The Serpent Power — Arthur Avalon (Sir John Woodroffe) (1924)
1 Amritanāda Upanishad, vv. 34, 35—Anandāshrama Edition. Vol. XXIX, p. 43; Shāndilya Up., Ch. I. See also, as to Prāna, Ch. II, Prapanchasāra Tantra. It is also said that Prāna is at the tip of the nostrīls (Nāsāgravarttī), and others are also said to be elsewhere. These localities denote special seats of function. See my volume on “Life”.
2 Kshudhākara; lit., “appetite-maker”.
Ātmā as such has no states, but in worldly parlance we speak of such. So the Māndukya Upanishad¹ speaks of the four aspects (Pāda) of the Brahman.
Chaitanya, or Consciousness in bodies, is immanent in the individual and collective gross, subtle, and causal bodies, and transcends them. One and the same Chit pervades and transcends all things, but is given different names to mark its different aspects in the Jīva. Chit, being immutable, has itself no states; for states can only exist in the products of the changing Prakriti-Shakti. From, however, the aspect of Jīva several states exist, which, though informed by the same Chit, may from this aspect be called states of consciousness.²
In the manifested world, Consciousness appears in three states (Avasthā), viz.³: waking (Jāgrat), dreaming, (Svapna), and dreamless slumber (Sushupti). In the waking state the Jīva is conscious of external objects (Bahihprajna), and is the gross enjoyer of these objects through the senses (Sthūlabhuk).⁴ The Jīva in this state is called Jāgarī— that is, he who takes upon himself the gross body called Vishva. Here the Jīva consciousness is in the gross body.
In dreaming (Svapna) the Jīva is conscious of inner objects (Antahprajna), and the enjoyer of what is subtle (Praviviktabhuk)—that is, impressions left on the mind by objects sensed in the waking state. The objects of dreams have only an external reality for the dreamer, whereas the objects perceived when awake have such reality for all who are in that state. The mind ceases to record fresh impressions, and works on that which has been registered in the waking state.
1 This Upanishad gives an analysis of the states of Consciousness on all planes, and should be studied in connection with Gaudapāda’s Kārikā on the same subject with Shangkarāchārya’s Commentary on the latter.
2 Described in detail post.
3 See Māndukya Upanishad (where these are analysed) with Gaudapāda’s Kārikā and Shangkarāchārya’s Commentary on the same.
4 Māndukya Up., Mantra 3. Prapanchasāra Tantra: Svairindriyair yadātmā bhungte bhogān sa jāgaro bhavati (Ch. XIX., Tantrik Texts, Vol. III). See Īshvarapratyabhijnā: Sarvākshagocharatvena yā tu vāhyatayā sthitā (cited by Bhāskararāya in Comm. to v. 62 of Lalitā).
The first (Jāgrat) state is that of sense perception. Here the ego lives in a mental world of ideas, and the Jīva consciousness is in the subtle body. Both these states are states of duality in which multiplicity is experienced.¹
The third state, or that of dreamless sleep (Sushupti), is defined as that which is neither waking nor dreaming, and in which the varied experiences of the two former states are merged into a simple experience (Ekībhūta), as the variety of the day is lost in night without extinction of such variety. Consciousness is not objective (Bahihprajna) nor subjective (Antahprajna), but a simple undifferenced consciousness without an object (Prajnānaghana). In waking the Jīva consciousness is associated with mind and senses; in dreaming the senses are withdrawn; in dreamless slumber mind also is withdrawn. The Jīva, called Prājna, is for the time being merged in his causal body—that is, Prakriti inseparably associated with Consciousness—that is, with that state of Consciousness which is the seed from which the subtle and gross bodies grow. The state is one of bliss. The Jīva is not conscious of anything,² but on awakening preserves only the notion, “Happy I slept; I
1 See Māndukya Up., Mantra 4. Īshvarapratyabhijnā:
Manomātrapathe’ dhyakshavishayatvena vibhramāt
Spashtāvabāsabhāvāuāng srishtih svapnapadang matam.
(Cited in Lalitā, under v. 113.
Prapanchasāra Tantra: Sangjnārahitair api tair asyānubhavo bhavet punah svapnah.
2 This state, when nothing is dreamt, is rarer than is generally supposed.
1 Amritanāda Upanishad, vv. 34, 35—Anandāshrama Edition. Vol. XXIX, p. 43; Shāndilya Up., Ch. I. See also, as to Prāna, Ch. II, Prapanchasāra Tantra. It is also said that Prāna is at the tip of the nostrīls (Nāsāgravarttī), and others are also said to be elsewhere. These localities denote special seats of function. See my volume on “Life”.
2 Kshudhākara; lit., “appetite-maker”.
Ātmā as such has no states, but in worldly parlance we speak of such. So the Māndukya Upanishad¹ speaks of the four aspects (Pāda) of the Brahman.
Chaitanya, or Consciousness in bodies, is immanent in the individual and collective gross, subtle, and causal bodies, and transcends them. One and the same Chit pervades and transcends all things, but is given different names to mark its different aspects in the Jīva. Chit, being immutable, has itself no states; for states can only exist in the products of the changing Prakriti-Shakti. From, however, the aspect of Jīva several states exist, which, though informed by the same Chit, may from this aspect be called states of consciousness.²
In the manifested world, Consciousness appears in three states (Avasthā), viz.³: waking (Jāgrat), dreaming, (Svapna), and dreamless slumber (Sushupti). In the waking state the Jīva is conscious of external objects (Bahihprajna), and is the gross enjoyer of these objects through the senses (Sthūlabhuk).⁴ The Jīva in this state is called Jāgarī— that is, he who takes upon himself the gross body called Vishva. Here the Jīva consciousness is in the gross body.
In dreaming (Svapna) the Jīva is conscious of inner objects (Antahprajna), and the enjoyer of what is subtle (Praviviktabhuk)—that is, impressions left on the mind by objects sensed in the waking state. The objects of dreams have only an external reality for the dreamer, whereas the objects perceived when awake have such reality for all who are in that state. The mind ceases to record fresh impressions, and works on that which has been registered in the waking state.
1 This Upanishad gives an analysis of the states of Consciousness on all planes, and should be studied in connection with Gaudapāda’s Kārikā on the same subject with Shangkarāchārya’s Commentary on the latter.
2 Described in detail post.
3 See Māndukya Upanishad (where these are analysed) with Gaudapāda’s Kārikā and Shangkarāchārya’s Commentary on the same.
4 Māndukya Up., Mantra 3. Prapanchasāra Tantra: Svairindriyair yadātmā bhungte bhogān sa jāgaro bhavati (Ch. XIX., Tantrik Texts, Vol. III). See Īshvarapratyabhijnā: Sarvākshagocharatvena yā tu vāhyatayā sthitā (cited by Bhāskararāya in Comm. to v. 62 of Lalitā).
The first (Jāgrat) state is that of sense perception. Here the ego lives in a mental world of ideas, and the Jīva consciousness is in the subtle body. Both these states are states of duality in which multiplicity is experienced.¹
The third state, or that of dreamless sleep (Sushupti), is defined as that which is neither waking nor dreaming, and in which the varied experiences of the two former states are merged into a simple experience (Ekībhūta), as the variety of the day is lost in night without extinction of such variety. Consciousness is not objective (Bahihprajna) nor subjective (Antahprajna), but a simple undifferenced consciousness without an object (Prajnānaghana). In waking the Jīva consciousness is associated with mind and senses; in dreaming the senses are withdrawn; in dreamless slumber mind also is withdrawn. The Jīva, called Prājna, is for the time being merged in his causal body—that is, Prakriti inseparably associated with Consciousness—that is, with that state of Consciousness which is the seed from which the subtle and gross bodies grow. The state is one of bliss. The Jīva is not conscious of anything,² but on awakening preserves only the notion, “Happy I slept; I
1 See Māndukya Up., Mantra 4. Īshvarapratyabhijnā:
Manomātrapathe’ dhyakshavishayatvena vibhramāt
Spashtāvabāsabhāvāuāng srishtih svapnapadang matam.
(Cited in Lalitā, under v. 113.
Prapanchasāra Tantra: Sangjnārahitair api tair asyānubhavo bhavet punah svapnah.
2 This state, when nothing is dreamt, is rarer than is generally supposed.
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