The three divisions of the root mantra form her body.
Single-syllable mantras, known as bija (seed) mantras, are the easiest to remember and recite; they’re also the most powerful. It’s believed that, just as a tiny seed contains a majestic tree, each bija contains vast amounts of spiritual wisdom and creative force. One of the oldest and most widely known of these seeds is om.
Om is frequently called the pranava, literally “humming,” a word that derives from pranu, “to reverberate,” and ultimately from the root nu, “to praise or command” but also “to sound or shout.” It is the audible expression of the transcendental, attributeless ground of reality.
Om is the “primordial seed” of the universe–this whole world, says one ancient text, “is nothing but om.” It is also considered to be the root mantra from which all other mantras emerge and to encapsulate the essence of the many thousands of verses of Hinduism’s holiest texts, the Vedas. According to the Katha Upanishad (2.15), om is the “word which all the Vedas rehearse.”
Yogis often meditate on the four “measures,” or parts, of om. Though commonly spelled om, the mantra actually consists of three letters, a, u, and m. (In Sanskrit, whenever an initial a is followed by a u, they coalesce into a long o sound.) Each of these three parts has numerous metaphysical associations, which themselves serve as meditative seeds. For example, a (pronounced “ah”) represents our waking state, which is also the subjective consciousness of the outer world; u (pronounced “ooh”) is the dreaming state, or the consciousness of our inner world of thoughts, dreams, memories, and so on; and m is the dreamless state of deep sleep and the experience of ultimate unity.This is interpreted as; A stand for Brahma, U for Vishnu and M for Shiva. The combination of three powers makes up AUM and this combination embodies God with creative, sustaining and destructive powers.
subjective consciousness is one division of the root mantra and it is the understanding of the enviornment and its requirement. we often get lead by the fact that living our lives and attaining enlightment is only through meditation and chanting of mantras but there is a different dimension which we have to conquer to attain the state of nirvana or bliss.That includes :
The capacity to adapt to change.
The ability to deal constructively with reality and delay gratification.
Freedom from symptoms produced by tension and anxiety.
The capacity to find more satisfaction in giving than receiving.
The capacity to relate to others in a kind, consistent manner.
The capacity to sublimate and direct hostile energy into constructive outlets.
The capacity to love.
Integral consciousness is another name for the unification of the mind with the inner state and the ego with the soul which is the second division of the mantra. In our journey towards the realization of oneness, we must merge our human personality with our eternal essence and attain inner wholeness. Integral consciousness signifies this state of internal harmony. Through the integration of all aspects of our multifaceted existence, we give birth to one, single state of consciousness. The attainment of this integral consciousness is the flowering of our spiritual evolution through which we realize true oneness with the soul and the supreme reality.
The final division is the blissful state that the mind achieves, when it is in total unification with the supreme.Para vidya alone can show us the path to eternal bliss. Mundane knowledge, which produces 'intellectualism"cannot confer wisdom on us. Even the most amazing of scientific and technological advances have failed to bring lasting happiness in our lives. The exponential increase in knowledge has,surprisingly, led to more conflicts and destruction.
Para vidya is transcendental knowledge, which leads to wisdom. Apara vidya or secular knowledge merely enhances our vision of the outer world. Wisdom is perennial while knowledge is mainly informative and therefore transient. The former is stable, the latter, subject to change.
The Mundaka Upanishad makes a clear distinction between the higher knowledge of the Supreme Brahman and the lower knowledge of the empirical world. According to it, para vidya alone is a guide to the realisation of Brahman. The treatise also acknowledges the necessity of apara vidya as a means to earning a livelihood. The knowers of apara vidya, too, strive towards the attainment of thehighest reality, though in an imperfect manner.
The Upanishad states that the four Vedas and disciplines like etymology, metrics, astrology, phonetics, rituals and grammar fall in the category of lower knowledge or apara vidya. Para vidya, however, enjoys an exalted status. In the Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna tells Arjuna that para vidya is the supreme and the most difficult of the sciences. It is all pervading, yet it is beyond the reach of the sense organs; and it is revealed to the seeker by a seer.
The Upanishad serves a warning to those who consider ritual as real: "deluded by sacrifice, austerity, alms- giving,pilgrimage and outer worship, men pass many years in misery". A similar note of caution is sounded in the Garuda Purana .
Sage Katha in Katha Upanishad condemns those who go about flaunting their knowledge of the scriptures, saying: "Abiding in the midst of ignorance, wise in their own esteem, thinkingthemselves to be learned, (they) go about like blind men led by one who is himself blind".
The Upanishad also tells us that the consummate spiritual experience takes place when a seeker sees God through divine eyes. When a perfect sage imparts para vidya to the pupil, the bonds of ignorance that fetter him are cut loose, all doubts are dispelled and the fire of this divine knowledge turns all his actions or karmas into ashes. Such is the power of the knowledge of Brahman.
On being blessed with para vidya, the soul is freed of all attachments, enters the calm stillness of the self and is able to perform tasks without compulsion, for the sake of duty alone rather than out of self-interest or benefit. Its life then becomes a free flow of liberated consciousness, incapable of rest since the living God Himself does not rest. A deep, unmoved repose at the centre and an unbounded, perpetual creativity are the prominent features of such an individual.
The individual then becomes liberated, a jivan mukt a in the present life. He performs his duties like an actor on stage, freed of any selfish motives. He is not deluded by what he does on stage. He will do his duty impartially, regardless of gain or loss. His concern is with action only, not with the result. He sees action in inaction and inaction in action. This is complete surrender and is the true spirit of renunciation.
