Sri Shankaracharya says Self cannot be both the experiencer and the witness

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D.: If the Self be the witness of deep sleep and of its experiencer, can It

not be the experiencer of the waking and dream states?

 

M.: No, he who sleeps must wake up or dream dreams.

 

Never sleeping, ever aware as the witness of the three states and of their

experiencer who thinks “I slept — I dreamt — I woke up”, the Self cannot

have the three states nor be their experiencer. This cannot admit of any

doubts.

 

D.: Why should not the Self be both witness and experiencer of the three

states?

 

M.: Just as the witness watching two men fighting with each other does not

fight himself, so also the witness cannot be the experiencer. Again as the

fighter does not simply watch the fight but himself fights, so also the

experiencer cannot be the witness. Therefore the same Self cannot be both

the experiencer and the witness.

 

 

D.: Now what is the conclusion?

 

M.: The ‘false-I’ is the experiencer and the other one who is unconcernedly

watching the states and their experiencer is the witness.

 

 

D.: In that case, for the three states are there three different witnesses

or is there only one?

 

M.: The witness is only one whereas the states alternate one with another;

the witness does not change. The same continuous awareness runs through the

appearance, staying and disappearance of the three states. Thus the witness

of the three states is the Self. The witness-hood of the Self has thus been

described.

 

Source: ADVAITA BODHA DEEPIKA Book

 

Originally Sri Shankaracharya and other great Sages had written several

works like the commentary on the Vedanta Sutras and thus furnished the

methods for those engaged in Self enquiry to accomplish their purpose.

 

From those, Sri Karapatra Swami later condensed the salient points into

Sanskrit verse in a work of twelve chapters,called Sri Advaita Bodha

Deepika.

 

Still later, some great man seems to have translated this into Tamil prose.

 

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Love And Love Alone

 

Om namo Bhagavate Sri Ramanaya

Prasanth Jalasutram