"I am ahamkara, The Door"

[Guest]

So I've read the Chronicles including Illearth War numerous times, but I just never quite figured out why Hoerkin (the soldier the Lords find in Sarangrave Flat while traveling to Coercri in Illearth War) calls himself "ahamkara, The Door".

He was evidently delirious or something at the time, but why did he call himself that? He says he was sent to bring word of the downfall of Giants (or something similar; I don't have IW handy to check the exact wording), but why would he call himself "The Door". The Door to what?

[danlo]

The door to doom?

[Fist and Faith]

This is from The Encyclopedia of Eastern Philosophy and Religion:

Ahamkara (Hindu), Sanskrit; ego, I-consciousness, a part of the antahkarana, the inner organ, which gives rise to all mental processes.

Ahamkara is the motivator of thought that creates the notion that one is a unique entity separate from everything else. This subject-object duality gives rise to the illusory view whereby we see in brahman, the One without a second, the manifest world of multiple forms (maya). All perceptions, feelings, desires, and acts of will are naturally and automatically related to ahamkara.

And I just found a site (www.sambodh.org/NEW/writsji/ahamkara.htm) that says:

. . . In Vedanta, 'ahamkara' means 'I am the doer' attitude. Instead of saying 'I am doing it' say 'He is functioning thorugh me; I am only a pencil in the hands of the Lord; He is the great poet; Using me He is scribing the great poem of my life'. This should be your attitude, that you are not the doer, but an instrument, a vehicle through which the Lord expresses.

Ahamakara is the feeling of 'I am the doer'. Whatever you do you enetertain such a feeling. You also feel that since you are the doer you should get the credit too. If you dont get the credit you become violent, you react and feel miserable.

One who does not feel that he is the doer, who feels that he has ben given an opportunity to be used by the higher power--he is Anahamkarah--one who is free from the doership notion. . .

[Encryptic]

This is from The Encyclopedia of Eastern Philosophy and Religion:

Ahamkara (Hindu), Sanskrit; ego, I-consciousness, a part of the antahkarana, the inner organ, which gives rise to all mental processes.

Ahamkara is the motivator of thought that creates the notion that one is a unique entity separate from everything else. This subject-object duality gives rise to the illusory view whereby we see in brahman, the One without a second, the manifest world of multiple forms (maya). All perceptions, feelings, desires, and acts of will are naturally and automatically related to ahamkara.

And I just found a site (www.sambodh.org/NEW/writsji/ahamkara.htm) that says:

. . . In Vedanta, 'ahamkara' means 'I am the doer' attitude. Instead of saying 'I am doing it' say 'He is functioning thorugh me; I am only a pencil in the hands of the Lord; He is the great poet; Using me He is scribing the great poem of my life'. This should be your attitude, that you are not the doer, but an instrument, a vehicle through which the Lord expresses.

Ahamakara is the feeling of 'I am the doer'. Whatever you do you enetertain such a feeling. You also feel that since you are the doer you should get the credit too. If you dont get the credit you become violent, you react and feel miserable.

One who does not feel that he is the doer, who feels that he has ben given an opportunity to be used by the higher power--he is Anahamkarah--one who is free from the doership notion. . .

Interesting. I was wondering if "ahamkara" was a word that SRD had adapted for the Chronicles. The second definition of it seems to be more akin to what Hoerkin's purpose was: to warn of the downfall of the Giants.

P.S. That was me that posted the topic. Forgot to login and I accidentally posted as Guest.

[dlbpharmd]

Very interesting information above, thanks Fist.

I always thought the significance of the name is that Hoerkin was used to bait the trap; thus he was the "door" that lured them to a specific spot where the lurker would attack. Doesn't Shetra say

Hyrim, we are baited!

[Fist and Faith]

dlb, that's a good theory.

I don't know how the meaning of ahamkara is supposed to fit in, though.

[Durris]

Ahamakara is the feeling of 'I am the doer'. Whatever you do you enetertain such a feeling. You also feel that since you are the doer you should get the credit too. If you dont get the credit you become violent, you react and feel miserable.

I wonder if SRD misread or misremembered some source giving the "I am the doer" translation as "I am the door"?

[fightingmyinstincts]

"I am the door; he is acting through me" maybe? Door in the sense of being a vessel or portal for something larger....