Turiyavastha (the Fourth State)

This morning, a young Tamilian asked Bhagavan, “Swami, it is said that there is no world without the individual soul and God (jiveswara).

This morning, a young Tamilian asked Bhagavan, “Swami, it is said that there is no world without the individual soul and God (jiveswara). What is the meaning of it?”

“Yes,” Bhagavan told him, “the world, individual soul and God (jagatjiveswara) are the embodiment of the three qualities or gunas.”

“Is the Personal God, Ishwara, to be included in the three qualities?” asked the young man.

“Certainly,” said Bhagavan. “In that group, goodness (satvam) is the personal God (Ishwara); activity (rajas) is the

individual soul (jiva); and heaviness (tamas) is the world (jagat). It is said that the Self is pure goodness (suddha satva).”

A young Bengali who was present asked, “Swami, samadhi1 is said to be of two sorts: ‘kevala nirvikalpa’2 and ‘sahaja nirvikalpa’3. What are their attributes?”

Bhagavan looked kindly at him, and said, “One who accustoms himself naturally to meditation (dhyana) and enjoys the bliss of meditation, will not lose his samadhi state whatever external work he does, whatever thought may come to him. That is called ‘sahaja nirvikalpa samadhi.’ It is these two states that are called complete destruction (nasa) and suppression (laya); nasa is sahaja nirvikalpam and laya is kevala nirvikalpam. Those who are in the laya (suppressed) samadhi state will have to bring the mind back under control from time to time. If the mind is destroyed, it will not sprout again; the mind will then be something like a fried seed. Whatever is done by such people is just incidental; they will not slide down from their high state. Those that are in the kevala nirvikalpa samadhi state are not siddhas4; they are mere sadhakas.5 Those who are in the sahaja nirvikalpa state are like a light in a windless place, or the ocean without waves; that is, there is no movement. They cannot find anything which is different from themselves. For those who l Samadhi is that state of absorption within when distinction between subject and object is lost. 2 Kevala nirvikalpa samadhi is the state of absolute thought-free awareness. The mind which is subject to Vasanas is forcibly stilled by a person sitting quietly for some time. At other times he gets back to his normal worldly activities. 3 Sahaja nirvikalpa samadhi is the state of pure awareness even during normal activities. 4 Semi-divine beings supposed to be of great purity and holiness and said to be particularly characterized by eight supernatural faculties called Siddhis. 5 Those who are practising to become Siddhas.

do not reach that state, everything appears to be different from themselves.”

Two days ago, a young man in ochre robes and belonging to the Ramakrishna Mission, asked, “What is meant by the ‘Fourth State’ (turiyavastha)?”

Bhagavan replied, “There is no such thing as the Fourth State. Self itself is the Fourth State.”

“Why then do people say the ‘Fourth State’ and ‘Beyond the Fourth State’ (turiya and turiyatita)?” asked the questioner.

Bhagavan replied, “What there is, is one state only; you may call it turiya or turiyatita or what you like. The wakeful state (jagrat), the dream state (swapna) and the state of deep sleep (sushupti) — these three states go on changing like the scenes in a cinema. All the three are ideas of the mind. That which is beyond these three, and which is real and permanent, is the Self itself. That is the state called the Fourth, the turiya, state. In common parlance, people talk of the ‘Fourth State ‘and of ‘Beyond the Fourth State’, and so on, but strictly speaking, there is only one state.”