> > Most students of gurus in India meditate on the bija > > mantra given to them by their teacher when they get > > initiated... > > yifuxero: > Looks like this phoney controversey has been ironed > out... > Apparently not - there are still some points that need to be figured out. We know that Mahesh Yogi and Guru Dev did not advocate the meditation on AUM or using OM as a replacement for the bija mantra given in initiation.
According to the tradition of Advaita, founded by the Shankaracharya, when the bija mantra is conceptualized, the meditator will tend to remain on the conscious thinking level. The idea is to transcend thought by using the bija mantra as a thought-tool. The ideal bija mantra is one that has no conceptual associations. While it is true than any sound can be interpreted as a 'mantric' sound, a real bija mantra is given out to a student by a guru in an initiation. So, a bija mantra can be be anything the guru wants it to be. But, by definition, the bija mantras are esoteric. Without the shaktipat, there is no real transmission, and there's no way to check the student's progress. The esoteric bija mantra, given in diksha, when used as an abstract mnemonic device, is the *ideal* tool for transcending. That's why the Adi Shankaracharya adopted the tantric bija mantras and the Sri Yantra as 'symbols' of the Absolute. That's why Guru Dev gave out the bija mantra of Sri Saraswati, instead of OM - because the esoteric bija mantras had been found to be auspicious by the masters. Read more: 'Foundations of Tibetan Mysticism' By Lama Anagarika Govinda Rider, 1960 http://tinyurl.com/2co9lbt
