Ignorance-Knowledge: 129

When the intellect becomes gradually purified and established through sustained practice, listening, reflection, and contemplation, an extraordinary transformation takes place within a person's being. The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad (3.4.2 and 3.7.23) declares—"Tam esha atma anudrashta drashta, ashrota shrota, amato mata, ajnano jnata"—that is, the Self is never an object of the senses, but is itself the witness of all experience. Behind our eyes that see, our ears that hear—behind this seeing and hearing lies an eternal power. This power is the Self. It exists purely as witness (anudrashta). We cannot see the eye, we cannot hear the ear, but the fundamental cause of their functioning is this Self. The Self is the seer, the hearer, the thinker (mata) and the knower (jnata)—but It is never seen, heard or known by anything outside Itself. It dwells within all beings.

When practice reaches this point of understanding, the active whirlwind of ignorance is exhausted; the circle of unknowing stops of its own accord, and Self-knowledge dawns—which is not the acquisition of new information, but the spontaneous revelation of that eternal truth which was always present.

This knowledge is not the accomplished result of action; it is an unveiling, not of miraculous creation, but like the sun when clouds move away. Just as the sun is always risen—it becomes visible only when the cloud-cover clears—so too liberation is not the fruit of performed deeds, but the recognition of the Self's own radiance. The Mundaka Upanishad (1.2.12) states—"Parikshya lokan karmachitan brahmano nirvedamayan. Nastya kritah kritena. Tad vijnanartham sa gurum evabhigachchet samitpanih shrotriyam brahmanishtha m"—that is, "The brahmin (seeker of knowledge) should examine these worlds achieved through karma and come to dispassion, for the eternal (moksha) cannot be attained through impermanent actions. For the sake of that knowledge, he should approach a guru with sacrificial wood in hand—one who is learned in the Vedas and established in Brahman." The wise one knows that the imperishable Self cannot be gained through any action, for the results of action are momentary, while the Self is beginningless and inexhaustible.

The fruits attained through Vedic rituals or sacrifices (such as heaven or other realms of enjoyment) are all impermanent and perishable. For whatever is achieved through action (krita) cannot be eternal. Realizing this truth, the seeker must embrace dispassion. Since moksha or Brahman-knowledge (which is akrita/eternal) cannot be gained through the fruits of action, for the sake of that knowledge (tad vijnanartham), he must necessarily seek refuge in a guru (gurum eva abhigachchet)—approaching with sacrificial wood in hand, one who is learned in the Vedas (shrotriyam) and established in Brahman (brahmanishtha m).

Ignorance's two powers—concealment (hiding the Self) and projection (false superimposition)—gradually dissolve in the light of this knowledge. First, concealment is removed: the veil of ignorance is lifted, and the Self becomes visible. Then projection ceases—false attributions such as "I am the body," "I am the mind," "I am the doer"—fall away of their own accord. Once the distinction between seer and seen becomes clear, false superimposition loses its power, and the Self realizes—"I am Brahman"—Aham Brahmasmi. The Kaivalyopanishad (2.10) proclaims this truth—"Sa eva sarvam yad bhutam yaccha bhavyam sanatana m. Jnapayitva svamatmana m sarvam tu parikallitam"—That (Self) alone is everything—what was (past), what will be (future), and whatever is eternal (present). Having known one's own nature (Self), all this visible world is understood to be mere imagination (maya or superimposition). I alone am Brahman, there is nothing beyond this.

At this stage, the practitioner learns to perceive the subtle distinction between Self and non-Self. The "five sheaths" (panchakosa) doctrine described in the Taittiriya Upanishad (2.1-5) clarifies this gradual unveiling of the Self—annamaya (food-body), pranamaya (vital-body), manomaya (mental-body), vijnanamaya (intellectual-body), anandamaya (bliss-body)—crossing these five coverings one by one, the Self comes to know itself. This path of transcendence is "neti neti"—"not this, not this"—as stated in the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad (2.3.6), the Self cannot be determined by any particular qualities, for It transcends all qualities.

When the practitioner realizes that mind, intellect, thought—all are merely appearances in consciousness, a profound insight awakens: the seer is never the seen, and what is seen lies outside the seer. This realization is the core of the "drik-drishya-viveka" doctrine; the seer is the eternal witness, beyond change, while the seen is changeable, impermanent. This perspective forms the center of Advaita's ultimate understanding of reality, where consciousness is the unchanging truth, everything else being its reflection.

At the level of understanding, human consciousness transcends all its relative states and becomes established in its eternal Self-nature. Waking, dreaming, and deep sleep—these three states are merely different waves in the Self's manifestation. The Mandukya Upanishad analyzes these three experiences systematically, showing that in the waking state consciousness is outward-turned—illuminating the world through the senses; in dreams the mind creates and perceives its own projected world; and in deep sleep both mind and senses dissolve, where all dualities—knowledge-ignorance, pleasure-pain—become temporarily still. Yet the Self remains the unwavering witness even there—It illuminates even the bliss of sleep.

These three experiences—outer, inner, and veiled—are all changeable. But that consciousness which remains immutable through all three, which has no modification or limitation, is called Turiya. The essential teaching of the Mandukya Upanishad (7)—"Nantahprajnam, na bahihprajnam, na ubhayatahprajnam, na prajnanaghana m, na prajnam, na aprajnam; adrishta m, avyavaharya m, agrahya m, achintyam, avyapades hyam, ekatmapratyayasara m, prapanchopas hama m, santa m, s hiva m, advaita m—chaturtha m manyante, sa atma, sa vijneyah." That is, "The Self is neither inwardly cognitive, nor outwardly cognitive, nor both-ways cognitive, nor a mass of cognition, nor cognitive, nor non-cognitive; It is unseen, beyond practical dealings, ungraspable, unthinkable, indescribable, having the essence of the experience of the one Self, the cessation of phenomena, peaceful, auspicious, non-dual—this they consider the Fourth, That is the Self, That should be known."

"Nantahprajnam"—na (not) + antahprajnam (inwardly cognitive, i.e., inward-turned consciousness like in dreams) meaning, the Self is not any inward-turned knowledge.

"Na bahihprajnam"—na (not) + bahihprajnam (outwardly cognitive, i.e., sense-perceptible like in waking state) meaning, the Self is not any outward-turned knowledge either.

"Na ubhayatahprajnam"—na (not) + ubhayatahprajnam (cognitive in both ways—inner and outer) meaning, the Self transcends both inner and outer knowledge.

"Na prajnanaghana m"—na (not) + prajnana-ghana (mass of consciousness, i.e., consciousness shrouded in ignorance, as in deep sleep) meaning, the Self is not merely a condensation of consciousness.

"Na prajnam, na aprajnam"—the Self is neither knowing (prajna) nor unknowing (aprajna); It is beyond these two opposite concepts.

"Adrishta m"—what cannot be seen, not perceptible by senses.

"Avyavaharya m"—what cannot be employed in any application, action, or worldly use.

"Agrahya m"—what cannot be grasped, not conceivable by senses or intellect.

"Achintyam"—what cannot be thought, for thinking always depends on duality, while the Self is non-dual.

"Avyapades hyam"—what cannot be expressed through words or definitions, beyond description.

"Ekatmapratyayasara m"—eka (one), atma (Self), pratyaya (experience or consciousness), saram (essence)—whose essence is the direct experience of oneness; that is, whose nature is one Self-consciousness.

"Prapanchopas hama m"—prapancha (multiplicity of world, dual manifestation) + upas hama (becoming still or pacified)—where all worldly divisions and phenomena are completely dissolved.

"Santa m"—what is eternally peaceful, without restlessness, silent and still.

"S hiva m"—what is auspicious, beneficent, of the nature of welfare.

"Advaita m"—what has no second, completely indivisible, the sole truth.

"Chaturtha m manyante"—chaturtha (fourth) + manyante (people consider)—Vedantins call this the "fourth state," for it is beyond waking, dreaming, and deep sleep.

"Sa atma, sa vijneyah"—sah (He/That) atma (Self) sah vijneyah (That should be known)—He who is beyond these three states is the true Self, and He alone is the truth worthy of being known.

This mantra declares—the Self is no inward or outward knowledge, no sense-perceptible or thinkable object; It is beyond all dual concepts—an infinite, auspicious, still consciousness who is Itself the witness of all experience, and who is called Turiya, meaning the fourth, the supreme, all-pervading Self.

The word Turiya does not indicate some numerical "fourth" experience; it is not a new state, but the substratum of all states.

Waking, dreaming, and deep sleep—through these three states consciousness manifests in its various forms. In waking it knows the world through senses; in dreams the mind creates images of its own; and in deep sleep, all distinctions temporarily dissolve, though the veil of ignorance remains. Turiya is not outside these three—it is that one consciousness which illuminates these three, manifests through them, yet is never included in any state.

For this reason, Acharya Gaudapada states in his Mandukya Karika (1.10)—"Naiva jagarana m svapno, naiva supta m, naiva cha turiya m"—that is, "The Self is neither waking, nor dreaming, nor deep sleep, not even Turiya." This does not mean Turiya doesn't exist, but rather declares—Turiya is no 'state'; it is that consciousness which pervades through all states yet remains untouched by them.

In Upanishadic language, the Self is beyond "seer, seen, and seeing"—these three. In waking state the seer sees the seen; in dreams the mind becomes both seer and seen; in deep sleep both remain still. But through all three, one being remains immutable—which is seeing, knowing, yet never becomes a seen object. That being is Turiya.

Thus Turiya can be said to be consciousness's unconditioned presence—which remains as the silent witness behind all experience. Just as a screen, without being separate from itself, holds all pictures yet never becomes part of the picture—so the Self holds all states, illuminates them, yet never changes with the states' transformations.

Therefore Turiya is no new realization—it is that fundamental truth which is always present. The practitioner merely recognizes it; nothing new is acquired, but when maya's veil is removed, that one eternal, immutable, self-luminous Self is revealed—who is the witness of waking, dreaming, and deep sleep, yet bound by none.

Shankaracharya explains this doctrine in his commentary—Turiya alone is the real consciousness, the rest are projections of maya. Just as the ocean remains unchanged while its waves rise and fall—so the Self is still, waking-dreaming-deep sleep are its waves. In this state alone the Self is realized as Chidananda—eternally conscious and eternally blissful.

When the practitioner becomes established in this Turiya nature, all experience merges into one still unity for him. The waking world then is not maya, but the Self's expansion; dreams then are not delusion, but consciousness's imagination; deep sleep then is not unconscious, but a shadow of peaceful tranquility. And established in Turiya, all three merge into one stream of unchanging Brahman-consciousness—where there is no waking or sleeping, only infinite self-luminous radiance, which is the inherent truth of all experience.

Thus the Turiya of Mandukya Upanishad is no distant goal; it is that Self's still being that is awake in every moment, every breath, every thought. One who realizes this knows—consciousness never breaks, never is lost; only when the veil of manifestation moves aside does its radiance reveal itself. Then life becomes the echo of that eternal utterance—"Santa m S hiva m Advaita m"—peaceful, auspicious, non-dual Brahman-consciousness.