Who knows in deep sleep - clarification on the Sakshi?

 

Question: In deep sleep there is absence of the mind, absence of the subject-object duality, absence of the knower, the pramata. Yet when we wake up, we say ‘I slept well, I knew nothing’ – so who knows this, as consciousness is not a pramata and there is absence of mind in deep sleep.

Swami Brahmavidananda (of Mumbai) answers: You are struggling with this as you are trying to categorize it.

When the sakshi (witness consciousness) functions through the mind, it is called as the pramata or the knower. The  sakshi with reference to itself is atma- sat-cit-ananda…. (ever-present, changeless, timeless, infinite consciousness-being). The atma or sakshi is present in deep sleep. Sakshi is the term given to atma with reference to the fact that it illumines everything, witnesses everything – yet it does not record. Recording, memory is the function of the mind.  In deep sleep the mind is asleep, but because mind is there is potential condition, subtle vrittis (thoughts) are there. On waking when the pramata is up, the memory of witnessing of the deep sleep experience is there in the mind because of the extremely subtle vrittis present in deep sleep. Therefore the witnessing of the sakshi in deep sleep is connected with the waking pramata ( the knower)  and we say I slept very well.

So in deep sleep, the pramata is asleep, yet the sakshi is there. As mentioned earlier, Sakshi is the term given to atma (the Self) with reference to the fact that it illumines everything.

Questioner: Thank you

A Vedanta Meditation

 

The purpose of this meditation is help you assimilate that :-

You are consciousness, that is self-evident, self-revealing, independent, infinite- that is present in every single experience

So when you are caught in an experience like a memory or a sensation or a story around any event in your life,  you are invited to notice that you have a choice to either get involved with the details of the experience or to simply observe it and allow it to unravel and dissipate into the calm spaciousness of your Being.

Om Tat Sat

Is there any evidence to support my belief that I am a limited being?

 

Is there any evidence to support my belief that I am a limited being?

A sentence I heard from Francis Lucille really got me thinking that is there any evidence to support my belief that I am a limited being?

This investigation into my true nature depends on my capacity to keenly discriminate the nature of the subject and the object.

My belief that I am a limited being is based on my capacity to perceive  limitations. Limitations are perceived – there is no doubt about that. Limitations are perceived in the body. Limitations are perceived in the mind too. The very fact that they are perceived clearly show that they are objects of my knowledge or experience.

The question is can they belong to me, in whose ever-presence they are perceived. Am I an object of knowledge? Or am I fundamentally different in nature, being the awareness or consciousness in  whose presence they are perceived?

We must ascertain this clearly for ourself – each person has to clearly ascertain for himself or herself.

What evidence is there to support the belief that the one in whose presence limitations are perceived is limited by those limitations?

The one in whose presence changes are perceived has to be changeless awareness – otherwise how can changes be perceived?

The body is changing moment to moment and it has many limitations for whatever reasons – could be effects of karma (genetic), wrong lifestyle choices. The mind is changing moment to moment and it has many limitations too for whatever reasons – could be karma (genetic), faulty habits of thinking, childhood experiences etc. Can these changes and limitations belong to the one in whose changeless presence they are perceived?

A proper study of Vedanta will reveal that there is absolutely no evidence to support our belief that limitations of any sort whatsoever can ever belong to be me, the changeless ever-present awareness in whose presence they are illumined. Vedanta does not say limitations at the level of body, mind are not there or not perceived. Vedanta simply says they do not belong to me as I am – ascertain that for yourself and be free. This is the first step.

It is only through identification with the body and mind due to ignorance that one lumps limitations with the oneself, the pure awareness in whose presence they are perceived. And at every moment there is a choice present to be alive to one’s presence as it is and be free or to identify with the issues of the body-mind and be miserable. The choice that you take is the destiny that you make! So make the choice to study Vedanta with an open mind and understand what it has to say.

Om Tat Sat