Let's do a self-exploration meditation on the gap of not dreaming versus not dreaming as the timeless abidance in reality.
Allow the waker to sit comfortably,
Stand as the witness of the waker,
Allow the waker to disappear.
Bring up the memory of a recent dream in which you took the stand of the witness.
Bring up the memory of a dream when you managed to know in the dream that I am dreaming.
Attempt to remember carefully.
Was there a recognition before you took the stand of the witness that there is a dream character in a dream world?
Even if you became one with the dream character in the dream world,
Was there a recognition that this is a dream?
Do you remember,
There was a simple knowing that this is a dream as opposed to deep sleep,
As opposed to the waking.
Just a simple recognition,
This is a dream.
Let's dive deeper.
When the witnessing stand was taken,
Was there a recognition that the dream is being witnessed?
Was there a recognition that the I-sense is standing at a distance and simply witnessing the dream character in the dream world?
This is the recognition that I am dreaming.
This recognition is a little more than the recognition of there is a dream.
In this recognition,
There is a clear knowing that I am at a distance from a dream character in a dream world.
The witness knows I am dreaming.
Let's dive deeper from here.
When the I recognizes that I am dreaming,
The dream collapses.
When the dream collapses,
The I is standing by itself for a few moments.
The I knows that there is nothing to know.
When there is nothing to know,
The I finds no thing to identify with.
This is the recognition that I am not dreaming.
But this recognition is in the gap between two dreams.
This recognition of I am not dreaming is still a part of the dream because the I-sense is still standing tall.
The I is a thought.
There is no individual identity there.
It is an illusion.
That is why it is still a part of the dream.
When the I has not collapsed yet,
That recognition of I am not dreaming is just a gap between two dreams.
Hence,
It is also a part of the dream on account of the illusory I.
The I doesn't like the nothingness.
In the recognition,
I am not dreaming.
Hence,
It projects another dream in its search for identification.
Let's dive deeper from here.
Sometimes,
When the I is standing by itself,
Knowing there is nothing,
There is nothing,
There is nothing,
Finding nothing to identify with,
The I collapses into the nothingness.
When the I has collapsed,
There is no dream character,
No dream world,
No witness of the dream character or the dream world.
There is no I-sense.
Nobody-ness reigns supreme.
This nobody-ness and nothingness is known.
It is known by something beyond.
That knows I am not dreaming.
This is not like the gap between two dreams where the I was standing tall and knowing I am not dreaming.
This is the timeless abidance in reality.
This is the supreme knowing the collapse of the I.
That which knows the I collapse,
That which knows the dreamlessness beyond the collapse of the I,
That which knows the sleeplessness beyond the collapse of the I,
That highest reality is devoid of the sense of I.
That is the true recognition of I am not dreaming.
Neither the waking dream,
Nor the sleeping dream,
Nor the idea of I-sleep.
Waking dream and deep sleep have all collapsed.
That which identified with waking dream and deep sleep has also collapsed.
The reality that knows the absence of all of this illusion is timeless.
This timeless abidance in reality is called Jaagrit Sushupti,
The awakened deep sleep.
This was also called as Nirodha or cessation by the Buddha.
The sage who is established here never sleeps,
Never dreams.
He has awakened.
He is enlightened.
The timeless abidance in reality is the true meaning of I do not dream.
I have never dreamt.
I have never slept.
I do not dream.
