Guest guest Posted May 15, 2009 Report Share Posted May 15, 2009 Pranaam Gurujans, Isn't the Mahavakya 'Tat Tvam Asi' contradicting with 'Aham Brahmasmi' ? Thank you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 15, 2009 Report Share Posted May 15, 2009 Shree Yuvraj - PraNAms tat tvam asi - you are that - is the instruction by a teacher to the student. aham brahmaasmi -is after contemplating on that teaching and realizing the truth that I am Brahman - that is the knowledge after inquiry. It is the fulfilment of the teaching. Hari Om! Sadananda --- On Thu, 5/14/09, Yuvraj <the_yuvraj wrote: Isn't the Mahavakya 'Tat Tvam Asi' contradicting with 'Aham Brahmasmi' ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 16, 2009 Report Share Posted May 16, 2009 Dear Sri Yuvaraj, Namaste. > Isn't the Mahavakya 'Tat Tvam Asi' contradicting with 'Aham Brahmasmi' ? Mahavakyas are the ones which proclaims the solidarity of the Jivaatman and the Paramaatman. This solidarity is taught by the Guru to the disciple through the upadesha of " Tat Tvam Asi - Thou Art That " . The uttamadhikari (highly competent disciple) understands the real purport of this mahavakya and immediately realizes " Yes, I am That or Aham Brahma Asmi " . The madhyama and manda adhikaris (not so highly competent and below average disciples) had to do shravana, manana and nididhyasana on the real purport of the mahavakya to understand the significance of the same. Shravana means to confirm the validity of the statement by repeatedly finding ways to confirm the meaning of the statement. Through shravana, the doubt if the Vedanta teach solidarity of Atman and Brahman or not, gets dispelled. This is called pramaanagata-dosha-nivrutti. Manana means to think of the non-dual Brahman by countering the all bheda-vadas with the help of the logic and reasoning that is inline with the teachings of the Vedanta. Through Manana, the doubt regarding the Solidarity of Brahman is dispelled. This is called prameyagata-dosha-nivritti. Nididhyasana means the continuous raising of the akhandaakara-vritti which is devoid of any limitations. Here, the body-thought is completely dissolved in the Brahman-consciousness. Here the sadhaka understands that he is not the limited body, but the Brahman itself. The wrong knowledge that he is body is removed and comes to know who he is in Reality. This is called pramatrugata-dosha-nivritti. After these three steps, one gets the Jnanam with which one can clearly assert, " I am That Non-dual Brahman, birthless, deathless, limitless, the One without any second, etc etc.... " This is my understanding. With regards, AS. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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