Maharaj's words on waking, dream and deep sleep

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Dear friends,

                       Recently I made a cursory glance of the mere titles of the book, " I am That," by Maurice Frydman. It is a long time since I read that book. The following words of Maharaj arrested my attention, and I stopped reading the book in utter bewilderment. Since I don't want to eulogize Maharaj, and find it relevant only to pay attention to the words of illumination, I am quoting these small extracts to  the advantage of  the seekers, whatever their path be.

                    

11. Awareness and Consciousness   Questioner:    What do you do when asleep?

   Maharaj: I am aware of being asleep.

   Q: Is not sleep a state of unconsciousness?

   M: Yes, I am aware of being unconscious.

   Q: And when awake, or dreaming?

   M: I am aware of being awake or dreaming.

   Q: I do not catch you. What exactly do you mean? Let me make my terms clear:    by being asleep I mean unconscious, by being awake I mean conscious, by dreaming    I mean conscious of one"s mind, but not of the surroundings.

   M: Well, it is about the same with me, Yet, there seems to be a difference.    In each state you forget the other two, while to me, there is but one state    of being, including and transcending the three mental states of waking, dreaming    and sleeping.

   Q: Do you see in the world a direction and a purpose?

   M: The world is but a reflection of my imagination. Whatever I want to see,     I can see. But why should I invent patterns of creation, evolution and destruction?    I do not need them and have no desire to lock up the world in a mental picture.

   Q: Coming back to sleep. Do you dream?

   M: Of course.

   Q: What are your dreams?

   M: Echoes of the waking state.

   Q: And your deep sleep?

   M: The brain consciousness is suspended.

   Q: Are you then unconscious?

   M: Unconscious of my surroundings -- yes.

   Q: Not quite unconscious?

   M: I remain aware that I am unconscious.

   Q: You use the words 'aware' and 'conscious'. Are they not the same?

   M: Awareness is primordial; it is the original state, beginningless, endless,    uncaused, unsupported, without parts, without change. Consciousness is on contact,    a reflection against a surface, a state of duality. There can be no consciousness    without awareness, but there can be awareness without consciousness, as in deep    sleep. Awareness is absolute,  consciousness is relative to its content; consciousness    is always of something. Consciousness is partial and changeful, awareness is    total, changeless, calm and silent. And it is the common matrix of every experience.

   Q: How does one go beyond consciousness into awareness?

   M: Since it is awareness that makes consciousness possible, there is awareness    in every state of consciousness. Therefore the very consciousness of being conscious    is already a movement in awareness. Interest in your stream of consciousness    takes you to awareness. It is not a new state. It is at once recognised as the    original, basic existence, which is life itself, and also love and joy.

   Q: Since reality is all the time with us, what does self-realisation consist    of?

   M: Realisation is but the opposite of ignorance. To take the world as real and    one"s self as unreal is ignorance. The cause of sorrow. To know the self as    the only reality and all else as  temporal and transient is freedom, peace and    joy. It is all very simple. Instead of seeing things as imagined, learn to see    them as they are. It is like cleansing a mirror. The same mirror that shows    you the world as it is, will also show you your own face. The thought 'I am'    is the polishing cloth. Use it.

 

 

with warm regards,

yours ever in Bhaghavan Ramana

Sankarraman

           

 

 

 

           

 

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[Guest guest]

Hari Om

~~~~~~~~

 

Namate Sankarraman,

 

Thank your for entering the information on this matter from

'I am That'.

This is wonderful - and I can recall reading this conversation.

I dnot believe it is hard to comprehend, yet at times  some folks

stuggle with this notion of that 'restful alertness' that pure

consciousness  being there in waking, dreaming and sleep...

Perhaps the general understanding is one can only entertain/support

one conscious level at a time. Yet, all day most of us have a

running dialog in our minds, while we do things or are focused on

doing something, yet the background of toughts are there.  Or in

dream state, I have people talk dreaming about dreaming, or day

dreaming while awake.

 

So, Sri Maharaj's experiences do not seem so extra-ordinary, yet

this is not my experince as yet and I speak with blemished

knowledge. BUt that said, every now and then I get a glimpse of this

pure consciousness and it is very very simple, very natural and I

thank Bhagwan for this 'training' period He offers me.

 

Q: Are you know in that perfect state?

M: Perfection is a state of mind, when it is pure. I am beyond the

mind, whatever its state, pure or impure. Awareness is my nature;

Ultimately I am beyond being and non-being.

'I am That' - page 54

 

Thank you again for sharing,

 

pranams,

yajvan