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yajvan
16 February 2007, 08:54 PM
Hari Om
~~~~~~~
Namaste,
This number seven is seen very often in the shastras … It seems to be significant. Its made up of 2 triads ( truti) 3 + 3, then 1. Triputi, or triple form is found throughout Vedic literature e.g. Trisula or the spear of Siva, Tri-guna ( 3 guna, sattvia, rajas and tamas), Trivikrama or the 3 steps of Vishnu that measures out creation, and no less the triad of Brahma, Vishnu and Meheshvara ( some call Siva, or Rudra) and sat-chit-ananda.

What is of interest is the 3 base on each side of one 3 + 1 + 3. Perhaps in this post we can look at this significance, of the balance of 3 + 1 + 3. And the same for 3, there is 1 +1 +1. One balanced on each side of 1.

We see this 7, we see often. What is your assumption and teachings on this?

Let me give a few examples and finish with my favorite ( what I was taught) , saptamtha-chetana or seven states of consciousness.
The seven rivers
The seven rishi's
From Him proceed the 7prana's, the 7 flames, the 7 kinds of fuel, the seven oblations, the 7 lokas where the prana's, which rest in the cave of the heart and are placed there 7 and 7 - Mundaka Upanishad 2.8

One of the seven…
We have bhuh , bhuvah suvha + Mahah + janaha , tapaya, satyam ( we know these as vyahriti's or sacred utterances). Bhuh+ bhuvah+suvah can be considered the 3 lower and janaha+tapaya+Satya are considered the 3 higher. What connects the lower to the higher , this Mahah, according to rishi Mahachamasyah, is Brahman, same as Atman. It connects the lower to the higher.

Now, according to Swami Sivanananda this Atman, has its root in vyap, to cover. So this Mahah 'connects' by covering all. The discovery ( for me) is to look to the middle for the infinite! We discussed this before, about sandhya's , or junction points.
Like twight, the middle not day not night… the 4 we discussed previously ( most excellent times for meditation and japa):
Morning is Brahma Muhurta Sandhya
Noon for Vishnu Sandhya
Sunset called Mahesha Sandhya
Midnight called Kali or Turiya Sandhya

7 States of Consciousness - , saptamtha-chetana
Waking or jagrat chetana
Dreaming or swapn chetana
Dreamless Sleep or sushupti chetana
Transcendental Consciousness - turiya chetana
Cosmic Consciousness turiyatit chetana (sustained turiya consciousness)
God consciousenss or bhagavat chetana
Brahman Conscioiusness or brahmi chetana

Note the 'middle' is this turiya consciousness - the midde 3 on one side, and 3 on the other. Three mundane levels and three Supreme levels. In the middle, this turiya is the sandhya , yet it is profoundly unbiquitious. The foundation of all other levels. This is the silence, the unity, The madhu (honey) that connects the relative field of life (activity) with the silence of infinity.

May we all have this experience - it is not far from you. It is there between each gap - between waking and sleep, between sleep and dream. It is there when one meditates. It is just pure consciousness - we are are that.

pranams
everything is all things…. And and anything is everywhere. Swami Krishnananda