Question:

Dear Ekta,

Papaji says, “The silence of sleep is an inactive silence out of which activities arise. But the real state that lies behind Waking, Dreaming, and Sleeping is an active silence”. Can you please help explain this?

 

Answer:

Let’s understand the first sentence: The silence of sleep is an inactive silence out of which activities arise.

Let’s begin with the following self-inquiry questions:

• • ‘Is there the realization that the Waker-body and Waking world are not experienced anymore after the Waking state has ended and the Dream state has begun?’
  • Where does the Waking state go? Where did the Waker-body go? Where did the Waking world go? Does permanency ever disappear?
  • Is there the realization that the Dream body and Dream world are not experienced anymore after the Dream state has ended and the Sleep state has begun?’
  • Where does the Dream state go? Where did the Dream-body go? Where did the Dream world go? Does permanency ever disappear?

Is there the realization that the Deep Sleep silence is that into which they disappeared? Is there the realization that the Deep Sleep silence is that from which they re-appeared? Is there the recognition that one is entirely nescient how the Deep Sleep silence functions and that is why it is an inactive silence? Hence, Papaji calls the Deep Sleep as that inactive silence out of which the activities of Dream and Waking arise.

Let’s understand the second sentence: The real state that lies behind Waking, Dreaming, and Sleeping is an active silence.

The second level of self-inquiry begins when you realize that:

• • I am the Witness of the Waker-body and the Waking World.
  • I am the Witness of the Dream-body and the Dream World.
  • I am the Witness of the Sleeper and the Deep Sleep World.

The following self-inquiry questions take you forward:

• • Is there a realization that if I am the Witness of the three states, I must lie beyond?
  • Is there a realization that if I-the-Witness lie beyond, then I must be the Fourth?
  • Is there a realization that I-the-Witness mistakenly identified with the Waker, and I cannot be both Witness and the Waker?
  • Is there a realization that I-the-Witness mistakenly identified with the Dream-body, and I cannot be both Witness and the Dream-body?
  • Is there a realization that I-the-Witness can pretend to be ‘someone’ and I-the-Witness can withdraw from the pretense?
  • Is there a realization that I-the-Witness have a higher power than the illusory Waker, Dreamer, Sleeper?
  • Is there a curiosity to know what the source of this power of Witnessing could be?

When these realizations stabilize, there is the establishment of Turiya Awastha, or the Fourth state. Establishing there allows Turiya to rest and repose in its own glory. The restoration acts like a black hole that sucks in the Turiya into itself. Turiyatita [Beyond the Fourth] is realized. That is another level of Silence. That is an active silence because it is known. There is sentience or knowing of the Oneness of Turiyatita, Turiya, Deep Sleep, Dream and the Waking. Hence, Papaji addressed it as the real state that lies behind Waking, Dreaming, and Sleeping, an active silence. It is called active because there is knowing of the Oneness there… Advaitam!