"The body also becomes unconscious in the deep sleep when the ego is in absorption. The half manifestation of the ego is dream and its full manifestation, the waking." - Verse 10
Excerpt from the commentary:
Vedanta defines deep sleep as the state in which the ego ceases to function. It is not destroyed but remains dormant. Herein it identifies only with the causal body and disassociated temporarily from the gross and subtle body. Hence all transactions of the body with the world cease. An individual's experience of this s ate on waking is "I did not perceive anything. I slept well." Since it is a thought-free state, none can complain of a bad deep sleep. The bodily movements during deep sleep do not result in merit or sin, since they are egoless actions.
The partial manifestation of the ego is the dream state. The ego identifies only with the subtle body (mind-intellect) but not the gross body. The mind projects the dream and the dream world and the ego identifies with these thoughts. On waking, he realizes that the entire dream was within himself.
The total manifestation of the ego is the waking state. Here the ego identifies with both the subtle and the gross body and is technically called 'visva' meaning complete. The individual's entire personality manifests itself and he experiences the gross world of objects and beings as being external to his body just like a book in one's hand is not felt to exist within one's body. The ego finds complete satisfaction only when it is able to manifest throughout all the layers of its personality.
At times we are in states in between sleep, dream, and waking. We can be in a wakeful dream, or a sleepy waking .. in such states the ego only partially identifies with the gross body.
It should be noted that these states belong only to the ego and not to the immutable Consciousness. To us, however, the waking state appears real and the dream illusory. This discrimination fails us when analyzing our life and its experiences in the different states.
At times we are in states in between sleep, dream, and waking. We can be in a wakeful dream, or a sleepy waking .. in such states the ego only partially identifies with the gross body.
It should be noted that these states belong only to the ego and not to the immutable Consciousness. To us, however, the waking state appears real and the dream illusory. This discrimination fails us when analyzing our life and its experiences in the different states.
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