You have opened a whole can of worms here. I've watched for years different tantra school argue over whether the beej mantras should have use the "ng" ending or the "m" ending. They have slightly different effects as far as "resonance patterns" go. And Indians given their nature will argue passionately over this, making the arguments on FFL look very wimpy (I'm sure Ravi will agree).
Pronunciation is as taught in other traditions more felt than clearly mentally pronounced. This practice is age old and not something unique with TM though some people believe it to be. I'm curious if your TM teacher required SCI before initiation? We used to require that if someone had practiced other techniques before coming to TM. They may have discontinued this. Otherwise some people might stress on the mantra particularly if they come mind holding concentration techniques. I had one person who lied to me and another teacher about their background. They indeed should have take the SCI course to clarify the practice. Turns out he had traveled in India and Asia and had learned other techniques. He knew the meaning of his mantra in Japanese which confused him. He had all kinds of problems trying to practice TM. OTOH, I had practiced other techniques before TM but fell right into the correct practice immediately. BTW, awareness during sleep as in CC is not insomnia. It's more like a thick cloud coming over and when you roll over and look at the clock and it can be hours later even though the experience seemed brief. So weird how time is relative. And you awaken refreshed. And you may also dream while in that state which is witnessing the dream rather than being in it. On 07/14/2011 12:28 PM, William Parkinson wrote: > > I found this webpage and it has a different way to pronounce the mantra I was > taught. Those of you who were teachers, is this way correct? For example, > hearim (as in 'hear') instead of herim (as in 'her'). Is this list even > valid? Thx for any information anyone might have! > Cheers > Bill > Transcendental Meditation TM > > Transcendental Meditation is a specific and wonderful technique of mantra > meditation that has been discovered and developed by the great and famous > Gurudev Shri Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in the 20th century. I have been initiated > at young age while I was a teenager and later in my life I became initiated > again for the second time. > I have tried a lot of mantras and meditations, but I must admit that > Maharishi 's technique and insight still is the best and most effective of > all meditation techniques. > > The mantras that are used are derived and modified versions of the originial > Sanskrit Tantric Shakti Beej Beeja Bija Mantras (AIM or AING for Godess > Sarasvati, SHRIM or SHRING for Godess Laksmi, HRIM or HRING for Godess > Maheshvari and KRIM or KRING for Godess Kali) which are commonly found in the > books and traditions of Tantric Hinduism. > > Maharishi has modified these sanskrit mantras in a specific way such that > they are very easy to think. By this modification the mantras also possess a > very special quality : the have the specific quality to be thought and > experienced at finer levels very easily in comparison to the original > Sanskrit versions (see above) and also in comparison to other thoughts or > objects of meditation. It is his genius and accomlishment that he discovered > and developed this. > > > The modificated mantras are : > > > SHRIM or SHRING (original sanskrit version) becomes modified (TM version) : > SHEARING or SHEARIM > > HRIM or HRING (original sanskrit version) becomes modified (TM version) : > HEARING or HEARIM > > KRIM or KRING (original sanskrit version) becomes modified (TM version) : > KEARING or KEARIM > > AIM or AING (orginal sankrit version) becomes modified (TM version) :ING, IM, > INGA, IMA, AING, AIM, AINGA or AIMA > > SHYAM (original sanskrit version) becomes modified (TM version) : SHEEYAM > > > Correct Pronuniciation : the "EA" is pronounced as the "EA" in "HEAR" or > "EAR" > > the "I"is pronounced as the "I" > in "SING" or "RING" > > the "A" in SHEEYAM is > pronounced as the "A" in "ARMY" > > the "AI" in AING or AIM is > pronounced as the "I" in " I'm " > > > Method of giving the mantras : > > > In TM the mantras are given according to the age at the time of initiation : > > > Age group between 0 and 10 years : ING is used Pronounce as "ING" in > "Swing" > > Age group between 10 and 12 years : IM is used Pronounce as "IM" in "DIM" > > Age group between 12 and 14 years : INGA is used Pronounce as "ING" in > "Swing" and "A" in "Ah" > > Age group between 14 and 16 years : IMA is used Pronounce as "IM" in "dim" > and "A" in "Ah" > > Age group between 16 and 18 years : AING is used Pronounce as "eye"+ING > > Age group between 18 and 20 years : AIM is used Pronounce as " I'm " > > Age group between 20 and 22 years : AINGA is used Pronounce as "eye+ING+"A" > withe the "A" as in "Ah" > > Age group between 22 and 24 years : AIMA is used Pronounce as "I"+"EEM" (as > in "Seem")+ "A" as in "Ah" > > Age group between 24 and 30 years : SHEARING is used Pronounce as the "EA" > in "Shear" and the ING in "swing" > > Age group between 30 and 34 years : SHEARIM is used Pronounce as "EA" in > "Shear" and "IM" in "dim" > > Age group between 35 and 39 years (in America) : HEARING is used Pronounce > as "EA" in "Hear" and ING in "ring" > > Age group between 35 and 39 years (in Europe) : HEREENG is used Pronounce as > "E" in "hedge" and "EE" in "see" > > Age group between 40 and 44 years (in America) : HEARIM is used Pronounce as > "EA" in "hear" and "IM"" in "dim" > > Age group between 40 and 44 years (in Europe) : HEREEM is used Pronounce as > "E" in "hedge" and "EE" in "see" > > Age group between 45 and 49 years : KEARING is used Pronounce as "EA" in > "dear" and "ING" in "ring" > > Age group between 50 and 55 years : KEARIM is used Pronounce as "EA" in > "ear" and "IM" as in "dim" > > Age group between 55 and 60 years : SHEEYAM is used Pronounce the "EE" as in > "See"+ "A" (as in "Army")+"M" > > Age group of 60 years and above : SHEEYAM is used Pronounce the "EE" as in > "see"'+"A" (as in "Army")+"M" > > > > > > official TM teacher guide to tell to students. > The main principle during Transcendental Meditation is thinking the mantra > effortlessly : > > "In this meditation, we do not concentrate, we do not try to think the mantra > clearly. Mental repetition is not a clear pronunciation, rather it is a faint > idea. We don't try to make a rhythm of the mantra. We don't try to control > thoughts. We do not wish that thoughts should not come. If a thought comes, > we do not try to push it out. We don't feel sorry about it. When a thought > comes, the mind is completely absorbed in the thought. And if at any time you > seem to be forgetting the mantra, don't try to hold on. Whenever we forget > the mantra, we come back to to it very quietly. It is a very simple and > natural process. > "When we become aware that we are not thinking the mantra, then we quietly > come back to the mantra. Very easily we think the mantra and if at any moment > we feel that we are forgetting it, we should not try to persist in repeating > it. Only very easily we start and take it as it comes and do not hold the > mantra if it tends to slip away. > "The mantra may change in different ways. It can get faster or slower, louder > or softer, clearer or fainter. Its pronunciation may change, lengthen or > shorten or even may appear to be distorted or it may not appear to change at > all. In every case, we take it as it comes, neither anticipating nor > resisting change, just simple innocence." > "There is no need to try to stop thinking because thoughts are a part of > meditation. Even if the mind is filled with other thoughts while the mantra > is going on, there is no conflict. Our concern is with the mantra, and if > other thoughts are there along with it, we do not mind them and we don't try > to remove them. We are not concerned with them, we innocently favor the > mantra." > > "Noise is no barrier to meditation. Even in a noisy market, it is possible to > be thinking thoughts and whenever we can think, we can meditate. So one can > think the mantra comfortably even though aware of outside noises. We just > innocently favor the mantra and do not try to resist noise in any way." > > "Even with some discomfort we should be able to meditate, for anyone who can > think can meditate, and even with some bodily discomfort, it's our experience > that we do not lose the natural ability to have thoughts." > > "One thing is very important, that we do not try to meditate. We do not try > to keep the tempo of the mantra the same, nor do we try to change the tempo. > And, we do not concentrate against thoughts we might have, or against noises > we might hear. We do not resist thoughts, we do not resist noise, we do not > resist the mantra changing or disappearing, we do not resist anything. We > take it as it comes. It is a very simple, natural, innocent process. When we > meditate at home, we start with half a minute sitting easily. That means, > close the eyes about half a minute and then start the mantra easily. And when > we want to end meditation then we stop thinking the mantra inside, but do not > open the eyes for about 2 minutes. This is very important that we start with > half a minute of silence and end with 2 minutes of silence." > > > Advanced Techniques > > > In Transcendental Meditation there are several advanced techniques that can > be used to meditate. > The advanced techniques consist of adding a prefix and/or suffix to the basic > mantra. > > The prefix can be : "Shree" or "Shree Shree" with the "Sh" as pronounced in > "Shrimps and the ""ee" as pronounced in "we". > > The suffix can be : "Namah" or "Namah Namah" with the "a" pronounced as the > "e" in "The" or "a". > > For example : > > If you basic mantra is "Shearing", then the advanced mantra's can be : > > Shearing Namah > > or > > Shree Shearing Namah > > or > > Shree Shearing Namah Namah > > or > > Shree Shree Shearing Namah > > or > > Shree Shree Shearing Namah Namah > > or > Shree Shree Shearing Shearing Namah Namah > > You can start with "Shearing Namah", if "Shearing" is your basic mantra. And > after meditating for some minutes you can continue with "Shree Shearing > Namah", after some minutes you can continue with "Shree Shree Shearing Namah > Namah" and after some minutes you can continue with "Shree Shree Shearing > Shearing Namah Namah"" according to your own need and feeling. It is no > problem to switch between the basic mantra and the different advanced > mantra's during meditation. One of the advanced techniques also consistes of > thinking the mantra in the Heart area (bottom of sternum) form time to time > (second or minutes) with a soft focus on that area. You should follow your > own need and feelings. > > > > Meaning of "Shree" and "Namah" : > > "Shree" signifies "Shakti", "Light", "Abundance", "Energy", "Life", > "Kundalini", "Nourishment" in the more abstract sense of the word. In a more > concrete sense it also means "Lakshmee" or The Godess of Wealth and Beauty. > It is a very powerful word. By adding this word as a prefix to the mantra > results in more joy and enjoyment during meditation and the basic mantra > becomes very powerful. "Shree" feels like Sweet Nectar. "Shree" touches and > caresses the Kundalini Energy in our energy-body (astral or pranic body) and > that is why we experience is as "Sweet Nectar or Sweet Honey". "Shree" > nourishes our body and mind. > > "Namah" means "bowing down to", "surrender yourself to", "give space to", > "let That Other Principle Be"" > It is a very good word to conclude the prefix and the basic mantra, because > it also delimits the Prefix and the Basic mantra. By this means we get an > complete and very powerful advanced mantra. > > > > From: richardjwilliamstexas<willy...@yahoo.com> > To: FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com > Sent: Thursday, July 14, 2011 11:51 AM > Subject: [FairfieldLife] Re: Sleep and TM (are youstill there RC?) > > > > > > William Parkinson: >> I tried to trace back my own mantra within the >> Advaita-shakti tradition and found that it was >> recorded in Shankara's 'Saundaryalahari.' >> > "According to the Shankaracharya of Sringeri, the > Adi Shankara placed the Sri Chakra, symbol of > Tripurasundari, with the TM mantras inscribed > thereon, at each of the seats of learning - Dwarka, > Puri, Sringeri, and at Jyotirmath. The mantras of > TM are DIRECTLY related to Sri Vidya. > > It is also a fact that the cult of Sri Vidya was > derived from the nath siddhas, tantric alchemists > of medieval India, 99% of whom were Vajrayana > Buddhists in the line of Nagarjuna!" > > Read more: > > Sri Vidya: > http://www.rwilliams.us/archives/srividya.htm > > >
