The phrase “no inner light is present in Turiya” usually comes from translations or commentaries on Advaita Vedānta or Mandukya Upanishad discussions of the fourth state of consciousness (turīya).
It can be confusing because in many traditions, enlightenment is spoken of as “light.” But here, “no inner light” doesn’t mean “no awareness” — it means something subtler.
1️⃣ What Turiya Is
The Mandukya Upanishad describes four states of consciousness:
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Jāgrat – waking state (outer world awareness)
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Svapna – dream state (inner world, mental images)
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Suṣupti – deep sleep state (no mental images, undifferentiated)
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Turīya – the “fourth,” which underlies and transcends the other three
Turīya is:
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Not waking, not dreaming, not deep sleep
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Pure awareness itself, without subject-object division
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Not a state in time, but the substratum of all states
2️⃣ Why “No Inner Light” Is Said
When some scriptures describe turīya, they negate everything it is not.
Phrases like “not inwardly cognitive, not outwardly cognitive, not both, not a mass of cognition, not cognitive nor non-cognitive” are meant to stop the mind from picturing it.
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In dreaming, there is an inner light — the mind projects forms, sounds, and sensations.
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In waking, there is an outer light — awareness is tied to sensory inputs.
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In deep sleep, there is neither — but awareness is dormant and veiled.
Turīya is not the “light” of dream images or imagination.
It’s not even the “light” of the intellect.
When the Upanishads say “no inner light is present,” they mean:
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It’s not the mind-made illumination of dream or imagination
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It’s not a visual or sensory phenomenon at all
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It is awareness prior to and independent of the mind’s play of lights and shadows
3️⃣ But Turīya Is Awareness
Importantly, turīya is not darkness.
It is sometimes called prājña (pure knowing) or śuddha-caitanya (pure consciousness).
The negation is to prevent the seeker from confusing the “light” of mind with the “light” of pure consciousness.
A better way to put it:
In turīya, the self is luminous by itself, but not with an inner light that has any form or image.
✅ Summary
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“No inner light” = no mind-generated imagery or cognition
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Turīya is beyond inner/outer, form/formless dichotomies
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Awareness is present, but it’s not the light of perception — it’s the ground from which all lights (waking, dream, thought) arise
Here’s the table comparing “light” in the four states, showing why turīya is described as having “no inner light”:
| State | Type of Light | What It Illuminates | Nature of Awareness | In Turīya Terms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jāgrat (Waking) | Outer light (physical light or sensory data) | External world of forms, sounds, sensations | Awareness linked to body–mind and senses | Limited by perception |
| Svapna (Dreaming) | Inner light (mind-generated imagery) | Dream scenes, thoughts, imagination | Awareness linked to subtle body and mental projections | Limited by mental activity |
| Suṣupti (Deep Sleep) | None (no inner or outer light) | No objects or imagery | Awareness is dormant, veiled by avidyā (ignorance) | Potential awareness only |
| Turīya (The Fourth) | No “inner” or “outer” light — but self-luminous | No objects, pure self-awareness | Awareness without subject-object division, beyond senses and mind | Infinite, ever-present consciousness |
Key Takeaways
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Waking = outer light of sense perception.
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Dream = inner light of mind-made imagery.
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Deep Sleep = absence of both, awareness latent.
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Turīya = not any of these lights, but that which makes all three states possible.
The Upanishadic phrase “no inner light” is not saying turīya is dark or unconscious — it’s saying it transcends the limited “light” of mental projection. It is the pure, self-existent luminosity that remains when all sensory and mental lights go out.
Alright — here’s how different Vedānta teachers explain why Turīya is called “self‑luminous” even though the Mandukya Upanishad negates both “outer light” and “inner light.”
1. Śaṅkarācārya (Advaita Vedānta)
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Key point: Turīya is svayam‑prakāśa — it shines by itself, needing no other light to reveal it.
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Outer light (sun, lamp) reveals physical objects.
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Inner light (mind, memory, imagination) reveals subtle objects (thoughts, dreams).
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But Turīya is the knower of both — it does not need to be revealed by anything else.
“As the sun does not need another lamp to reveal it, so the Self does not require mind or senses to be known. It is the witness of their presence and absence.”
2. Gaudapāda (Author of Māṇḍūkya Kārikā)
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Uses the method of neti‑neti (“not this, not this”) to strip away all false identifications.
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“No inner light” means:
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It’s not the dreamer’s inner light.
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It’s not the perceiver’s outer light.
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It is beyond light and darkness as the mind conceives them.
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“It is peace, bliss, non‑dual — beyond the grasp of speech and mind.”
3. Ramana Maharshi
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When asked about the “light of consciousness,” he said:
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It’s not a visible light; it’s awareness itself.
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You can’t “see” it, because you are it.
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“No inner light” is simply saying there are no mental pictures or imaginations in turīya.
“The Self does not shine before the mind. The mind shines because of the Self.”
4. Swami Chinmayananda
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Clarifies that inner light refers to reflected consciousness in the mind (like sunlight reflected in water).
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Turīya is original consciousness — the source of that reflection.
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Analogy:
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Outer light = Sunlight on objects
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Inner light = Sunlight reflected in a mirror
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Turīya = The Sun itself, not its reflections
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“Turīya is not ‘inner’ or ‘outer’ because it is not in space at all. It is the substratum of space.”
5. Swami Sarvapriyananda (Modern Advaita Teacher)
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Explains that “no inner light” is part of a via negativa description:
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Language can’t describe the Self directly.
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Negating “inner” and “outer” light prevents us from confusing it with any experience in time.
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What remains is awareness that is:
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Contentless
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Timeless
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Ever-present
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“It is not an experience in the mind, but the awareness in which all experiences — including the sense of ‘inner light’ — appear and disappear.”
🔍 Why this isn’t a contradiction
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“No inner light” = no mind‑made illumination (dream imagery, subtle visions, mental constructs).
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“Self‑luminous” = awareness reveals itself without help from mind or senses.
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Turīya is not dark; it is beyond “light” and “dark” as opposites — it’s the ground of both.
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