Question:
What does it mean to just practice ‘being’, I understood non-duality, but what about ‘being’, is it witnessing everything or is witnessing and being different?
Sri Prabhuji:
In deep sleep, there is bliss but no knowledge. Deep sleep is a state of no thoughts. On the otherhand waking state is state of no bliss. However there is consciousness in waking state.
Just being is equivalent of waking sleep (Jagrat sushupti or samadhi). In this state restful of deep sleep and awareness of waking state is there. This is transcendental stage where subjective consciousness of waking and sleep is transcended – called turiya (fourth state). This state of deep meditation is non functional – no activities possible but there is recognition of true nature of Self as Sat-chit-ananda. As the subconscious impressions drop, waking dream and deep sleep is recognized as unreal. Turiya – only reality is background of all activities remains. This is the state of Realized one – Sthitaprajna who can function in the world with full awareness of non dual Self without a sense of doership.