Ramana Maharshi declared
"The sage abides in pure consciousness,
essence of waking, dream, & deep sleep."

India #539: Ramana Maharshi (issued 4-14-1971)

Ramana Maharshi (1879-1950)

Talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi (1968)

Ramana Maharishi (1879-1950) was introduced to the West by Paul Brunton in his A Search in Secret India (1934). Both sages have become my spiritual mentors, from whom I've learned much on spiritual awakening. I have over a dozen books by and about Ramana. In Talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi (p. 1), Ramana covers the three states of consciousness: "In the waking state (jagrat), the gross body perceives gross names and forms; in the dream state (swapna), the mental body perceives the mental creations in their manifold forms and names; in deep dreamless sleep (sushupti), identification with the body being lost, there are no perceptions; similarly in the Transcendental state (turiya), identity with Brahman places man in harmony with everything, and there is nothing apart from his Self." (May 15, 1935). Paul Brunton's Notebooks: "That this World, so solid to our touch, so important to our lives, is 'such stuff as dreams are made of', in Shakespeare's haunting phrase, is incredible to the ordinary shallow materialist, whether he be of a scientific or a pious mind."

Photo Sources: India #539 (colnect.com); Ramana Maharshi (wisdomportal.com); Talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi (wisdomportal.com).

Searched through 700 pages of Roob's Alchemy & Mysticism for images of these three states. Alexander Roob Alchemy & Mysticism Philosophical Tree, Splendour Solis #6 (pp. 260-261) in Alchemy & Mysticism (1996) Roob's Alchemy & Mysticism (1996) has 712 pages with esoteric images from art museums and rare book collections in libraries all over Europe. It is the best illustrated book in my library. Browsed through the entire book to find the best images for the waking, dream, and deep sleep states. Photo Sources: Alchemy & Mysticism (amazon.com); Philosophical Tree, (pp. 260-261) in book (taschen.com) "Sunrise" in Splendour Solis is a good representation for waking. "Sunrise": Plate #22 of Splendour Solis (1535) Splendor Solis ("The Splendour of the Sun") is a version dated around 1582 of well-known beautifully illuminated alchemical text attributed to Salomon Trismosin, (fl. late 15th & early 16th-century), a legendary Renaissance alchemist, claimed possessor of the philosopher's stone and teacher of Paracelsus (1493-1541). The earliest version of Splendour Solis is dated 1532-1535 and is housed at the Kupferstichkabinett Berlin at State Museums in Berlin. The work itself consists of 22 elaborate images, set in ornamental borders and niches. The symbolic process shows the classical alchemical death and rebirth of the king, and incorporates a series of seven flasks, each associated with one of the planets. Within the flasks a process is shown involving the transformation of bird and animal symbols into the Queen and King, the white and the red tincture. I selected Splendor Solis 22: Sun rising over city" to represent the waking state. The warm sunlight welcomes us from our sleep in the dark at night. It's interesting that this image #22 is the last of Splendour Solis in the alchemical process of awakening. Photo Source: "Sunrise" (wikipedia.org) "Jacob's Ladder" in Muter Liber is fitting symbol for dream state, "Jacob's Ladder" Muter Liber (1677) William Blake Jacob's Ladder (1806) Jacob's Ladder is from his dream cited in Genesis 28:10-19: "And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it." William Blake's painting of Jacob's Ladder (1806) is in the British Museum. The painting shows Jacob, asleep, at its foot. Right by his head is a spiral staircase which ascends to the top of the paper (presume to be heaven.) Figures ascend & descend the staircase: although some bear angel's wings, many do not. Whole scene appears to be taking place inside some sort of 'big top' tent, with the starry sky of a moonlit night behind. There is no trace of any ladder in sight. Unfortunately, Roob does not have this image in his book. However I found on page 377 of Roob's Alchemy & Mysticism, "Jacob's Ladder" from Muter Liber (1677). This Silent Book is a Hermetic philosophical work, showsing how to proceed to achieve the magnum opus whose ultimate purpose is to obtain the philosopher's stone. "Jacob's Dream" is shown on the first edition cover (1677). Howard Oakley writes an interesting blog (12-5-2016) on Blake's use of spiral staircase. Blake also painted Lucia Carrying Dante in His Sleep (1827) (Fogg Museum) from Dante's Purgatorio 9.21-30, while Dante was dreaming of being Ganymede snatched up by an Eagle (Zeus). Photo Sources: Muter Liber's "Jacob's Ladder" (davidpatrickharry.com); Blake's Jacob's Ladder (eclecticlight.co) and Goethe's "Colour Wheel" of black circle is perfect for deep sleep. Black Circle Goethe's Colour Wheel (1799) In deep sleep, the world is unmanifest, nothing but pure emptiness— black and dark. On page 689 of Roob's Alchemy & Mysticism, is a "Black Circle" from Goethe's Colour Wheel (1799) from his book Theory of Colors, his treatise on the nature, function, and psychology of colors. One of Goethe's most radical points was a refutation of Newton's ideas about the color spectrum, suggesting instead that darkness is an active ingredient rather than the mere passive absence of light. "Light and darkness, brightness and obscurity, or if a more general expression is preferred, light and its absence, are necessary to production of color... Color itself is a degree of darkness." Vedantic sages say that which is most subtle is closer to reality and that which is dense is illusion (Sanskrit & Buddhist: maya). So deep dreamless sleep is more real than the waking or dream states. "Lightness in Dante Purgatorio, Canto 9". Ramana on deep sleep. Photo Source: "Colour Circle" (sound-colour-space.zhdk.ch) For awakened state, need painting by artist who are enlightened— Blake's Albion Dance is illumined Romania #1220: Blake (issued 5-31-1958) William Blake Albion Dance (1799) William Blake (1757-1827) was an enlightened mystic poet- painter. In Auguries of Innocence (1793), Blake writes "To see a World in a Grain of Sand / And a Heaven in a Wild Flower. / Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand / And Eternity in an hour." Only an awakened one could envision space-time in a manner like this Blake's Albion Dance (1799) shows a youth with arms and legs spread out like Leonardo da Vinci's portrait of Vitruvian Man (1490). While the youth's feet are anchored to rocky earth, his body is embraced by light. Albion is illumined and enlightened. Photo Sources: Romania 1220 Blake (colnect.com); Albion Dance (wikimedia.org) "Awake! awake O sleeper... wake! expand!... Ever expanding in God" writes Blake in Jerusalem (1804). William Blake Ancient of Days (1794) Blake's Title Page of Jerusalem (1804) Blake envisions in his poem "Europe" (1796): My roots are brandish'd in the heavens, my fruits in earth beneath... / And who shall bind the infinite with an eternal band?... / Awake the thunders of the deep!... / Spread nets in every secret path." Blake's painting Ancient of Days (1794) shows a bearded God from bright Sun-like Heaven using a compass to create the Earth from the dark Abyss. The compass is shaped like the Platonic Lambda Λ; "Soul of the Universe" (Timeaus 35b). In Chapter 1 of Jerusalem, Blake exhorts us "Awake! awake O sleeper of the land of shadows, wake! expand! / I am in you and you in me, mutual in love divine". Much like Beethoven's Fifth Symphony telling us to wake up! Photo Sources: Blake's Ancient of Days (wikimedia.org); Blake's Jerusalem (tate.org.uk) A.E.'s Bellerophon on Pegasus shows Christ-like figure on winged horse— the vision of an Irish poet-sage. George William Russell (A.E.) (1867-1935) Bellerophon on Pegasus by A.E. (1911) George William Russell (1867-1935) was an Irish writer, editor, critic, poet, painter and Irish nationalist. He was also a writer on mysticism, and a central figure in the group of devotees of theosophy which met in Dublin for many years. James Joyce was 19-year old when he knocked on A.E.'s door at midnight (circa 1901) to ask "What is the highest state of consciousness?" The 34-year old mystic welcomed him and talked "about the spirit world until the small hours of the morning." The enlightened British sage Paul Brunton has 8 citations of his friend A.E. in his Notebooks, saying "He was a gifted painter as well as poet, economist as well as a prose essayist, clairvoyant, seer, and, when I met him, more of a sage." Hence, one sage recognizes another as they both dwelled in cosmic consciousness. Photo Sources: George William Russell (wikipedia.org); Bellerophon on Pegasus (fleurdulys.tumblr.com) I chose "Lambda Λ from Sun to Earth" to represent the "awakened state" as sun rays forming triangle shown "Awakened" (1794) Zahlenlehre der Natur Zahlenlehre der Natur by Karl von Eckartshausen (1794) Page 89: Platonic Lambda Λ in Zahlenlehre der Natur William Blake's Albion Dance (1799) and George William Russell's Bellerophon on Pegasus (1911) are good examples of awakened states by painters who are enlightened. I've selected from Roob's Alchemy & Mysticism, "Lambda Λ from Sun to Earth" (p. 267) to represent the "Awakened State". The image from Zahlenlehre in Natur (1794) was written by Karl von Eckartshausen (1752-1803), a German Catholic mystic, author, and philosopher. It shows rays of the Sun descending to Earth in the form of a triangle, that resembles the Platonic Lambda Λ "Soul of the Universe" (Plato's Timaeus 35b). In Leipzig's first edition (1794), this image is next to the Title Page. Eckartshausen illustrates Platonic Λ with even & odd series on page 89 of his book Number Science in Nature. The Lambda Λ image is also shown in the woman's dress revealing her thigh, the compass in her left hand, and between her right arm & the triangular rays. Another esoteric symbol is the wisdom mudra (thumb touching forefinger) of her right hand from which the sun's rays descend at the triangular top. Albert Einstein is shown in the wisdom mudra pose in dozens of photos. Image Sources: Awakened State, Turiya (pinterest.com); Zahlenlehre der Natur (booklooker.de); Page 89: Platonic Lambda Λ (play.google.com/books) is the 10th triangular number, same as Platonic Λ, "World Soul" sum of 55, known to awakened sages. 10th Triangular Number with Sum = 55 Platonic Λ: Sum = 55 "Soul of Universe" Dante (1265-1321) Mexico C308 (1965) Awakening of the Soul by Ibn Tufayl (1105-1185) The triangle shown is 10th triangular number = 55, same as Platonic Λ (Number 55), the "World Soul" known to awakened sages, such as Dante Alighieri (Dante's 55 & The Platonic Lambda). The awakened Irish sage A.E. writes in Song and its Fountains (1932): "Upanishads seers speak of four state of the soul— waking, dreaming, deep sleep, and spirit waking— the last a state in which the spirit is unsleeping in its ecstasy of infinite vision... Returning into the Ancient of Days... in that mysterious journeying from time to eternity, where the soul moves on to ever higher planes of its own being." (pp. 63-64). Visiting British sage Paul Brunton in Switzerland (1976), he told me about Ibn Tufayl's book The Awakening of the Soul (1907) which he read at age 15 that inspired him on the spiritual quest (cited in Notebooks, Vol. 16: Enlightened Mind, Divine Mind (page 20, Para 126). Photo Sources: 10th Triangular Number (books.google.com); Platonic Lambda Λ (wisdomportal.com); Mexico C308 Dante (colnect.com); Awakening of the Soul (archive.org) — Peter Y. Chou     Mountain View, 5-30-2019 | Top | Poem "The Awakened State" | Poems 2019 | Poems 2018 | Poems 2017 | Poems 2016 | Poems 2015 | | Poems 2014 | Poems 2013 | Poems 2012 | Poems 2011 | Haikus 2019 | Haikus 2018 | Haikus 2017 | Haikus 2016 | | Haikus 2015 | Haikus 2014 | Haikus 2013 | Haikus 2012 | Walks 2019 | News | CPITS | Books | A-Z Portals | Home | © Peter Y. 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