OM as Shabda Brahman

[Guest guest]

I'd like to get feedback on OM as the Shabda-

Brahman, or Sound Incarnation of God. Comments welcome.

[Guest guest]

Ramakrishna , omegananda wrote:

> I'd like to get feedback on OM as the Shabda-

> Brahman, or Sound Incarnation of God. Comments welcome.

 

Namaste,

 

Sw. Vivekananda's thoughts may be a good starting point:

 

http://www.vivekananda.btinternet.co.uk/veda11.htm

 

2. God Creates the World through the Eternal Ideas of the Vedas

Knowledge exists, people only discover it. The Vedas are the eternal

knowledge though which God created the world. (35)

The commentator Sayanacharya says, somewhere in his works, " [God]

created the whole universe out of the knowledge of the Vedas. " (36)

The Creator Him or Herself is creating, preserving and destroying the

universe with the help of… [Vedic] truths. (37)

Veda is of the nature of shabda or of idea. It is but the sum-total

of ideas. Shabda, according to the old Vedic meaning of the term, is

the subtle idea which reveals itself by taking the gross form later

on. So, owing to the dissolution of creation, the subtle seeds of

future creation become involved in the Vedas.... In other words, all

created objects began to take concrete shape out of the shabdas or

ideas in the Veda. For in shabda, or idea, all gross objects have

their subtle forms. Creation has proceeded in the same way in all

previous cycles or kalpas. (38)

In the universe Brahma or Hiranyagarbha or the cosmic Mahat first

manifested Himself as name, and then as form, i.e. as this universe.

All this expressed sensible universe is the form behind which stands

the eternal inexpressible sphota, the manifester as logos or word.

This eternal sphota, the essential, eternal material of all ideas or

names, is the power through which the Lord creates the universe; nay,

the Lord first becomes conditioned as the sphota, and then evolves

Himself out as the yet more concrete, sensible universe. This sphota

has one word as its only possible symbol and this is the Om. And as

by no possible means of analysis can we separate the word from the

idea, this Om, and the eternal sphota are inseparable; and,

therefore, it is out of this holiest of all holy words, the mother of

all names and forms, the eternal Om, that the whole universe may be

supposed to have been created. (39)

Disciple: But, sir, how, in the absence of an actual concrete object

can the shabda or idea be applied, and for what? And how can the

names, too, be given at all?

Swami Vivekananda: Yes, that is what on first thought seems to be the

difficulty. But, just think of this: supposing this jug breaks into

pieces; does the idea of the jug become null and void? No, because

the jug is the gross effect, of which the idea jug is the subtle

state, or shabda state of the jug. In the same way, the shabda-state

of every object is its subtle state; and the things we see, hear,

touch or perceive in any manner are the gross manifestations of

entities in the subtle or shabda state, just as we may speak of the

effect and its cause. Even when the whole creation is annihilated,

the shabda, as the consciousness of the universe or the subtle

reality of all concrete things, exists in Brahman as the cause. At

the point of creative manifestation, this sum total of causal

entities vibrates into activity, as it were; and, as being the

sonant, material substance of it all, the eternal, primal sound of Om

continues to come out of itself. And then from the causal totality

comes out first the subtle image or shabda-form of each particular

thing and then its gross manifestation. Now, that causal shabda, or

word-consciousness, is Brahman, and it is the Veda. This is the

purport of Sayana. Do you now understand?

Disciple: No, sir, I can't clearly comprehend it.

Swami Vivekananda: Well, you understand, I suppose, that even if all

the jugs in the universe were to be destroyed, the idea or shabda,

jug would still exist. So, if the universe be destroyed - I mean, if

all the things making up the universe were to be smashed to atoms -

why should not the ideas, or shabdas representing all of them in

consciousness, be still existing? And why cannot a second creation be

supposed to come out of them in time?

Disciple: But, sir, if one cries out, " Jug! Jug! " that does not cause

any jug to be produced!

Swami Vivekananda: No, nothing is produced if you or I cry out like

that; but a jug must be revealed if the idea of it rises in Brahman,

which is perfect in its creative determination. When we see even

those established in the practice of religion (sadhakas) bring about

by will-power things otherwise impossible of happening, what to speak

of Brahman, with perfect creativeness of will? At the point of

creation Brahman becomes manifest as shabda and then assumes the form

or nada or Om. At the next stage, the particular shabdas or ideas

that variously existed in previous cycles, such as bhuh, bhuvah,

swah, cow, human being, etc., begin to come out of the Om. As soon as

these appear in Brahman endowed with perfect will, the corresponding

concrete things also appear, and gradually the diversified universe

becomes manifest. (40)

 

 

 

Regards,

 

Sunder

[Guest guest]

....shabda means word ..in this sense its the

symbol/name of the beyond....

 

also it means a disturbance/vibration....and connotes

the original vibration before the beyond descended to

name -form,space-time-cause.

 

also knowns as pranava...derived from prana.

 

 

all based on hearsay and not on experience.

 

btw-- ive signed recently would like to say namaste to

all.

 

jai thakur,jai ma,jai swamiji.

 

rgds,

devendra

 

 

--- omegananda wrote:

> I'd like to get feedback on OM as the Shabda-

> Brahman, or Sound Incarnation of God. Comments

> welcome.

>

>

>

 

 

 

 

New Photos - easier uploading and sharing.

 

[Guest guest]

My dear friend,

 

All is Brahman. May all beings be blessed. May you

and others abide in bliss.

 

All is Brahman. Om is Brahman. Life is Brahman.

 

OM is a bij--a seed. If OM is planted, and nourished,

and cherised, and loved, and practiced, and meditated

upon, one cannot fail to realize BRAHMAN. OM will

sprout and grow and will reveal itSELF as BRAHMAN.

 

Of this there is no doubt!

 

You can easisly find out for yourself. There are

diferent pronunciations and ways of saying IT. But

just do it.

 

Be OM.

 

Don't be satisfied with intelectual discussions and

debates. Dont' rely strictly upon sruti and shastra.

Don't shun them either. Just BE OM.

 

Hear OM. Say OM. Say OM in the three voices.

Remember OM with every breath. Then you will know

Brahman. You cannot fail.

 

Love,

 

michael

 

--- omegananda wrote:

> I'd like to get feedback on OM as the Shabda-

> Brahman, or Sound Incarnation of God. Comments

> welcome.

>

>

>

 

 

 

 

New Photos - easier uploading and sharing.