Was Jesus not saying: I Am Brahman?!

[Guest guest]

,

" Violet " <violetubb wrote:

 

> Jagbir, when Christ said: " I AM THAT I AM " - was He not saying that

> He was Brahman? Was He not saying:

>

> " I AM THAT [bRAHMAN] I AM! "

 

 

Dear Jagbir and All,

 

David Frawley in his book " From the River of Heaven " , writes:

 

" These great sayings are much like the " I am that I am " of the Bible but more

clearly articulated. They are statements of the identity of the individual

consciousness with the Absolute or Divine reality. "

 

Appended then, are the great sayings that Mr. Frawley refers to.

 

Enjoy!

 

regards to all,

 

violet

 

 

 

The Book of Knowledge

Upanishads

 

(P.145} Upanishad means the inner or mystic teaching. The Upanishads more

clearly set forth the prime Vedic doctrines, like Self-realization, Yoga and

meditation, karma and reincarnation, which were hidden or kept veiled under the

symbols of the older mystery religion. The older Upanishads are usually affixed

to a particular Veda, through a Brahmana or Aranyaka. (see below). The more

recent ones are not. The Upanishads became prevalent some centuries before the

time of Krishna and Buddha. The classical Upanishadic age was in the reign of

the Kuru kings of north India, before the time of Krishna (c. 1500 B.C.).

 

Perhaps the most prominent figure in the Upanishads is the sage Yajnavalkya.

Most of the great teachings of later Hindu and Buddhist philosophy derive from

him. He taught the great doctrine of neti-neti, the view that truth can be found

only through the negation of all thoughts about it. He looks back some

generations to Tura Kavasheya, the main priest of Janamejaya, the third of the

Kuru kings (not to be confused with the later Janamejaya who followed a few

generations after Krishna). Other important Upanishadic sages are: Uddalaka

Aruni, Shwetaketu, Shandilya, Aitareya, Pippalada, and Sanat Kumara. Many

earlier Vedic teachers like Manu, Brihaspati, Ayasya and Narada are also found

in the Upanishads. Upanishads often quote verses from the Rig Veda to support

their declarations of spiritual knowledge.

 

In the Upanishads the spiritual meanings of the Vedic texts are brought out and

emphasized in their own right. More specifically, the Upanishads are a

development from the 'Sama Veda' and continue to emphasize the ecstasy and the

realization of the revealed knowledge of the Vedas. Some Upanishadic teachings

can be found in the Atharva Veda as well. Most Upanishadic ideas are found in

the Rig Veda, though it follows a different type of expression.

 

The classical Upanishads are the Brihadaranyaka, Chandogya, Isha, Aitareya,

Taittiriya, Katha, Prashna, Kena, Mundaka, Mandukya, (P.146} and Shwetasavatara.

These were given commentaries by great philosopher Shankara many centuries

later. Probably all of these Upanishads and some others as well are pre-Buddhist

in nature. Upanishads continued to be written into fairly recent times and now

several hundred exist.

 

The Bhagavad Gita of Sri Krishna is considered by many to be an Upanishad, as it

is a summary of their teachings. The Upanishads are said to be the cows, with

Krishna their milker and the Gita the milk.

 

The basic teachings of the Upanishads are summed up in six great sayings

(Mahavakyas). These are:

 

1./ I am Brahman (Aham Brahmasmi). This states the identity of the inmost

consciousness of the individual with that of the supreme Divine. The ultimate

truth of Vedic knowledge is not that some great saviour is God or the Lord, or

that such and such a God or name and form of God is the supreme. It is not the

worship of a person, book, image or idea. It is not even the worship of God. The

Upanishads say that whatever we worship as truth, apart from ourselves, destroys

us. They teach that our own Self is the true Divinity, that it is the presence

of the absolute within our heart and all the universe.

 

2./ The Self is Brahman (Ayam Atma Brahma). This also states the identity of the

soul with the Absolute but in a more objective and less direct manner. Not only

is our Self the Divine. It is the same Self in all beings that is the same

Absolute truth.

 

3./ That thou art (Tat tvam asi). Whatever we see or think about, we are that.

Not only is the I That, the You is also That. We are that ultimate I and Thou in

all. The consciousness in the other is also the Divine.

 

4./ Intelligence is Brahman (Prajnanam Brahma). Our discernment of truth is the

truth itself. It indicates that the Divine intelligence is present within us and

has the power to return us to the Divine. Our inmost intelligence is that

supreme intelligence through which we can merge into the Absolute.

 

5./ All the Universe is Brahman (Sarvam Khalvidam Brahma). The entire universe

is the Divine, which includes our self. The Divine is not only the consciousness

principle in you and I, it is also the being principle in all things. It is the

ultimate object as well as the inmost subject in all beings. It is one in all

and all in one.

 

6./ He am I (So'ham). This shows the identity of the self with the Divine Lord

inherent within the natural movement of our breath. 'So' is the natural sound of

inhalation, 'ham' of exhalation.

 

(P. 147} These great sayings are much like the " I am that I am " of the Bible but

more clearly articulated. They are statements of the identity of the individual

consciousness with the Absolute or Divine reality. They all derive from and

merge into Om, the Divine Word " I am all. "

 

From The River Of Heaven (Hindu and Vedic Knowledge for the Modern Age)

by David Frawley

Passage Press - Salt Lake City, Utah

ISBN 1-878423-01-0

Pgs. 145-147