Chandogya Upanishad 6.15
intermediate
ते यथा तत्र न विवेकं लभन्तेऽमुष्याहं वृक्षस्य रसोऽस्म्यमुष्याहं वृक्षस्य रसोऽस्मीति एवमेव खलु सोम्येमाः सर्वाः प्रजाः सति सम्पद्य न विदुः सति सम्पद्यामह इति॥
te yathā tatra na vivekaṃ labhante\'muṣyāhaṃ vṛkṣasya raso\'smyamuṣyāhaṃ vṛkṣasya raso\'smīti evameva khalu somyemāḥ sarvāḥ prajāḥ sati sampadya na viduḥ sati sampadyāmaha iti ||
""As those nectars have no discrimination, thinking 'I am the nectar of this tree, I am the nectar of that tree,' even so, dear one, all these creatures, when they merge into Being, do not know 'We are merging into Being.'""
What This Means:
The nectars don't remember which tree they came from. Similarly, beings merging into Being don't know their true identity.
Going Deeper:
In deep sleep and death, individual consciousness merges into Being but doesn't recognize it. This is ignorance (avidya).
How To Apply This:
In deep sleep, you merge with Being but don't know it. Awaken to what you already are.
#merger#loss of individuality#deep sleep#ignorance