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Mahavakyas: The Great Contemplations..3

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  • Mahavakyas: The Great Contemplations..3

    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!"
    Point a finger at yourself: You might want to even point your index finger at your own chest, the place from where you experience, "I am." As you hold in awareness the essence of the truth that this brahman, this oneness, is who you really are, also observe how you can gently let go of the false identities, seeing that they are only temporary and relatively me.
    Say to yourself, "That is who you are":When reflecting on the other Mahavakyas, such as brahman is the supreme knowledge, then shift the observation from that truth, directing attention to your own inner being and say, "Tat tvam asi; That you are!"
    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.
    Be aware of your center: Don't visualize anything, but allow your awareness to touch the feeling aspect of the center of your being. Or, if you like to visualize internally, imagine a tiny spark of light that represents the eternal essence your own self, the atman. Hold this attention for a few seconds or minutes.
    Shift to awareness of the universe: Then, shift your attention in such a way that you are imagining the breadth of the entire manifest and unmanifest universe, the gross, subtle, and causal realms. Imagine the oneness that permeates all, and is all. Do this in a way that you are aware of the essence in which all exists, like being aware of the gold or the clay described above.
    Then be aware of both as separate: Then, allow your attention to hold both the awareness of the spark that isatman and the universal essence that is brahman. Be aware of atman also being within that oneness of brahman. Allow this to bring insight and peace. You might want to internally think the words of the Mahavakya, "Ayam atma brahma; atman and brahman are the same."
    Be aware of both as one: It is a beautiful practice to do the same thing in relation to other people. Think of the people who are closest to you, including family, friends, and coworkers. Allow yourself to notice the surface levels of their actions and speech, their physical features, and their personalities. Be aware of the subtle aspects of their makeup, and of the spark of the eternal that is the center of their consciousness. Be aware of how that spark, atman, is one with the oneness, brahman.
    Remember the inner feeling: Notice the inner feeling that comes from the statement and the realization of your spiritual nature, rather than your more surface level of mental or physical identity.


    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.
    Be aware of your center: Don't visualize anything, but allow your awareness to touch the feeling aspect of the center of your being. Or, if you like to visualize internally, imagine a tiny spark of light that represents the eternal essence your own self, the atman. Hold this attention for a few seconds or minutes.
    Shift to awareness of the universe: Then, shift your attention in such a way that you are imagining the breadth of the entire manifest and unmanifest universe, the gross, subtle, and causal realms. Imagine the oneness that permeates all, and is all. Do this in a way that you are aware of the essence in which all exists, like being aware of the gold or the clay described above.
    Then be aware of both as separate: Then, allow your attention to hold both the awareness of the spark that isatman and the universal essence that is brahman. Be aware of atman also being within that oneness of brahman. Allow this to bring insight and peace. You might want to internally think the words of the Mahavakya, "Ayam atma brahma; atman and brahman are the same."
    Be aware of both as one: It is a beautiful practice to do the same thing in relation to other people. Think of the people who are closest to you, including family, friends, and coworkers. Allow yourself to notice the surface levels of their actions and speech, their physical features, and their personalities. Be aware of the subtle aspects of their makeup, and of the spark of the eternal that is the center of their consciousness. Be aware of how that spark, atman, is one with the oneness, brahman.
    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.

    tobe contd..4

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