The Word That is God

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Akshara: Imperishable; indestructible, immutable, undying; undecaying–all in reference to the individual self and the Supreme Self, Brahman. It also means syllable and is used in reference to the ekakshara–the one syllable, the One Imperishable: Om. Amrita: That which makes one immortal. Anandamayi Ma: One of the major spiritual figures in twentieth-century India, first made known to the West by Paramhansa Yogananda in his Autobiography of a Yogi. Arani: Sacrificial wood stick for creating fire through friction. Asat: Unreal[ity]; nonbeing; nonexistence; false; falsehood. Asura: Demon; evil being (a-sura: without the light). Aswara: Without sound, accent, or tone. Atma(n): The individual spirit or self. Bhaktivedanta (Swami): The founder of the Hari Krishna movement in America. Bharat Giri Maharaj: Bharat Giri Maharaj was a Gujarati sadhu who visited America in the summer of 1999. At his passing in 2002 he was between one hundred and thirty or one hundred and forty years of age, a great yogi and visionary. What it was to be in his presence is beyond description, but the exaltedness of his consciousness was very obvious. Therefore I include his words on the Pranava in this collection. Bija: Seed; source. Bija Mantra: A “seed” mantra from which realization grows as a tree from a seed; usually a single-syllable mantra that is called “seed” because of its small size as a dot or point of sound. Bindu: Point; dot; seed; source; the point from which the subtle Omkara arises that is experienced in meditation. Brahma: The Creator (Prajapati) of the three worlds of men, angels, and archangels (Bhur, Bhuwah, and Swah); the first of the created beings; Hiranyagarbha or cosmic intelligence. Brahmajnana: Direct, transcendental knowledge of Brahman; Self-realization. Brahmaloka: The world (loka) of God (Brahman); the infinite consciousness of God. Brahman: The Absolute Reality; the Truth proclaimed in the Upanishads; the Supreme Reality that is one and indivisible, infinite, and eternal; all-pervading, changeless Existence; Existence-knowledge-bliss Absolute (Satchidananda); Absolute Consciousness; it is not only all-powerful but all-power itself; not only all-knowing and blissful but all-knowledge and all-bliss itself. Dakshinamurti: A name for Lord Shiva as the silent teacher. Vedic Religion declares that in every cycle of creation God manifests as Dakshinamurti and becomes the guru of the first human beings–those who were most spiritually evolved in the previous creation–teaching them the path to liberation (moksha). Dayananda (Maharishi Swami): A leading reformer within Hinduism in the nineteenth century and the founder of the Arya Samaj. Dharma: The righteous way of living, as enjoined by the sacred scriptures and the spiritually illumined; characteristics; virtue. Dharma shastras: Scriptures which set forth the rules for society and individuals, including 122
spiritual observances. Manu Smriti is the most authoritative–and the foundation–of all the dharmashastras of India. Dharmic: Having to do with dharma; of the character of dharma. Ganges (Ganga): The sacred river–believed to be of divine origin–that flows from high up in the Himalayas, through the plains of Northern India, and empties into the Bay of Bengal. Hindus consider that bathing in the Ganges profoundly purifies both body and mind. Gaudapada: The guru of Shankara’s guru, Govindapada. Gopinath Kaviraj (Mahamahopadyaya Sri): Gopinath Kaviraj was considered to be the greatest scholar of modern India, so much so that many Indian book catalogs devoted an entire section to his books alone. I was fortunate to know him when he lived at the end of his life in the Anandamayi Ashram at Varanasi. Guru Nanak: Founder of the Sikh religion. Hiranyagarbha: Cosmic intelligence; the Supreme Lord of the universe; also called Brahman. Ishwara: “God” or “Lord” in the sense of the Supreme Power, Ruler, Master, or Controller of the cosmos. “Ishwara” implies the powers of omnipotence, omnipresence, and omniscience. Jivanmukta: One who is liberated in this present life. Jivatma(n): Individual spirit. Jnana: Knowledge; wisdom of the Reality or Brahman, the Absolute. Kala: Time measure, as in the time required to recite a mantra. Lahiri Mahasaya: One of the greatest yogis of nineteenth-century India, written about extensively in Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramhansa Yogananda. Mahadeva: “The Great God;” a title of Shiva. Mahapralaya: The final cosmic dissolution; the dissolution of all the worlds of relativity (Bhuloka, Bhuvaloka, Swaloka, Mahaloka, Janaloka, Tapaloka, and Satyaloka), until nothing but the Absolute remains. There are lesser dissolutions, known simply as pralayas, when only the first five worlds (lokas) are dissolved. Mahashakti: The Great Power; the divine creative energy. Mahavakya: Literally: “Great Saying.” The highest Vedantic truth, found in the Upanishads, there are four Mahavakyas: 1) Prajñanam Brahma–“Consciousness is Brahman” (Aitareya Upanishad); 2) Ayam Atma Brahma–“This Self is Brahman” (Mandukya Upanishad); 3) Tat Twam Asi–“Thou art That” (Chandogya Upanishad); 4) Aham Brahmasmi–“I am Brahman” (Brihadaranyaka Upanishad). Mantra(m): Sacred syllable or word or set of words through the repetition and reflection of which one attains perfection or realization of the Self. Literally, “a transforming thought” (manat trayate). A mantra, then is a sound formula that transforms the consciousness. Mulaprakriti: The Root [Basic] Energy from which all things are formed. The Divine Prakriti or Energy of God. Muni: “Silent one” ( one observing the vow of silence (mauna); sage; ascetic. Nada: Sound; mystic inner sound; the primal sound or first vibration from which all creation has emanated; the first manifestation of the unmanifested Absolute; Omkara or Shabda Brahman. The continuous sound of Om experienced in meditation. Naga: A kind of astral being. Narayana: A proper name of God–specifically of Vishnu. The term by etymology means a Being that supports all things, that is reached by them and that helps them to do so; also one 123
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The Word That is God Scriptures and
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Contents Foreword..................
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The Scriptures on Om The Vedas The
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Syllable [Asvara]; Asvara which is
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If we would become immortal and unc
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for that is the true(r) Om. Om is I
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Om does not reveal all things as an
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stabilize his consciousness within
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source from which it has been separ
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of the all, for his final repose. W
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of the Vedas. When creation is with
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consciousness absorbed in Me. Then
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Meditation, the method by which we
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Although there is a tremendous amou
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propeller which is in the form of l
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Itself often called “darkness”
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Brahman] are praised, worshipped, a
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mind along with all the pranas, kno
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thoughts emanating from the subcons
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is verily ‘this Brahman’ which
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The Paramahansa Parivrajaka Upanish
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as a metaphysical magnet, drawing t
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Prana not only means breath or the
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Om is the very image-manifestation
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evolving consciousness, from a germ
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“Whoever at the end of the three-
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Agni Purana “That man is no other
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Pranava.” (Linga Purana 91:71) Ma
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Kailashasamhita 14:14, 15) “Om is
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they were revealed to the Rishis on
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Omkara Smarana Stotra 46 1) The Sup
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the mind and they are the obstacles
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Anonymous Commentator on Shankara
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Supreme Power of Divine Knowledge w
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that only one of these many-the one
Page 72 and 73: unwavering in that Giver of Peace.
Page 74 and 75: through every power of your body. L
Page 76 and 77: eside themselves, their joy knew no
Page 78 and 79: himself in the Supreme Brahman.”
Page 80 and 81: it, we rise higher into a state of
Page 82 and 83: means for the attainment of Brahman
Page 84 and 85: Sureshwaracharya “Om is the essen
Page 86 and 87: Swami Swahananda “The Natha Yogis
Page 88 and 89: the better for it.” (Raja Yoga, C
Page 90 and 91: “That which is manifested by the
Page 92 and 93: “God is the Syllable Om.” (Svet
Page 94 and 95: hidden God, as it were.” (Svetasv
Page 96 and 97: “The threefold worlds and the ent
Page 98 and 99: firmly established in the four-fold
Page 100 and 101: Self.” (Tarasara Upanishad) “I
Page 102 and 103: means for the attainment of Brahman
Page 104 and 105: “The sun is the form of Om.” (L
Page 106 and 107: “In this connection they cite the
Page 108 and 109: “Having confined the mind in the
Page 110 and 111: Om confers all true and worthwhile
Page 112 and 113: scriptures and remains as consistin
Page 114 and 115: aspire for emancipation. …He who
Page 116 and 117: is the auspicious entity where all
Page 118 and 119: the better for it.” (Swami Viveka
Page 120 and 121: “One attains samadhi by piercing
Page 124 and 125: who pervades all things. He Who dwe
Page 126: Turiya: The state of pure conscious
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The Word That is God

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