(3) How does the subject know the object? Through the thought flow of the eyes and so on, only through the thought flow of the mind, or through direct witnessing. In all three states, there is only one subject. In the waking state, the object is known through the thought flow of the eyes and so on. In the dream state, it is known through the thought flow of the mind only. In the deep sleep state, the absence of everything is directly witnessed. The self along with thought flow is called "aabhaasa" or appearance in Vedanta. Therefore, in the waking and dream states, we can call objects as "appearance perceived" and those in deep sleep as "witness perceived". The subject is the pure witness. It is the witness of all absence and is self illumined. The witness does not have any qualities, yet, due to adjuncts it is said to have qualities (dharmee).
The object is within the "this"-idea-realm and the subject is "I"-idea-realm. But the "I" is the pure witness. The I is the witness of all ideas, it is not the I-idea but the witness of the I-idea. Ideas only occur with regards to objects. The reflection of the object in a thought flow is an idea (pratyaya). Identification with the idea of an object causes the witness to become the object of an I-idea. There can never be an idea of a witness. I am bound, I am free, I am wise, I am a man and so on are I-ideas. In that, the I is the pure witness and the ideas of bondage, freedom, wisdom etc. are to do with their respective objects. In this manner, all I-ideas point to the knowledge of the superimposed nature of the pure witness.
When thought flow pervasion (vritii vyaapti) happens, in other words, when the thought flow gains an object, then there are two consequences: the knowledge of the object, and the arrogation (abhimaana) of that knowledge. The name of the arrogation of knowledge is result-pervasion (phala vyaapti). The name of the one who arrogates is the subject. Since it is accompanied by a thought flow, this arrogator is the appearance ("aabhaasa"), and is in its nature, the pure witness. Knowledge of the objects is "this"-idea-based and the knowledge of the subject is "I"-idea-based.
All ideas eventually end but the witness of all ideas, the self, is the endless reality. The ideas of the waking state do not stay in the dream state, those of the dream state do not stay in the deep sleep state, the deep sleep state does not itself stay in the waking state and so on. In this manner, the objects that are known by these ideas end by being of a wavering (vyabhichaaree) nature but the nature of knowledge of the subject never wavers. Therefore the subject self is the endless, non-obstructed reality.
The self exists, it never has the experience of not existing, therefore the self is real (sat). "I am not" - there is no one who will experience this. But "the object is and the object is not" - this experience does happen. Therefore the object is unreal (asat). In waking, dream and deep sleep states, and in past, present and future times, the self remains unchanged, therefore the self is unobstructed whereas the object is obstructed, it ends. By knowing, the self is aware and by being the known, the object is inert. The object is dear to the subject self, the subject is not dear to the object. Everything dear is ultimately related to the self. Therefore, by being the most dear, the self is of the nature of bliss, and objects are of the nature of sorrow. By being non-disconnected from space, time, object, the object is prone to end, and by being the illuminator of space, time and object, the self is endless.
In this manner the self, the subject, is non-obstructed real-consciousness-bliss (sat chit aananda) endless, and the object is obstructed unreal-inert-sorrow disconnected. Their mating, mutual superimposition is not possible, but by not discriminating their true nature properly, the real self and the unreal object become mutually superimposed. And their characteristics also trespass upon one another. From this alone arise all I-mine-nature-related natural dealings.
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