Avasthatraya is the three states of experience – waking, dreaming, and the dreamless sleep. Adi Shankaracharya and to some extent, Ramanuja, of Vedanta School enquire into the experiences of waking, dreaming and the dreamless sleep, so as to get to the nature of the individual self.
According to Advaita Vedanta, the waking experience takes place
through the contact of the senses with the external physical world, and the
mind changes the sense-material into knowledge. But in a dream, the activity of
the sense organs is absent, the contact with the external world is snapped and
only the mind functions with ideas and images. For all practical purposes, the
dream is a closed experience, and there is a complete experience exactly
similar to the waking state. As long as the dream lasts, the dreamer believes
that it is all real. On waking up, however, the dream is known to be false as
the experience therein is then realized to be merely a creation of the mind.
In deep, dreamless sleep, the mind lapses into inaction.
Advaita believes that even when the mind and the sense organs are defunct in
deep sleep, there is an inner consciousness bearing witness to the absence of
all conscious activity, accounting for the continuity of the personality.
In deep, dreamless sleep, the mind lapses into inaction.
Advaita believes that even when the mind and sense organs are defunct in deep sleep,
there is an inner consciousness bearing witness to the absence of all conscious
activity, accounting for the continuity of the personality.
Through Avastha traya vichara (analysis of the three states)
in this way, one comes to know that the sense organs and mind are not always
active. Therefore, it is concluded that sakshin (witness consciousness), which
is present and immutable in all the three states of experience, is the true
self, and the core of the personality.
In finding one’s true self and nature by such an inquiry,
one is liberated from false associations with body and mind. He is mukta (the
liberated one).
Further parallels are drawn between individual personality
and cosmic realities. For example, waking, dreaming and dreamless sleep have
analogues in the corresponding realities of Brahman in the form of virata (the
extended and visible world); of Hiranyagarbha (cosmic mind), and of Ishwara.
Just as all sensory and mental experiences lapse into the condition of sleep
and again emerge when the individual wakes up; the worlds merge into God at the
time of pralaya (dissolution), and emerge on Shrishti (creation).