The Difference Between Sleep and Meditation

The Difference Between Sleep and Meditation

The so-called meditation refers to the concentration of the mind without distraction, gathering the six senses and focusing them on a single object without chaotic grasping. The eye consciousness focuses on a single form object, excluding other sensory realms; or the ear consciousness focuses on a single sound object, excluding other sensory realms; or the mental consciousness focuses on a single dharma object, excluding other sensory realms. Among these concentrations of the six consciousnesses, mental consciousness is primary, as the manas (intellect) governs all dharmas. If the manas does not engage in chaotic grasping and focuses only on a few dharma objects, the six consciousnesses can concentrate on a single object. Because the manas is the sovereign consciousness, all six consciousnesses must follow its commands. Thus, only by subduing the manas can meditation yield results.

The so-called sleep refers to the temporary cessation and non-appearance of the six consciousnesses, allowing the body and mind to recover from fatigue. If the six consciousnesses do not cease, the conscious mind remains active, just as when awake, and this cannot be considered sleep. In such a state, the body and mind cannot truly rest, and the body remains equally fatigued.

Sleep is divided into two types: dreaming and dreamless. During dreamless sleep, the six consciousnesses do not arise, with only the eighth consciousness (ālaya-vijñāna) and the seventh consciousness (manas) remaining active to sustain the vital functions of the physical body. During dreaming, the conscious mind engages in subtle discriminative activities within the dream, resulting in shallow sleep that prevents the body from fully resting. Consequently, fatigue is felt the next day.

In both meditation and sleep, the seventh and eighth consciousnesses are active. During meditation, the seventh consciousness is effectively subdued, reducing its grasping tendencies. The less and more subtle the grasping becomes, the deeper the consciousness enters meditation. During sleep, the seventh consciousness continues to grasp at the body sense and dharma objects, merely recognizing the body’s need for rest and preventing the six consciousnesses from engaging in discrimination.

In the meditative state preceding the first dhyāna, the six consciousnesses engage in discriminating the six sense objects, but to varying degrees. The concentration of the conscious mind differs, and the physical and mental sensations vary accordingly. In the first dhyāna, the nose consciousness and tongue consciousness do not arise. In the second dhyāna and higher meditative states, the first five consciousnesses disappear, leaving only the sixth consciousness, seventh consciousness, and eighth consciousness. The mental consciousness abides in a deeper and subtler meditative state, discerning the dharma objects within the meditative realm. In the state of thoughtless concentration (asaṃjñā-samāpatti) and the attainment of cessation (nirodha-samāpatti), even the mental consciousness ceases, leaving only the seventh and eighth consciousnesses.