The Sense-of-I
Shum.Tyam , welcome to the Story of Awareness. This is a story about a mystic at heart whose journey of Self discovery turned to an adventure across the fog of the mind to the wonders of the Innerverse on an unique vehicle called The Shum Language. This story will reveal to you treasures within you that is waiting for you to discover using Shum meditation maps.
Thus the story goes, I had just turned 11. It was midmorning and I was free and by myself in the bedroom I shared with my brothers. Out of the blue I had an inspired feeling which followed a floating sensation and a series of thoughts. I thought to myself, " I am 11 years old, my body is growing, my address has changed a few times since moving to this house, my body will continue to grow and I might change homes yet again." As I was having these thoughts I could sense a force behind my thoughts that translated into the next series of thoughts. "But I am still the same, I haven't changed. I am still I. Though my body is growing and I have a name, I am still I. Even if I was 20, or 30 or 50 years old and my body changes, I go through all sorts of things–the feeling of I will still be the same. I am still I. Even when I die, this body dies but I will still remain."
At that time and age in the early 80's I had no clue that this was any experience of significance. The Hindu tradition I grew into centred on temple worship and simple home worship rituals that offered little spiritual education. Nevertheless after this experience of 'I am still I,' I began to develop a desire to know God. As a Hindu I knew of gurus and yogis through stories such as Ramayana and Mahabharata and how they were able to see God by sitting in meditation and chanting mantras. In my naiveness at that age I thought I could do the same and achieve the same–just like that! If only life was so easy...It was not to be. No God ever appeared as I had hoped but the determination remained that someday, somehow God would appear to me.
Of course I am not 11 anymore and I have come to appreciate that the experience of 'I am still I' was my first ever mystic experience which became the precursor to my spiritual quest for enlightenment. The experience of 'I am still I' I have coined The Sense-of-I. This mystic experience would eventually lead me to my guru–Gurudeva Sivaya Subramuniyaswami.
I was drawn to Gurudeva in my early teens through his teachings on Hindu philosophy which bridged the gap I had between faith and reason. Central to his teachings was his constant exhortation that the goal of life is to 'Realise The Self.' It was he who deeply impressed on me that the ultimate goal of life was to experience The Self–a state of spiritual enlightenment and coupled by my innate mystic proclivity I was convinced even at a young age that attaining The Self was the purpose of my life. As the wheels of life turned by my 21st birthday I was in training to become a monk in my guru's monastery in Kauai, Hawaii. It was in the decade that I was with my guru, serving him as one of his monastics that I learned the Shum language. The Shum language made me realise that the Sense-of-I was my first mystic experience and also its significance to deeper spirituality.
From the time I had set my eyes on the Shum script I knew that this was a special language that would be my mystic tool. I took to Shum like fish to water. You might wonder how a language could make such a difference in the esoteric practice of meditation. The key to its effectiveness lies in meditation maps. Shum language provides a format to create maps of the mystic path similar to how mind maps are used to organise thinking. These maps use Shum words that are compiled in the Shum Lexicon. Shum words are used to organise our mind's functions and capabilities as it relates to spiritual development. The Shum Lexicon is unique and different from other modern or ancient organisation of our mind's capabilities because its structure and syntax categorise words into 14 dimensions of our mind which is also unique to Shum. If you click on this link to the Shum Lexicon you can browse through the Lexicon and realise the special adaptations of the Shum language for the practice of meditation. With meditation maps the path toward spiritual enlightenment can be organised with flexibility customised to the needs and ability of each Shum meditator. Whether you are a novice or a master who is seeking to explore her mysticism deeper, where there is a need Shum can fulfill it. I found this flexibility that Shum allowed very innovative and effective. Meditation maps are essential to Shum meditation techniques.
Before I met my guru and learned the Shum language I had read other Hindu and Buddhist gurus teachings on spiritual enlightenment. Without a doubt their expositions on the need for and wonders of enlightenment were inspiring and enthusiastic. The meditative path toward that goal however was boiled down to simple instructions such as chanting mantras or focusing the mind on the third-eye or breathing exercises–with the 'disclaimer' for patience and lots of persistence. I liken this to a mountaineer who expounds inspiringly about the wonders of summiting a challenging mountain and advises those who are interested to just use a hiking stick and just keep trekking no matter what–and one day you will summit.
The Shum language however fills a gap from the starting point to lofty goals such as spiritual enlightenment with steps that include practices and education that gradually develop the ability of the mystic. For instance the Sense-of-I in Shum is Na'amm. Na'amm is a milestone intermediate level mystic experience. By gauging where a meditator is in reference to Na'amm a starting point can be determined. From this assessment existing meditation maps can be used or new ones designed as per the needs of the aspiring mystic. When the goal of the meditation map is achieved the next meditation map for the mystic will be unfolded through a process in Rehnadee Shum's Dynamic Meditation. Through this process the path of a Shum mystic can be carved on the mystic mountain of enlightenment through its various levels with trials and tribulations bridged over by Shum.
Following the path laid out in systematic levels of meditation maps the mystic can get fulfilment by scanning his or her progress over time until spiritual enlightenment is achieved. Even after enlightenment the Shum language can take a mystic further–from the summit to space–on the path post enlightenment. The Shum language will develop as more mystics use it. This will be reflected by the growing vocabulary in the Shum Lexicon and increasing number of meditation maps which will be added and organised in ShumSanctuary.com . If you are a mystic at heart who is looking for spiritual fulfilment the Shum language can be your superpower hiking stick. As you summit the mountain of enlightenment the trail you blaze will be a legacy left as meditation maps that will be an inspiration and guide that others can follow.
Shum.Tyam
Reh;See'em SimVumBe~
Reh;See'em SimVumBe~ is the Shum name of Guhanatha Swami.