- Question:
According to Vedanta, all the 3 states of wakefulness, sleep, and dreaming are illusions. If so, why do we have karma for what we do only during the waking state but not in other states?
Sri Prabhuji:
According to Vedanta there are 3 levels of Reality. Absolute reality which does not change is called paramarthik satya and transactional reality called vyavaharika satya. The individual reality is called pratibhasika satya.
God-Brahman-Atma is absolute reality – non transactional.
Waking state falls under transactional reality. Karma is only possible in transactional reality. Ego assumes the responsibility of doership. Ego is dominant in waking state. Ego takes up credit for all waking state transactions and gains karma because of doership.
Dream state and deep sleep fall under the category of pratibhasika satya or individual reality. No transaction is possible in this state and hence no karma. Dream state is based on mental impressions. Ego is present in a dream state but transactions are limited to mental impressions and hence no karma. In deep sleep ego is dormant and hence no karma.
Student: – But you always said that there is no difference between the waking state and dreaming state. In Fact there are only two states, dream state and deep sleep state. Also, in sleeping dream, there is an ego present. And you said, when I am inside a dream it will be as real as a waking state till I come out of the dream. When ego is there, doership, ownership and karma should also be present for actions done in the dream state.
Sri Prabhuji:
Two states is a higher level understanding. But a beginner might not understand that. In deep sleep and dream no additional karma is possible. The actions happening in the dream state are nothing but the manifestation of your waking state impressions. So, there cannot be any new karma. Also, when you wake up and realize that it was unreal, how can there be karma? In dream if you kill a non real person which is your mental impressions? Where is new karma?
Student:
Jnani has no karma for waking state actions also.
Sri Prabhui:
When you wake up from a dream, you realize the dream as unreal, hence karma will not be there. In case of a jnani, he wakes up from the waking state itself, hence Jnani has no karma for anything that happens in the waking state also. Jnani woke up from the waking state and realized it be unreal. That very moment, all his karma drops.