The Difference Between Manolaya and Manonasa

 

 

 

 

 

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It is important to understand the crucial distinction between manolaya and manonasa as the two terms differ in the way the mind is dissolved. Generally, in Advaita, manolaya implies the temporary dissolution of the mind while manonasa implies the permanent dissolution of the mind. Since moksha is a permanent, it can only be revealed if the mind is dissolved permanently and not temporarily. Therefore, without manonasa, liberation cannot be possible as one will re-identify again with body-mind due to outstanding vasanas that continue to sustain the mind's existence. 

 

In states of manolaya such as deep sleep or kevala nirvikalpa samadhi, the mind has subsided because it has ceased experiencing any external objects or thoughts. The subject-object duality in both instances have collapsed. When the mind has subsided this way, it is only subsided temporarily, meaning it will emerge again and the seeker will regain consciousness of body or mind no matter how long the subsidence lasts for. Once body-consciousness returns, the mind becomes extroverted again and all tendencies such as lust, anger, etc. will rise up again due to vasanas that have not yet been fully dissolved. 

 

Although deep sleep and kevala nirvikalpa samadhi are both considered states of manolaya, it should be noted that the two are very distinct from one another. In deep sleep, subject-object duality collapses in the pervasiveness of tama guna (pure ignorance) which conceals the knowledge of Brahman from being known. This is an experience of absence. In this case, one cannot know their true nature since the mind is completely absent and is unable to hold on to anything. There is only absorption in the causal bliss of potentiality, without the capacity to know anything else. However, in kevala nirvikalpa samadhi, subject-object duality collapses and the jiva loses itself in a non-dual substratum without the veil of ignorance covering its true self. This is a self-experience where one is absorbed in Brahman but without knowing who they truly are since there is no mind to reflect the knowledge of the self. This is by no means an easy achievement. This temporary stilling of all thoughts and objects is a clear sign of one's progress but the danger of it lies in mistaking it for the final goal of spiritual practice. 

 

The subsidence in both deep sleep and kevala nirvikalpa samadhi is only temporary, because the mind has subsided prematurely without clearly knowing its essential nature. This means the mind was cut short from turning into Brahman and instead abruptly sunk into the depths of oblivion before it had a chance to mature into self-knowledge through self-alertness. To know the nature of Brahman, the mind must remain still by turning inward and without slipping into the inactivity and bliss from any form of laya. If done correctly, the mind will remain completely awake to reflect the true knowledge of Brahman without going inactive. This abidance is known as Turiya or wakeful samadhi.  To rest here permanently, this abidance needs to remain firm until all vasanas (causal tendencies that manifest as thoughts and broken experiences) are completely dissolved. This will remove the potential for awareness to be entangled in its own imagination or false knowledge. Only once all vasanas are destroyed (vasana-kshaya), will the mind permanently rest its own essential nature of chit (consciousness) without effort in remaining there. 

 

The mind is not separate from consciousness. It IS consciousness. We just give consciousness the name 'Mind' when consciousness appears to be projecting outward and perceiving a stream of linear thoughts. It is the vasanas or the imaginary dark force that keeps consciousness entangled in its own projection within itself and prevents itself from having a self-experience void of any false knowledge. In order for the mind to be destroyed (i.e. to permanently remove the illusion that it exists), not only does it need to cease in perceiving linear thoughts and external objects, but it needs to also clearly experience its own form of chit (consciousness) which is the fundamental aspect of itself. In other words, the mind needs to be internalized and remain transfixed on its original point of origin. 

 

In different states of manolaya, there may be different levels of clarity in the way self-consciousness shines, but because consciousness is not fully shining on the mind, there is no complete clarity of this knowledge. In manolaya, you cannot know your true nature since there is no means to realise it. You can only realise something with use of the mind when it’s completely awake. The realisation of Brahman when it reflects on an alert mind, is the only knowledge that can remove the illusion of the mind because it exposes the false aspect of itself to its own true nature. Exposing it is the only means to destroy it. If the truth is not known, the mind will continue to hold its false identity and continue to believe in this truth even though this truth is false knowledge. 

 

When false knowledge (mind) becomes exposed to true knowledge (Brahman), the mind begins to turn into Brahman because true knowledge begins to take over. True knowledge in this case is unbroken. There is no broken experience of thoughts that causes attention to transition from one point to the next. Attention is stuck on its own truth in an unbroken experience, yet at the same time, can witness the operation of the activities being made by the body and mind while operating in the "physical plane", though it is not perceived as such when self-knowledge shines. Only when this unbroken truth becomes split, does awareness become a thinker and now perceives itself to be a doer who owns thoughts and commits actions. Therefore, true knowledge (Brahman) removes false knowledge (mind). As true knowledge removes false knowledge, the mind will proportionally give up its false existence along with desires as it slowly clings on to its real identity (i.e. begins to transform).

 

To understand why nirvikalpa samadhi cannot destroy ignorance (mind), we need to understand the nature of this type of samadhi and how it is produced. The result of kevala nirvikalpa samadhi is from attempting to suppress the mind by putting aside the outstanding vasanas (essentially putting them on hold), instead of working to remove them completely by unfolding the chit aspect of the mind. The seeker can only remain in this type of samadhi so long as they are not in the presence of objects and thoughts. In this case, one has jumped from active mind to inactive mind. This will feel like you’re teleporting into samadhi, i.e. going from one place to another. Because the mind is inactive, it will be impossible to dissolve the vasanas because there is no doer or agent present to work on them in such a state. Because a doer cannot make any necessary effort during the state of nirvikalpa samadhi or deep sleep, one cannot increase the degree of clarity and maximize it until it cannot be maximized anymore. Vasanas can only be destroyed when they arise which is why effort to destroy them must take place when there is an active agent to destroy them. Therefore only when the mind has risen out of manolaya, can one make the necessary effort to focus its attention keenly on the subject, thus removing the vasanas that sustains the false self. 

 

One must therefore not allow oneself to be hypnotized or caught up by the spell of stillness like nirvikalpa samadhi since there is no longer a doer in such a state. This is why nirvikalpa samadhi cannot burn ignorance. If it did, you wouldn’t be able to come back from it. But because ignorance or the mind arises again (no matter how long the subsidence lasts for), we cannot say that this method produces liberation. This means salvikalpa samadhi must be sought as this kind of samadhi will burn the vasanas in seed form while the mind is still awake. 

 

Seekers after stilling their minds enter nirvikalpa samadhi and realize their true nature of being pure unconditioned awareness only after returning to the waking state. This is considered a great step towards enlightenment as the seeker has gained pure conviction of the self. But given vasanas have yet to be resolved, one must take the next great step of applying this experience in the waking world. This is done through savikalpa samadhi by turning the mind inward while in the presence of phenomena such as objects and thoughts.  Suppressing them through objective meditation will only keep them hidden without dissipating them. In this approach, you will only bypass the clear knowledge of Brahman since the mind is prematurely dissolved without the capacity to reflect the truth of Brahman in perpetual motion. Practicing subjective meditation and holding on to the truth of Brahman with an alert mind will eventually result in firm and continuous realization without the need of dissolving the mind temporarily. This will feel like you’re abiding in samadhi without the need of going anywhere. The mind in this case, will not slip into laya if it remains alert. It will become completely still and will clearly know its true self by abiding in the self without losing itself in its own knowledge. When this is in motion, we cannot even say that the mind is the mind anymore. It’s considered no-mind when you rest on its original point of origin. It now holds on to nirvikalpa samadhi while still retaining its form! Therefore, it remains at perfect equilibrium. 

 

The moment one experiences nirvikalpa samadhi through manolaya, one must revive consciousness and enquire within as to who it is who experiences this stillness while not allowing any thoughts to intrude. This process itself is the process of discrimination or what we refer to as negating the non-self. It is a deep meditative process during self-inquiry and formless dhyana. It aims to dismiss the unreal in order to reveal the real. It is not sufficient to stop with manolaya, even if it is kevala nirvikalpa samadhi. Whenever the mind wakes up from laya, one should make use of such a peaceful state by directing it towards the self with keen and diligent inquiry without slipping into laya.  If you can keep the inquiry in motion while keeping the mind awake and not succumbing to deep sleep or temporary nirvikalpa samadhi, awareness will completely isolate itself from its false personality. You will come to find out that you can now abide in awareness fully while witnessing the body-mind continue its operation without having to make the mind go inactive like during deep sleep. This is something that cannot be done in nirvikalpa samadhi as a form of laya where the mind is inactive. 

 

The activity of the body, of sight, or the mind and the awareness of objects, are all obstructions for one who seeks to realize kevala nirvikalpa samadhi. They must induce this state of dissolution by using doership and effort to put all of them to a screeching halt. In sahaja samadhi (i.e. wakeful samadhi) however, one continues to witness the activity of the body and external events as internal events, while being completely detached from the false identity.  They hold the status of Turiya which is the underlying witness of all states. This is true self-knowledge (i.e. atma-jnanam) since the one holds the identity of Brahman while witnessing the false body-mind objectively. In this case, the mind is not inactive or dormant but completely alert and has turned into sameness (Brahman) —the essential nature of itself. It didn’t jump anywhere as if the mind was separate from Brahman. Instead, it turned into Brahman and fully knows its own nature while being completely awake.

 

The mind in this capacity however should be distinguished from a mind that is extroverted and only experiences the perception of broken thoughts. With wakeful samadhi (Turiya), the experience is unbroken, yet you witness duality only as an appearance within your own screen of awareness. This means you have given up thinking. You witness the appearance happening within yourself objectively with zero judgement and discrimination. Your true identity is now completely isolated from the false personality (because you remain in the true one), yet know yourself to be non-separate from the false self (since you strictly witness the appearance of the false self within yourself at the same time). In this unbroken experience, you remain as a pure silent observer merely spectating the body-mind objectively, instead of feeling like you are inside the body-mind and assuming ownership of its actions. Before wakeful samadhi can be permanent, one must continue to hold Turiya until all vasanas are destroyed, which will gradually pull you in to Turiya in its full splendor. This process itself is knowledge burning ignorance. As one becomes more established in the self, you will proportionality give up the vasanas and desires that keeps one entangled in the false self. When all vasanas are given up, you will remain permanently established in Turiya as Turiya without the potential to become immersed again inside the body-mind personality. Therefore, wakeful samadhi must be practiced until Turiya is fully locked in and runs on its own accord without any required effort in remaining there. 

 

It is like playing a role in a scripted movie. The movie is being operated by the will of god. Only when you’re sucked inside the false identity of the movie character do you feel like you’re the agent of actions because of the feeling of being inside the character. This is how most people experience life in samsara. With sahaja samadhi however, one remains as a pure witness with its true identity completely separate from the false character, yet is completely non-separate from the appearance of the false character. This will feel like everything is appearing inside of you instead of outside of you. You remain free and detached from the body but can see its actions unfold without having any volition or motive behind it. The experience is unbroken and is the complete opposite of how one would normally perceive experience when owning thoughts inside the body. 

 

To destroy the fundamental cause of the illusory appearance of the mind, we must strive relentlessly to experience the essential chit aspect of it.  Experiencing the essential chit aspect of the mind is done through savikalpa samadhi (i.e. effort in exposing Turyia). In savikalpa samadhi, the mind holds on to pure being because there is still a subtle layer left of it that reflects the pure knowledge of Brahman for you to witness. The mind is therefore in intimate contact with pure being and while in motion, it allows the pouring of jnana from absolute reality to seep through to gradually turn it fully into Brahman by burning the deep rooted vasanas that sustains its illusory nature. The more vasanas are burned, the higher levels of dispassion and indifference one has which slowly removes the illusion of the mind. It thus changes its false identity (mind) into its own real identity (Brahman). 

 

During the unfoldment of savikalpa samadhi, everything feels like a dream, all made up of the same dream substance because of the mind being completely internalized. There is no longer the capacity to assign different values to objects which creates the illusion of separateness because one no longer sees the objects as separate. This is similar to a screen that is non judgemental towards the appearance of objects that is reflected on itself since the screen is the very basis of it all.

 

If this unbroken experience of samadhi remains natural without effort, i.e. sahaja, the completely alert mind will eventually be dissolved permanently without a doer necessary to induce it. This means liberation is only produced through Grace. There is no longer a doer needed to put in any effort when samadhi is effortless, so grace naturally takes over. When the ego is permanently given up, the experience of Brahman shines alone and so the enlightened soul will eventually become lost in its own self without the possibility of ever reverting back to false knowledge. This means any effort to induce nirvikalpa samadhi will always result in temporary dissolution of the mind. Permanent dissolution however can only be done through grace which is only produced after all vasanas have been dissolved to abide in Turiya effortlessly. 

 

It is important to note that the state of manonasa is not actually a state in which something that existed (mind) has now been destroyed, but rather it is abiding in the clear knowledge that nothing other than self has ever existed. In other words, what is destroyed is the illusion that something existed other than the self. Therefore, saying that the mind is destroyed by recognizing that it is actually nothing other than self is like saying that the snake is destroyed by our recognising that it is nothing other than the rope. Such statements are not intended to imply that either the mind or the snake ever really existed as such, because what is destroyed is not their actual existence but only the illusion that they existed.

 

One may raise the question that if the mind (i.e. ego) is absent in both manolaya and manonasa, then how can it emerge again from laya but will never emerge again from nasa? The reason for this difference as explained before lies in the cause for its dissolution. In manolaya, pure awareness shines alone as a result of dissolving the ego, whereas in manonasa, the ego is dissolved as a result of pure awareness shining alone. Notice the crucial difference?

 

Pure awareness needs to be shining alone prior to full ego dissolution. Note: When pure awareness is shining alone, there is no identifying with the ego. This mean the ego is still retained but only witnesses as an illusory phenomena. If pure awareness shines alone this way, ego dissolution will not happen afterwards as a motivated consequence but as an automatic result. It can only occur by turning the mind into Brahman completely and not by just shutting it off temporarily to experience Brahman temporarily. So you need to turn the mind into pure awareness instead of suppressing it and jumping into pure awareness as if the mind and Brahman are separate. By shutting off the mind this way, it will only appear again because you did not rest as self-knowledge (Turiya) while witnessing the false aspect of itself. In other words, you have bypassed your own true light of consciousness that allows you to remove the dark forces of vasanas that keeps you entangled in the false self. However, if the enquiry is made as to whether the mind exists by withdrawing attention until Brahman is exposed (without slipping into any form of laya), it will be known that mind does not exist at all. Because in Turiya, you will witness the mind operate on its own without thinking you are the agent who is in control of it. This is why the method of meditation practiced by all aspirants should be clearly understood as it produces different results. 

 

Meditation via objective meditation or dhyana with form is done by concentrating on an object or thought in an attempt to suppress all other objects and thoughts until the single object or thought being focused on vanishes. The subject and object in this case differs. In atma vichara (i.e. nididhyasana or formless dhyana), both subject and object are the same (the Self) as noted per Advaita Vedanta teachings about non-dualism. This is done by withdrawing attention away from objects and thoughts (no matter where you are) until Brahman is exposed. In this case, one abides as Brahman without the need of suppressing anything or without the need of discarding the body to attain Brahman as if Brahman is separate from them. (Though please note, there is another form of liberation called 'Kramamukti' that can be produced through the higher realms after death of all bodies). This can be done through mahasamadhi (willful intention of discarding the body via kundalini or attention). 

 

Brahman is the only non-dual reality and can be accessed without the need of going anywhere since it is already here right now as we speak. It can be accessed via negation by turning the mind inward through the deep meditative process of self-inquiry and by fully self-surrendering everything including one’s doership. When attention is placed on the self and is held on to, there will be no coming or going out of anything. You will already be in samadhi while the body-mind continues to operate. The difference here is that you are no longer identified with any of the body-mind’s operation. The operation is being driven by God instead. When self-knowledge is stable and you identify solely as the witness, you are no longer the one operating the body-mind but rather the witness of its autonomous and mechanical operation.  This is where free will is negated. 

 

Therefore, it is a matter of which goes first, the horse or the cart. In which case, the horse is pure awareness shining alone and the cart is dissolution of the ego. If the horse goes first followed by the cart, the resulting state is annihilation of the mind (manonasa), whereas if the cart goes first followed by the horse, the resulting state is only the temporary dissolution of the mind (manolaya).

 

Now the question as to why or how the ego arose in the first place even from the state of mayalaya cannot be explained. It’s like asking why Maya exists if there was only Brahman to begin with. Prior to its rising, nothing other than pure awareness exists, so there equally well cannot be any adequate explanation for why and how it arises from sleep. Nonetheless, these are all the wrong questions to ask as it only gives rise to mind-twists. What we need to do is investigate as to who or what this ego actually is. If you investigate yourself keenly enough, we will see that we are just immutable pure awareness, so we have never actually risen as ego. This is the illusion you need to destroy because there never was an ego to begin with!

 

So how do we put an end to all of this? 

 

Answer: By channeling attention in the reverse direction towards the self, away from all thoughts and objects. By doing this persistently without being disturbed, the current of jnana will be exposed and the mind will eventually be known to be non-existent. At first, there will be intermittent glimpses of the self. But as practice becomes more firm, it will allow the knowledge of Brahman to manifest on its own accord as you remain fixed on the self. This means one will permanently abide as Turiya.

 

In savikalpa samadhi, the brahmakara vritti, which is formless and cannot be said to be an actual thought, allows the mind to assume the shape of the self by having an unbroken experience of the self. This is when the mind is withdrawn from the perception of plurality and duality and is fixed in the perception of the infinite. The mind rests on the secondless Brahman whose form it begins to assume, but without losing sight of the distinction between knower and known.  Since Brahman is known at this stage only as an object in relation to a subject, savikalpa samadhi represents only the penultimate experience.  The final experience is nirvikalpa samadhi which marks the transition from savikalpa samadhi to permanent nirvikalpa samadhi (manonasa). 

 

If the mind rests in an intense manner on the secondless Brahman whose form it has assumed, it transcends the distinction of knower and known.  If savikalpa samadhi is to develop into nirvikalpa samadhi through atma-vichara, all vasanas will need to be destroyed and obstacles such as laya should be conquered.  You will then become locked in as the witness principle without having to revert back to identifying with the body-mind ever again. Liberation will be produced shortly thereafter as an automatic result as you are now under the hands of God. There is nothing left for you to do from this point on, as you are no longer operating with any volition or control. 

 

According to Shankara, the immediate knowledge of Brahman that arises because of atma vichara will eventually destroy the mind leading to permanent anatmavrtti nirodha (cessation of all thoughts). The immediate knowledge of brahman at first is the same as the brahmakara vritti (unbroken experience of the self). From a yogic point of view, it is a form of samprajnata samadhi (i.e. salvikalpa samadhi) where the mind assumes the form of the self. Brahmakara vritti destroys the mind and finally destroys itself. The destruction of the brahmakara vritti by itself would correspond to a transition from samprajnata (savikalpa) to asamprajnata (nirvikalpa) in the above scheme of classification.

 

It is important to keep in mind that according to Shankara, it is not chitta vritti nirodha (cessation of thoughts, i.e. manolaya) that produces complete knowledge of Brahman but rather the other way around. By steadily holding on to knowledge of Brahman which arises from atma-vichara (through salvikalpa samadhi), chitta vrtti nirodha (cessation of all thoughts) is effected permanently as a result (manonasa). This doesn't mean mano nigraha (cessation of mind) is not necessary. Mano nigraha is absolutely necessary for atma-vichara. However, permanent chitta vritti nirodha is impossible without knowledge of Brahman which happens only after one rests as Turiya permanently. The methodology to produce liberation while operating in the physical realm should be a non-dual approach. Otherwise, the only way to produce liberation objectively is through the highest and subtlest realm (Brahmaloka) which allows the soul to abide as Turiya only after all vasanas have been extinguished in the highest heaven. This can only happen after one gives up the body by discarding it willfully (mahasamadhi).

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Here are some spiritual texts to support this article:

 

 

Vidyaranya (1300-1391) wrote the Panchadasi and the Jivanmukti Viveka of Vidyaranya

 

“We shall now address ourselves to the means which lead to Jivanmukti (Liberation in this Life). These are Jnana, manonasa and vasana-kshaya. For Jivanmukti the obliteration of latent impressions (vaasanaa-kshaya) and dissolution of the mind (mano naasa) are the principal means.”

 

 

Sage Vashistha 

 

“Oh best of intellects, vasasa-Kshaya, Jnana and Manonasa, must be attended to simultaneously for sufficient length of time, if not,...Jivanmukti can never be realised, even at the end of a hundred years.”

 

“When the mind is dissolved [manonasa], everything is dissolved. What remains after that is the SUPREME BRAHMAN, peaceful,eternal and free from misery.”

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Sage Ribhu who received knowledge from Lord Shiva - Ribhu gita

 

“The state of firm abidance in that thought-free after Mano nasha constitutes moksha. This is the Truth.”

 

 

Amritabindu upanishad verse 5

 

“The mind should be prevented from functioning, until it dissolves [manonasa] itself in the heart. This is Jnana.”

(Note: Heart means the self)

 

Shankara's Vivekachudamani

 

277. "The Yogi’s mind dies, being constantly fixed on his own Self."

 

407. "This apparent universe has its root in the mind, and never persists after the mind is annihilated. Therefore dissolve the mind."

 

481. "My mind has vanished, and all its activities have melted, by realising the identity of the Self and Brahman; I do not know either this or not-this; nor what or how much the boundless Bliss (of Samadhi) is."

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Brahma Sutra Bhashya Shankara chapter 4

 

“When Brahman is realized, the non-clinging and destruction of the subsequent and previous karma respectively.”

 

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Mundaka Upanishad II.ii.8 

 

“Sundered are the knots of the heart, torn off are all his doubts, and the seeds of his karma disappear when the [experiential] knowledge of Brahman is obtained.”

(Note: knots of heart is the mind (knot) connected with the self (heart).

 

Katha Upanishad 

 

15. "When here all the knots of the heart are sundered, then the mortal becomes immortal. Thus, much, the instruction."

 

Here is Shankara’s Commentary on the above verse of the Katha Upanishad 

 

“When again, the up-rooting of all desires takes place is explained. When all the ties of the heart of one, while yet alive, i.e., all the modifications of the intellect due to ignorance which are in the nature of fast-bound knots are destroyed; when the ties of the heart, i.e., such as the beliefs ‘I am this body,’ ‘this is my wealth,’ ‘I am happy or miserable,’ etc., are destroyed by the rise of the contrary belief in the identity of the Brahman and the atman, in the form ‘I am certainly Brahman not subject to Samsara’ the desires which originate in those ties are destroyed to their very root; then the mortal becomes immortal. Thus much alone—the doubt that there is more should not be raised—is the instruction. Of all the Vedantas’ should be supplied to complete the sentence.”

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