Classic Yoga

Introduction

The third Chapter of Tejo Bindu Upanishad describes Aham Brahma Asmi (Aham Brahmasmi)

The chapter begins like this: Lord Kumara asked Lord Siva “How to attain Self-realisation?”

The reply of Lord Siva was the third chapter of the Upanishad.

How to attain Self-realization?

Who Am I?

I am the Brahman. I am the absolute bliss, absolute consciousness, and the Supreme Being who is calm, eternal, and everlasting.

(Here, “I “ does not denote Lord Siva alone. It is Chinmatra that has a wider sense).

Lord Siva continues.

I have no Aham-hara ( I don’t have anything that attaches to “I”). Also, I have no “I” with me.  I am devoid of anything. Know that I am the ether of consciousness or Cit-Akasa.

I am beyond all the States of Consciousness

I am Turya only. (Turya is the fourth state of Atman beyond Jagrat or waking, Swapna or dreaming, and Susupti or dreamless sleep).

I am pure, absolute love, absolute knowledge, and happiness. Likewise, I am desire-less, disease-less, change-less, and without any attachment. I am just imperishable and indivisible one-essence.

I am boundaryless. Also, I have no limits and I am also the core of the core. Know that I am beyond the scope of Speech and mind. I am the Atman or Self.

Paramatman I am or Supreme Self. I have no beginning, means, or end. I resemble ether and transcending ether and transcending all. Just, I am the residuum that ever remains. Always, I am devoid of body, feelings, and other mental functions or material perceptions. I am the inference.

I am full. Always, I am content and satisfied. I only appear as everything. Nothing is beyond me. All three worlds, I support. Also, I am served by Vedas and demonstrated by Sastras. I am always fixed on Chitta meditating.

I am Beyond the Existence and Non-existence

Absolute Brahman, I am. Also, I am non-dual and include everything. I am the Adi-Sesa or prime residuum and Sesa or final residuum. I have no name or form. Also, I am beyond liberation and bondage. It is I am who is beyond Turya, I am the essence of Om. 

I do not exist and also, I am not non-existing which is beyond the scope of mind and speech.   

I am neither the mind nor the intellect nor the doubts arising. Also, I am neither in the state of waking nor dreaming nor in dreamless sleep. I am neither subject to the three miseries caused by Atman, Devas, and Bhutas, nor subject to the three desires caused by wealth, Son, and ladies.

I have no dissimilarities in space, time, and substance anywhere, anytime, and in anything.   Except for absolute consciousness, everything is false. Vedas and Sastras, Intellect, wisdom, the body, mind, and everything is false.

Know that all truth is false. Also, Know that Rudra, Vishnu, and Brahma are false. Likewise, know that all beings are false. Know that what you perceive and see is false. All enjoyments and sufferings are false. Good and bad or right and wrong, Victory and defeat, gain and loss, and taste and smell are all false.  

I alone the absolute truth. I am Brahman only. Aham Brahma Asmi. Aham means “I”. Brahma means “Supreme God” and Asmi means “am”. I am the Supreme Being. Aham Brahmasmi. I am the absolute Self.

Aham Brahmasmi As Mantra

Aham Brahmasmi is the powerful Veda mantra. You should chant this mantra with the above meditation. This is Atma-mantra, the mantra of Self.  

This mantra destroys all the sins, all the mantras, and the bondage of death. Also, It destroys the ignorance. It destroys the bondage of the mind, and all the diseases of the mind, intellect, and body. Likewise, it destroys grief, anger, lust, greed, mental functions, desires, faults, dependency, knowledge and wisdom. 

It gives pleasure that you could not express in words. Also, It gives the bliss of knowledge that you could not have by any other means. Also, this will liberate all. This mantra alone is enough and you require no other mantra. There is no doubt about this.  

Thus ends the third chapter of this Upanishad.

Bottom Line

This is one of the greatest techniques found in Vedas. Hence, simply Meditate on this and Chant Aham Brahma Asmi. The Japa of this mantra and meditation with its meaning rightly understood is enough for any spiritual advancement and transformation. 

Reference: Sanskrit Text Reference