and the Cosmos appears for him to exist in

it.

 

For example one cannot go anywhere if nowhere exists can he? So the

cosmos appears out of and IN the Self simultaneous to the Jiva and

moves backward in Time until the Jiva appears inside it, (it is

rather like being unable to see a thing held close to the eye) such

that Time also appears out of The Absolute and therefore everything

is in Him but he-who-thinks-he-exists-as-jiva never realizes this. So

it is the self-refercence that makes the Jeeva exist in any state.

 

So then he is the source of the reflection called consciousness. is

this clear?

 

Sadhu:

Yes, but where does dead man stand in this picture?

 

bindu:

The dead man disappears once the mirror gets broken and dissolves

back into dust. For example if the breath ceased to move in the man,

there can be no reflections to expand the Cosmos out of him. It is

the movement of the heart, the thought and prana in the man that

makes the Cosmos appear out of the Absolute; when this movement stops

the jiva dissolves. This is called stopping the Vital Breath.

 

This is why the thought and dream will not stop while a man lives.

The breath goes in and out you see; the heart beats. This makes the

reflections; when breathing ceases, of course you die. Even for the

realized being, there are dreams, breath and a heartbeat. He body

lives, but he lives beyond the body - knowing the body is the window

through which The Self comes.

 

When he decides his work is done he stops the dream by remaining

still and enters maha-samadhi. The prana has stopped you see.

 

Sadhu:

mm...

 

bindu:

We all understand the law of cause and effect and know that when

these laws are not operational in the body, the body dies; for

example if he ceases to move he dies, or he stops it by killing the

body - he dies.

 

Sadhu:

Sir, i must say in case of my brothers death; your words solaced me

beyond limit Thank you; maybe because they were core truth That

which "IS".

 

bindu:

Yes. Time moves in both the dream and the waking state as the field

in which the experience occurs, as i said before; so the Cosmos

appears out of Him first and moves backward in Time until the jiva

appears to exist inside it. Thus, the dream progresses as does the

waking experience of being. Sleep occurs or Dream to preserve the

continuity of time having passed, and hence existence as having

passed or existed such that the existence of I does not end till

Ones' clock has run out and he thinks he is living either in the

dream or the waking state.

 

For example: If the heart ceased to beat both states would disappear

for him. If Time did not unfold out of him, there could be no place

in which to be; thus the universe expands and exists by the flux of

the movement of the atoms also; without them there is no universe

appearing at all. If the movement of the atoms stopped, there could

be no universe at all.

 

Movement of the bowels, movement of the blood, movement of the prana,

movement of the breath - all must exist in order that a being of any

description exist - Time exists as the unfolding Cosmos, this is the

fragmented Atman (but it only appears to be fragmented).

 

But let us get back to the individual being who thinks he exists as

the "I" who is either dreaming or waking or sleeping.

 

The heart continues to beat and the blood screams through his veins.

The breath goes in and goes out. The atoms in his body flux and spin;

his sleeping body moves on the bed; or his body walks around in his

life. Without action he dies, his acts are either his body acting or

his heart beating, his blood flowing in his veins or the prana in his

head.

 

He eats, his system digests and so forth, he cannot exist without

movement; so then this is his state, he looks at the movement and

thinks it is he who is moving; but he looks only at a local area in

the whole and does not notice that all the other beings are also

existing in the same state. Nor does he see that when a single atom

moves the whole must move to accommodate the change.

 

He never sees that the true nature of the reflections are reflections

of the particle of The Atman which decided it was an "I" causing it

to become objectified and projected in the Absolute by the decision

to look at a single particle as himself.

 

Each of those beings appear in such diversity because He looked at

one as himself, this split or fragmented or reflected an infinity of

selves into being; this infinite number of selves or possible selves

hidden in the creative urge of all beings which makes them procreate,

is existing due to His wanting to exist as a self or Jiva.

 

When the jiva is gone, He knows who He is! Once He realizes who or

what He is, there is the recognition and understanding that The Self

in all beings is none Other than The Same Self; at that point He can

get into the Turiya state; He cannot get there any other way.

 

First, He must become Himself then He can know His own Conscious Self

as nothing but the State itself. This means the state and the Self

Are-One-And-The-Same.

 

The reason behind this is this.

 

He who has manifested all these selves by existing... cannot merge

with the source of the manifestation (i.e. Himself) unless He resolve

His diversified self back into His own conscious being.

 

It is like a peanut that has been crushed- you can see fragments of

peanut- but you cannot reassemble the nut - He must reassemble the

nut back into infinite being- put it back where it came from so that

the fragments are gone.

 

This implies there is a Self who is composed of the reconstituted

fragmentation. This is not the case at all, because when all

fragments are resolved where can one exist in contrast to many (i.e.

one appears due to NUMBER) when number is gone where is counting?

Either of "One" or "Zero"?

 

When the self is counted, there can be no reference to another to

give it limit; The

Self is after all infinite; thus, the whole is resolved into The One

and ONLY Self.

 

He does not see another, if He did then He would not be in Himself He

would be counting others, such as one and two and so on. However if

He looks at jiva as Himself He has seen Jiva ("I") over there inside

His Absolutely Infinite Being; and by that act of seeing Himself as

jiva the whole fragmentation of Himself is existing again.

 

Then the Turiya is the state of looking at "ALL THAT EXISTS" as The

Self - including Time also; not just of looking at the understanding

that The Self Dwells "IN" all beings. This means all Beings appear in

Time "IN" The Self. He is not only in them as the very self of all,

but they are existing in Him.

 

To be in the Turiya, is to remain in the Infinite and know that YOU-

THE-SELF-ARE-THE-INFINITE in which all appears (including the body of

the man which has realized the truth).

 

He is awake in dream; in waking He is awake to Himself. He goes

deliberately into deep sleep while He is dreaming to change the dream

as He wishes, or He does not. He is awake in the world and dreams at

the same time. He is conscious on and as all levels and beings at all

times because Time is appearing in Him. Yet saying the word "within"

cannot be correct, because He is limitless and has no outside nor any

inside; thus He is all that exists or does not exists - He is truly

aware of His infinite nature for it is His Very Self.

 

OM Tat Sat!

 

Now to wake up in the dream or to remain awake in deep-sleep, or to

become realized in the waking state He must wake up to who He really

is.

 

 

How to do that? There are a million books - millions of blabber

mouths all saying blah blah blah. Few know, even fewer can tell it.

Many want to know; many think they know; only He Himself knows. Many

want to tell others but they do not see The Self is talking to The

Self in The Self as The Self there are no others! Others want to be

gurus, teachers and savior's etc. blah blah blah. He is awake in

Himself; there are no others.

 

To awaken to Who YOU are get far away from any designation of

selfhood - renounce any designation of any description of i-ness

that sees duality of any description - become infinite!

If you attach being to any form of any sort - you will create the

Cosmos and go into The Cosmos as that being and forget your Infinite

Being.

 

Because infinity transcends the NUMBER ONE and the number zero also.

Zero anything's or one of anything - implies the rest, so the state

of no-mind or empty mind will not help you either. Infinity is not a

number - nor countable. BE it! Or be bound to dream and waking,

eternally living and dying, again and again as what you think you are.

 

Understand that all those dreams, all those forms all of those

existences are appearing "WITHIN" you, all those times, all those

lives, all those events all the stars, all the supernovas and black

holes; all are within you. So wake up!

Stop pretending you are a stupid limited individual - stop being "A"

Being; but you cannot while ever you think other beings exist- even

if you think you are The Self and still think there are others than

you, then you exist also by comparison.

 

There is no other - there are no others

there never were - never can be.

The I Am is the "ALL" is what YOU must realize.

You Must Say deep in your Consciousness

The "I Am" is ALL THAT EXISTS!"

Om Tat Sat.