Snake and Rope

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Let us continue the contemplation of Mandukya Upanishad and Omkara.

There was a traveller who was passing through a village, it was twilight and he heard woman screaming snake, snake, snake! The traveller had a torch and he threw the light on the snake, it turned out to be a rope. Now the women is no longer scared. Similarly, in our ignorance we mistake rope to be a snake and get sacred or misunderstand.

So, what is the rope here and what the snake here. The rope is the consciousness, snake is the superimposition on the consciousness. My ‘Self’ is the rope, the superimposition on the ‘limited Self’ is the rope. The limited Self ‘I’, has the three states of consciousness, waking dreaming and sleeping, are like a snake, which is a superimposition on the Self.

Because of the superimposition of the three states on the mind, there is a forgetfulness of the Self. There is a forgetfulness on the nature of the rope. When the Upanishads teachings throw the light on waking dreaming and deep sleep states the snake disappears and the rope shines, my true nature shines. This is the methodology of Upanishads.

Because of the waking dreaming and sleeping states, I associate with the limited identity. In the light of the teachings of Upanishads these limitations imposed by these three changing states goes and my true nature as unlimited Self is discovered. That is why Mandukya Upanishad focuses on analysing the three states of the mind waking dreaming and sleeping states which is superimposed on the Self. And based on the teaching, the underlying unlimited nature of your own Self is shown. You are shown to be truly unlimited being and not a limited being with the waking dreaming and sleeping states. This is the upanishadic teaching.