3 (a) Analysis of Experience of States of Consciousness Described in Mandukya Upanishad
6:30 AM Posted In Yogic Experience of States of Consciousness Edit ThisWaking State of Consciousness
Waking state of consciousness has been described in this Upanisad as having seven limbs and nineteen mouths or modes of expression. These limbs as recounted in Chandogya Upanisad are the heaven, the sun, air, space, water, earth and a combination of all these put together (Ch.Up.5.18.2,[Sankara]). The mouth, according to the Upanisad, is nineteen. Shankara interprets them as ten indiryas, five pranas, manas, buddhi, ahamkara, cittam. In this state Brahman or Consciousness is called Vaisvanara – the Universal Person and He is the first who feels and enjoys gross objects.
Thus, consciousness in the state of wakefulness is supposed to be capable of taking in its purview the entire physical universe on account of this serving as the body of it. In this state, all knowledge obtained by direct contact with the external world is included when the subject is in contact with the objective world around him on any plane (Siva Sutras, verse 8). Gaudapada in his Karika describes it as Vishwa being the Lord who pervades and is conscious of the external (Gaudapada's Mandukya Karika).
This state is bound by space-time. In other words, waking state of consciousness is that in which knowledge is produced in people by means of external senses, and the objects have a common connotation for all. This is in reference to a common man.
It is a state of that form of awareness which prevails when the knowing subjectivity is totally absorbed in the sensations which come to it through the senses (Abhinavagupta's Tantraloka, 6.83). All living beings, gross elements and the words which denote them manifest outside the subject (Tantraloka, 10.232-233)and in which the objects are perceptible by everybody (Utpaladevacarya's Isvara-pratyabhijna-karika, 3.2.1,7). Since this state arises through the activity of the wakeful body and senses, the yogis, call it established in the body -- pindastha and for them it is the state of awareness they experience when they concentrate one-pointedly (dharana) (see Tantraloka, 10.242)on an object. While those who have gained insight into reality (jnanin) express its nature in metaphysical terms as everywhere auspicious (sarvatobhadra) because for them it represents the state of consciousness manifest as the ubiquitous fullness of objective being – vedyasatta (Tantraloka, 10.244).
Malinivijaya Tantra, Chapter II.25-46, and Tantraloka (Ahinika, X.217-300) describes varieties of waking state and other states of consciousness with reference to a yogi. According to it waking state of consciousness has four stages, which are as follows:
1. Jagrat-jagrat (Waking in waking):
It is state technically called unawakened (abuddha) in which the awareness of the individual is entirely centred on the body and totally given over to objectivity – prameyabhava. Here the pramata is unconscious of his own subjective nature and never asks who he is. Whenever, he sees an object, he immediately identifies with it and totally forgets himself as the cogniser.
2. Jagrat-svapna (Waking in Dream):
It is called awakened (buddha). This state arises when the subjective consciousness enters into the objective consciousness and looses its awareness of outer objectivity while continuing to perceive the mental impressions created by it. This state can be experienced when one finds himself staring at something absent-mindedly, carried away by his own thoughts. In this state knowledge – pramana of the object is prominent in consciousness.
3. Jagrat-susupti (Waking in Deep Sleep):
This is a state which one experiences when one looses consciousness of both the outer physical and inner mental environment. There arises for a moment complete blankness, totally absent from the present situation. This is the experience of an ordinary individual.
But for a Yogi, it is a state in which the pramata, the knower or the subject is prominent in consciousness, for here the yogi rests in this state of absorption for longer periods of time, enjoying the subtle bliss of unity and hence is called well-awakened state – prabuddha. The cogniser is awake in regard to the subject but asleep to the object.
4. Jagrat-turiya (Waking in Turiya):
When the Yogi is completely well-awakened, he experiences the fourth state when awake and continues to perceive and function in the midst of diversity, maintaining an awareness of his true conscious nature. In this state of consciousness, there is predominance of consciousness as such – pramiti and is known as suprabuddha or perfectly awakened state.
Thus, consciousness in the state of wakefulness is supposed to be capable of taking in its purview the entire physical universe on account of this serving as the body of it. In this state, all knowledge obtained by direct contact with the external world is included when the subject is in contact with the objective world around him on any plane (Siva Sutras, verse 8). Gaudapada in his Karika describes it as Vishwa being the Lord who pervades and is conscious of the external (Gaudapada's Mandukya Karika).
This state is bound by space-time. In other words, waking state of consciousness is that in which knowledge is produced in people by means of external senses, and the objects have a common connotation for all. This is in reference to a common man.
It is a state of that form of awareness which prevails when the knowing subjectivity is totally absorbed in the sensations which come to it through the senses (Abhinavagupta's Tantraloka, 6.83). All living beings, gross elements and the words which denote them manifest outside the subject (Tantraloka, 10.232-233)and in which the objects are perceptible by everybody (Utpaladevacarya's Isvara-pratyabhijna-karika, 3.2.1,7). Since this state arises through the activity of the wakeful body and senses, the yogis, call it established in the body -- pindastha and for them it is the state of awareness they experience when they concentrate one-pointedly (dharana) (see Tantraloka, 10.242)on an object. While those who have gained insight into reality (jnanin) express its nature in metaphysical terms as everywhere auspicious (sarvatobhadra) because for them it represents the state of consciousness manifest as the ubiquitous fullness of objective being – vedyasatta (Tantraloka, 10.244).
Malinivijaya Tantra, Chapter II.25-46, and Tantraloka (Ahinika, X.217-300) describes varieties of waking state and other states of consciousness with reference to a yogi. According to it waking state of consciousness has four stages, which are as follows:
1. Jagrat-jagrat (Waking in waking):
It is state technically called unawakened (abuddha) in which the awareness of the individual is entirely centred on the body and totally given over to objectivity – prameyabhava. Here the pramata is unconscious of his own subjective nature and never asks who he is. Whenever, he sees an object, he immediately identifies with it and totally forgets himself as the cogniser.
2. Jagrat-svapna (Waking in Dream):
It is called awakened (buddha). This state arises when the subjective consciousness enters into the objective consciousness and looses its awareness of outer objectivity while continuing to perceive the mental impressions created by it. This state can be experienced when one finds himself staring at something absent-mindedly, carried away by his own thoughts. In this state knowledge – pramana of the object is prominent in consciousness.
3. Jagrat-susupti (Waking in Deep Sleep):
This is a state which one experiences when one looses consciousness of both the outer physical and inner mental environment. There arises for a moment complete blankness, totally absent from the present situation. This is the experience of an ordinary individual.
But for a Yogi, it is a state in which the pramata, the knower or the subject is prominent in consciousness, for here the yogi rests in this state of absorption for longer periods of time, enjoying the subtle bliss of unity and hence is called well-awakened state – prabuddha. The cogniser is awake in regard to the subject but asleep to the object.
4. Jagrat-turiya (Waking in Turiya):
When the Yogi is completely well-awakened, he experiences the fourth state when awake and continues to perceive and function in the midst of diversity, maintaining an awareness of his true conscious nature. In this state of consciousness, there is predominance of consciousness as such – pramiti and is known as suprabuddha or perfectly awakened state.
To Be Concluded...
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