Creation theories (was Re: What is the exactmeaning/significance of this?)

[Vidyasankar]

>interesting. Coming to the first aspect, it is difficult to say whether
>ayamAtmA brahma of Ma U is same as tattvamasi. Because the context is
>different. The Ma U is primarily an explanation of the aspects of om. But

Actually, "ayamaatmaa brahma" in Ma U presumes "tattvamasi". It is not the
intention of the upanishad to talk about the aspects of om independent of
the unity of brahman and Atman. Rather it is the other way round. All is
brahman (sarvaM hy etad brahma), the Atman is brahman (ayam AtmA brahma),
and this Atman has four states (so 'yam AtmA catushpAt). The four states of
the Atman (waking, dreaming, deep sleep and the 'fourth' - the turIya) are
then described in terms of the constituent mAtrA-s of om, the a, u and m,
and the 'fourth,' the amAtra. Now, what is the Atman that goes through the
states of waking, dreaming and so forth? It is the jIva, i.e. the tvam in
the statement tattvamasi. The meditation on om as taught in Ma U is a means
to realize the underlying identity between tvam and tat, the Atman and
brahman. The import of ayamAtmA brahma in Ma U is therefore the same as the
instruction, tattvamasi, in Ch U.

Vidyasankar