Aham Brahmasmi -2 - Discussion on Scriptures

[devotee]

Namaste Smaranam,

The Advaitic Truth echoes so clearly from the Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita.

Isha Upanishad is beautiful. That 6th shloka sounds so much like Krshna's words in the Gita.

Also, Krshna uses interchangeably , the words AtmA, Brahman' , Kshetradnya, UpadrshtA, Ishwar, SAkshi ....

At the same time He says,
Gita 9.18

gatir bhartā prabhuḥ sākṣī nivāsaḥ śaraṇaḿ suhṛt prabhavaḥ pralayaḥ sthānaḿ nidhānaḿ bījam avyayam
I am the goal, the sustainer, the master, the witness, the abode, the refuge, and the most dear friend. I am the creation and the annihilation, the basis of everything, the resting place and the eternal seed. He is Vishwam, Vishnu, VAsudeva.

Well said, Smaranam ! There are so much similarities in some of the verses of some Upanishads & those of Bhagwad Gita that no one can deny that Bhagwad Gita is the essence of the Vedanta.

Kena Upanishad 1.4 - 8

I-4. That which is not uttered by speech, that by which the word is expressed, know That alone to be Brahman, and not this (non-Brahman) which is being worshipped.
OR
1-4. That which the speech cannot reveal, but causes the speech to flow, know that alone to be Brahman, not this that you worship here.

I-5. That which one cannot think with the mind, that by which, they say, the mind is thought, know That alone to be Brahman, and not this (non-Brahman) which is being worshipped.
OR
1-5. That which mind cannot conceptualize , but by which the mind does conceptualize, know that alone to be Brahman , not this that you worship here.

I-6. That which man does not see with the eye, that by which man sees [the activities of the eye], know That alone to be Brahman, and not this (non-Brahman) which is being worshipped.
OR
1-6. That which the eye cannot see, but by which the eye does see, know that alone to be Brahman' , and not this that you worship here.

I-7. That which man does not hear with the ear, that by which man hears [the ear�s hearing] , know That alone to be Brahman, and not this (non-Brahman) which is being worshipped.

I-8. That which man does not smell with the organ of smell, that by which the organ of smell is attracted towards its objects, know That alone to be Brahman, and not this (non-Brahman) which is being worshipped.

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And by that same note,

I am not this eye, ear, nose, mind, intellect, thought, words(speech), opinions, ...

I am That , Who works thru' these very instruments, which are His filters and reflectors, so they had better be polished clean (of all vikAr , vishay, vAsanA) - these filters and reflectors.

Yes, that is a beautiful quote from Kena Upanishad. Your understanding reflected in the highlighted (by me) part is even more beautiful. That echoes in these words too : He (the Brahman) is the Thinker of the thought, the Dreamer of the dream (this world). In fact, I could find similar words in Buddhism too. "How do you think of which alone is the Thinker ?"

OM

[devotee]

Namaste,

Let's revisit the three verses, 6th, 7th & 8th & analyse :

6. And he who sees all beings in his own self and his own self in all beings, he does
not feel any revulsion (towards anything).
7. When, to one who knows, all beings have, verily, become one with his own self,
then what delusion and what sorrow can be to him who has seen the oneness?
8.He has filled all; He is radiant, bodiless, invulnerable, devoid of sinews, pure, untouched by evil. He, the seer, thinker, all-pervading, self-existent has duly distributed through endless years the objects (their duties) according to their natures.


So, what do these three verses tell us ? :

We can see all beings in our own self and also our own self in all beings.

=> How ? What is this seeing ? Is it imagining those being in my own self and again imagining myself in all beings ? It is difficult. How can we see one in many & many in one ? Is it not logically contradicting ?

It cannot be understood as we understand this world around us. It is slightly difficult. For understanding this complicated theory we use the analogy of the Sea & the Waves … the space & the space within various pots as we have already seen in thread, “Aham Brahmasmi” http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showthread.php?t=4824.

This “seeing” is not understanding as the logic given above. This is actual realization of the One-ness. And the verses say that on realization there is no revulsion towards anyone or anything. What happens to our concepts of good & bad ? beautiful & ugly ? sacred & profane ? lovable & hateful ? Sinner and the righteous ? What happens to our moral theories ?

The verse boldly acclaims, “ He doesn’t feel revulsion”.

Does it not mean that our all concepts i.e. good & bad, beautiful & ugly, sacred & profane, lovable & hateful, sinner & righteous etc. lose their meaning in Absolute Reality. Who will hate who … when there is no “other” ?

The 7th verse also says that “there is no delusion or sorrow for him who has seen One-ness”.

Does it not mean that :

The duality is the delusion … duality is the mother of all sorrows & to ferry across the river of delusion and sorrow, we must ride the boat of realization of One-ness ?

The eighth verse tells us that the whole creation is filled with Him (God). He is untainted, self-existent. He is the seer & he alone is the thinker & he has distributed their duties to all in accordance with their nature.

That ends the discussion on some selected verses from Isha Upanishad. I shall take up Katha Upanishad and Bhagwad Gita in next posts onwards.

OM

[devotee]

Namaste,

On a second thought, I felt it would be better to see how the above 3 verses of Isha Upanishad resonate with some of the verses in Bhagwad Gita. Let's see :

Sarvabhootasthamaatmaanam sarvabhootaani chaatmani |
Eekshate yogayuktaatmaa sarvatra samdarshanah || BG 6.29 ||

Sarvabhootashthamaatmaanam = Sarva (all) + bhootah (beings) + sthama (staying/located) + aatmaanam (self)
Sarvabhootaani = sarva + bhootaani
Chaatmani = cha (and) + aatmani (self)
Eekshate = sees
Yogayuktaatmaa = yogayukta (yogi, who has attained oneness with Self) + aatmaa (self)
Sarvatra = everywhere
Samdarshanah = sama (equally) + darshanah (sees)

Meaning :

The Yogi, who sees Self in all beings & all beings in the Self, sees everything with equanimity.

Aatmaupamyena sarvatra samam pashyati yoarjuna |
Sukham wa yadi va dkukham sa yogi paramo matah || BG 6.32 ||

Aatmaupamyena = aatmaah (self) + api (also) + ena (like)
Paramo = excellent
Matah = considered

(He who) sees everywhere (i.e. in all beings) equanimity like one�s own self, & (that who sees) pleasures and pains with equanimity is considered the excellent yogi.

Yada bhootprithagbhaavmekasthamanupashyati |
Tata eva cha vistaaram brhama sampadyate tadaa ||BG 13.30||

Yadaa = When
Bhootprithagbhaavmekasthamanupashyati = bhoot (being) + prithak (different) + bhaavam (feeling/manifestations ) + ekashtham (situated in One) + anupashyati (sees)
Tata = That
Eva = itself
Cha = and
Vistaaram = expansion
Brahma = Brahman
Sampadyate = attains
Tada = then

Meaning :

When ( a person) sees different manifestations of (all) beings situated in One (Brahman) & only an expansion of the Brahman, then (he) attains Brahman.


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The Bhagwad Gita says similar things in a slightly different manner. It confirms that all beings are reflected in the Self & the Self is reflected in all beings ... that who sees so ... that who sees that all manifestations in this visual world are only an expansion of the same Brahman/Self, attains Brahman.

OM

[brahman]

Namaste,

The roots of Advaita is in Vedanta Scriptures. So, in this part we shall discuss the important texts from chosen scriptures.

Let�s start our journey with the Isha Upanishad. I have selected 5 verses here from 4th to 8th for discussion & let's take the first two verses, 4th & 5th first.

I have given translation of words below as per my understanding of Sanskrit & from translations available online. However, if anyone can help in better translation & understanding of the texts, that would be very helpful.

The verses 4 & 5 convey the characteristics of the Self.

Anejadekam manso javiyo, nanaddeva aapnuvanpurvamarshat |
Taddhavato anyaantyeta tishthat, tasminapo maatirashcha dadhaati || 4 ||

Anejad = Unmoving
Ekam = Non-dual, One
Nanaddeva = Na (No) + Anat( other) + Deva (Indriyas, sense organs)
Aapnuvan = reach
Purvam = earlier
Arshat = pierces
Taddhaavato = tat (that) + dhaavato (runs)
Anyaantyeta = Anya (Others) + Antyeta (??? ... couldn't find the translation, can anyone help ?)
Tishthat = standing in one place
Tasminapo = Tasmin api (within that itself )
Maatirah = Air
Dadhaati = supports

4. (The Spirit/Self) is unmoving, one (non-dual), swifter than the mind. The senses do not reach It as It is ever ahead of them. Though Itself standing still It outstrips those who run. In It the (all-pervading) air supports the (activities of) beings.

Tadejati tannaijati taddoore tadwantike |
Tadantrasya sarvasya tadu sarvasyasya bahyatah || 5||

Tat = That
Ejati = moves
Tannaijati = Tat + Na + ejati = That doesn�t move
Taddoore = tat + doore (at far place) = That is far
Tadwantike = tat + awantike = That is near
Tadantarasya = Tat + antarsya = That is within heart of
Sarvasya =all beings
Tadu = tat + u = That alone
Asya = of it
Bahyatah = outside

5. It moves and It moves not; It is far and It is near; It is within all this and It is also outside all this.

==>

What do we gather from these two verses :

a) The Self/Spirit is One i.e. Non-dual
b) It is unmoving & yet swifter than the mind
c) It is not grasped by the senses as it is always ahead of them
d) The all pervading air is within It.
e) It is far & yet it is near. It is within everything & also outside everything

Now something is not clear here.

i) How can anything be unmoving and yet swifter than mind i.e. both moving & non-moving at the same time ? So, does it say that there is actually no distance & time in reality ?

ii) How is it swifter than mind ? Why comparison with mind is done here ? To emphasize on its speed ? But that can�t be because It is essentially non-moving !

iii) How can it be both far & also near ? Doesn�t that mean there is actually nothing as near or far and any illusion of a distance is just an illusion ?


iv) If it is within everything & also outside everything � then it must be everything because it must be present even in the tiniest part of any �thing� & also all that is outside that �thing�?

OM

Devotee,

There is something we need to remember when we talk on sastras.


Imagine you haven�t seen a melon before
Imagine you listen to a wonderful description of it now
But remember, there�s nothing you�ve ever seen or heard that�s comparable to a melon.
One may now detail the melon so:

Oh! The melon is sweet and juicy; you call it a fruit,
It�s edible too; you call it a vegetable
It�s either round, or spherical or oblong
But it�s certainly heavy; but not as you
What more, it features a green rind with spots or stripes,
And holds red flesh and black seeds
Indigenous to the Mediterranean climate,
The melon is wonderful like you!



it was marvelous for words and you grasp the crumbly fruit. If ever you happen to see it and taste it, the description is probably no surprise to you. You suspect the words you listened to, were adequate or inadequate for comprehension. You are wise, so you start to fathom, to appreciate the melon in more ways you could. All this add up to an explanation on the melon. Good.


Know that this is the same with comprehending Brahman too.
From being unaware, we need to be aware,
to engage ourselves to experience Brahman .
If ever we possessed an experience with Brahman,
Our quest to know the many sastras would be much easier.
We shall now make efforts to describe the Ultimate in our philosophy
But not to conflict with the existing philosophies on the Ultimate.
A little inquiry reveals that the Ultimate has been described in hundreds, if not thousands and thousands of ways. A true philosopher would treat them all accurate and value them all glorious.


Once you experience IT, you would say nothing preached on Brahman is wrong, because all are SAT,
In one way or the other, all those preaching lead you to the Ultimate Truth.

After SEEING the SEEN, out of your apparent interest, you may even use the sastras to cross check whether the SEEN is the same you have already perceived.


But you are now determined, you know it�s nothing to be seen, its all about an experience.


The Upanishads appeal us with a high intellectual competence. If ever I were to suggest someone to read it, I would devotedly ask them to chant it a minimum of hundred thousand times, to comprehend the pramana of Upanishads, especially the Isa. For, the sages have had unique encounters with the Ultimate, have had sat in Nirvana for ages, to be able to resonate their experiences to all those searching for truth. Let us dedicate ourselves completely, to comprehend the truth, the Sabda pramana of it. THAT knowledge is beyond the senses to be explained.

.

[devotee]

Namaste,

KATHA UPANISHAD and its strong echoes in Bhagwad Gita

Katha Upanishad or Kathoupanishad is a Upanishad in the form of a story. Nachiketa is the truth-seeker & Yama, (the lord of Death also known as Dharmaraaj, Yamaraaj etc.) is the great teacher who explains the highest Truth to Nachiketa.

Nachiketa asks this boon :

Yeyam prete vichikitisa manushyeastityeke, naayamastii chaike |
Etadwidyaamanushishtastvayaaham vraaNaamesha vrastritiyah || 1.20||


There is this doubt about a man when he is dead: Some say that he exists;others, that he does not. This knowledge I like to learn, taught by you. This is the third of my boons.

It is seen that Yama doesn't start telling the Truth so easily to Nachiketa.

He says, “ It is a very subtle thing to understand. Even the “devatas” have doubts over it. So, please ask for any other boon & don’t press me to explain this.”

This becomes a strong reason for Nachiketa to press further. If it was such a difficult subject to understand who can tell it better than Yama Himself ? Where to find a teacher as good as Yama ? Yama tries to evade by offering him the best of worldly things which anyone can aspire to have … a very long & healthy life, wealth of all sorts which a man wants in his life, fair maidens which are not attainable by the mortals etc. etc. ... he says, "O Nachiketa, I will make you the enjoyer of all desires ... but please don't ask me to explain this."

Nachiketa is the true seeker ... he cannot be cajoled by such worldly offers. He declines all temptations steadfastedly & then finally Yama agrees to impart this knowledge (of Self).

There are many verses in this Upanishad which have striking similarity with some of the verses in Bhagwad Gita. So, I will try to show the similar verses together.

Sanskrit used in Katha Upanishad appears slightly easier than in Isha Upanishad.

Chapter-1 2nd Valli

Sarve Veda yatpadamaamananti tapaansi sarvaaNi chayadvadannti |
Yadichchhanto brahmacharyam charanti tatte padam sangraheNa bravimyomityetat ||15||

Yatpadamamananti = yat (which) + padam (goal/state) +aamananti
Tapaani = Austerities
chayadvadanti = cha (and) + yat (which) + vadanti (say)
Yadichchhanto = yat (which) + ichchhanto (desire)
Charanti = go (on the path of)
Tattepadam = tatte (that itself) + padam (state/goal)
sangraheNa = briefly
bravimyomityetat = bravimi ((I shall) state) + ( OM + Iti + etat) = (That is OM)

15. Yama said: The goal which all the Vedas declare, which all austerities aim at and which men desire when they lead the life of continence, I will tell you briefly: it is Om.


Etaddhyevaksharam brahma etaddhyevaksharam param |
Etaddhyevaksharam gyatvaa yo yadichchhasi tasya tat || 16 ||

Etaddhyevaksharam = Etat (that) + dhi (know) + eva (itself/indeed) + Akshram (syllable)
Gyatvaa = on knowing
Yadichchasi = yat (whatever) + ichchasi ((you) desire)


16. Know this syllable (akshar) (Om) as indeed Brahman. Know this syllable (akshar) as the Ultimate. Whosoever knows this syllable (akshar) obtains all that he desires.


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In the above two verses, Yama declares OM as the ultimate. Whosoever knows it attains all that he desires. If we remember, OM has been declared “SELF” which is all that existed in past, is in present & will be in future … in Maandukya Upanishad. Lord Krishna in Bhagwad Gita says,

“OMityekashram Brahma vyaaharanmaamnusmaran |
Yah prayaati tyajandeham sa yaati parmaam gatim ||” BG 8.13||

OMityekashram = OM + Iti (end, final, only) + eka (One) + askharam (syllable)
Vyaaharanmaamanusmaran = vyaaharan (uttering) + maam (me) + anusmaran (thinking of)
Prayaati = goes (dies)
Tyajndeham = tyajat (leaving) + deham (body)

He who uttering this one syllable Brahman, OM & remembering me leaves this body, attains the ultimate goal.

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Now let's ponder over what we read above :


a) Why this word OM is called the Self, the Brahman and why not any other word ? Did the seers hear this sound ? Is Brahman simply a form of sound ?
b) Again, Yama says, "by knowing this OM, one attains all desires" .... what does it mean ? Can I say that I know OM but my desires are still not fulfilled ?
c) Why did Yama offer all worldly things of desire to Nachiketa ? Why didn't he start telling it all straight way ?

OM

[devotee]

Namaste,

In the last post I had left some questions to be answered on OM. I am giving my understanding below. Any contribution on this subject will be highly appreciated.

Let’s understand the mystery behind this - ”OM”

What exactly is this OM ? Why the seers preferred this sound & none else ? Let’s see :

a) OM is the most sacred beej mantra in many religions : Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism and also in Bon tradition (the ancient religion in Tibet before Buddhism). Some scholars say that the Amen of Christianity & Amin of Islam owe their origin to OM.
b) OM is the primal sound. It doesn’t belong to any one language ... not even Sanskrit. It is called Pranava in Sanskrit. What does this Pranava mean ? The Pranava denotes humming sound, like what comes from the flying swarm of bees or from the working transformer.
c) The OM is composed of four “sounds” :
i) Sound of A
ii) Sound of U
iii) Sound of Ma
iv) Soundless sound which is the substratum of all sounds including OM. It is the silence before & after OM.

Before trying to understand the basics of OM, let’s discuss some basic physics on sound & vibration :

What is sound ? :

Sound is the perception of vibration of medium around us through our ear but actually by our mind. The auditory nerves carry the impulse generated on receiving signals, in the form of vibration of medium around our ear-drum, to our mind. So, sound is associated with vibration. Can there be vibration but no sound ? Yes. Our sense organs have strict limitations & we can hear sounds of vibrations only within a limited range of frequency band-width. So, there are many situations when there are vibrations but we are not able to hear those vibrations, e.g. we cannot hear the sound of vibrations produced by the bats, ants etc.

The whole of this creation is nothing but vibration :

Everything in this universe is in motion. The earth, star, galaxies are moving with great speed. The molecules within any solid, liquid or gaseous substance are vibrating which is known as their intrinsic property as heat. The electrons within nucleus are in constant motion. All types of energy (except potential energy … but that is again vibration at different position) are either due to one motion or the other :

a) Heat : vibration of molecules
b) Kinetic Energy : Motion of particles/objects
c) Electricity : Movement of electrons
d) Light and other Electromagnetic waves : Vibration of Electric & Magnetic fields

We know that all forms of matter can be converted into energy & all forms of energy can be converted into matter. Actually, many scientists have started believing that if we are able to break the sub-atomic particles (quarks/anti-quarks) we would be left only with vibrating electromagnetic fields.

What do the scriptures say ?

The essence of everything which exists is consciousness. It is the vibration of same consciousness which manifests itself as varied things in this universe.

Now when there is vibration, there must be sound whether heard or not. Let’s understand that this vibration is inherent nature of the Consciousness. It is not produced by striking two things. So, the “sound” produced by this beginingless and endless vibration is called, “Anaahat naad” i.e. Sound which is produced without striking two things.

This “sound” can be heard during meditation first when all other worldly noises are cut off. However, after a little practice, a practitioner can hear this sound clearly even when he is not meditating.

The Naada Bindu Upanishad says :

“34. At first, the sounds are like those proceeding from the ocean, clouds, kettle-drum and cataracts; in the middle (stage) those proceeding from Mardala (a musical instrument), bell and horn.
35. At the last stage, those proceeding from tinkling bells, flute, Vina (a musical instrument) and bees. Thus he hears many such sounds more and more subtle.
36. When he comes to that stage when the sound of the great kettle-drum is being heard, he should try to distinguish only sounds more and more subtle.”

These sounds are heard more prominently in the right ear.

The Upanishads also describe this sound as :

“Nirvachhinna tailadhaarmiva” (like) Continuous smooth flowing Oil ), “dirghaghanta nadavat” (The long sound of Gong), “avaachya pranava” (unutterable humming sound)

What do the Great Self-realised Saints say about this Cosmic Sound :

Ramklrishna Paramhans said about this sound :

“ I give the illustration of the sound of a gong: 'tom', t-o-m. It is the merging of the Lila in the Nitya: the gross, the subtle, and the causal merge in the Great Cause; waking, dream, and deep sleep merge in Turiya. …….

I have clearly perceived all these things. It has been revealed to me that there exists an Ocean of Consciousness without limit. From It come all things of the relative plane, and in It they merge again."


Maharishi Paramhans Yogananda says :

“This Cosmic Sound is the lullaby of Cosmic Creation, continuously oozing out of the pores of space like smoothly flowing oil; it is like the peal of a cosmic gong, reverberating, energizing all creation.”


The Sound of OM :

This OM sound matches with the sound of Gong & that is the genesis of this syllable. This is the reason behind making sound of gong/bells during worshipping God because that sound tunes us to the cosmic sound.

This Sound is composed of three different sounds : “A” which is the vibration of the Cosmic Consciousness in waking state (Visva, in this manifested universe), “U” is the vibration of the Cosmic Consciousness in dreaming state (Taijasa, the world before birth & after death), “M” is the vibration of the Cosmic Consciousness in Prajna i.e. God-state & the Silence after & before OM is Turiya which is the substratum of all the three states.

That is why it is said that AUM is whatever is … it is the past, the present & future of all. There is nothing which is not-AUM.

Tuning with OM :

Tuning ourselves with the Cosmic Vibration expands our limited consciousness to Cosmic Consciousness. Maharishi Patanjali advises : “Think of this sound & chant it”.

Sri Ramkrishna Paramhans said, “By following the trail of OM you attain Brahman” .

OM

[yajvan]

　
hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~

Namaste,

We all know of this most auspicious sound aum , oṁ औम् some like ॐ. What possible additional value could I add to this sound... little to none. Yet I found the word to describe it most interesting and thought to offer it for one's consideration. Please add or advance this idea as you wish.

• praṇava प्रणव the mystical or sacred syllable, vibration ; aum , oṁऔम् some like ॐ as mentioned above. Yet let's look at its components:
• praṇa प्रण is ancient , old (we see this used in purāṇa पुराण belonging to ancient or olden times , ancient , old); Not to be confused with prāṇa प्राण the life breath we think of, but many a ṛṣi connects prāṇa to brahman.
• nava नव is new , fresh , recent , young , modern ; also considered praise , celebration.

So in the same word, we have ancient, old + new and fresh, at the same time. For me this is the perfect word application for timeless, without bounds or constraints. Both new and old simultaneously is the concept of 'now' for me. Ever present, ubiquitous, far and near at the same time. What other then can this Om be other then brahman?

And within this word we also have the following:

• ana अन we know is the breath - as we find in prāṇa - as this too is considered brahman�.
• And nāva नाव is a shout of joy or triumph and also a boat or a ship.

This oṁ is a celebration of bhūman, Fullness of Being; and nava आनव is being kind to men or belonging to living men. How great is this brahman, being kind to the family-of-man and all creatures on this good earth to provide the goods/food/tattvas for all ones needs.

Perhaps a bit more esoteric meaning of nāva is a boat or ship to get one across the ocean of birth-and-rebirth or saṁsāra. But where then does the boat take you? To samāveśa�... the attainment of the original position , absorbtion of individual consciousness into Divine Consciousness, Brahman.

oṁkara or oṁ+kara - kāra कार is the term used in designating a letter or sound or indeclinable� word; a song or hymn of praise; The praise of oṁ. And kara कर is the doer , maker , causer , doing , making , causing ; a measure (the breadth of twenty-four thumbs); The 'doing' of praising , oṁ.

...just a thought.


words and references

• I have posted this previously, and offer it with some updates.

• brahma sūtras 1.1.23( sūtra 23) - ata eva prāṇaḥ
  ata eva: for the same reason ( this refers to sutra 1.1.22) ; prāṇaḥ - the breath (also refers to brahman). As prāṇa is described as the cause of the world, such a description can apply to brahman alone. The word �prāṇa must be understood as brahman.
• This word samāveśa is most interesting to me, sama+veśa . this is how I see it and look for any corrections if my comprehension is blemished. It is a key principle of kaśmir śaivism.
  • sama is sameness, equivalent , like to or identical or homogeneous with.
  • and veśa is broken into 've' which is to to weave , interweave , braid; and Sa is eternal happiness , final emancipation;
  • So this samāveśa is the sameness and homogeneously being weaved into final emancipation i.e. establishment of Brahman within ones Self.
• 'indeclinable' is without grammatical inflection

[devotee]

Namaste Yajvan ji,

So in the same word, we have ancient[/FONT], old + new and fresh, at the same time. For me this is the perfect word application for timeless, without bounds or constraints. Both new and old simultaneously is the concept of 'now' for me. Ever present, ubiquitous, far and near at the same time. What other then can this Om be other then brahman?[/SIZE]

That is an excellent understanding of Pranava !

OM

[devotee]

Namaste,

I think there are some questions which need to be answered before we proceed to other verses. The following post is based on my understanding of Guruji's teachings. Any shortcoming in this post should be attributed only to my poor understanding.

Objection : When we close our ears & start hearing the "Naad Brahman", it can't be a vibration existing outside as our ears are closed. That means I must be hearing sound of some vibration which is produced within. How can it then be the Naad of the Infinite, all that exists ?

Answer : This concept of outside & inside vanishes when we talk of Brahman. There is no separation. It is unbroken uniform continuum. Whatever is outside is inside too. So, the OM vibration which is outside the body is inside too. And it is easy to find out that it is nothing some sound produced due to blood-circulation or working of various organs within the body. These are the sounds heard initially .... we have to discard all these sounds. These sounds are like cacophony whereas the sound of OM has a smooth melody. The sound of bells, sound of Gong, sound of waterfall etc. cannot be produced by those activities within our body.

Objection : OK. But in that case it should be heard all times. Why meditate for that ?

Answer : Yes, this vibration is present all over & can be heard all the time by seekers who have practised a little. However, the need is to hear the subtlest sound which tunes us to the Infinite & be one with that. For that to happen, all noises must be cut off first & we should also strive to attain higher spiritual planes. The various Chakras within our body resonate this sound (like amplifiers) & make it "audible". Depending on our spiritual advancement, gradually our higher Chakras are activated & sound produced by every Chakra is different ... so this sound heard by a practitioner also changes accordingly. Sometimes they are mixed. At initial stage, the sound heard is like humming bees, jingle bells etc. which are sounds produced by our Moolaadhaar Chakra.

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Question : Again, Yama says, "by knowing this OM, one attains all desires" .... what does it mean ? Can I say that I know OM but my desires are still not fulfilled ?

Answer : Will my all desires be fulfilled by reading above post which talks about OM ? No ! Reading & listening is different from “knowing”. It is not academic knowing. You cannot truly know a thing unless you become one with that … because all other knowing is tainted by our sense-perceptions. Now, once you become one with OM … you are Self … the omnipotent … what desires can remain to be fulfilled then ?

Question : Why did Yama offer all worldly things of desire to Nachiketa ? Why didn't he start telling it all straight way ?

Answer : There is a danger to teach more than the capacity of the disciple to grasp & hold on to it. You don’t teach a student of primary class about dual nature of light. You don’t tell him that light sometimes deviates from its straight-line path. Why ? Because, this will confuse him.

There is another danger too in this particular case. It can simply feed the ego of an ineligible person. The person who is too much attached with worldly things & is not of sattvik mind, on receiving this highest Truth, may start feeling that he could do anything & get away with it as He is Supreme ! That would not help the seeker … it would simply hasten his downfall.

OM

[brahman]

[size=3]Namaste,

In the last post I had left some questions to be answered on OM. I am giving my understanding below. Any contribution on this subject will be highly appreciated.

THAT knows, knows THAT, knows within THAT, thus Aumkara


“In the beautiful city of Ayodhya, in the centre of a pavilion set with gems, together with Devi Sita, Bharata, Lakshmana and Satrughna, was Bhagavan Ram seated, glorified day and night by sages like Sanaka, Vasistha and Suka as well as other devotees, unchanging witness of thousands of modifications of the intellect, delighted in contemplating his own form.

Shri. Hanuman asked Lord Shri. Ramachandra: “Oh Lord, what is Kaivalya?

Lord Shri. Ramachandra said: “Oh, my all time dearest devotee, learn Madukya Upanishad, it takes one to kaivalya easily or Mandukya alone is enough for liberation”


Shri Ramachandra added: If the ultimate knowledge is not attained from Mandukya, which is the knowledge of ॐ , then study the Ten Upanishads. Getting knowledge very soon, you will reach my abode.
If certainty is not got even then, study the 32 Upanishads, if not got it from 32 go on with 108.

Amātrascaturtho'vyavahāryah prapancopaśamah sivo'dvaita
evamomkāra ātmaiva, samviśatyātmanatmanam ya evam
veda, ya evam veda.( Mandukya)

The fourth is soundless:
unutterable,
a quieting down of all relative manifestations,
blissful,
peaceful,
non-dual.
Thus, ॐ is the Ātman, verily.

He who knows thus, merges his self in the Self; yea, he who knows thus.

Close your eyes and Let the sabda मं dissolve in the eternity as the sound of a bell get dissolves in the inifinite silence ॐ




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