Mind Over Matter: The Meditation Club

Discussion in 'Education & Personal Growth' started by Gauri03, Feb 14, 2018.

  1. Viswamitra

    Viswamitra IL Hall of Fame

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    Bumping this thread with this important Upanishad.

    Mandukya Upanishad is the shortest of all Upanishads and has only 12 verses. It describes the sound "AUM" as the primordial sound that created the whole universe. A represents the waking state or Gross State(Vaishvaanara), U represents dreaming state or Subtle State (Taijasa), and deep sleep state (Prajnya). These three states are attained through vibration (manifested form of the divine) and we are all part of it. We move between one state to another every day throughout our lives. When we stop this vibration momentarily by silencing this vibration, we can feel the communion with the divine existence. But those who aspire to dwell in the fourth stage that is also called "Turiya State" or infinite consciousness which is formless, attributeless, and inconceivable will have to transcend the mind that manifests the three Gunas.

     
  2. kaluputti

    kaluputti Platinum IL'ite

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    Another interesting video...3rd of a series of lectures on the Mandukya Karika of Gaudapada, again the Mandukya upanishad you have touched upon !
     
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  3. Thyagarajan

    Thyagarajan IL Hall of Fame

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    Sound “AUM” when uttered doesn’t seem to produce “u” sound at all. The tongue rest down for “o” & for “m” sound the tip of tongue touches the upper arch. In written Sanskrit the corresponding sound letters are combined into one. Would be grateful for further elucidation.

    Yes. I agree. .with question “why” invariably it reaches innerds.
     
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  4. Viswamitra

    Viswamitra IL Hall of Fame

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    Dear Thyagarajan Sir,

    Actually, the letters that are combined are “அ”, "உ" and "ம" in Tamizh and the correct way to pronounce is "AUM" instead of "OM". This has to be chanted with the effort starting at Muladhara Chakra but the sound originates from three places: 1) The letter “அ” from the throat, the letter "உ" from the edge of the tongue, and the letter "ம" from the lips. After we complete inhalation and retention of air inside for a while, the sound should originate when we exhale the air. "AUM" reminds us that we live in three states known as waking, dreaming, and deep sleep state which are unreal. It is also a reminder that the purest form is only manifested in all states. That is why "Soham" meditation ("So" for inhalation and "Hum" for exhalation) is described as us constantly reciting, "I am that" the MahaVakyas "Prajñānam Brahma", "Ayam Ātmā Brahma", "Tat Tvam Asi" and "Aham Brahmāsmi" mentioned in Aitarya (Rig Veda), Mandukya (Atharva Veda), Chandogya (Sama Veda) and Brihadaranyaka (Yajur Veda) Upanishads respectively.

    You are right about written Sanskrit. It is just one letter. Many scholars have indicated that the top circular form of the letter is waking state and the bottom circular form of the letter is dreaming state and the one that is on the side is deep sleep state and the crescent on top of the letter is "Maya" and the dot at the top of the letter is the indestructible Supreme Absolute. This explanation embeds the lesson of three states we live in and the fourth state we aspire for clearly in our minds.
     
    Last edited: May 15, 2021
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  5. Thyagarajan

    Thyagarajan IL Hall of Fame

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    Dear Viswa Sir,
    Thanks for the enlightenment.

    According to linguists, Sanskrit originated much before Tamil ans is said to be deva basha and “AUM” too at the Genesis come out In Sanskrit. This word in chants in the beginning of every line of many shlokas or sthothrams.

    This reminds me of jesudoss begins a kutcheri in Hamsadwani Vathapi Ganapathe with viruttham containing these phrases.

     
  6. Viswamitra

    Viswamitra IL Hall of Fame

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    Dear Thyagarajan Sir,

    I explained it in Tamizh for easy understanding. Actually, the primordial sound has not come from any language. All of the sounds originated from it including the Vedas heard by the rishis and converted into a language spoken by the community at that time.
     
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  7. Thyagarajan

    Thyagarajan IL Hall of Fame

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    Thanks. I understand that Three different sounds blended into one and that is pranavam & that is nothing to do with anything alphabet directly but to understand the constituents of pranavam letters of Tamil or Sanskrit or English are used.
     
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  8. Fortune1

    Fortune1 Senior IL'ite

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    Hello all,

    I am new here and recently getting drawn towards meditation and spirituality. I found this very interesting and little unsettling.
     
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  9. Viswamitra

    Viswamitra IL Hall of Fame

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    I got back to meditaton after 10 years of break, thanks to one of the ILites encouraging me to continue meditation. Instead of 30 minutes, I reduced it to 15 minutes of absolute concentration of the mind on my breath. I am doing it at 4 a.m. in the morning before all the senses are awake. I learned from my past experience that not touching the water with my hand or applying water in my face helps me meditate better. Because of the deep sleep prior to that, the mind is slow in getting back to all the stressful and difficult thoughts. I hold on to watching breath for about 10 minutes. Laya or inertia stays in for 2-3 minutes as I get up from deep sleep, another 2-3 minutes the mind wants to wander and after that, the mind stablizes on watching breath. At around 6-7 minutes, my breath stablizes at 4 inhalations, 1 retention and 4 exhalations (4+1+4) per minute reducing the count substantially from a routine day. My thoughts disappear when I get into the rhythm of 4+1+4. The sound of inhalation and exhalation increases substantially. At around 10 minutes into meditation, I lose count of breath and endless geometric patterns flow into my mind's eye disconnecting all my senses completely including the sound of breath. After meditation, I still wonder whether these goemetric patterns are my encrypted Vasanas and unfortunately, I don't have the means to break the code. I used to feel I got inside of me but what I see there during meditation is not recognizable during waking state. In my previous experiences (10 years back), I lost track of time but however, my subconscious mind comes back to normal state in 5 minutes now, to bring me back to hear the sound of my breathing cycle. When I open my eyes, I feel well rested and a mysterious fear disappears.
     
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  10. Thyagarajan

    Thyagarajan IL Hall of Fame

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    You walked the reader into your meditation.

    But the counting of 4+1+4 too happens with help of mind thought as also you concentrate on breath. Geometric patterns yes I too experienced but in black and white and at times shades of blue. I mean deep darkness in which fine bluish silver line patterns.

    During such Sadhana, some time in my fifties, in the early mornings, I had felt as if am floating and moving around. Was it levitation? I don’t know what to call it. Three to four days in a row, I felt this experience but one day in such practise, I had some “macabre” experience. Is it kundalini? I don’t know.

    Immediately same day, I consulted a senior physician and he advised me to stop forthwith this “experiment”. There could be some other background for my “macabre “ experience. I don’t know.

    Thanks and Regards.
     
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