Sleep as a State of Consciousness in Advaita Vedānta
Author | : Arvind Sharma |
Publisher | : State University of New York Press |
Total Pages | : 192 |
Release | : 2012-02-01 |
ISBN-10 | : 9780791484302 |
ISBN-13 | : 0791484300 |
Rating | : 4/5 (02 Downloads) |
Book excerpt: Indian philosophy bases itself on three states of consciousness: waking, dreaming, and deep sleep. Deep sleep, or susupti, plays an important role in Advaita Vedanta, the major philosophical school that advocates a doctrine of pure consciousness. Explaining and savoring this paradox, this book shows how the concept of deep sleep can be used in Advaita Vedanta to reveal a philosophical insight, validate an argument, illustrate a moral, or adorn a tale. Arvind Sharma explores why sleep is a phenomenon that philosophers should be interested in and examines it in classical Hindu religious texts, including the Upanisads, and in foundational, early, and modern Advaita Vedanta.