--- In [email protected], "sparaig" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > --- In [email protected], "Jeff Fischer" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > wrote: > > Thanks, Rick. Clearly stated and depicts what I felt about it. > > > > --- In [email protected], Rick Archer <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > on 5/29/05 9:44 AM, sparaig at [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > > > > > > > > The bija mantras are meaningless by any standard. They have no > > > > meaning in Sanskrit or English and their origin is unknown. No TM > > > > mantra has meaning as it is taught. If you chose to assign it > > > > meaning, that's your problem. > > > > > > Each bija mantra is associated with a different Devata. And the > > advanced > > > techniques add words that denote a reverential relationship with > that > > > Devata. > > And if someone doesn't feel that way, they're in denial?
No. Others have stated how they feel on this topic. I brought it up in response to a post about mantras being meaningless sounds. When I got my advanced technique, I received a "sound" that I knew also had a meaning: I bow down. This took me aback as I had been taught the mantras had no meaning. It made me wonder if my mantra was a name of God as it would make sense. This made me feel uncomfortable. Others obviously didn't feel that way. I am relating MY experience. I felt the way mantras were represented to me as meaningless sounds was now suspect - for ME - MY experience. My intention is to understand and discuss. Not attack or make wrong, but understand. Bob B in an early post used the word "worship" when responding to my inquiry. This touches on my other question: TM as a religion. MY observation was (when I was still part of the TM group) that although we were told TM was not a religion, most of us were using it as one or a surrogate. To ME TM is a spiritrual practice and the way it is set up is tantamount to a religion. I have no problem with that. However, I felt uncomfortable representing something as not a religion when I felt it essentally was one for me and (by My observation) was being used by others in similar fashion. My point being if these two points (meaningless sounds and TM as religion) were not resolved for me, I could not continue to be part of that group. That's MY thought process and experience. It's not said to try to make anybody else wrong. I appreciate this forum as it is helpful to me get other points of view. Being continually told "that's your problem" does not help me, you or anyone else. I'm not asking you to agree. Give me feedback and if you want to show me where my reasoning is off, give me some data. Thanks. Jeff To subscribe, send a message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Or go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ and click 'Join This Group!' Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
