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IMPORTANT POLICY STATEMENT:
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?Sri Ranga Sri? Issues 04/24 dated 06/05/03 and 04/25dated 06/06/03 
and the amendment in 04/28 dated 07/29/03 
(archived at Yahoo group Messages 2678, 2691 and 2903). 
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====================================================

(continued from Part 5)

-------------------------------------------------------

The Sleep of the Awakened


We go to sleep each night not only to rest our tired
limbs and jaded mind. A study of the Mandukya -- and
deep reflection upon its theme as exemplified by the
lives of yogis -- enables us to understand that Sleep
is not only bodily need but spiritual function too. 
"sUshUpti" is God's way of extending a standing
invitation to us to drop in on Him, take a little tour
of His realms and find out for ourselves about the
"abiding bliss" the Upanishad declares prevails there.
If Man chooses not to take up God on His invitation,
it could only be due to sloth and ignorance --
"nidrAlasya pramAdOttham tat-tAmasam-udhAhritam" to
recall the words of the Bhagavath-Gita above. It is
only sloth or ignorance, or both, that can keep our
spirit from advancing upon Heaven's gateways situated
in the inner world of our consciousness -- the world
which our Waking-state, preoccupied as it is forever
with what is mundane and desire-ridden, conspires to
keep shut always. 


Sleep is certainly not, on account of all this, the
equivalent of God-experience; but it is perhaps the
nearest approximation of it known to Man. It is within
easy grasp, too, of one and all. The secret of
"sUshUpti" lies in being able to 'awaken in sleep' and
look through the eyes of the Mandukya at what lies
beyond. Sleep will then no longer seem slothful
activity ("tAmasa-nidra"). Instead, every night we go
to bed it will seem to us as if we are preparing to go
into "yOga-nidra" where, like AndAl's "munivargaLUm
yOgigaLum", we might seize the sacred opportunity for
true meditative joy and lasting mystical fulfillment? 


Who knows? It is probable we might then find it quite
easy to cultivate the old custom of our wise
forefathers: going to bed uttering "Madhava, Madhava,
Madhava!" and awaking with "Hari" bellowing seven
times upon our lips! 




*** CONCLUDED ***

dAsan,
Sudarshan



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