Namaste Ramji,
I am a student in the traditional Advaita Vedanta. I had a question which is a bit on the theoretical side of Vedanta. This question has been an issue of huge controversy within Indian Vedanta circles.
The question is: Is there ignorance (avidya) in the deep sleep state? Does ignorance keep existing in the state of deep sleep?
There are some scholars in traditional sampradaya who believe that Avidya does not exist in deep sleep. The most prominent among them was Sri Swami Satchidanandendra(1880-1975), who wrote a book in 1930, as a refutation of the doctrine that Avidya exists in deep sleep. He claimed that nowhere in his commentaries does Adi Shankara claim that ignorance still exists in deep sleep.
I would like to know your opinions about this issue.
Dear M…,
There is no avidya in deep sleep. Avidya belongs to the waking state jiva. Avidya is personal ignorance of one’s nature as satchitananda atma. Deep sleep is universal ignorance or Maya. It is the nature of the tamasic aspect of Saguna Isvara, the karana sarira, the macrocosmic causal body. Shankara distinguishes Maya from avidya to clear this doubt.
Your first question is wrong owing to the word “in.” Ask yourself “For whom is there avidya in deep sleep?” It can’t be the waking state or dream state jivas (viswa or taijasa) because they aren’t present in deep sleep. Obviously there is no avidya for atma because atma is non-dual existence shining as awareness. Avidya implies vidya. It is duality. Is there avidya for pranja jiva, the “seed” jiva, that enjoys the freedom and bliss in deep sleep? No, because that jiva is Isvara, minus a personal intellect. Avidya belongs to the intellect alone.
The second question is wrong because of the words, “keep existing.” Keep existing for whom? Ignorance “keeps existing” in the sense that it is eternal. When you have something that is known i.e. the Self, it is always possible that it is not known. But Ignorance (Maya) is eternal; it exists always. So in that way you can say it “keeps” existing. Avidya “keeps existing” for the waking state jiva until atmajnanam destroys it.
Why is Maya ignorance? Because avarana shakti (tamas) apparently conceals the atma so it feels incomplete and vikshepa shakti (rajas) projects the prapanca, which is very attractive. The jiva gets fascinated and thinks that the experiences to be gained in the creation will remove its sense of limitation, which is called samsara. Neither the atma nor Isvara, the creative power, feel incomplete so they are not attracted to the creation so there is no avidya for them. Only the atma under the spell of Maya, i.e. a samsari is attracted.
Om and Prem,
Ram
