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The Eternal Message Of The Gita-The Non-Manifested-I
But, superior to this non-manifested, there exists another Non-manifested, eternal, which does not perish, when all beings perish. (The Gita, VIII. 18 and 20.)
Quite naturally, the 'daybreak' corresponds to the manifested state of waking (jagrat avastha), and 'nightfall' to the non-manifested state of deep sleep (sushupti avastha). Normally the non-manifested is considered to be the source, the cause of the manifested which, at a certain time, is again reabsorbed into it. As far as the dream state (svapna avastha) is concerned, it is part of the manifested (cf. the Karika of Gaudapada and Shankara's commentary on the Mandukya Upanishad)
One may find it surprising that, in the Gita, no mention is made of the method of avasthatraya—the study of the three states of waking, dreaming and deep sleep—while other texts, such as the Uddhava Gita, emphasize its significance and importance. This objection disappears, however, if one looks upon the states of waking and dreaming as being of the same nature in as much as both represent the manifested aspect, while deep sleep represents the non-manifested aspect. Similarly we may note that the Gita makes no mention of another classic position of Vedanta, according to which it is proper to make a distinction between the ultimate Reality—Brahman, and the apparent reality Maya (paramarthika satta and vyavaharika satta). The Gita, however, is not a philosophical treatise like the Viveka-chudamani or the Panchadasi, but is giving an overview of the conflicts, of the contradictions of life, and their solutions.
The commentaries, the later developments that were inspired by the living words of Sri Krishna which were full of wisdom, gave birth to various philosophies, but the Gita itself does not directly refer to the classical methods of Vedanta, whether it be the study of the three states (avasthatraya) or the proper study of the superimpositions (adhyaropa-apavada). These methods are effective means for attaining the truth, because the human mind indeed feels the need to understand life through a system. The intuition of the Real itself comes, most often, only at the end of a long search carried out according to the particular mental structure of the seeker. The methods of Vedanta, having no other object than to awaken us to the ultimate comprehension, take this mental structure into account.
Before studying the notions of 'manifested' and 'non-manifested' with the help of the method of avasthatraya which is metaphysical and non-causal, we shall first explain more fully the point of view of adhyaropa-apavada which is theological and causal, and which looks upon Brahman, the Reality, as the primal Cause. According to this view our intuition of the Reality is veiled by samkalpa and vikalpa (volition and imagination) which are the effects of Maya, the apparent reality, and thus Brahman, the ultimate Reality, can only be realized by transcending Maya. This theory is illustrated by a classic example: When, in the twilight, we mistake a rope for a snake, the snake is 'superimposed' on the rope. The snake has to disappear so that the rope may appear, for one cannot see the snake and the rope at the same time. In the same way Maya, the apparent reality, is superimposed on Brahman, the ultimate Reality.
The realisation of Brahman through the negation of Maya is a concept common to the two methods quoted above. They differ, however, in the meaning given to the term 'Maya'. To Gaudapada who expounds the method of avasthatraya in the Mandukya Upanishad, everything that is perceived is Maya. So, from this point of view, there is sameness of nature between the states of waking and dreaming, both being characterized by the perception of objects and thoughts. The theory of superimposition, on the other hand, accords a higher degree of reality to the waking state which it sees as the cause of the dream.
About the author
A monk of the Ramakrishna Order, India, Swami Siddheswarananda (1897-1957) taught Vedanta in Europe in the 1940s as the Minister-in-Charge of Centre Vedantique Ramakrichna, Gretz, France. This is the fourth installment of a series of about a dozen articles on various themes of the Gita-teachings based on his notes.
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