The philosophy of Vedanta is also said to be like a dream lion. Imagine a lion appears in a dream. The lion-in-the-dream is part of the dream world experienced by the dreamer. But the lion-in-the-dream has one peculiarity. One distinctive character which none of the other objects of the dream possess. And that is its capacity to catapult the dreamer from the dreaming state of consciousness to the waking state of consciousness. When the lion appears in the dream, the dreamer experiences a kind of nightmare. He is startled. He is horrified. The lion wakes him up as it were. The dream lion is no doubt a part of the dream but it swallows up the entire dream. In doing so dream lion also vanishes! That is the characteristics of the dream lion. Similarly Vedanta plays the role of the dream lion in this world. vedAntic knowledge is admittedly a part of this illusory world. But then it dissolves the entire illusion of the world. Reveals Reality. It unveils your real SELF. It transports you from the plane of world-consciousness to the plane of God-consciousness."
As long as we are in the plane of world-consciousness, duality appears real and duality dissolves itself (like the lion-in-the-dream) when we wake up and attain the plane of God-Consciousness. Non-duality applies only at the pAramArtika (Absolute Truth). Truth according to advaita metaphysics is of three types: prAtibhAsika (apparent), vyAvahArika (practical) and pAramArtika (the highest level). When we wrongly perceive the upright ears of a hare as its horns, it is 'prAtibhAsika' sattA. This world of senses is vyavahArika sattA since it is real for all practical purposes. Brahman or God which is the highest and unchanging truth is 'pAramArtika' sattA. Let me stop here. Let us all contemplate instead of conducting academic exercises! he ends.
As long as we are in the plane of world-consciousness, duality appears real and duality dissolves itself (like the lion-in-the-dream) when we wake up and attain the plane of God-Consciousness. Non-duality applies only at the pAramArtika (Absolute Truth). Truth according to advaita metaphysics is of three types: prAtibhAsika (apparent), vyAvahArika (practical) and pAramArtika (the highest level). When we wrongly perceive the upright ears of a hare as its horns, it is 'prAtibhAsika' sattA. This world of senses is vyavahArika sattA since it is real for all practical purposes. Brahman or God which is the highest and unchanging truth is 'pAramArtika' sattA. Let me stop here. Let us all contemplate instead of conducting academic exercises! he ends.
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