Tripura Rahasya Tells Distinction Between Deep Sleep And Samadhi

There are two states of mind:

(1) Illumination and (2) Consideration.

The first of them is association of the mind with external objects and the second is deliberation(Careful consideration) on the object seen.

Illumination is unqualified by the limitations of objects: deliberation is qualified by the limitations pertaining to the objects seen, and it is the forerunner of
their clear definition.

[Note: The mind first notes a thing in its extended vision. The impression is received only after noting the thing in its non-extensive nature, and becomes deeper
on musing over the first impression.]

There is no distinction noted in the preliminary stage of simple illumination. The thing itself is not yet defined, so illumination is said to be unqualified.

The thing becomes defined later on and is said to be such and such, and so and so. That is the perception of the thing after deliberation.

Deliberation is again of two kinds: the one is the actual experience and is said to be fresh, whereas the other is cogitation over the former and is called memory.The mind always functions in these two ways.

Dreamless slumber is characterised by the illumination of sleep alone, and the experience continues unbroken for a time, whereas the wakeful state is characterised by deliberation repeatedly broken up by thoughts and therefore it is said not to be ignorance.

Sleep is a state of nescience, though it consists of illumination alone, yet it is said to be ignorance for the same reason as a light though luminous is said to be
insentient.

[Note: Pure intelligence is made up of luminosity,but is not insentient like a flame. It is gleaming with consciousness, thus differing from the flame. For intellect
is evidence as thinking principle. Therefore it is called Absolute Consciousness, active principle, vibratory movement, all-embracing Self, or God. Because of these
potentialities it creates the universe.

Sri Sankara has said in Soundarya Lahari: Siva owes his prowess to Sakti; He cannot even stir in Her absence.Siva should not therefore be considered to be a mere inexpressible entity depending for His movements upon Maya (like a man on his car).

Sri Sankara continues: Siva is yoked by Thee, Oh Sakti, to His true being. Therefore
a blessed few worship Thee as the endless series of waves of bliss, as the underlying basis of all that is, as the Supreme Force, maintaining the universe, and as the Consort of Transcendence. Thus the identity of Siva and Sakti with each other or with Transcendence is evident.

Their true significance lies in the fact that the universe exists, but not separately from the primal Reality — God.Wisdom lies in realising everything as Siva and not in treating it as void.

The truth is that there is one Reality which is consciousness in the abstract and also transcendental, irradiating the whole universe in all its diversity from its own being, by virtue of its self-sufficiency, which we call Maya or Sakti or Energy. Ignorance lies in the feeling of differentiation of the creatures from the Creator. The individuals are only details in the same Reality.

In sleep, the insentient phase of stupor overpowers the sentient phase of deliberation. But the factor of illumination is ever present and that alone cannot become apparent to men, in the absence of deliberation. Therefore,sleep is said to be the state of ignorance, as distinguished from wakefulness which is conceded to be knowledge.]

This conclusion is admitted by the wise also. Sleep is the first born from Transcendence (vide Ch. XIV, sloka 59),and also called the unmanifest, the exterior, or the great void.

The state prevailing in sleep is the feeling ‘There is naught’. This also prevails in wakefulness,although things are visible. But this ignorance is shattered by the repeated upspringing of thoughts. The wise say that the mind is submerged in sleep because it is illumining the unmanifest condition. The submersion of mind is not, however, peculiar to sleep for it happens also at the instant of cognition of things.

All these three states, namely, samadhi, sleep and the instant of cognition of objects, are characterised by absence of perturbation.

Their difference lies in the later recapitulation of the respective states which illumine different perceptions.

Absolute Reality is manifest in samadhi; a void or unmanifest condition distinguishes sleep and diversity is the characteristic of cognition in wakefulness.

The illuminant is however the same all through and is always unblemished. Therefore it is said to be Abstract Intelligence.

Samadhi and sleep are obvious because their experience remains unbroken for some appreciable period and can be recapitulated after waking up.

That of cognition remains unrecognised because of its fleeting nature. But samadhi and sleep cannot be recognised when they are only fleeting.

The wakeful state is iridescent with fleeting samadhi and sleep. Men when they are awake can detect fleeting sleep because they are already conversant with its nature.

But fleeting samadhi goes undetected because people are not so conversant with it. O Brahmin! Fleeting samadhi is indeed being experienced by all, even in their busy moments; but it passes unnoticed by them, for want of acquaintance with it.Every instant free from thoughts and musings in the wakeful state is the condition of samadhi.

Samadhi is simply absence of thoughts. Such a state prevails in sleep and at odd moments of wakefulness.

Yet, it is not called samadhi proper, because all the proclivities of the mind are still there latent, ready to manifest the next instant.

The infinitesimal moment of seeing an object is not tainted by deliberation on its qualities and is exactly like samadhi.

The unmanifest state, the first-born of abstract Intelligence revealing ‘There is not anything’, is the state of abstraction full of light; it is, however, called sleep because it is the insentient phase of consciousness. Nothing is revealed because there is nothing to be revealed. Sleep is therefore the manifestation of the insentient state.

But in samadhi, Brahman, the Supreme Consciousness,is continuously glowing. She is the engulfer of time and space, the destroyer of void, and the pure being (Jehovah – I am). How can She be the ignorance of sleep?

Therefore sleep is not the end-all and the be-all.Thus did Janaka teach Ashtavakra.

Source: TRIPURA RAHASYA OR THE MYSTERY BEYOND THE TRINITY Translated by SWAMI SRI RAMANANANDA SARASWATHI(Munagala S. Venkataramaiah)