Question about semantics of I am that I am

[Guest guest]

> Dear Mauna,

>

> This statement seems to have been very conscisely rendered,

> and conforms with simiar upanishadic 'maha vakyas'.

>

> To paraphrase:

>

> " I Am, that is my Self existence, or my essential I

> amness, is what, or who, I really am:

>

> THAT is, my essential I Amness , my Self existence is who

> or what I really am . "

>

> The THAT is used to link the two statements, refering one

> half of the sentence to the other half, into one meaningful

> statement. What or who may be better linking words? I am

> what I am or I am who I am for example.

>

> I hope this helps..

>

> All best wishes and regards,

>

> Alan

>

>

> --- On Wed, 6/8/08, Solrac Mauna <maunna

> wrote:

>

> > Solrac Mauna <maunna

> > Question about semantics of I am that I am

> > alanadamsjacobs

> > Wednesday, 6 August, 2008, 6:53 AM

> > Dear Alan, greetings,

> >

> > (This message if OffList.)

> >

> > On your last posting you wrote the famous citation

> from

> > Gems where Bhagavan

> > declares:

> > The whole of Vedanta is contained in the two Biblical

> > statements

> > 'I am that I am'

> >

> > I always wanted to ask this question to an

> > " native " english-speaking person

> > (I am originally spanish speaking) that also

> understands

> > the spiritual

> > language. The bottom line is that I can't

> understand

> > the grammatical

> > construction of the phrase " I am that I am " .

> I

> > did some research some time

> > ago and found many interesting " other "

> > translations of this old hebrew style

> > phrase. The I am that I am is the one universalised by

> the

> > King Kames Bible.

> > Apparently, some other meaningfull translations

> according

> > to jewish scholars

> > could be " I am the One who is " or " I am

> the

> > One through which things are " ,

> > etc...

> > Anyhow, all of them come to the same thing, my

> question is

> > not on the

> > meaning of this Biblical Mahavakya but rather on the

> > grammar. Could you

> > explain to me the word 'that' , to what it

> refers?

> > It cannot refer to a

> > previous I Am because God tells Moises " tell the

> > people that I Am sent you "

> > only after saying " I am that I am " ...

> > I'll appreciate if you have a little time to help

> me

> > understand this

> > semantic meaning of the phrase as it is presented in

> the

> > King James Bible.

> >

> > Thank you in advance,

> > Yours in Bhagavan,

> >

> > Mouna

> >

> > .........................................

> >

> > Not many Gods,

> > Not One God,

> > Only God.

> > Swami Dayananda

> >

> > .........................................