The Mexican Knowledge of Immensity
T. L. Subash Chandira Bose, Convener, Sri Vidya Gnana Saba, Trichirapally, T.N. INDIA.
Introduction- In our research and study on ancient symbols and signs, we have observed the similarity among the symbols found all over this mother earth. Our ancestors were certainly very rich in spiritual knowledge compared with the modern scientific world. For some reason or other, knowingly or unknowingly, that spiritual knowledge is gradually disappearing on this Mother Earth.The spiritual knowledge – “We do not know where we came from. We do not know why we are here. We do not know the reason for our suffering and happiness in our lives. We do not know the reason for our birth and death. We do not know where we will go. Our educational knowledge cannot answer the above; only spiritual knowledge can provide us with the answers to these questions.” All of us are looking for a secure freedom with permanent happiness, which can be attainable only through spiritual knowledge.
We request you to join us in the research and study of an ancient Mexican manuscript kept in BritishMuseum (add.MS.b.m.9789) and of the spiritual knowledge of the Mexican Indians, based on ancient manuscripts of India.
We are thankful to Shree. Gary A David and Shree. Gene D Matlock
for providing the picture of Mexican M.S. for our research and study.
Observations
Bird- A bird is sitting at the center on top of a Jackfruit tree.
Tree - A Jackfruit tree, with extended branch on both left and right side forming a “T” shape. Each branch has three sub-branches having three bunch of leaves. On left side the leaves have nine tips and on the right side they have eight tips. The total number of tips is fifty-one. The upper portion of the Jack tree is shaded with white colour and bottom portion with black colour. There are ten jackfruits in the bark of the tree. The Jackfruit tree is mounted on five folds or curves (one is hidden behind the tree) with handles on the base at the bottom.
Sharp objects - There is something like a sharp object three at the left and two at the right of the folds.
Human figures - At the left side of the tree is a male figure, shaded with white colour and at right side a female figure shaded with black colour. Their hands are very close to the jackfruits.
Research and Study
It is really a tough job for a researcher to find the secret code of the symbol or picture and from where to start and how to begin the study. Let us begin our study by referring to the Agma Sastra ancient manuscripts of India.
Agma Sastra - According to the ancient Indian Agma Sastra, the worship of Gods and Goddesses is a potent method of realizing the ultimate reality. Three kinds of worship, such as Svarupa, Sampad and Pratika, are described in the scriptures.
Svarupa - Realizing the Absolute in one’s self through discrimination and renunciation is the first method.
Sampad - The second method is meditation on perceptible objects like the sun, wind, vital breath, etc., resembling The Supreme power in respect of luminosity, motion, sustaining power, etc.
Pratika - To serve a symbol or substitute of The Supreme power is the third method. Image or Pratima comes under it.
The sastras declare The Supreme power to be the only existence. Therefore, the images are really The Supreme power Himself. Worship of images is really worship of The Supreme power. Moreover, forms of deities were instituted by saints and often visualized by later human realization. With deeper understanding of the symbolical nature of images, awareness of God becomes more easy and immediate.
According to the Sastras, the first and foremost method of worship is Svarupa. Our physical body is not our real shape or image; the soul is the real shape of our selves, which is "the inner self ". The understanding that "we are not the body but the soul, which is also a tiny part of the supreme soul" is called Knowledge of Immensity (Brahma Vidhya).
Human body - In the beginning of cosmic evolution there was only one without a second, remaining as supreme Bliss-Consciousness. Then comes Time, effects of the action of Jiva (Karma), Nature (Prakriti) and souls (Jivas). The Nature (Prakriti) is the product of three root characters (gunas), such as Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas, in which case Sattva remains unchanged.
The entire physical body functions with ten life forces (Pranas -vayu) by which the human body functions; among them are five vital forces such as Samana Vayu, Vyana Vayu, Udana Vayu, Prana Vayu and Apana Vayu.
The human physical body has sixteen components in four groups. Five elements: ether, air, fire, water, and earth. Five sensing organs: ear, skin, eye, tongue, and nose. Five organs of actions: The vocal organ, hand, feet, the organ of eliminations, and the reproductive organ. The mind, which oversees and coordinates the sense organs and the organs of action, is the sixth sense organ.
The Mind is followed by intelligence or discriminating faculty (Buddhi), Ego (Ahamkara) and Cit. The above said sixteen components and buddhi cannot function without Ego and Cit.
There physical body covered with five sheaths (kosha) known as Food Sheath (Annamaya kosha), Breath Sheath (Pranamaya kosha), Mind sheath (Manomaya kosha), Intelligence Sheath (Vijnanamaya kosha) and Bliss Sheath (Anandamaya kosha). In addition to the above five sheaths are two more cosmic principles, Cit (Consciousness) and Sat (Being), making seven in all.
The last two are often correlated with the bliss or Ananda as the triple principle of Sacchidananda (Sat + Cit+ Ananda) or being consciousness- Bliss that represents the Absolute. Knowing the above is called The knowledge of the Immensity (Brahma Vidya).
The Knowledge of the Immensity – “She” (mother goddess) is the knowledge of the Immensity. As the power of manifestation, Sakti appears at the root of the three aspects of existence, as Reality (Sat),Consciousness (Chit),and Experience (Ananda).As Reality, She is the power of action (kriya), that is, of causation. She is as well the power of multiplicity. As Consciousness, She is the power of understanding and the power of the flow of knowledge. As Experience, She is the power of enjoyment and of cognition, of realization, of transcendent knowledge and the consort of Siva. (Tamil Script) - Natchintanai-219
Mother Goddess-‘Sri’ - "...Then seated on a lotus, Beauty's bright goddess, peerless Sri, arose Out of the waves..." - Sir Monier Williams.
"Sri" is the daughter of Bhrigu, one of the Prajapatis and Rishis, the chief of the Bhrigus, "the Consumers," the aerial class of gods. She is Lakshmi, the wife of Vishnu, and she is "the bride of Siva"(Gowri) and she is Sarasvathi, "the watery", the wife of Brahma, because the three gods and goddesses are one, under three aspects. - Explanation by Parasara, in Vishnu Purana in Bk. I., Ch. VIII. (Vol. I, Wilson's translation, p.119).
"The Lord of Sri" is the moon, he says, and "Sri is the wife of Narayana, the Gods of Gods"; Sri is Lakshmi (Venus) is Indirani, as she is Sarasvati, for in the words of Parasara: "Hari (or Iswara, "the Lord") is all the that is called male in the Universe; Lakshmi is all that is termed female. There is nothing else than they." Hence, she is "female", and "God" is male Nature.
Kubjika Tantra Says, Not Brahma, Vishnu and Rudra create, maintain and destroy, but Brahmi, Vaishanavi and Rudrani.
Shree. Sankra writes in Soundarya Lahari (Sloka 1): “If Siva is in union with Sakti, He becomes the Lord of the Universe, if not He cannot move.” This is in keeping with the Rig Vedic Devi - sukta ( 10.10.125,3. ) about Mother Goddess, “I am the empress of the whole universe.”
We also find in Rig Vedic, Devi-sukta says, “When the creation of the world commenced, I sustained on my own, and like the wind was I, which bloweth where it listeth. My greatness expands beyond earth and heaven. I shine as the resplendent Atma, soul of all. I shine like the world Soul in all my glory". She is Maya, for of Her the Maya which produces the Samasara is. As Lord of Maya She is Mahamaya. As Maya She binds, as Mahamaya She liberates when pleased, said in Chandi: 1.56.
As Avidya Sakti, She sets snares, as Vidya Sakti She is free from snares. She is Prakriti, and as existing before creation, She is the Adya (Primordial) Sakti. She is Vachaka-sakti the manifestation of Chit in Prakriti, and the Vachya-sakti or Chit itself.
She promises to incarnate when vice prevails. Whenever there is trouble of this kind caused by the demons, I shall incarnate myself and destroy the demons (Chandi: XI.55). The Nava-sakti (Nine manifestations of the Goddess) is based on this idea of Incarnation. Mainly, the Mother Goddess has three forms, viz.: ‘Para’- which none knows, says Vishnu Yamala; ‘Sukshma' (Subtle) form which consists of Mantras; ‘Sthula’- (Gross) form which She takes up for the convenience of the devotee’s meditation.
Mother is in all formations, says the Svetasvatara Upanishad. She manifested more in the female forms said in Chandi: VI.6. She is famous as Ten Wisdom Powers (Dhasa-mahavidyas) and stays in fifty-one holy places in different forms.
Let us summarize our research and study with these observations:
The five rollers (one is behind the tree) - to roll cloth or decorated curtains, symbolically represents the five sheaths; Food Sheath, Breath Sheath, Mind sheath Intelligence Sheath and Bliss Sheath.
The ‘T’ shaped tree- is the symbol of wisdom power, on which the mother Goddess sitting in the form of a bird –divine soul.
Male and Female figures - Instead of showing the human soul as a bird, ‘The male and female’ forms are shown.
Shaded portion of the tree - The bottom-shaded portion of the tree represents the Sakti and the upper plain portion represents the Siva. The tree is the form of Arthanareeswarar, in which the left half is Siva (male) and the right half is Sakti (female). The human male and female figures are shown in left and right side of the tree.
The five sharp objects- three at the left and two at the right side of the folders are the five svyambulingam (Siva-lingam) denotes the five elements such as Ether, Air, Fire, Water and Earth.
Ten fruits - The ten fruits in the trunk of the tree denotes the Ten Wisdom Powers. At left side is a male figure and right side is a female figure; their hands are very close to the fruits in the tree.
The Branches of the tree -The tree has two extended main branches one in each side with three sub branches. This denotes the ‘Trinity’: Brahma, Vishnu and Rudra on left side and their wives Lakshmi, Sarasvathi, Gowri respectively in the right.
Fifty-one tips of leaf - Each leaf at the left side has nine tips (3x9=27), and each leaf at the right side has eight tips (3x8=24). The total fifty-one are the fifty-one Holy Places of mother Goddess that is indicated as the fifty-one tips of leaves.
Conclusion – Based on the above detailed study, we shall conclude that, “The Knowledge of the Immensity” is symbolically indicated in the Mexican MS. kept in BritishMuseum (add.MS.b.m.9789). Thus, the ancient Mexicans are the worshipers of Mother Goddess. The Knowledge of the Immensity (Brahma Vidya) was known to them parallel to the ancient Indians of India.
©T.L.Subash Chandira Bose 2006
Thursday, June 08, 2006