worldly state. Everything seems to be born because of the empirical outlook; therefore there is nothing eternal; from the standpoint of Reality, everything is the birthless Self; therefore there is no such thing as annihilation (Karika VI.55-57). Apparent manifestations of the self Gaudapada begins with the three apparent manifestations of the self – 1) as the 'experiencer' of the external world in the Waking state (visva or Vaishvanara atman), 2) as the 'experiencer' in the Dream state (Taijasa atman) and as the 'experiencer' in Deep sleep state or susupti (Prajna) when there is no determinate knowledge, but pure consciousness and pure bliss or ananda; the person who knows these three as one is never attached to these experiences. He also describes the Fourth state of the self (Turiya) which is advaita ('non-dual') and the All. In the Waking state things are imagined as if existing outside, and in the Dream state, things are imagined internally, both of them are illusory creations of the self; truth is that reality which is perceived as the imagination-less cessation of all appearances (nirvikalpah prapancopasamah). The thing that has beginning and an end is false; the existing of things is illusory; things exist only as far as they merely appear or are related to experience and as merely thoughts with which fools are deluded. Gaudapada’s examination of the experience of the experiencing self Gaudapada points out that the unchangeable reality is the witness behind the three states of consciousness, waking, dreaming, and dreamless sleep, in all these states the Self is ever-present, and though remaining unknown is the unaffected 'experiencer' of all actions and thoughts in these three states. In deep sleep the mind is withdrawn and does not know anything, but it is disciplined and not withdrawn in turiya, existent and all-seeing. When the individual self, sleeping under the influence of maya ('ignorance'), is awakened, it then realizes non-duality which is beginning-less and endless; this is the way to illumination within one's own soul to realize supreme bliss. Gaudapada insists that the mind should not be allowed to enjoy the bliss that arises out of the condition of absorption. It should be freed from attachment to such happiness through the exercise of discrimination. When the mind does not lose itself in inactivity and oblivion, or is not distracted by desires, when the mind achieves quietness and does not give rise to appearances, it verily