feeding of a somnolent boy, perceptible to the onlooker (but not to the subject). The driver sleeping on his moving cart is not aware of the motion of the cart, because his mind is sunk in darkness. Similarly the sahaja Jnani remains unaware of his bodily activities because his mind is dead — having been resolved in the ecstasy of Chit Ananda (Self).
The two words contemplation and samadhi have been used loosely in the question.
Contemplation is a forced mental process, whereas samadhi lies beyond effort.
| Sleep | Kevala | Sahaja |
|---|---|---|
| (1) mind alive | (1) mind alive | (1) mind dead |
| (2) sunk in oblivion | (2) sunk in light | (2) resolved into the Self; |
| (3) like a bucket with the rope left lying in the water in a well; | (3) like a river discharged into the ocean and its identity lost; | |
| (4) to be drawn out by the other end of the rope. | (4) a river cannot be redirected from the ocean. |
Talk 188.
The essence of mind is only awareness or consciousness. When the ego, however, dominates it, it functions as the reasoning, thinking or sensing faculty. The cosmic mind being not limited by the ego, has nothing separate from itself and is therefore only aware. This is what the Bible means by “I am that I AM”.
The ego-ridden mind has its strength sapped and is too weak to resist the torturing thoughts. The egoless mind is happy in deep, dreamless sleep. Clearly therefore Bliss and misery are only modes of mind; but the weak mode is not easily interchangeable with the strong mode. Activity is weakness and consequently miserable; passivity is strength and therefore blissful. The dormant strength is not apparent and therefore not availed of.