Presently most Yoga Masters teach Yoga just as a therapy or as a means to keep body and mind healthy. to keep body and mind healthy is not everything; it is the base of Yoga. The apex of Yoga is to realise the true self(atman). According to the Indian Scriptures Atman is Brahman, the Ultimate Reality. So practitioners should try to understand the 'self' first.
Like all living beings, man has consciousness. For this he feels that he has existence. Dead matter has no consciousness and so it cannot know either its own existence or the existence of others. Since conscious man knows his existence, he has a Self. Self is intimately related to his consciousness. Consciousness awakens knowledge in him. This knowledge tells a man that he has a Self or has an existence in relation to others.
According to the Upanishads, this Self remains in four states - waking, dreaming, deep sleep and true self(atman). The practice of Yoga is to move inwards of consciousness from waking through deep sleep to true self states.
In the waking state, consciousness of man spreads everywhere through his sense organs. Self is knowledgeable about the gross body and the gross world outside. It is the enjoyer of this gross material world. It enjoys what it has imagined and created. Gross world has no real existence. If at all it exists, it exists in the consciousness of beings. Gross world is an imagination and creation of all beings. For this, in the waking state, Self is called Universal(vishva).
In the dreaming sate, consciousness spreads inwards i.e. in the subtle dreaming world. Self is knowledgeable about its subtle body and subtle dreaming world. This world is its own creation and very much private. Through its own creation, it enjoys its own creation. The same mind and senses work here. The difference is everything is subtle here and everything is an illumination only. For this Self is called Illuminous(taijasa).
When one goes to sleep, one passes from waking state to dreaming state. Body and world change from gross to subtle. But the same mind and senses remain active. For this dreaming world appears to be as real as waking world. However no world is real.
When one enters into deep sleep state, mind and senses cease to function. For this one sees nothing or hears nothing. Mind and senses immerse in the consciousness. For this consciousness is pure here or Self attains purity. there is none other than the Self. For this one sees nothing or hears nothing. There is no dualism and there is oneness of all. Gods and Goddesses, beings and worlds, hell and heaven become one here.
In the absence of dualism, there is neither virtue nor vice, neither joy nor sorrow; Self is intelligent and blissful. Brightness acts as a sense organ and through this Self enjoys only the bliss. For this after a deep sleep one remains blissful and peaceful. In the deep sleep state, Self is called Intelligent(prajna). This Intelligent Self is the God of all. It becomes the cause of all worlds. This is the state where creation, sustenance and destruction of all beings are determined.
Waking and dreaming states are experienced by all, because mind is active in these two states. Effect of deep sleep is only felt and not realised. The fourth state is neither felt nor realised by all. Only a true Yogi may feel and realise third and fourth states. deep sleep may be realised by a Yogi through meditation when he has risen above body and senses. Throgh meditation mind enters the deep seep and realises it. Then in total concentration(samadhi) he may realise the fourth state again through the mind.
In the fourth state, Self has neither the knowledge of the outside world nor of the inner world; Self is neither intelligent nor ignorant. Only there is the manifestation of true self(atman) which is peaceful, graceful and unique. Self is called soul(atman) here, which is the only thing to be known and to be realised in the whole universe.
So practitioners should learn that Yoga from him, who clears all ignorance and shows true divine or spiritual path. Awake and arise and stop not till the goal is achieved.
