MAHAVAKYAS
The Mahavakyas are the Great Sentences of Advaita Vedanta and Jnana Yoga, and are contained in the Upanishads. They provide perspective and insights that tie the texts together in a cohesive whole. The contemplations on the Mahavakyas also blend well with the practices of yoga meditation, prayer, and mantra, which are companion practices in Yoga.
The pinnacle of the wisdom and practices of the ancient sages is contained in the terse twelve verses of the Mandukya Upanishad, which outlines the philosophy and practices of OM.
Brahman : The word brahman comes from the root brha or brhi, which means knowledge, expansion, and all-pervasiveness. It is that existence which alone exists, and in which there is the appearance of the entire universe. Brahman means the absolute reality, that which is eternal, and not subject to death, decay, or decomposition.
Brahman is not a proper name, somewhat like the difference between the word ocean, and the specific ocean called Pacific Ocean. It neither promotes nor opposes any particular religious concept of God.
He is both immanence and transcendence. Within and Outside all parts of created world. IT may be important to understand that brahman is often described as indescribable. For convenience sake, it is said that brahman is the nature of existence, consciousness, and bliss, though admitting that these words, too, are inadequate.
Brahma satyam jagan mithya - Brahman is real; the world is unreal
The way in which brahman is real is like saying that the clay in a pot is real, or the gold in a bracelet is real. The idea is that first there was clay and gold, and when those changed form, there now appears to be a pot and a bracelet. However, when the pot is broken, or the bracelet is melted, there is once again only clay and gold. It is in that sense that the pot and the bracelet are not real. We could also say that clay and gold also come and go, such as when planets are born and die, so these are used only for explanation. (Metaphorically).It reminds of the temporary nature of the worldly objects and reminds that there is an eternal nature that is not subject to change. Be Mindful, observe and enjoy countless things that transform every day and observe the presence of unchanging eternal essence.
It is important to not allow the reflection that the world is unreal to stop you from doing your actions in the external world. To think that the world is unreal, and therefore we need not do anything is a grave mistake. The realization of the unreality of the world and the reality of the essence behind the world brings freedom, not bondage or lethargy.
Ekam evadvitiyam brahma - Brahman is one, without a second
As discussed above, we see that no object exists independently from brahman, the whole. Hence, it is said there is one, without a second. Wherever we look, whatever we think or feel, try as we will, we can find no second object or part. Everything is seen as a manifestation of something else. Back at clay and gold example, if we observe various pots and bracelets we can see that each come from the same clay and gold and the clay is one without a second. The clay and gold themselves are one.
When observing, ask “Does this object or thought exist on its own? Does it stay in this form, or does it go away? Is it, therefore a second object in comparison to the whole?" repeatedly look for some second object, which has independent existence from the whole, from brahman. Each time that some new object or thought is seen to not be a second in relation to the whole, the personal realization of the truth of the principle will become deeper and more profound. We come to see the beauty in this, to see the joy of wholeness, of the unity within the diversity. The interrelationship between the Mahavakyas will also become clearer.
Prajnanam brahman - Brahman is the supreme knowledge
This can also be derived from above. Knowledge refers to knowing or awareness, not just a linear, cognitive thinking process. All knowledge stems from, or is a part of, knowledge. The knowledge of how to ride a bicycle is a form of knowledge, but it is based on the knowledge of how to move your body. When you see a person that you recognize as your friend, there was first an ability to see and conceptualize. The highest rung of this ladder is called supreme knowledge, prajna, and this is said to be one and the same with brahman, the oneness.
The mind will present many memories, images, impressions, thoughts, sensations, and emotions, all form of knowledge. Ask yourself if this knowledge is derived from something, is there a prerequisite to it. It takes us to oneness, the supreme knowledge.
Tat tvam asi - That is what you are
That brahman, that oneness, is who we really are, at the deepest level of our being. The waves in ocean can each be thought of having individual existence, but their true nature is that of the ocean. Similarly the true nature of self (Atman) is that of brahman.
It does not mean that we drop our duties in the world, or stop acting in service of other people because of this realization. Rather, we become ever more free to hold those identities loosely, while increasingly being able to act in the loving service of others, independent of attachment to our false identities.
Direct your attention inward, and ask, "That is who you are!”. Observe how you can gently let go of the false identities, seeing that they are only temporary and relatively me. The statement also reflects as “I am what you are” which again points to oneness.
Ayam atma brahma - Atman and Brahman are the same
The individual Self is one and the same with the absolute. Atman refers to that pure, perfect, eternal spark of consciousness that is the deepest, central core of individual being while Brahman refers to the oneness of the manifest and un-manifest universe. Then how can both be same. It’s like saying the wave and the ocean are the same. The wave shows the true nature of ocean.
It is very important to understand how this statement is different from Aham brahmasmi (I am Brahman). Here you are a separate observer of both Atman and Brahman. It is like standing at the beach, looking out at both the wave and the ocean, and declaring that the wave and the ocean are one. You are a witness who is outside both of them, whereas the declaration “I am” is an inner observation. Together, they converge in a complete understanding.
Think of the people who are closest to you, including family, friends, and coworkers. Allow yourself to notice the surface levels of their actions and speech, their physical features, and their personalities. Be aware of the subtle aspects of their makeup, and of the spark of the eternal that is the center of their consciousness. Be aware of how that spark, atman, is one with the oneness, brahman.
Aham brahmasmi - I am Brahman
Who I really am, is that absolute reality. Back to clay and Gold if we were to ask the bracelet what is it. We might get one of these answers. “I am a bracelet” or “I am Gold”.
We might be tempted to say that #1 is more accurate, in that bracelet seems more encompassing, being both bracelet and gold at the same time. However, the bracelet aspect is not eternal. It is temporary. It is only a matter of the particular shape in which the gold (everlasting, ever pure, and not subject to death, decay, and decomposition) (metaphorically) was moulded. Is bracelet what it really is?
The realization that, "I am gold!" or "I am brahman!" is an internal experience compared to the statement, "The bracelet is gold!”. The insight of each person can come only in the context of own culture and religion, and will not seem foreign or unnatural. One's religious values are not violated, but rather, are affirmed.
"Who am I? Am I this body, or do I have a body? Am I this breath, or is this breath just flowing? Am I this mind, or is this mind a manifestation of some deeper truth? Who am I, really? Who am I?"
Sarvam khalvidam brahma - All of this is Brahman
All of this, including me, is that absolute reality. As one comes to experience the truth of the individual Mahavakyas, it seems they come together in a song, which cries out in joy, "All of this is brahman!"
Allow your awareness to try to encompass, at one time, the entire manifest and un-manifest universe, the objects and people in the world around you, as well as your own body and mind. Hold these together, as one whole, and reflect on the words, "All of this is brahman! All of this is one!" This builds on the other practices, and expands in its experience.
