PDA

View Full Version : Bija - being indirect



yajvan
24 March 2008, 12:21 PM
Hari Om
~~~~~

Namaste,

I thought I would share this observation with you... see what you think.
Again, I am not looking for a debate, but to share a convention that has come to mind as of late regarding bIja sounds or akshara:).
Please feel free to extend the conversation or offer your POV as you see fit.

bIja or बीज - seed (of plants); any germ , element , primary cause or principle , source ; truth (as the seed or cause of being)
akSara or अक्षर - a syllable a letter; a vowel, a sound; imperishable

If we look in the Aitareya¹ Upanishad, dealing with Atman as the only Reality, there is a most interesting sloka of 3.14.

It says, in part, that the devata like to be called by indirect names. In this sloka it says Indra's name is Idandra, which means IT seeing . What did He see? Brahman as Idam. Yet Idandra prefers Indra, as being indirect, when He is addressed.

Even when we go to the Mandir, note that we look to the Devata from the side, never straight-on, we're being polite by being indirect.

So where is the connection point with bIja? Let me explain. BIja sounds or seed sounds are sanketa ( less concrete, indirect, symbolism). They are not the devata's name firmly said, yet they hold the full potency of the devata , and their name is not called out directly.

So , the bija sounds are more subtle, less direct. The further away from being tightly focused or specific, the closer the sound is to being unspecified, broad, unbounded in nature and closer to bhuma (fullness) of Brahman.

Once something is called out specifically, it is now concrete, bound, constrained to a specific place. When something is less so, it is less bound, more ubiquitous, less constrained, until there are no constraints of space or time, this is Unboundedness of the Absolute.

I often think of wood from a tree. That wood can become a house, a toy, a cooking utensil, a bird house, a bat, rake, tool handle for an ax, fire, etc. when it is a tree. Once the tree is cut and shaped say into the lumber used for a home that has specific size, width, shape, it is becoming more specific. It loses some of its full potential as it gets closer to becoming the framework for a house.

When one meditates, and performs mantra japa in the mind, we are again less direct as the mind is sounding the bIja, not the lips , and are further away from specificity moving to samadhi (samAdhi समाधि) - to put together , join or combine, union , a whole , aggregate, but to where? The union with the Unbounded, with samAveSa ( divine union, some even call this sAmarasya or the state where śiva and śakti are identical).

Hence bija-akshara sounds are most appropriate as we appoach the devata in a manner they prefer. All the devata are indirectly Brahman. Each are full in themselves yet all are ambassadors of this Great Being Brahman. So approaching Brahman via the selected devata, Ishtadeva, etc. is being indirect and according to how they like to be approached.


…just an observation worth sharing.

pranams


1. Part of thr Aitareya Aranyaka of the Rig Veda; The name of this Upanishad is from its seer (risi) Mahidasa Aitareya