"tat tvam asi"

The principal word in the Vedas, Pranava Omkara, is the sound representation of the Supreme Lord. Therefore Omkara should be taken as the sound Supreme. Sankara has falsely preached Tatvamasi as the Supreme vibration in the Vedas, instead of Omkara. Omkara is the reservoir of all the energies of the Supreme Lord. The accent on the word Tatvamasi by Sankara, as the Supreme vibration of the Vedas, is wrong, because this word Tatvamasi is a secondary word only. This word suggests only a partial representation of the Vedas. In the Bhagavad Gita the Lord has in many places given importance to Omkara. The importance of Omkara is mentioned in the Eighth Chapter, 13th verse, Ninth Chapter, 17th verse, and Seventeenth Chapter, 23rd verse. Similarly, the importance of Omkara is stated in the Atharva Veda. Similarly, we get the importance of Omkara vibration in the Mandukya Upanishad.    (More...)

The acarya is a veritable transcendental repository of spiritual knowledge and thoughts. His association is like touchstone, enlightening everyone he meets via the touch of transcendental sound vibration, which enters and purifies the heart of every true seeker who practically sees with his own eyes that every action of the acarya is a manifestation of his divine knowledge and teachings, an example for all to follow. Such a veritable king should be approached with great caution, for Sri Krsna Himself has said, acaryam mam vijaniyat. The acarya is My very self. Just as the ambassador is given equal reception as the president he represents, so the spiritual master is to be received like Krsna because he is thinking, speaking and acting on behalf of the Lord. He is doing what the Lord Himself would do for us if we were able to see Him with our spiritually blind eyes. We cannot reach the Lord in the heart, so He has come out and manifested Himself as guru, the external manifestation of Paramatma, the Lord in the heart. And because He is in contact with Paramatma, who is everywhere in full knowledge of everything, there is nothing which is secret for the acarya. The acarya may know whatever he may need or choose to know at any given second. As Vyasa was tri-kala-jna, or able to perceive time in all three phases-past, present and future-so the acarya has this power. Therefore it is said, sarva-devamayo guruh: he is the sum total of all the demigods. If one worships the acarya, then he has fulfilled all his commitments to all the demigods. The acarya is a veritable repository of all strength, fame, knowledge, beauty, and wealth. He is unrivalled in the worlds and should be approached with only the utmost respect and veneration. Verily it is said that when one stands before the spiritual master he should think himself a total fool. Further it is stated that one must never be envious of the acarya, for it is enviousness of Krsna. If the ambassador is insulted, the president is insulted, therefore envy is an offense at the lotus feet of the spiritual master, which is known as Vaisnava-aparadha. Such an offense causes havoc on the progressive path back to Godhead. One should strictly avoid it. The acarya should be approached in a humble frame of mind (pariprasnena sevaya), with an innocent and inquisitive mind and a humble service attitude, because this is the only method and combination which endears the guru to enlighten the disciple with transcendental knowledge. It is this knowledge we must obtain to transcend the material world.    (More...)

Pranava or Omkara is the chief indication of Vedic hymns, and Omkara is considered as the sound Form of the Supreme Lord. From Omkara, all Vedic hymns have emanated, and the world has also emanated from the Omkara sound. The world Tatvamasi, picked up from the Vedic hymns, is not the chief word, but it is an explanation of the constitutional position of the living entity. The meaning of this Tatvamasi is that the living entity is a spiritual particle of the Supreme spirit; but this is not the chief motif of the Vedanta or Vedic literature. The chief sound representation of the Supreme is Omkara.    (More...)