[Advaita-l] Sleep, tamas and brahman

[Praveen R. Bhat]

Namaste Kalyanji,

On Sat, Apr 28, 2018 at 8:40 PM Kalyan via Advaita-l <
advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:

>
> The brihadaranyaka upanishad equates deep sleep with the highest state of
> brahman.
>

​Its says so because in analysis of suShupti, nothing else is there. There
is no svapna prapancha and no jAgrt prapancha. Thereby the understanding of
one's svarUpa is simpler. It *does not* mean that that highest state is
there in suShupti alone, it is there in all three states, only easier to
understand in suShupti (or samAdhi). As Subbuji said, this is merging in
saguNabrahma, not nirguNa, as said in Chandogya 6th chapter and Mandukya
6th mantra bhAShyas. Else one would never wake up from sleep.


> Why is sleep then, associated with tamas in the bhagavad gita?
>
​Since it has avidyA, which is called as tamas.​


>
> Second question - vide the brihadaranyaka, can we say that sleeping is a
> sAdhana in itself?
>
> ​No; analysis of suShupti contrasting with other two states​

​is sAdhana. Recalling suShupti experience in this analysis is sAdhana.

gurupAdukAbhyAm,
--Praveen R. Bhat
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