--- In [email protected], "authfriend" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > --- In [email protected], "shempmcgurk" > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > --- In [email protected], "authfriend" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > wrote: > > > > > > --- In [email protected], Rick Archer > > > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > <snip> > > > > > 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. > > > > > > > > Just a Western phrase Maharishi chose to make a Hindu concept > > > > seem more scientific. > > > > > > Or perhaps not. Perhaps "impulses of creative > > > intelligence" is the more accurate description > > > for the abstract celestial entities or forces > > > which in Hinduism are metaphorically represented > > > by colorful gods and goddesses, and which are > > > actually aspects of our own consciousness. > > > > > > Remember that MMY also refers to "devata" as > > > "process of knowing," that which connects Knower > > > and known, or rather which *creates* what is > > > known. The Knower "knows" the known into being, > > > devata being the creative agency. > > > > > > I believe the mythological aspects of religions > > > generally are metaphors for highly abstract > > > components of reality--of the mechanics of > > > consciousness--rather than personal beings. Not > > > that they can't take the form of personal beings, > > > of course. But their essence is vastly more > > > abstract, I think. > > > > Wonderful explanation. > > > > But I wonder whether the word "metaphor" is exactly what I would > > employ in the above paragraph. To me it denotes something literary > > or fictional. There is another word I would rather use, but can't > > think of it (I'll know it when I see it). Perhaps "symbols"...but > > that still denotes something less than real. > > "Metaphor" doesn't have to be either literary or > fictional. I'm using it in the sense of a more > concrete version of something that's ultimately > very abstract. The concrete version isn't less > real, it's just less, well, abstract, less subtle. > > > For example, the few times I have had "flashy" experiences in > > meditation, they have comprised what you call mythological aspects > > of religion...but they are experienced as very, very real...indeed, > > in a way, more real than waking state realities. > > Sure. But you might also at some point experience > the abstractions behind the mythological aspects, > and they'd be just as real. > > There's an exercise that is sometimes taught to > cancer patients; they're told to visualize their > cancer cells as robbers and their immune system > as a troop of policemen, then visualize the > policemen going after and capturing the robbers. > > Somehow that fantasy process actually stimulates > the immune system to go after the cancer cells, > even though obviously there aren't a lot of > little tiny cops and robbers running around in > the person's insides. But the concrete metaphor > invokes a much more abstract biological process. > > It would be really difficult to try to visualize > the *actual* biological process, but the > fantasy visualization is close enough to what > really takes place to make it happen. So in a > sense it's "fictional," but in another it isn't.
If the mantra is going to be used to Transcend... Then if we assign a pre-determined name or form to it; We would keep one on a superficial level of thought; Trying to visualize or apply some meaning to the sound. Therefore, it is necessary to assign no meaning to the; "Vibration of Sound" which is the vehicle of Trancendance. After familiarity of Transcendance is established.. Then it's a different story.. Then one can use the different Vedic sounds; To know, Anything.. Because of the name/form appreciation, Known at the finest level of thought. > ------------------------ 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/
