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Thread: As above so Below...

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    As above so Below...

    Hari OM
    ~~~~~

    There is a saying
    joi pinde soi brahmande - or whatever exists in ones body also exists in the universe, or as above so below. There are some advanced concepts here and would ask the other sadhu's to make comments and perhaps advance the converdsation if inspired to do so.

    There is this notion (truth) that Sarvam khalvidam brahma - 'All this is verily Brahman' . That must mean you , me, the environment, sub-atomic particles to the swirling galaxies, thoughts, feelings, past-present-future, everything is this Brahman , this wholeness/fullness (from Brh , to expand, greater then the greatest). If the WHOLEness produces you and me, then we too are whole and full i.e. Brahman.

    Now, what is also thought and I subscribe to, [yet my knowledge is flawed, as I do not ‘live’ this level of consciousness on a daily basis], is that the ultimate enjoyer of all we do is ultimately the Supreme Self, or universal Self. This is pointed out in many agamas (‘that which has come down’ e.g. Puranas, Ved, Upanishads). Because we cover the infinite with the perception of the finite i.e. ignorance of our SELF, we think I am the ultimate doer/enjoyer of these things done by me – I feel the pleasure (and pains) of my actions...

    Please hold that thought as we layer on an idea two:

    This Brahman is understood in different ways. The Manduka ( lit. frog) Upanishad says this Brahman, even whole and indivisible can be viewed as 4 quarters , also called 4 feet ( Chatu-pada). Now, one of these pada’s is called Vaishvanara, from the root Vaishva or Vishva, the universe, totality, and nara is leader, some say hero. So, HIM they call Vaishvanara, is the leader of totality, of this total universe.

    Let’s fast forward Vaishvanara to the Chhandogya Upanishad and it says, ‘in all the worlds, in all beings, in all selves he (Vaishvanara) eats the food’. What food is this? It is all that is taken in by the senses. Who’s senses? OURS! And your pets, and the animal kingdom, etc. It's He that takes this all in. He (this consciousness) is pervasive, provides for the experience of experiencing to happen... This is the epiphany one has as one develops and unfolds the SELF. Again, there is only one SELF, so when we experience this, that is why some call it cosmic Consciousness, as, you experience THAT which is the root of all, this universal consciousness of SELF.

    Now before we get back to the ‘above and below’ concept we started with... the Manduka Upanishad says this Universal SELF (Vaishvanara) that eats the food has 19 mouths. This is how this Universal SELF takes in as it were, the experiences. The 19 mouths you will recognize:
    The sensory organs of eyes, ears, nose, tongue and skin; Motor organs are mouth, hands, feet, regenerative organ and excretory organ; The five vital airs ( vayu) of prana, apana, samana, vyana and Udana ( these are associated with seeing, hearing, speech or vak, mind, etc); then the final 4 of mind , intellect, consciousness, and ego. All add up to the 19. So, it’s our physical, mental, and vital components that are the entry points for this Universal SELF.
    This is why when we talk of what we eat, its good to consider all the things we ‘eat’ i.e. take in.

    This ‘above and below’.I like to call ourselves the different notes in this symphony called life, we're part-and-whole at the same time.
    Our vision today may not allow us to ‘see’ this today ( some may have glimpses) yet this is the destination at hand.

    Last, each one of these quarters or Chatu-pada has an associated level of awareness (wake, dream, sleep and turiya or pure consciousness). Each are associated with the quarters of Omkara, which is the sound vibration of Brahman, Om.

    AUM: A is Vaisvanara and owns waking state, is the first condition; As Om pervades the totality of the universe, so does Vaisvanara. Even in the Bhagavad-Gita , Krsna says ‘ Aksharanam Akarosmi’ or of the letters, the ‘A’ I am.
    U is Taijasa, and the middle of AUM, and His sphere is dream. M is Prajana, and His sphere is deep sleep where all the senses are collected and merged.
    The last letter is __ no letter! It’s turiya, the 4th. All bliss, non dual, pure consciousness, w/o parts or meter and this is called Amatra, without measure, unbounded.

    For one knowing each one of these Chatu-pada, the benefits (boons) are delightful;
    For A (of AUM) brings fulfillment of desires, and becomes the first. With U (of AUM) one becomes great in knowledge. With M (of AUM) one is able to measure all and to comprehend all within himself. With Amatra, one merges his self in the SELF and there is no more to do.

    So, as above (infinity), so below ( us human spirits) are infinite too... as we realize our real nature and the extension of our SELVEs as this universe.


    pranams,
    yajvan
    Last edited by yajvan; 17 September 2006 at 04:00 PM.

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