OM Mantra and Mandala Upanishad: Yoga Vedanta Meditation

OM Mantra and Mandala Upanishad: Yoga Vedanta Meditation

A Transcript of the Teachings of the OM Mantra by Swami Jnaneshvara Bharati

This pinnacle of the wisdom of the ancient and practices of the ancient sages of yoga is contained in the terse 12 Verses of the Mandukya Upanishad, which outlines the philosophy and practices of the OM, It has been said that the juice of the Vedas is in the Upanishads, and the juice of the Upanishads is in the Mandukya Upanishad.

OM mantra is also suggested as a direct grab to Samadhi in the yoga sutras. The teachings of the Mandukya Upanishad are well worth deep study, discussion, reflection and contemplation. By faithfully and intently engaging these 12 verses, all of the other written and oral teachings can be explored as the foundation principles and practices encapsulated in this succinct summary. It is not only the most insightful writing, but also a complete outline for Sadhana Enlightenment practices.

The OM mantra is the road map of the entire process of Sadhana and the most practical tool for self-realization. One of the other hundred plus Upanishads, the Mukti (or Liberation) Upanishad, explains that for those who are seeking Liberation, the understanding and practicing of the principles of the Mandukya Upanishad is sufficient for attaining that realization.

Verses 1 to 2 describe the Self and the Absolute.
Verses 3-7 explain the four-levels of consciousness.
Verses 8-12 outline the four aspects of AUM mantra.

Briefly the 12 Verses are:
1. All is OM;
2. Self - Atman - Brahman;
3. Waking state - Vaishvanara;
4. Dreaming - Taijasa;
5. Deep Sleep - Prajna;
6. Experiencer of the three;
7. Fourth state - Turiya;
8. A, U, and M of OM mantra;
9. A of AUM;
10. U of AUM;
11. M of AUM;
12 Silence after AUM.

Verses 1-2 are about the Self and the Absolute.

Verse 1: All is OM. The whole universe is the syllable OM/AUM. Following is the exposition of OM. Everything that was, is, or will be is in truth OM. All else which transcends time, space, and causation is also OM.

Verse 2: Atman has 4 aspects. 1) Gross | Physical Plane; 2) Subtle | Astral Plane; 3) Causal Plane/Source; 4) Fourth/Consciousness. All of these, everywhere is in truth Brahman, the Absolute Reality. Verse 2: The Individual Self itself (Atman) is also Brahman (the Absolute Reality) This Atman or Self has 4 aspects through which it operates.

Verses 3-7 are on the four levels of consciousness.

Verse 3: First is Waking or Gross - the first aspect of Atman is the Self in the waking state/Vaishvanara. In this state, consciousness is turned outward to the external world. Through its 7 instruments and 19 channels, it experiences the gross objects of the phenomenal world. Briefly those 7 instrument are Space, Air, Fire, Water, and Earth, along with the Individuation from the whole, and the flow of Energy. The individual operates the 19 channels (as explained in Verse 2), which are the 4 functions of mind: Manas (sensory, processing mind), Chitta (storage of impressions), Ahamkara (I-maker or ego), and Buddhi (intelligence; knows, decides, judges, discriminates). These four functions operate through 5 Pranas: 1) Prana (heart, vitalizing, inhaling); Apana (base of torso, eliminating); Samana (naval, digestion, discernment); Udana (throat; exhalation); Vyana (whole body; coordinate systems). The 5 active senses or Indriyas, Karmendriyas of eliminating, procreating, moving, grasping, and speaking, and the 5 cognitive senses or Jnanendriyas of smelling, tasting, seeing, touching and hearing.

Verse 4: The second aspect of Atman is the Self in a Dreaming state/Taijasa. In the second state, consciousness is turned towards the inner world. It also operates through 7 instruments and 19 channels, which engage the subtle objects of the mental realm.

Verse 5: Third state is Deep Sleep/Causal/Prajna. The third aspect of Atman is the Self operating in the Deep Sleep state. In this third state, there is neither the desire for any growth or subtle object, nor any dream sequences. In Deep Sleep, all such experiences have receded or merged into the ground of undifferentiated consciousness. Here one is filled with the experience of Bliss, and can also find the way to clearer knowledge of the 2 preceding stage.

Verse 6: Find the Experiencer, the one who experiences all of these states of consciousness is the omniscient, in-dwelling source, and director of all. This one is the womb out of which all of the other emerges, all things originate from, and dissolve back into this source.

Verse 7: The fourth aspect of Atman or Self is Turiya, literally the 4th. In this 4th state, consciousness is neither turned outward, nor inward, nor is it both outward and inward. It is beyond both cognition and the absence of cognition. This 4th state of Turiya cannot be experienced through the senses, or known by comparison, deductive reason, or inference. It is indescribable, incomprehensible, and unthinkable with the mind. This is Pure Consciousness itself. This is the Real Self (Atman). It is within the cessation of all phenomena. It is serene, tranquil, filled with Bliss, and is One without a second. This is the Real or True Self that is to be Realized.

Verses 8-12 are the 4 aspects of AUM.

Verse 8: Those 4 levels of consciousness are the same, with the A, U, M, and Silence. The OM, though described as having 4 states, is indivisible. It is Pure Consciousness itself. That Consciousness is OM. The 3 sound A, U, M, and the 3 letter A, U, M, are identical with the 3 states of waking, dreaming, and sleeping, and these states are identical with the 3 sounds and letters. The 4th state, Turiya, is only to be Realized in the Silence behind, or beyond the other 3.

Verse 9: The sound A is waking/gross. Vaishvanara is the consciousness experienced during the waking state, and is “A” sound, or A, the 1st letter of AUM. That simple sound of A first and permeates all other sounds. One who is aware this level of reality has fulfillment of all longings and is successful.

Verse 10: The sound “U” is dreaming, subtle. Taijasa is the consciousness experienced during the dreaming state, and is “U”, the 2nd letter of AUM. This intermediate state operates between the waking and sleeping state, reflecting some qualities of the other 2. One who knows this subtler state is superior to others, for one who knows this, knowers of Brahman, the Absolute Reality, will be born into his or her family.

Verse 11: The sound “M” is deep sleep/causal. Prajna is the consciousness experienced during the state of dreamless deep sleep, and is “M”, or M, the 3rd letter of AUM. It contains the other 2, and is that from which the other 2 emerge, and into which they recede, or merge. A knower of this more subtle state can understand all that is within himself or herself.

Verse 12: The Silence after the AUM is the True Self/Soundless. The 4th aspect is the Soundless aspect of AUM. It is not utterable, and is not comprehended through the senses, or by the mind. Withe cessation of all phenomena, even of Bliss, this Soundless aspect becomes known. It is the state of Non-duality (Advaita) Reality, One without a second. This 4th state, Turiya, is the Real Self, or True Self. One with direct experience of this extends to Universal Consciousness. OM... OM... OM... OM...OM... OM... OM... OM... OM... OM... OM.

Further reading at OM Mantra and Seven Levels of Consciousness at http://swamij.org/om.htm

V. M. Sakya Longyen
Huayen on Indra's Net
support@newhuayen.com

Yoga and Zen

According Patanjali, "Yoga is freedom from mental disturbances." (The yoga sutras of Patanjali 1.2) Yoga is defined as union of the self with the super-self. When in union, the self is one with the universal consciousness. Hence, Yoga is a process by which a practitioner purifies the self physically, mentally and spiritually until such union is attained. In such a state of union, the consciousness is no longer fragmented, but is pure, devoid of subject and object. It is devoid of differentiation and the oneness is experienced as pure bliss.

In Zen, this state of freedom from mental disturbances is known as "the original look before father and mother were born." Other descriptions include original nature, ultimate reality, suchness, essence of reality, emptiness, and Sarvajnata. The Zen Buddhist eliminates his mental attachments, detaches the self until the "I", the meditator, and the object of meditation disappear. The most common methods of meditation are anapanasati, vipassana, and Zen, all of which pay particular attention to the control of breathing in their practice.

In the Heart Sutra, the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara in deep prajna meditation saw that his five skandhas were all empty and so he was freed from all suffering. This state of emptiness pervades the whole universe and is the universal consciousness, the origin of all life forms and phenomena, the Creator, or God. Avalokitesvara was thus liberated from Samsara and became super-ordinary, i.e. a saint. Such realization and union with the universal consciousness has led Saint Avalokitesvara into Moksha.

In Christianity, this universal consciousness or being is called God and the hope of all Christians is to return to Heaven to be with God through the sacrifice and deliverance of Jesus Christ the Savior. When God created Adam and Eve, He breathed into his mouth and gave him life. This is the source of life and in Yoga it is known as prana. The life span of a human being is determined by the number of breaths he has in his life time. Therefore in yoga, the yogi trains his prana and harnesses the spiritual energy he can get from each prana, which technique is known as pranayama, the fourth limb of ashtanga yoga.

In Taoism, the origin of all life forms and phenomena is nothingness. From nothingness came Taichi or One, from Taichi came Yin and Yang, the female and male principles, from Yin and Yang came the four cardinal divisions of the Blue Dragon Qinglong in the east, the White Tiger Baihu in the west, the Red Phoenix Zhuque in the south, and the Grand Turtle Yuanwu in the north, and finally from the four divisions came the eight divinatory trigrams of the Book of Changes, and thus the whole universe was formed. The Taoist practitioner practices Taichi or Qigong in order to harness his Chi or breath. He knows that as the Chi pervades the whole universe it also runs in his nadis. He has to run it through each and every energy nodes in his body. This Chi or breath in Yoga is known as prana, the source and sustenance of life. Because the number of breaths a human being has is determined, whether in Qigong, Taichi, or Yoga, the practitioner never wastes each breath.

From the above, I can safely conclude that Yoga is Zen without its Koans and Huatous, and Zen is Yoga without its asanas, pranayamas and dhautis because both share the same goal and should share the same practical methods. In China, Japan and Korea where Zen is practiced, the methods of training have been reshaped by culture such that each country has its own forms. The original need for purification of the body through Yoga is neglected and their methods tend to be metaphysical. Over time, the historical methods of Yoga have been lost and only doctrinal Yogacara remains. The Yogacara doctrines have become too difficult for modern Buddhists to understand much less to practice. Therefore, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean Zen or Ch'an Buddhists must now look to India, and find a guru who can illumine them on the practical methods of Yoga, and that Great Guru, the last real Great Guru of our time, is Swami Rajarshi Muni.

In 629 defying imperial proscription by Emperor Tai-Chung 唐太宗 of the T'ang Dynasty, the famous Chinese Buddhist monk Hsuan Tsang 玄奘 secretly set out on foot on his epochal journey to the land of the Buddha from Chang'an 長安 (then capital of China) to learn Yoga and brought back to China many Yoga and other scriptures.

1381 years thereafter in 2010, once again an accomplished Chinese Buddhist monk, Master Sea Cloud 海雲繼夢法師 of the Da Huayen Monastery 大華嚴寺 (Great Floral Garland Monastery) Taiwan, came to India to learn Yoga from Sri Swami Rajarshi Muni 惹查西牟尼, Founder of the Lakulish International Fellowship's Enlightenment Mission 拉克魯希神國際覺明傳道會(LIFE Mission 生命傳道會). Like Master Hsuan Tsang the first Chinese Buddhist Yogi, he is the second Chinese Buddhist Yogi in Chinese history to humbly learn from an Indian Guru. People like Master Hsuan Tsang and Master Sea Cloud only come once in a millennium. In this age, these people are few and far between. Why Yoga?

Photo of Master Sea Cloud with Sri Swami Satyanand of LIFE Mission
Sakya M. Longyen
Huayen on Indra's Net
http://newhuayen.com

Anapanna-sati and Vipassana

It should be noted that in any form of meditation, the body should be fully relaxed and not hindered. Whether full lotus, half lotus, or just crossed-legged is a matter of personal preference. A picture of Pa Auk Bhikkhu in meditative sitting posture is given here: http://www.paauk.org/images/PaAukPhotoAlbum/slides/Pa-Auk%20Sayadaw%20when%20young.html.

For example, in Myanmar sarong-clad practitioners would sit with their legs folded to their side because the sarong would hinder sitting in any lotus postures.

A picture of me training in anapanna is given here: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=101913446508183&set=t.100000685852482&theater.

In Padmasan on solar eclipse 2010 over the Holy Narnada River, Asha Yogashram:
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=101914353174759&set=a.101455126554015.3318.100000685852482&theater.

Further reading: A Revision of Meditation Methods by Bhante Seng is given here: http://fccheonghome.com/center/Q%20&%20A.htm.

Sakya Longyen
Huayen on Indra's Net
http://newhuayen.com

Realizing Huayen Buddhism

Your original nature, the nature of the Buddha, of Tathagata, the nature of all existence, of emptiness, and of totality are just the same. When you can appreciate the beauty of a single flower, your whole life would change. At that moment, look into your own nature to see who is appreciating the wondrous beauty. Then, even the sound of a thunderclap, the flash of a lightning, the sight of a distant star, the full moon, a cup of tea, a mud puddle, the wind of a hurricane, or even landslide are no more beautiful or ugly, because they are what they are. They are both many and one, and this is holistic harmony. This is the realization of Huayen Buddhism in the Dharma Realm and in real life.

Sakya Longyen
Indra's Net

Dharma: It's the Love that leads you on...

Posted on Youtube by Devagenie
Same love... Same longing from birth to today...
Deva's journey.
Gratitude to Swami Kripalu and Amma, my mother, daughter and granddaughters, friends, lovers and husbands, past and present.
The greatest teacher is life itself.
She leads us where we need to go.
Put one foot in front of the other and follow the love.
(I didn't say it would be easy!) Music: "Water" by Wah!

Bapuji - Swami Kripalvananda

Biography of Swami Kripalvananda, Great Yogi-Saint of India. Born: January 13, 1913; Left His Body / Mahasamadhi: December 29, 1981
For More Information, see: Pilgrim of Love: The Life and Teachings of Swami Kripalu by Atma Jo Ann Levitt and Sayings of Swami Kripalu: Inspiring Quotes from a Contemporary Yoga Master by Richard Faulds

Rajarshi Muni

Founder of the Lakulish International Fellowship’s Enlightenment Mission

Between 27 and 29 December 2008, Master Haiyun Jimeng led a pilgrimage to Lakulish International Fellowship's Enlightenment Mission (拉克魯希國際覺明傳道會) or in short LIFE Mission (生命傳道會) in Rajarajeshwardham, Gujarat, India. Swami Rajarshi Muni, a practicing advanced yogi and Founder of LIFE Mission, performed a Diksa granted Ven. Haiyun Jimeng the most secret Shaktipata initiation (literally, the passing down of spiritual energy but also connotes the right initiation of someone into the order or the right conferring of Dharma name/practice to someone.) This removed all obstacles from his path and ensure his rapid progress on the spiritual path. Swami Rajashi Muni opened his inner eye (bestowed on him the Kundalini spiritual, instinctive, or unconscious force/power) and blessed him with the ability to perform, teach, and pass down the tradition of Divine Yoga under Mahayana Buddhism. Since then, Haiyun has started to teach Mahayana Yoga Practice in Taiwan.

In order to spread Sanatana Dharma to the west, Swami Rajarshi Muni has instructed and authorized Swami Satyanand to set up a yoga teacher training facility in the US. The facility Lakulish Yoga and Health Retreat located in North Carolina is now open to the public at

8136 NC Highway 119 South Mebane, NC 27302
Phone: 1-336-421-0690
Email: lifemissionusa@gmail.com
Website: www.lifemissionusa.com