The Self in the Deep Sleep State
Divine Life
Society Publication: Your
Questions Answered by Swami Krishnananda
Dawn: Swamiji, how can I know
the Self through my meditation?
SWAMIJI: You are in the state
of meditation for the purpose of knowing the Self. Now, what is this Self? You
may say that you are sitting there and talking to me; this is the Self, but it
is not the Self. The physical body cannot be considered as your real Self,
because even when you are fast asleep and not conscious of the body, still you
are existing. So, if you can exist even without the consciousness of a body, it
follows from that experience that you can exist without the body. That means
you are not the body.
This analysis may enable you
not to get attached too much to these bodily comforts, physical associations,
social engagements, etc. Social, political, material, physical engagements are
all connected with this body; if you are really not the physical body, but
something more than that, all this drama of life loses its significance. You
belong to another world altogether, above and transcendent to the physical
world.
What is the condition in which
you existed in the state of sleep? You may say that you knew nothing. Maybe,
but how did you know that you knew nothing in the state of deep sleep? It is a
contradiction in statement. To say that you knew that you did not know does not
make much sense. "I know that I did not know anything in the state of deep
sleep," is a sentence which has no sense, but yet we make this statement
always. This implies that you had a consciousness, but it was covered by some
peculiar veil.
You may ask me what this veil
is made of, and why it is harassing and covering you like that. This veil is
constituted of desires. Every human being has desires. Fulfilled desires produce
impressions, and they act like a cloud on consciousness. Unfulfilled desires
are still worse. If you know something of psychology, you will know that the
mind has various strata – the conscious, subconscious and unconscious level,
etc. The unconscious level also is a kind of mental level only. These are all
forms taken by unfulfilled desires. This is the reason why you are not really
conscious of your existence in the state of deep sleep, and you are only
inferring afterwards that you slept, though you did know what it was all about.
With this analysis, you
concentrate on the consciousness of your being, minus association with the
body. You deeply concentrate, with the concept that you are consciousness; you
are not the body, and nothing connected with the body also – just pure
consciousness, intelligence, and resplendent light.
Consciousness cannot be
limited to any particular place, because if consciousness is to be limited, you
must be aware that it is limited. In order that consciousness may be aware that
it is limited, it should exceed the limit. Otherwise, you can't know that it is
limited. Now, this second inference shows that your consciousness is unlimited.
It is an astounding conclusion that you are arriving at, that perhaps your
essential Self is all-pervading. You are not an ordinary human being.
Of course, this is a brief
introduction that I am giving to you on a large subject; keep in mind that you are consciousness
pervading all things, universal in its nature, not this mortal body. You are
the immortal self, immortal consciousness. Go on asserting this again and
again. Then, you will find, because of the fact of your consciousness being
universal, everything will be connected with you, and nothing is excluded from
you. Then, all your desires will subside, and some better things will take
place; what they are, you will know yourself.
Continue to read:
Your Questions
Answered by Swami Krishnananda
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