next moment poetry- 41
dr.k.g.balakrishnan- 30-10-2014
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The Sea Inside
----------------------------------------
We know
Five Great Oceans;
But,
Never think;
They are the One!
The Same!
It is the Core;
This Oneness Pure;
The Sure;
The Indian Thought;
Great Intuit ever.
It is the definite Infinite;
The Sea fathomless;
Thy Glory;
The Illuminant.
The dawn and dusk;
The Day, the Night;
The Twilight;
All thy Sight;
The Significant.
Me the breath;
The Wink;
From Thee;
And how many;
To be!
Proclaimed the Rishi:
"Tat twa masi"
"Prajnaanam Brahma"_
The Mahaavaakyas-
The Great contemplations.
Note
See also theses web pages:
Upanishads
Four complementary practices
Yoga, Vedanta, Tantra
Mandukya Upanishad
Four Means and Six Virtues
Six Schools of Indian Philosophy
Vedantic Meditation
Self-Inquiry and Its Practice
Song of the Self (Atma Shatkam)
Introduction
dr.k.g.balakrishnan- 30-10-2014
--------------------------------------
The Sea Inside
----------------------------------------
We know
Five Great Oceans;
But,
Never think;
They are the One!
The Same!
It is the Core;
This Oneness Pure;
The Sure;
The Indian Thought;
Great Intuit ever.
It is the definite Infinite;
The Sea fathomless;
Thy Glory;
The Illuminant.
The dawn and dusk;
The Day, the Night;
The Twilight;
All thy Sight;
The Significant.
Me the breath;
The Wink;
From Thee;
And how many;
To be!
Proclaimed the Rishi:
"Tat twa masi"
"Prajnaanam Brahma"_
The Mahaavaakyas-
The Great contemplations.
Note
Mahavakyas: The Great Contemplations
Upanishads
Four complementary practices
Yoga, Vedanta, Tantra
Mandukya Upanishad
Four Means and Six Virtues
Six Schools of Indian Philosophy
Vedantic Meditation
Self-Inquiry and Its Practice
Song of the Self (Atma Shatkam)
|
Contemplation
on the Mahavakyas
gradually reveals their truth in direct experience. |
Introduction
The Great Utterances:
The Mahavakyas are the
Great Sentences of Advaita Vedanta and Jnana Yoga, and are contained in the
Upanishads. Maha is Great, and Vakyas are
sentences, or utterances for contemplation. They
provide perspective and insights that tie the texts
together in a cohesive whole. The contemplations on the Mahavakyas
also blend well with the practices of yoga meditation, prayer, and
mantra, which are companion practices in
Yoga.
The pinnacle of the wisdom
and practices of the ancient sages is contained in the terse twelve verses of the
Mandukya Upanishad, which outlines the philosophy and practices of the
OM mantra.Song of the Self (Atma Shatkam)
Mandukya Upanishad
These make the wisdom
more accessible: Seven Mahavakyas
are described below. By focusing on these
seven Mahavakyas, the rest of the principles of self-exploration
described in Vedanta and the Upanishads are more easily accessible. Included
with the descriptions below are suggestions on what to do
with these seven Mahavakyas.
Validation in the inner
laboratory: To truly understand the
meaning of the Mahavakyas it is necessary to practice
contemplation and meditation in your own inner laboratory of stillness
and silence. It means doing a lot of self observation, including the four functions of mind.
You may find it useful to learn both the Sanskrit and the English of the Mahavakyas.
They are not practiced as blind faith beliefs, but rather are reflected
on, so that their meaning is validated in direct experience.
Start by hearing the
insights described: Some methods of
contemplation give you a principle, a word, on which to reflect, but
give no clues of the insights that will come. For example, if you
contemplate on the word Truth, that is very broad, and may have
many meanings. It might take a long time to even come to a core
principle. Sometimes, in school or elsewhere, you have probably seen a
study guide that has a list of questions that also includes the answers,
in a Q&A format. With the Mahavakyas, it is somewhat like that, in
that the Mahavakyas provide the answers, already written down. You still
have to do the contemplations, but the journey is much more
direct.
Direct experience, not
mere belief: In contemplating the Mahavakyas, it is not a matter of merely accepting that the statements are
true. In the oral teachings of the sages, it is said that you should
never merely believe what you are told or what you read in a
book. Rather, it is suggested that
you should check it out for yourself in the inner laboratory of direct
experience. It also seems true that, while ultimate oneness is the
same for all, there is also a coloring of cultural and religious
influences that determine the way in which different people will
experience the early, or unfolding stages of insight.
|
Dig deep into the well
of only a few such Mahavakyas. |
Dig deep in only a few
wells: It can appear that
exploring only a few
sentences, like these seven, is a mere beginning point, and that one must
subsequently learn hundreds or thousands of other sentences. This is
definitely not the case. Although in academic circles one may do
complex intellectual analysis of many scholarly commentaries, comparing
and contrasting viewpoints, the seeker of direct experience digs deep
into the well of only a few such contemplations. In the monastic traditions of the swami order,
a monk may contemplate exclusively on a single Mahavakya or maybe
several of them. The practice bears fruit by deeply going into one, or a
few, rather than memorizing many, or doing only intellectual analysis of
the many.
Over and over and over: The
passionately dedicated practitioner will contemplate on one or more of
the Mahavakyas repeatedly, often, over a long period of time.
Mind gradually comes to have a greater understanding, and then becomes
still as the contemplation shifts from an observing, reflective process
into a deep contemplative meditation. Reflection transforms into
insight, which again transforms into the direct experience of the
underlying truth or reality of the Mahavakya.
Companion practices:
In the oral tradition of the
Himalayan sages, the Yoga Sutras, Vedanta, and internal Tantra are
companions on the journey to Self-Realization. The practices of the Yoga
Sutras stabilize and clear the clouded mind. The Vedanta practices form
a philosophical basis and means for discovering the underlying unity of
the different aspects of our being. Internal Tantra provides the means
for awakening the spiritual energy, so that the absolute, unchanging
reality at our core is realized.
Mahavakyas are at the
heart of Vedanta: These seven
principles below are practices at the heart of the Vedanta part
of the triad. Actually, all of these emerged out of the one source
of teachings, and now appear to be three separate practices. The higher understanding and
direct experience comes from
person-to-person listening (written and oral), followed by deep reflection, contemplation,
and deep contemplative meditation.
Advaita or
Non-Dual Reality: It is popular to speak of Advaita as if it were a
brand name of spirituality. It is not. Advaita is exactly what it says,
Advaita, which means non-duality, not-two. If this little planet were to fall into the sun and burn up,
there would no longer be any religionists or philosophers, but that which
truly "is" still "is." Advaita is exactly what it says it
is, Advaita, not-two, which stands alone. Any suggestion that there are things
such as Hindu Advaita or Buddhist Advaita or Anything-Else Advaita are
games of the mind. To transcend all of the levels of false identity so
as to "Be" that Reality of Advaita is the Knowledge or Jnana that is
sought. It is only the most sincere and longing of aspirants who seek
and Know this in direct experience. For others, it is merely an arena of philosophical and religious
debate. For those who Know, Advaita stands alone.
Who am I? It has become very popular in recent years to criticize
the practice of Mahavakyas, suggesting instead that one simply ask "Who
am I?" and then reject any response which arises from within (other than
"I am That!)? It is commonly suggested that one NOT contemplate any
of the phrases such as "Aham Brahmasmi" ("I am Brahman, the Absolute
Reality"). Such suggestions to NOT practice Mahavakyas
presuppose the incorrect opinion that
contemplation on Mahavakyas
is only a mere mental process, missing the
fact that the Mahavakya
leads one to deep silence wherein the reality is
experienced directly. Contemplation on the Mahavakyas
is not mere
chanting of mantras or reprogramming the mind with affirmations as if
one were trying to inculcate an alternative belief system. It
moves in stages, culminating in the highest of direct experience of the
meaning of the Mahavakyas
. Contemplation on the Mahavakyas
and the question "Who am I?" are not in conflict with one another.
Rather, they go hand in hand, in a systematic, unified practice.
|
|
Meaning
of the word brahman
Root of the word:
The word brahman comes from the root brha or brhi,
which means knowledge, expansion, and all-pervasiveness. It is that
existence which alone exists, and in which there is the appearance of
the entire universe.
Not subject to change:
Brahman
means the
absolute reality, that which is eternal, and not subject to death,
decay, or decomposition. In English, we speak of omnipresence or
oneness. This is the principle of the word brahman.
Not a proper name: Brahman
is not a proper name, but a
Sanskrit word that denotes that oneness, the non-dual reality, the
substratum underneath all of the many names and forms of the universe. Brahman
is
somewhat like the difference between the word ocean, and the
specific ocean called Pacific Ocean. The word brahman is
like ocean, not Pacific Ocean. Brahman is not a name
of God. These contemplations neither promote nor oppose any particular
religious concept of God.
Immanance and
transcendence: One may also choose to
think of brahman in theological terms, though that is not
necessary. Within that perspective, the scholars speak of two
principles: immanence and transcendence. Immanence
is described as the divinity existing in, and extending into all parts
of the created world. In that sense, the Mahavakyas can be read
as suggesting there is no object that does not contain, or is not part
of that creation.
It's really
indescribable, as it is beyond form: However one chooses to
hold the word brahman, it is very useful to remember that brahman
is often
described as indescribable. For convenience sake, it is said that brahman
is the nature of existence, consciousness, and bliss, though
admitting that these words, too, are inadequate.
Seek direct experience:
The real meaning comes
only in direct experience resulting from contemplation and yoga meditation.
1.
Brahma satyam jagan mithya
Brahman is real; the world is unreal
(The absolute is real; the world is unreal or only relatively real)
Brahman is real; the world is unreal
(The absolute is real; the world is unreal or only relatively real)
Brahman is real:
The way in which brahman is real is like saying that
the clay in a pot is real, or the gold in a bracelet is real
(metaphorically speaking). The idea is that first there was clay and
gold, and when those changed form, there now appears to be a pot and
a bracelet.
The world is unreal:
However, when the pot is broken, or the bracelet is melted, there is
once again only clay and gold. It is in that sense that the pot and
the bracelet are not real; they come and go from
manifestation. They are not as real as are
the clay and the gold. (Remember that these are metaphors, and that
obviously, we could also say that clay and gold also come and go,
such as when planets are born and die from the nuclear fire of suns.
Also, note that using the English words real and unreal for
the Sanskrit words satyam and mithya, are not perfect,
but they are the best we have to work with.)
Something is more real
than the temporary: In saying that the world
is unreal, it means to say that literally everything we experience
in the external world is, like the pot and the bracelet, in a process of
coming, being, and going (so too with all of the objects of the
subtle realm). If the Mahavakya stopped there,
this might appear to be a negative, or depressing comment. But it does
not stop there. It makes the added comment that this absolute reality
is, in a sense, more real than the temporary appearances.
Two points: Thus, the Mahavakya does
two major things:
-
Reminder of the temporary: First, it serves as a reminder of the temporary nature of the worldly objects.
-
Reminder of the eternal: Second, it serves as a reminder that there is an eternal nature, that is not subject to change.
An invitation to know: In these reminders there
is an invitation to come to know, in direct experience, the existence,
consciousness, and bliss that is this eternal essence of our being.
Don't stop living in
the world: When practicing
contemplation with this, and the other Mahavakyas, it is
important to not allow the reflection that the world is unreal to
stop you from doing your actions in the external world. To think that
the world is unreal, and therefore we need not do anything is a grave
mistake. The realization of the unreality of the world and the reality
of the essence behind the world brings freedom, not bondage or
lethargy.
| 1.
Brahma satyam jagan mithya Brahman is real; the world is unreal (The absolute is real; the world is unreal or only relatively real)
What to do: The
purpose of contemplation and yoga meditation exercises is to attain
Self-realization, or enlightenment, which has to do with knowing or
experiencing the deepest, eternal aspect of our own being. By working
with this Mahavakya, one increasingly sees the difference between
what is temporary and what is eternal.
|
The different
Mahavakyas work together: In practice, the Mahavakyas
work together. This becomes evident by exploring the others, such as the
ones that follow below.
2.
Ekam evadvitiyam brahma
Brahman is one, without a second
(There is one absolute reality, without any secondary parts)
Brahman is one, without a second
(There is one absolute reality, without any secondary parts)
No object is truly
independent: As our attention goes from
object to object, image to image, we keep finding that those objects and
images are only relatively real (as discussed above). Gradually, we come
to see that no object exists independently from brahman, the
whole. Hence, it is said there is one, without a second.
Wherever we look, whatever we think or feel, try as we will, we can
find no second object or part. Everything is seen as a
manifestation of something else.
The objects are made of
the same stuff: To speak of one, without a
second, is like thinking of thousands of pots or bracelets made from
clay or gold. As you look at each of the pots and bracelets, one at a
time, you conclude that this pot, and this bracelet is not separate from
the whole field of clay and gold. Suddenly you come to the insight that
there is not a single pot that is separate from clay, and there is not a
single bracelet separate from gold. In other words, you see that there
is one field, without a second object, or simply stated, there is one,
without a second.
Once again, this can also
be viewed in a theological way, wherein immanence (versus transcendence)
means the divinity existing in,
and extending into all parts all parts of the created world. Thus, there is no
object that does not contain, or is not part of that creation.
| 2.
Ekam evadvitiyam brahma
Brahman is one, without a second (There is one absolute reality, without any secondary parts)
What to do: Keep
exploring the latter part of the sentence, the part of being without
a second. Consciously look at the objects of the world, and the
thoughts that arise in the mind. Observe whether it has independent
existence and permanence. It is like asking, "Does this object
or thought exist on its own? Does it stay in this form, or does it go
away? Is it, therefore a second object in comparison to the
whole?"
|
3.
Prajnanam
brahman
Brahman is the supreme knowledge
(Knowing the absolute reality is the supreme knowledge)
(from Aitareya Upanishad of Rig Veda)
Brahman is the supreme knowledge
(Knowing the absolute reality is the supreme knowledge)
(from Aitareya Upanishad of Rig Veda)
Knowledge out of which
other knowledge arises: There are many types of
knowledge one can attain. However, they all stem from, or are a part of,
a higher knowledge. There is one exception, and that is the absolute
knowledge, which is the highest. It is called absolute because it is not
stemming from something else. Supreme knowledge is the ground out of which the
diversity of knowledge and experience grows. The plant, though appearing separate, is made of the
stuff of the ground.
Many metaphors for
higher knowledge: It is just about impossible to write
words describing this notion of supreme knowledge, which is part of the reason that there are so
many different descriptions given by many people. Thus, we use metaphor
after metaphor trying to capture and communicate the essence of the
meaning. This Mahavakya
is saying that as you climb the ladder of knowledge, this higher
knowledge is to be found at the level of brahman, the oneness of
universal consciousness.
Reflect on lower
knowledge to find the higher: Reflecting on lower
knowledge might give some idea. The knowledge of how to ride a bicycle
is a form of knowledge, but it is based on the higher knowledge of how
to move your body. The knowledge of complex mathematics is based on the
higher, more foundational, prerequisite knowledge that allows the
thinking process itself. When you see a person that you recognize as
your friend, there was first an ability to see and conceptualize, which
is a higher knowledge.
Find the foundation:
Intuitively, you come to
see that there is consciousness, or whatever term you would like to use,
that is higher, more foundational, or prerequisite to the lower
knowledge in all of its other forms. The highest rung of the ladder is
called supreme knowledge, prajna, and this is said to be one and
the same with brahman, the oneness.
Knowing is not mere
intellectualizing: It is extremely important
to note here, that this is not a process of intellectualizing. Knowledge
refers to knowing or awareness, not just a linear, cognitive
thinking process. The knowledge here, is more like the knowledge of
recognizing an object as a tree, than the process of adding up a
list of numbers. There is simply no more straightforward way of saying
it, than to say it is a matter of knowing the tree.
Knowing applies to both
head and heart people: Also, it
is not that some people are intellectual, or head people,
while others are emotional, or heart people. While these
differences between people might be real, this Mahavakya is
talking about a universal principle that applies to all people. The
practices themselves are applicable to all people, whether inclined
towards the head or the heart, though different people
will quite naturally have different experiences leading to the same
ultimate realizations.
| 3.
Prajnanam brahman Brahman is the supreme knowledge (Knowing the absolute reality is the supreme knowledge)
What to do: In
trying to reflect on the nature of supreme knowledge, the eternal
substratum of all other knowledge, the mind will present many memories,
images, impressions, thoughts, sensations, and emotions. All of these
are some form of knowledge, that's for sure. However, they are not the
highest knowledge.
|
4.
Tat
tvam asi
That is what you are
(That absolute reality is the essence of what you really are)
(from Chandogya Upanishad of Sama Veda)
That is what you are
(That absolute reality is the essence of what you really are)
(from Chandogya Upanishad of Sama Veda)
That is what YOU are:
This Mahavakya is
stated as if one person is speaking to the other, saying, "That is
what you are!" when referring to brahman. The person speaking is the teacher, and person being
spoken to is the student.
It is YOU at the
deepest level: Imagine that the teacher
has explained to you all of the above Mahavakyas, that you had
reflected on these, and that you started to have some sense of the
meaning of the oneness called brahman. Imagine that the teacher
then pointed a finger at you and explained, "That brahman, that oneness,
is who you really are, at the deepest level of your being!" It
is like telling a wave in the ocean that it IS the ocean.
You are the person
underneath the personality: Often, we hold on to our
personal identities, such as being from this or that family,
organization, or country. We take on the identity of our roles in our
jobs or in our families, such as father or mother, sister or brother,
son or daughter. Or, we come to believe that who we are, is our
personality traits that have developed through living. We forget our
true nature, that is underneath all of these only relative
identities.
We continue our duties,
holding identities loosely: The realization of this Mahavakya,
Tat tvam asi, leads us to see that the relative identities are
not who we really are. It does not mean that we drop our duties in the
world, or stop acting in service of other people because of this realization.
Rather, we become ever more free to hold those identities loosely, while
increasingly being able to act in the loving service of others,
independent of attachment to our false identities.
| 4.
Tat tvam asi That is what you are (That absolute reality is the essence of what you really are)
What to do: As if
talking to yourself, direct your attention inward, possibly towards the
heart center. Say to yourself, "That is who you are!"
|
5.
Ayam
atma brahma
Atman and Brahman are the same
(The individual Self is one and the same with the absolute)
(from Mandukya Upanishad of Atharva Veda)
Atman and Brahman are the same
(The individual Self is one and the same with the absolute)
(from Mandukya Upanishad of Atharva Veda)
The wave and the ocean
are one: Is the wave separate from
the ocean? Not really, but sometimes we lose sight of that. Imagine that
you are standing by the ocean, watching the vastness of the ocean.
Imagine that a really big
wave starts to come ashore, and that your attention comes to this one
wave. You intently notice it, becoming absorbed in the
crashing of the surf, and the feel of the salt spray. In that moment,
you are only aware of the immensity of this one wave. The ocean itself
is forgotten during that time. Then, an instant later, you recall with an inner
"Aha!", that the wave and the ocean are one and the same.
-
Atman refers to that pure, perfect, eternal spark of consciousness that is the deepest, central core of our being.
-
Brahman refers to the oneness of the manifest and unmanifest universe.
It is like saying that atman
is a wave, and brahman is the ocean. The insight of Ayam atma
brahma is that the wave and the ocean are one and the same.
Atman seems to be here,
and brahman there: Notice how the statement Ayam
atma brahma (Atman and Brahman are the same) is framed as if
you are a separate observer of both Atman and Brahman. It
is like standing at the beach, looking out at both the wave and the
ocean, and declaring that the wave an the ocean are one. You are
observing from a witnessing stance, outside of both of them . Notice how this
perspective contrasts with Aham brahmasmi (I am Brahman),
which declares that "I am!", an inner experience, rather than
from an observing standpoint (like being on the beach).
Different perspectives
for the underlying reality: In this way, each of the Mahavakyas
gives a different perspective of the same underlying Reality. Gradually,
they are seen as mirror reflections of the same Absolute Reality.
That integrated flash of insight touches on the true meaning of the word
brahman. It is like gaining
different points of view from different viewing points.
Together, they converge in a complete understanding.
| 5.
Ayam atma brahma Atman and Brahman are the same (The individual Self is one and the same with the absolute)
What to do: Sit
quietly and reflect on the inner core of your being, such as by placing
your attention in the space between the breasts, the heart center.
Different insights from
different Mahavakyas: Notice the different
insights and feelings
between the Mahavakyas. The insight from Tat
tvam asi (That is who you are) is experienced differently
from Ayam atma brahma (This individual Self is one with the
absolute). The two simply feel different internally, yet they work
together, describing the same fundamental truth about about who we are. By experiencing
the separate vantage points, the whole is more completely
experienced.
|
6.
Aham
brahmasmi
I am Brahman
(Who I really am, is that absolute reality.)
(from Brihadaranyaka Upanishad of Yajur Veda)
I am Brahman
(Who I really am, is that absolute reality.)
(from Brihadaranyaka Upanishad of Yajur Veda)
If a gold bracelet
could speak: Imagine two
possibilities of what a gold bracelet might say, if it could speak. It
might say one of these two things:
- "I am a bracelet!"
- "I am gold!"
Bracelet is temporary:
Which is more true, more
everlasting? We might be tempted to say that #1 is more accurate, in
that bracelet seems more encompassing, being both bracelet and
gold at the same time. However, the bracelet aspect is not
eternal. It is temporary. It is only a matter of the particular shape in
which the gold was molded. Is bracelet what it really is?
Gold is everlasting: What is always true, is #2, that "I am gold," everlasting,
ever pure, and not subject to death, decay, and decomposition. (One
might argue that gold is not everlasting either, but in the metaphor,
gold is being only used as an example.)
Bracelet is gold; I am
gold: Note that this metaphor
may sound similar to the ones above, regarding the impermanence of a
bracelet and the permanence of the gold (metaphorically speaking). This
is not the case. The realization that, "I am gold!" or
"I am brahman!" is an
internal experience compared to the statement, "The bracelet is
gold!" (which sounds like the bracelet over there). The
two insights are separate, though they also come to be the same.
Similarly, it is very different to realize, in direct
experience, "I am brahman!" than one of the statements such
as, "Brahman alone is real!":
-
Out there: "Brahman alone is real!" seems to be about the world out there. It is a valid perspective.
-
In here: "I am brahman!" is an inner declaration of who I am, in here. This is also a valid perspecive.
Truth comes in the
stillness of intuitive flash: The truth of a
Mahavakya comes through intuitive flash, that is progressively deeper as
one practices. It is not merely an intellectual process, as it might
appear to be by explaining the gold metaphor. The metaphors are used as
a means of explaining the principle, but this is not the end of the
process. In a sense, such explanations are only the beginning of the
process. The key is in the still, silent reflection in the inner
workshop of contemplation and yoga meditation.
After thinking, let go
into contemplative insight:The initial insights come
somewhat like the creative process when you are trying to solve some
problem in daily life. You think and think, and then finally let go into
silence. Then, suddenly, the creative idea just pops out, giving you the
solution to your problem. The contemplation on the Mahavakyas is
somewhat like that at first. Later, it goes into deeper
meditation.
Insight comes within
your own context: One may experience himself
or herself as being like the gold or the clay, or like a wave in an
ocean of bliss, that realizes the wave is also the ocean. With all these
metaphors used only as tools of explanation, the insight of each person
will come in the context of their own culture and religion, and will not
seem foreign or unnatural. One's religious values are not violated, but
rather, are affirmed.
| 6.
Aham brahmasmi I am Brahman (Who I really am, is that absolute reality.)
What to do: Reflect
on the oneness, or brahman, and the meaning, as suggested in the
practices above. Allow your attention to focus on the insights from
those Mahavakyas, such as Brahman is one, without a second.
|
7.
Sarvam
khalvidam brahma
All of this is Brahman
(All of this, including me, is that absolute reality)
All of this is Brahman
(All of this, including me, is that absolute reality)
The various insights
are revealed: Gradually, one comes to
understand and increasingly experience the deeper aspects of the other Mahavakyas
(the six described above):
- Brahman is real; the world is unreal.
- Brahman is one, without a second.
- Brahman is the supreme knowledge.
- That is what you are.
- Atman and brahman are the same.
- I am brahman.
They sing a song
together: As one comes to experience
the truth of the individual Mahavakyas, it seems they come
together in a song, that cries out in joy, "All of this is
brahman!" As was said in the beginning, it is a process
that comes from person-to-person listening (written and oral), followed by deep reflection,
contemplation, and meditation.
Realization comes in
stages: 
- First, there is cognitive understanding of the meaning.
- Second, intuition rolls down, revealing deeper meanings.
-
Finally, it is as if the one doing the practice travels upwards to merge in the direct experience, even though there was never any division in the first place.
| 7.
Sarvam khalvidam brahma All of this is Brahman (All of this, including me, is that absolute reality)
What to do: Allow
your awareness to try to encompass, at one time, the entire manifest and
unmanifest universe, the objects and people in the world around you, as
well as your own body and mind. Hold these together, as one whole, and
reflect on the words, "All of this is brahman! All of this is
one!" This
builds on the other practices, and expands in its experience.
Mind is set aside in an
explosion of awareness: Eventually, in the depth
of meditation and contemplation, the entire mind is set aside in an explosion of
awareness, in which the truth of the Mahavakyas comes forward,
and is seen to have been there all along, ever still, waiting to be
discovered in direct experience.
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Four traditional Mahavakyas
Four of the Mahavakyas
above are most traditional to Vedanta. Some 1200 years ago Adi Shankaracharya
assigned one Mahavakya to one of four monastic teaching centers or mutts
in India.
| Mahavakya | Source | Mutt/Center |
 Prajnanam brahman Brahman is supreme knowledge |
Aitareya
Upanishad 3.3, of Rig Veda |
Puri/Govardhana East |
 Tat tvam asi That is what you are |
Chandogya Upanishad 6.8.7, of Sama Veda, Kaivalya Upanishad |
Dwaraka/Sarada/Gujrat West |
 Ayam atma brahma Atman and brahman are the same |
Mandukya Upanishad 1.2, of Atharva Veda |
Jyoti/Badrinath North |
 Aham brahmasmi I am brahman |
Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 1.4.10, of Yajur Veda, Mahanarayana Upanishad |
Sringeri/Mysore South |
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