This 'n' That

For its viewers Seinfeld coined meanings for “this” and “that,” humourous euphemisms meaning “Platonic friendship” and “Sex,” respectively. Absolutely everything turns my diseased mind into spiritual matters, and I’m going to drag you along with me. First to Hinduism:

The essence of Vedanta and the pinnacle of Hindu insight is enshrined in the four “Mahavakyas,” (Great Sayings), the first of which is Tat Tvam Asi, (“That Thou Art”).

Huh? “That Thou Art”? That’s a great saying? Reefer madness?

Some explanation is obviously needed. There’s a prayer (or affirmation) in the Isavasyopanishad that in the original Sanskrit runs:

Om Purnamadah Purnamidam
Purnat Purnamudacyate
Purnasya Purnamadaye
Purnamevavasisyate
Om Shanti Shanti Shanti

One clumsy English rendition minus the “Om Peace” (italics mine):

That is whole; this is whole;
From that whole this whole came;
From that whole, this whole removed,
What remains is whole.

Well that cleared it up, didn’t it? The intended meaning is thus: “That” is the spiritual realm, the object of our search, invisible. “This” is creation, the physical, phenomenal world. So in a nutshell the teaching implied in the above verse is creation emanates from spirit and is ultimately a projection, a superimposition, real enough on its own level, but possessing no substantial reality of its own, being totally dependent upon spirit for its creation, and sustenance, and the ever-present possibility of its dissolution. (Notice I didn’t use the words “this” and “that” in cette paragraph, which wasn’t easy.)

The claim of Bahá’u’lláh is of being the Promised One of All Ages, the fulfillment of the prophecies of ALL past Dispensations and traditions. And whereas the Buddha, Zoroaster, the Great Spirit, and men of India meditating in caves get passing mention, the overwhelming context in which the Bahá’í Revelation is placed is firmly in the Adamic-Abrahmic-Judeo-Christian-Islamic line – in other words, the traditions of the Middle East. So I’m particularly tickled to find what I deem direct connections with teachings that emanated from elsewhere.

A significant portion of the Báb’s output is in the form of Commentary which has been exalted to the rank of Revelation (please just take my word for it here). In the Commentary on the Surih of the Cow II, He expounds on a tradition of the Imám Ridá, where “that” and “this” are referred to as “there” and “here”:

Elevate the alphabetical letters of that divine verse unto the sublime station of the manifestation of their heart . . . Verily that ascent is the spirit of the Elixir of true knowledge, so that the servant may advance all that is motionless unto the lofty station of vibrant motion, and make manifest the Causes of his existence within the stage of the effect, and reveal the fruit of the Final Cause in the rank and station of the receptive phenomena. That is the true meaning of the words of Imám Ridá, peace by upon Him, that verily those endued with understanding cannot know that which is there, except through that which is here. (provisional translation by N. Saiedi)

Obviously there are many concepts in that short quote; the Báb’s writing is extremely dense and dripping with meaning just as His own dream of the blood of the Imám Husayn. But I hope I made the connection clear.

If not, I apologize and leave you with another Jerry Seinfeld quote: “There is no such thing as ‘fun for the whole family.’”