Theos-Talk Archives (November 2001 Message tt00133)

--- Monica Suzuki <agnimuse@aol.com> wrote:
> I have often wondered if the Gayatri mantra and the
> theosophical 
> concept of the seven planes of consciousness have
> something in common.

Since the mantras are a practice and not a theory, the
only way to get at their meaning would be to do the
traditional 108 repetitions a day. I use a rosary I
bought in a Catholic gift store to keep up with the
repetitions. It has 54 beads on it, which means two
rounds come to 108. Interesting coincidence, is it
not, that Catholics and Hindus and Buddhists all use
the same number of reps?

In the case of Hindu mantras, they are sung, whereas
Buddhist mantras are murmured. To do the Gayatri you
would therefore have to listen to someone else a few
times to get the correct music and rhythm.

Once you start, the mantra may open up to you, but
traditionally you must stay with it for a minimum of
forty days (realistically as long as it takes) and the
slightest tendency to try to penetrate its secret
intellectually will prevent you from finding it. This
is not an intellectual exercise. You must yearn to
penetrate the mystery but non-analytically. The true
secret transcends discursive reasoning, and can
neither be spoken nor written.

SS

--- Monica Suzuki <agnimuse@aol.com> wrote:
> I have often wondered if the Gayatri mantra and the
> theosophical 
> concept of the seven planes of consciousness have
> something in common.
> 
> What do you think based on these statements from
> this website, 
> http://www.hronline.com/aryasamaj/mother.html?
> 
> The SAMPUTA GAYATRI has the the 7 VAHYRAITIS at the
> beginning: OM 
> BHU, OM BHUVA, OM SWAH, OM MAHA, OM JANAH, OM TAPAH,
> OM SATYAM. These 
> seven VAHYRAITIS performed in PRANAYAMA help us
> cross the seven 
> oceans, the seven heavens, the seven levels of
> Consciousness by 
> meditating on the seven Chakras.
> 
> Monica
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to
> http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ 
> 
> 


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