DIFFERENT STATES OF KNOWLEDGE AND IGNORANCE.[12]
Argument. The septuple grounds of true and false Knowledge and their
mixed modes. And firstly, of self-abstraction or abstract knowledge of
one or _swarúpa_; and then of the different grounds of Ignorance.
Ráma said:—Please sir, tell me in brief, what are the grounds of yoga
meditation, which produce the seven kinds of consummation, which are
aimed at by the yogi adepts. You sir, who are best acquainted with all
recondite truths, must know it better than all others.
2. Vasishtha replied:—They consist of the seven states of ignorance
(ajnána-bhúmi), and as many of knowledge also; and these again diverge
into many others, by their mutual intermixture. (Participating the
natures of one another, and forming the mixed modes of states of truth
and error).
3. All these states (both of right and wrong cognitions), being deep
rooted in the nature of man (mahá-satta), either by his habit or of
training, made produce their respective fruits or results (tending to
his elevation or degradation in this world and the next).
Note. Habit or natural disposition (pravritti) is the cause of leading
to ignorance and its resulting error; but good training—_sádhana_ and
better endeavours—_prayatna_, are the causes of right knowledge and
elevation.
4. Attend now to the nature of the sevenfold states or grounds of
ignorance; and you will come to know thereby, the nature of the septuple
grounds of knowledge also.
5. Know this as the shortest lesson, that I will give thee of the
definitions of true knowledge and ignorance; that, it is the remaining
in one’s own true nature (_swarúpa_ or suiform state), that constitutes
his highest knowledge and liberation; and his divergence from it to the
knowledge of his ego (egoism—ahanta), is the cause of his ignorance, and
leads him to the error and bondage of this world.
6. Of these, they that do not deviate from their consciousness—samvitti
of themselves—swarúpa, as composed of the pure _ens_ or essence only
(suddha-san-mátra), are not liable to ignorance; because of their want
of passions and affections, and of the feelings of envy and enmity in
them. (The highest intelligence of one’s self, is the consciousness of
his self-existence, or that “I am that I am” as a spiritual being;
because the spirit or soul is the true self).
7. But falling off from the consciousness of self-entity—swarúpa, and
diving into the intellect—Chit, in search of the thoughts of cognizable
objects (chetyárthas), is the greatest ignorance and error of mankind.
(No error is greater than to fall off from the subjective and run after
the objective).
8. The truce that takes place in the mind, in the interim of a past and
future thought of one object to another (arthadar thántara); know that
respite of the mind in thinking, to be the resting of the soul, in the
consciousness of its self-entity swarúpa.
9. That state of the soul which is at calm after the setting of the
thoughts and desires of the mind; and which is as cold and quiet as the
bosom of a stone, and yet without the torpitude of slumber or dull
drowsiness; is called the supineness of the soul in its recognition of
itself.
10. That state of the soul, which is devoid of its sense of egoism and
destitute of its knowledge of dualism, and its distinction from the
state of the one universal soul, and shines forth with its unsleeping
intelligence, is said to be at rest in itself or _swarúpa_.
11. But this state of the pure and self-intelligent soul, is obscured by
the various states of ignorance, whose grounds you will now hear me
relate unto you. These are the three states of wakefulness or _jágrat_,
known as the embryonic waking (or _vijajágrat_), the ordinary waking,
and the intense waking called the _mahajágrat_. (_i.e._ the hypnotism or
hybernation of the soul, being reckoned its intelligent state, its
waking is deemed as the ground of its ignorance, and the more is it
awake to the concerns of life, the more it is said to be liable to
error).
12. Again the different states of its dreaming (swapnam or somnum), are
also said to be the grounds of its ignorance and these are the waking
dream, the sleeping dream, the sleepy waking and sound sleep or
_sushupti_. These are the seven grounds of ignorance. (Meaning hereby,
all the three states of waking, dreaming and sound sleep (_jágrat_,
_swapna_ and _sushupta_), to be the grounds fertile with our ignorance
and error).
13. These are the seven-fold grounds, productive of sheer ignorance, and
which when joined with one another, become many more and mixed ones,
known under different denominations as you will hear by and by.
14. At first there was the intelligent Intellect (Chaitanya Chit), which
gave rise to the nameless and pure intelligence Suddha-Chit; which
became the source of the would-be mind and living soul.
15. This intellect remained as the ever waking embryonic seed of all,
wherefore it is called the waking seed (Vijajágrat); and as it is the
first condition of cognition, it is said to be the primal waking state.
16. Now know the waking state to be next to the primal waking
intelligence of God, and it consists of the belief of the individual
personality, of the _ego_ and _meity_,—aham and mama; _i.e._ this am I and
these are mine by chance—prág-abháva. (The first is the knowledge of the
impersonal soul, and the second the knowledge of personal or individual
souls).
17. The glaring or great waking—mahajágrat, consists in the firm belief
that I am such a one, and this thing is mine, by virtue of my merits in
this or by-gone times or _Karman_. (This positive knowledge of one’s
self and his properties, is the greatest error of the waking man).
18. The cognition of the reality of any thing either by bias—rudhádhyása
or mistake—arudha, is called the waking dream; as the sight of two moons
in the halo, of silver in shells, and water in the mirage; as also the
imaginary castle building of day dreamers.
19. Dreaming in sleep is of many kinds, as known to one on his waking,
who doubts their truth owing to their short-lived duration (as it was in
the dreaming of Lavana).
20. The reliance which is placed in things seen in a dream, after one
wakes from his sleep, is called his waking dream, and lasting in its
remembrance only in his mind. (Such is the reliance in divine
inspirations and prophetic dreams which come to be fulfilled).
21. A thing long unseen and appearing dimly with a stalwart figure in
the dream, if taken for a real thing of the waking state, is called also
a waking dream. (As that of Brutus on his seeing the stalwart figure of
Cæsar).
22. A dream dreamt either in the whole body or dead body of the dreamer,
appears as a phantom of the waking state: (as a living old man remembers
his past youthful person, and a departed soul viewing the body it has
left behind).
23. Besides these six states, there is a torpid—jada state of the living
soul, which is called his _sushupta_—hypnotism or sound sleep, and is
capable of feeling its future pleasures and pains. (The soul retains
even in this torpid state, the self-consciousness of its merit and
demerit (as impressions—_sanskáras_ in itself, and the sense of the
consequent bliss or misery, which is to attend upon it)).
24. In this last state of the soul or mind, all outward objects from a
straw up to a mountain, appear as mere atoms of dust in its presence; as
the mind views the miniature of the world in profound meditation.
25. I have thus told you Ráma, the features of true knowledge and error
in brief, but each of these states branches out into a hundred forms,
with various traits of their own.
26. A long continued waking dream is accounted as the waking
state—_jágrat_, and it becomes diversified according to the diversity of
its objects. (_i.e._ Waking is but a continued dreaming).
27. The waking state contains under it the conditions of the wakeful
soul of God; also there are many things under these conditions which
mislead men from one error to another; as a storm casts the boats into
whirlpools and eddies.
28. Some of the lengthened dreams in sleep, appear as the waking sight
of day light; while others though seen in the broad day-light of the
waking state, are no better than night-dreams seen in the day time, and
are thence called our day dreams.
29. I have thus far related to you the seven grades of the grounds of
ignorance, which with all their varieties, are to be carefully avoided
by the right use of our reason, and by the sight of the Supreme soul in
our-selves.