Hari OM
Monday is AUM-day; in search of meditation.
Two approaches to OM chanting/meditation have been discussed; on out breath and aloud, on out and/or in breath but silently. How did you find these practices? Was there sufficient time for you to appreciate variance in vibration and effect upon the mind? You may continue with these for as long you wish. Experimentation is all part of the deal! To keep up flow here though, we now look at the third possible approach.
In this one, we take up the concept of 'object'; not difficult in some ways, but it can be if the practitioner has not yet got the understanding that everything outside of OM is necessarily classified as the 'world of objects' and this includes even the most subtle aspects of that exterior world.
Words for example. Even as you read this.... it is impossible to do so without forming a visual impression of what is being told to you. Is it not the case? By asking even that question, you will have stopped and pondered it; in order to do this, there has to be a connection to experience and experience is almost always associated with a 'thing' or a 'happening' and these have solid form. Words then, are the subtle aspects in the objective world.This is most obvious the minute you read the word 'chair'... Immediately you have the vision! Again we have a triad. The word, the concept we resolve when prompted by the word, and thus we see the chair.
What has this to do with meditation and chanting of OM? Well firstly, there is the preparation for meditation which all serious students require. If we are to meditate upon OM we are likely to gain more from it if we understand it's context and what to expect of it. By going through the triple connection of Word, Concept and Specific just now, we can begin to appreciate that OM is the Word and now we need to conceive what it describes in the hope that we will obtain some form, some vision of what it represents. A chair is a chair is a chair. It can be nothing more, regardless of how it is built and how many legs it has. It's form and function will always be an item for sitting upon. Got it.
OM, however, presents us with a much bigger piece of cud upon which to chew!
When you speak or hear the word 'OM', what is the concept which arises? What, currently, do you 'see'? By now it is hoped that you will at least understand the concept relates to the One-ness of everything; the vastness and its smallness. At this point, because we remain part of it, the object to which that One-ness relates is the physical universe.
SAADHANA
This week's practice, should you wish to embark upon it, is to meditate upon OM as the universe, the universe, in this case, to be mentally inventoried in the same manner you did with the chair. This will be a much larger, more expansive inventory of course. What is more, to do it, you must draw ever more into your centre and into your higher intellect. OM must always be resounding as the background mantra, in the manner that 'chair' is always there when we are studying that. At advanced stages it becomes apparent that OM is so much more than the object we are using it for here. It is a good place to start though.
If this is new, or you are irregular to this practice, it may help to begin with a round of verbal OM chanting, dropping into the second phase of 'breath chanting', allowing the mind to settle on OM alone...allow OM to bring its object to you.
Two approaches to OM chanting/meditation have been discussed; on out breath and aloud, on out and/or in breath but silently. How did you find these practices? Was there sufficient time for you to appreciate variance in vibration and effect upon the mind? You may continue with these for as long you wish. Experimentation is all part of the deal! To keep up flow here though, we now look at the third possible approach.
In this one, we take up the concept of 'object'; not difficult in some ways, but it can be if the practitioner has not yet got the understanding that everything outside of OM is necessarily classified as the 'world of objects' and this includes even the most subtle aspects of that exterior world.
Words for example. Even as you read this.... it is impossible to do so without forming a visual impression of what is being told to you. Is it not the case? By asking even that question, you will have stopped and pondered it; in order to do this, there has to be a connection to experience and experience is almost always associated with a 'thing' or a 'happening' and these have solid form. Words then, are the subtle aspects in the objective world.This is most obvious the minute you read the word 'chair'... Immediately you have the vision! Again we have a triad. The word, the concept we resolve when prompted by the word, and thus we see the chair.
What has this to do with meditation and chanting of OM? Well firstly, there is the preparation for meditation which all serious students require. If we are to meditate upon OM we are likely to gain more from it if we understand it's context and what to expect of it. By going through the triple connection of Word, Concept and Specific just now, we can begin to appreciate that OM is the Word and now we need to conceive what it describes in the hope that we will obtain some form, some vision of what it represents. A chair is a chair is a chair. It can be nothing more, regardless of how it is built and how many legs it has. It's form and function will always be an item for sitting upon. Got it.
OM, however, presents us with a much bigger piece of cud upon which to chew!
When you speak or hear the word 'OM', what is the concept which arises? What, currently, do you 'see'? By now it is hoped that you will at least understand the concept relates to the One-ness of everything; the vastness and its smallness. At this point, because we remain part of it, the object to which that One-ness relates is the physical universe.
SAADHANA
This week's practice, should you wish to embark upon it, is to meditate upon OM as the universe, the universe, in this case, to be mentally inventoried in the same manner you did with the chair. This will be a much larger, more expansive inventory of course. What is more, to do it, you must draw ever more into your centre and into your higher intellect. OM must always be resounding as the background mantra, in the manner that 'chair' is always there when we are studying that. At advanced stages it becomes apparent that OM is so much more than the object we are using it for here. It is a good place to start though.
If this is new, or you are irregular to this practice, it may help to begin with a round of verbal OM chanting, dropping into the second phase of 'breath chanting', allowing the mind to settle on OM alone...allow OM to bring its object to you.