4. Shum Image Visualization Meditation
Based on the April Mamsani
| visualize ī | visualize ka | visualize bī |
visualize  | visualize sim | visualize ū |
| visualize ing | visualize vūm | visualize na |
| visualize ling | visualize reh | visualize sī |
| visualize lī | visualize tyē | visualize dī |
| visualize nī | visualize ā | visualize shūm |
In Shūm§
| bīmūmlīyū ī | bīmūmlīyū ka | bīmūmlīyū bī |
| bīmūmlīyū | bīmūmlīyū sim | bīmūmlīyū ū |
| bīmūmlīyū ing | bīmūmlīyū vūm | bīmūmlīyū na |
| bīmūmlīyū ling | bīmūmlīyū reh | bīmūmlīyū sī |
| bīmūmlīyū lī | bīmūmlīyū tyē | bīmūmlīyū dī |
| bīmūmlīyū nī | bīmūmlīyū ā | bīmūmlīyū shūm |
Quote from Gurudeva§
Visualization of inner things is the same as opening an inner door for awareness to flow through to gain the experience that is already there.§
Supplementary Reading§
Twelve Shum Meditations Shum-Tyeif Mamsani for the Month of April§
Kanīf names the contemplative lifestyle found within the structure and vocabulary of the Shūm language. The inner meaning of this fifth-dimensional portrait is a state of being silent on the inside, so absolutely still that all life goes on around you while you remain centered. You are in the state of kanīf when you feel your inner energies as being at the center of the universe—still, blissful, quiet. Kanīf also indicates that by learning the Shūm language through the study of the Shūm-Tyēīf tyēshūm the learning of the Śaivite religion is an indelible experience.§
This fourth mamsanī explains how one undertakes the formal study of the Shūm-Tyēīf language. We begin by creating our own tyēshūm. A tyēshūm is a handwritten book of all that we have and are learning in the Shūm-Tyēīf lexicon. It is a loose-leaf collection of lessons and exercises called challenges or ūkanuhshūm. The tyēshūm is neatly wrapped in a cloth in a prescribed manner. Your tyēshūm is actually called Shūm-Tyēīf tyēshūm, as it is your very own lexicon and the name of a study hall or room. As you explore the Shūm-Tyēīf language of meditation, you will want to record your own meditations as well as make lists of all the words and sentences that you will be learning. The study begins with the alphabet. There are 108 images in the Shūm alphabet. The first challenge, or ūkanuhshūm, is learning to chant and write the first eighteen images.§
kanīf 
07.43§
1) The religious lifestyle found within the structure and the vocabulary of the Shūm language; 2) the perspective of a religious, contemplative way of life that brings a feeling of being at the center of the universe; 3) essentially, kanīf names a religious feeling or need; 4) the area of the mind where this need is fulfilled; 5) the way of conducting one’s life, or the way of directing life’s activities, in homes and in the shrine, so that shūmīf is a constant experience for the devotee; 6) the governing laws of being in constant remembrance of the path to the holy feet of Lord Śiva; 7) the learning of the Shūm language has a molding effect upon the nature of the devotee, bringing him into his religious life; 8) the language that is a religious experience; by learning Shūm, the learning of the Śaivite religion is an indelible experience.§
shūmtyēīf 
18.11.41§
1) Name of Shūm-Tyēīf language; 2) a Nātha mystical language of meditation revealed in Switzerland in 1968 by Śivaya Subramuniyaswami; 3) it is often known simply as Shūm and may be signified by the character y with the dot above it.§
tyēshūm 
11.18§
1) A lexicon or book of the Shūm-Tyēīf language; 2) a hall or room for Shūm study and meditation; 3) a student’s handwritten book of all that he has learned and is learning in the Shūm-Tyēīf lexicon; 4) properly called Shūm-Tyēīf tyēshūm.§
Explanation§
Gurudeva outlines in detail in the Shūm word īmfmīmf exactly how the first ūkanuhshūm of learning the eighteen basic images is to be approached. Initially the subject learns to chant and write these eighteen images of the Shūm alphabet. Once somewhat mastered, the subject learns the colors connected to the images. The third step is through visualization each image is seen along with its color with eyes closed. Lastly while breathing nine counts in and nine counts out use the eighteen images to mark the counts while vitalizing the color and the shape of the image. §
Our meditation this month will focus on the third step. To do so, we will utilize the Shūm word bīmūmlīyū. Its definition is:§
bīmūmlīyū 
13.34.05.84§
1) Holding a thought picture firmly in visualization. §
We will go through each of the eighteen images visualizing the color. Those of you who know the Shum script can in addition to the color also visualize the script of each image. If you have forgotten the color of the image, it is acceptable to open your eyes and look it up on the list of colors.§
The colors are: ī, bright yellow; , soft pink; ing, soft blue; ling, bright turquoise; lī, bright violet; nī, rich yellow, ka, rich turquoise; sim, bright pink; vūm, rich purple; reh, bright orange; tyē, rich orange; ā, rich blue; bī, bright blue; ū, soft ivory; na, soft green; sī, bright red; dī, bright green; shūm, soft lavender. §
Gurudeva mentions in the lexicon in a number of places that this type of color sadhana is to strengthen the power of attention, concentration and visualization, and that visualization is a vital faculty in the process of creation.§
Additional Resources§
Merging with Śiva, Lesson 62: The Diamond of Light§