"The very first step in understanding what this is all about is giving up the concept of an active, volitional 'I' as a separate entity and accepting the passive role of perceiving and functioning as a process." - Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

4 Types of Speech

Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj

July 6, 1980.

Whatever goes on in the world is based on the life force (prAna shakti), but the Atman, the witnesser, is totally apart; no action can be attributed to the Atman. So long as you have not understood prAna shakti, the vital breath, whose language is the four types of speech which flow through the vital breath - so long as you do not recognize it, whatever the mind tells you you are bound to take as certain. Those concepts which the mind gives you will be final for you.

Q. What are the four types of speech?

They are parA (source-consciousness), then pashyanti (the emanation of thoughts), then madhyamA (formulation of thoughts-words), and vaikhari (language explodes out). The ordinary ignorant person is not aware of parA and pashyanti, which starts the whole process, they are too subtle; he starts working on madhyamA, which is also identified with the mind, and comes out with words (vaikhari).

The mind throws out words and thoughts, and through these we have mistaken our identity as "me" or "mine", whereas whatever takes place is independent of the one who witnesses and is based entirely on the life force. This consciousness has mistakenly identified itself with the body, and with thoughts or words. It considers itself guilty of something, or that it has acquired merit by some action, whereas everything merely takes place through the action of the life force.

The one who understands this vital breath, the life force, is beyond all mental concepts. The one who has not understood it is a slave to his thoughts.

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सर्वभूताधिवासं यद्भूतेषु च वसत्यपि।
सर्वानुग्राहकत्वेन तद्स्म्यहं वासुदेवः॥

That in whom reside all beings and who resides in all beings,
who is the giver of grace to all, the Supreme Soul of the universe, the limitless being:
I AM THAT. -- Amritabindu Upanishad