--- In [email protected], "feste37" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > I wonder about this "meaningless sounds" business. At the > preparatory lecture, I always used to say the mantras were "sounds > the effects of which are known," or "words selected for their sound > quality," or something like that. I never said, "meaningless > sounds" and I wonder whether using that phrase was ever an official > instruction. It's a very unfortunate phrase, in my opinion.
Whatever associations they may have in Hinduism, as they're used in TM they're semantically meaningless sounds. They aren't words per se in any sense. I've certainly heard the phrase used of the mantras in the TM context, usually in response to the question "What do the mantras mean?" The questioner is typically thinking in terms of semantic content, i.e., that they're words used in sentences for communication, like ordinary language. I know all the "names of gods" stuff from Trancenet, but that's just inaccurate. At most, they're sounds that are associated with gods in Hinduism. But even Hindus who are taught TM are told to treat the mantra as pure sound during meditation (at least that's what I was told by a long-time TM teacher who did a lot of initiations in India way back when). If you want to get all esoteric about it, the mantras are in some sense devas, but then you have to get into the whole Nama-rupa thing and how Sanskrit syllables aren't symbolic, like regular language; they don't *stand for* things, they *are* things. And if you're going to say mantras are gods, well, you gotta first believe in gods. I'm a lot happier with "impulses of creative intelligence," myself. > > --- In [email protected], Sal Sunshine <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > wrote: > > > > Imitation TM? What would that be, exactly? Giving out phony mantras? > > You know, something like the names of Hindu gods and goddesses, > > disguised as meaningless sounds? I see what you mean. > > > > Sal > > > > > > On Nov 2, 2005, at 8:47 PM, jyouells2000 wrote: > > > > > Bob, > > > Do you know that the judges are teaching imitation TM or is > > > Farrokh just doing the initiating for a reduced fee? I suspect the > > > latter but I'm only guessing... ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Get fast access to your favorite Yahoo! Groups. Make Yahoo! your home page http://us.click.yahoo.com/dpRU5A/wUILAA/yQLSAA/JjtolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> 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/
