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| Visiting the ashram | Articles from the Newsletter | Courses | Yoga Teacher Training | Contact us | Sales | Photos | Lin s ] Send this page to a friend Printer friendly Articles About the Newsletter Add me on the Ashram emailing list and send me: the Ashram Calendar the Ashram Newsletter My email address*: *Your email address will remain confidential and will never be used for spamming . The Mantra Om Symbol of Primordial Vibration by Swami Nishchalananda Saraswati

The mantra Om (or Aum) has been handed down to us by the Himalayan sages. It is the most important mantra of Yoga. According to tradition, every 'thing' manifes t comes from Primordial Vibration, which is symbolised by Om: all material objec ts, all living beings, including each of us, all spiritual teachings, including Yoga, all languages, including Sans rit, all scriptures, including the Vedas, ev erything. Everything has come out of Primordial Vibration, which is represented by Om. This concurs with modern scientific thin ing which says that everything - every atom and molecule in every noo and corner of this universe - is formed out of e nergy vibration. Einstein formulated his famous equation that E = mc which indica tes that matter (m) is but an expression of Energy (E). Every atom, at-Om, comes out of the Primordial Vibration which is symbolised by Om. Om as a sound, syllable (Om or Aum) and glyph (\) all symbolise the fact that al l material objects, all phenomena and all thought patterns, both on a microcosmi c and macrocosmic level, are states of energy vibration. Om in Sanatan Dharma. Indian mystical and philosophical thin ing is impregnated with Om, mentioned widely in the Upanishads , Tantras , Puranas , Sam hyas and i n specialised Vedantic texts such as the Yoga Vashishta . It symbolises the esse nce of Sanatan Dharma (the Eternal Way), commonly nown as Hinduism - the tolera nt and profound conglomeration of spiritual thin ing and practice from which Yog a has come. Om is widely nown as the 'Mahat Mantra' - the great mantra . Om is not directly mentioned in Rig Veda , probably because it was considered to o sacred to utter or even write down. Om is first mentioned, albeit indirectly, in the Yajur Veda in verse 1:1 where it is nown as the pranava the humming sound - o r udgita the elevating chant . Interestingly, no graphic representation of Om has yet been found in the extensi ve excavations of the so called Indus Valley civilisation (circa 3000 BC, though probably much older) . The reason may be either that Om was considered too sacr ed to be graphically represented, or that it had not yet been realised and broug ht into mainstream spiritual practice. The oldest direct references and descript ions of Om are to be found in the Upanishads which are considered to contain the essential teachings of the Vedas.

Om in the Mandu ya Upanishad. The Mandu ya Upanishad is exclusively dedicated to explaining the significance of Om. It says that Om symbolises everything manife st and yet it has its origin in the Unmanifest. In its analysis it writes Om as Aum with each of the three syllables having specific significance [see later sub -headings Symbolism of the Syllables of Aum and Beyond Aum the Transcendental ]. Much of what we are saying about Om in this article is contained in the 12 pithy verses of the Mandu ya Upanishad. Om in other Upanishads. Om is also widely mentioned and discussed in other Upani shads, such as the Chhandogya, Nada Bindu, Amrita Bindu, Maitri, Katha, Sweteshw atara and Dhyana Bindu Upanishads. Below are a few ey quotes: "Om is the primordial throb of the universe. It is the sound form of Atma (Consc iousness)." Maitri Upanishad This is similar to the biblical statement In the beginning was the Word see later s ub-heading Om in Judaism and Christianity. In any case, it indicates, as we have a lready mentioned, that Om represents the Primordial Vibration of the universe. Often, the two paths of Mantra Yoga (being absorbed in the sound vibration) and Gyana Yoga (reflecting on the meaning) are recommended in relation to Om, as for example: "Let Om be the bow, mind the arrow, and Higher Consciousness the target. Those who want enlightenment should reflect on the sound and the meaning of Om. When the arrow is released from the bow it goes straight to the target." Dhyana Bindu Upanishad Furthermore, continuously chanting Om creates inner clarity. This can bring abou t insight into the deeper, esoteric meanings of the holy texts: "Li e the continuous flow of an oil stream and li e the vibration of a bell ... this is the way to chant Om and the way to really now the meaning of the Vedas" . Dhyana Bindu Upanishad Here the word Vedas refers not only to the four Vedas, but also to any inspired sa cred text of any tradition. There are many thousands of verses contained in the Vedas and in other texts; it is said that the essence of all these verses is con tained within Om. Om is li e the DNA molecule: it contains enormous information. Om is not just a philosophical symbol, but also a practical tool for transformat ion as the following quotation indicates: "Concentrate on Om in the heart centre as though it is li e a candle flame the s ame size as your thumb." Dhyana Bindu Upanishad Here, the visualisation of Om can be combined with the chanting of Om, or not, w hatever your preference. In any case, it is a simple yet potent practice. Om is a ey which can open the door to the Infinite: "This mantra Om indeed represents Brahman (the Absolute). It is the highest. He who nows its meaning and worships it attains the supreme goal and nows everyth ing . Katha Upanishad Om acts li e the fabled philosopher s stone of alchemy: it transforms base metal i nto gold. That is, it completely changes the perception and understanding of the Yogic practitioner so that he or she is able to understand what was previously incomprehensible or unthin able. This is clearly indicated by the following stat ement: "Fire, though potentially present in firewood, is not seen until one stic is rubbed against another. The Atma is that fire; it is realised by the constant awareness of the sacred ma

ntra Om. Let your individual personality be one stic and Om the other. Thus you will realise your real nature, which is hidden within just as fire is, in a sense, hidden in combustible materials". Sweteshwatara Upanishad The vibrations of Om act on the personality to bring transmutation - there is an alchemical change in one s whole being and perception. This enables us to realise the hidden but ever present Reality nown as Atma (Consciousness). From these quotations we can see the enduring importance given to the philosophi cal meaning of Om and its practical application in chanting, visualisation and r eflection. It has the power to transform our perception of what we are and our p lace in the universe. Om in the Puranas. Om is widely mentioned in the Puranas as the following snippe ts will reveal: I pay respects to the Ineffable Intelligence which is symbolised by the sacred sy llable Om. Bhagavat Purana Let him recite the Gayatri Mantra prefixed with the mystic syllable Om, the mother of all the Vedic mantras. Garuda Purana In this last quote, we see that Om is inextricably lin ed to the Gayatri Mantra which has been used in India since time immemorial. The Shiva Purana states that 1,080,000,000 recitations of Om purify our mind and lead us automatically to salvation. The Narada Purana encourages the Yoga practitioner to fix Om in the heart centre while meditating. Om is prescribed as an accompaniment to pranayama. Other Puranas such as the Agni, Padma and Vayu Puranas also mention Om. Om in the Yoga Sutras. In the classical Yoga Sutras, the yogi and sage Patanjali tersely defines Om as follows: Om is a symbol of Ishwara (Underlying Intelligence). verse 1.27 And in the following verse he continues and advises combining Mantra and Gyana Y oga: Om should be repeated over and over again whilst reflecting on its deeper meaning . verse 1.28 As he next points out, this ta es us to the state of Meditation: From this practice (of using Om), Awareness turns inwards and all obstacles are o vercome. verse 1.29 So we see that Om is a fundamental part of the practice and teachings of Ashtang a Yoga , also nown as Patanjali Yoga. Om in the Bhagavad Gita. Om is widely mentioned in the Bhagavad Gita where the m antra Om is an essential part of its teachings and practice. Krishna tells Arjun a: O Arjuna, I am the taste of pure water, and the light of the moon and the sun. I am the essential nature of the mantra Om mentioned in the holy scriptures, the sound in ether, as well as the courage and virility of human beings. verse 7.8 Krishna, who symbolises underlying Intelligence or Consciousness, is the essence of Om. Om, as sound vibration, is an expression of this underlying Consciousnes s. Therefore, by practising Mantra or Gyana Yoga (or even Bha ti Yoga ) we can t race Om bac to its source. In this way, we are enabled to realise the nature of Consciousness.

Krishna tal s of death and the importance of chanting Om at the time of death: The mantra Om symbolises Reality. At the time of death, repeat Om and you will go forth from the body and attain the Supreme Goal. verse 8.13 From the Yogic viewpoint, death is not just the time of disintegration of the ph ysical body, but also a golden opportunity of directly realising our Immortal or Deathless Essence. Chanting Om at the point of death can be a valuable part of this process. Krishna also says that all spiritual practices should be initiated with Om: Before starting sacrifices, holy practices and austerities (as prescribed by the scriptures), serious spiritual see ers should chant Om. verse 17.24 Indeed, this is what we often do before starting Yoga practice or Meditation we chant Om a few time, either aloud or mentally, whether alone or in a group. Try it! It wor s wonders. Om in Jainism, Si hism and Buddhism. Om is an integral part of the philosophies, rituals, meditations and chants in Jainism, Si hism and Buddhism. It has the sa me meaning and ramifications as in Yoga. For further information, read the holy texts of these religions. Aum (Om) in ancient Egypt. It seems that the ancient Egyptians new of Aum as Am en or Amun. It seems that Amen or Amen-Ra was a primordial creation deity, the n ame of the supreme God who was considered the creator and ruler of the other god s, and to have no beginning and no end. Possibly, Aum was deified as Amen. Certa inly, this description ties up with Aum in that Primordial Energy is the source of all things, including gods, and indeed is without beginning and end, since it is the very source of time itself. In any case, this word can be seen in the names of some of the Pharaohs, such as in Tut-an h-amen which literally means The Living Image of Amen . There was even a temple in the ancient city of Thebes called Amen-Re or the Temple of Amen. It was located at the navel of Egypt; that is, at its exact geographical centre. Also, it is interesting to note that ovoidal-shaped stone mar ers called Om-phol os (a Gree word which literally means navel ) were placed throughout Egypt as a me ans by which the land was delineated and surveyed. Moreover, each ompholos indic ated that the god Amen was present there. Possibly, and this is pure speculation , Om was symbolically placed in the form of these ompholos mar er-monuments all o ver Egypt to indicate that that which Om represents is everywhere in a word, Omnipresent! The god Thoth (the God of Wisdom, nown by the Gree s as Hermes) is believed to have created the world by his Voice (Primordial Vibration) alone; this again hin ts at Om. These parallels should not really surprise us because it is becoming more and mo re evident that the ancient Egyptians had enormous commercial, cultural and reli gious exchange with India. Possibly, in the mists of time, they shared a common culture or a common heritage. And in passing, we would li e to point out that some people say that the massive pyramids were constructed, not using present-day construction techniques, but t he power of sound. As we develop our understanding of sound we may re-discover nowledge that the ancient Egyptians had nown and used. Who nows? Om in Judaism and Christianity. Indian mystical thin ing influenced Judaism in m any ways. In this process, Aum (Om) became Amen and, as such, was later incorpor ated into Christianity. Amen is said to mean so be it , though this may be a later interpretation. Amen is widely mentioned in the Bible. It is used during worship (Revelations 3:14); to confirm an oath or that one agrees to moral laws (Deuter onomy 27:15-26); as an expression of benediction (1 Chronicles 16.36); for expre ssing one s love of God (2 Corinthians 1:20) or as sign of than s (1 Corinthians 1

4.16). Though perhaps not directly, the following well nown statement would also indic ate Aum: "In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. Amen (Aum) Bible St. John 1:1 In any case, the Word' (or Logos in Gree ) means the cosmic throb or vibration and signifies exactly the same as Aum or Om. We see, therefore, that in fundamentals, such as the use of Aum or Amen, Yoga an d Indian mystical thin ing in general, have a lot in common with Judaism and Chr istianity. Om in Islam. A few centuries after Christ, Amen was adopted into Islam as Amin o r Alm. The Arabic letter 'l' is pronounced li e 'u' when it appears before a con sonant which means that Alm automatically become Aum. Moreover, in exactly the same way as most traditional Indian spiritual texts, th e Koran starts with Aum in the form of Alm! Here we see an extraordinary paralle l between Islam and Yoga, as well as mainstream Indian mystical thin ing. Everyt hing starts with Aum. Did the Celts use Om? The ancient mystical language of the Irish Celts was calle d Ogham (pronounced Ohm, Om or Aum). Is this merely a coincidence? Ogham was not a flexible, developed language, but more a set of hieroglyphic words for a limi ted range of things, mostly denoting objects revered by the Druids. This indicat es the possibility that the ancient Celts, through their Druid priests, new of and used Om. Certainly, there is evidence of the influence of ancient Indian culture in the a ncient Irish culture. After all, Gallic is an Indo-European language in which th ere are many words with Sans rit roots. For example, the word Eire (Ireland), li e the word for Iran, is derived from arya, a Sans rit word which means noble and denotes the people of ancient India. It is possible, therefore, that the Ogham language has distant roots and was ins pired by Om which, in turn, epitomises Sans rit and ancient Indian mystical thin ing.

The Mayans and the Word. In the ancient Mayan scripture called the Popal Vuh it says: 'The first real men (sages) are given life by the sole power of the Word (Sound Vibration) . Though not a direct reference to Om, it does seem to imply that in pre-Columbian America, Mayan sages (li e Indian sages) new the power of sound vibration (man tras) which Om symbolises. The same applies to many ancient cultures world-wide who new the transformative power of sound and who realised what science has only recently discovered: that the manifest universe is based on energy, of which sound is an aspect. Vibratory Difference between Aum and Amen. The science of linguistics reveals th at Amen has evolved from Aum (Om). If you chant Aum for some time and then Amen you will see that there is a vibratory difference: Aum is deeper and resonates i n the belly and, in fact, in the whole body; whereas, Amen vibrates in the head and throat. Therefore, the vibrations of Aum tend to ta e us beyond the fetters of the intellect, whereas, Amen, tends to encourage thin ing and the intellectual processes. Amen symbolises intellect (which characterises much of western cultur e as well the growth of Christianity and Judaism) whereas Aum (Om) symbolises bei ng which has always been the essence of eastern religious and mystical systems. Om in English Words. Is it a coincidence that various English words derived from Latin, some of which have important philosophical meanings, start with Om? Ta e Om-niscience and Om-nipotence. Can it be a coincidence that Om, symbolising the

universal sound vibration that contains all sounds and vibrations, is also cont ained in the word Om-nipresent! Note also the words Om-nifarious and Om-en. The Latin root word omni means universal . Isn't it strange (or perhaps logical!) that the last letter of the Gree alphabet is Om-ega? Possibly Om has influenced our culture, via the Gree s and Romans, more than we thin , especially on a philosop hical level. Lastly, the English word ombudsman (which comes from Norwegian) means a person wh o judges on intractable disputes or problems . Is it a coincidence that one can br ea down the word so that it conveys the ancient role of Ombudsman? Om-buds-man co uld mean Om + buddhi + manas - using the power of Om to awa en the buddhi (Sans rit, r discriminatory faculty ) over manas (Sans rit, the conceptual mind ) . As most of y ou will now, both the terms buddhi and manas are widely used in Yogic paradigms of the mind and its functioning. Shree Yantra, the Geometric Form of Om. The word yantra means mystical diagram . Th ere are many different types and they are widely used in yogic and tantric pract ice as a means of bringing about Meditation. The most famous is called the Shree Yantra (lit., the Blessed Mystical Diagram ) wh ich symbolises the ineffable relationship between the manifest and the Unmanifes t, between the material universe and the underlying Substratum, and between the immanent and the Transcendental. A thumb nail diagram is shown: Each part and each triangle of the Shree Yantra is symbolic of underlying proces ses both within each of us as human beings, and in the universe as a whole. This is not the place to go into any detail, but to merely point out, bearing in mind the context of this article, that the Bija (Seed) mantra associated with t he Shree Yantra is Om. That is, the resonant frequency of the Shree Yantra is Om . The process of focusing on the Shree Yantra, whilst chanting specific mantras an d visualising associated deities, is widely practised in India and is nown as S hree Vidya (lit., the Blessed Means or the Blessed Knowledge ). It is a complex medit ational practice which can bring about a deep transformation in the practitioner . Symbolism of the Syllables of Aum. A, U and M, both as syllables and as sounds, as well as the silence after chanting Aum, symbolise a number of different thing s as follows: ? Aum can be chanted by feeling the resonance of A in the abdomen, then allowing t he U to resonate in the chest and finally feeling the M vibration in the head. A = abdomen U = chest/throat M = head After the sound of Aum there is silence; this symbolises that which is above the h ead (i.e. beyond thin ing), the ineffable: Spirit, or Consciousness. ? According to the Mandu ya Upanishad, the syllables of Aum represent the follow ing realms of experience: A = jagrat (wa ing state) U = swapna (dreaming state) M = shushupti (deep sleep state)

After chanting Aum there is silence; this symbolises the spiritually awa ened st

ate, which transcends the previous three states. ? The three syllables of Aum symbolise the three levels of mind as follows: A = conscious U = subconscious M = unconscious After chanting Aum there is silence; this represents the Super-consciousness sta te which transcends the previous three states. ? According to Yoga, Tantra, Sam hya and Vedanta, the whole of nature, including the human mind and body, is made up of the three gunas (Sans rit, guna , qualities ): sattwa (harmony, clarity and light); rajas (passion and dynamism); and tamas (ignorance, dar ness and inertia). The three syllables of Aum symbolise these th ree gunas as follows: A = tamas U = rajas M = sattwa After chanting Aum there is silence; this symbolises the state of trigunatita (S ans rit, tri, three; atita, beyond) - that which transcends the three gunas, i.e . Pure Consciousness. ? The three syllables of AUM symbolise the three principles of existence symboli sed by Brahma, the creative; Vishnu, the sustaining; and Shiva, the destructive: A = Brahma U = Vishnu M = Shiva After chanting Aum there is silence; this symbolises underlying Reality which is the substratum behind, and beyond, creation (Brahma), sustenance (Vishnu) and d estruction (Shiva). ? The three syllables of AUM symbolise the three realms of time: past, present a nd future: A = Present U = Past M = Future After chanting Aum there is silence; this symbolises underlying Reality which un derlies and yet is beyond past, present and future; the Timeless out of which ti me emerges. Beyond Aum the Transcendental. According to the Mandu ya Upanishad, the Transcen dental State is called turiya (Sans rit, the fourth) - that which is beyond and yet encompasses the three states symbolised by A, U and M. Hence, in order to di scourage us from putting a concept on something which is beyond concept, it is s imply and succinctly called the fourth. Turiya can be symbolised as follows:

The circle symbolises Turiya, underlying Reality. It includes jagrat, the consci ous wa ing state (A); it includes swapna, the dream, or subconscious state (U); and it includes and yet is beyond shushupti, the causal, unconscious state (M). Though not necessarily visible to eyes, the first three states exist in, and are part of, the manifest universe. Turiya includes all of these three states or le vels of manifest reality, and yet It is beyond them. It encompasses them and yet transcends them. It is the unseen substratum which can only be realised when ou r mind dissolves into Consciousness when, to use an expression attributed to the sage Rama rishna, the salt doll dissolves in the ocean. Symbolic Meaning of the Glyph \ (Aum). The glyph or symbol \ supplements what we have already said for the syllables A, U and M. That is, the three curves of Om (see the diagram below) also indicate the wa ing state (conscious mind), dream state (subconscious mind) and non-dream sleep state (unconscious mind). However, the symbol \ contains two extra aspects which are not found either in t he three Aum syllables, nor their three associated sounds: these are the bindu a nd the raif (see diagram). The Bindu and the Raif. The bindu (Sans rit, point), symbolises each particle of existence. Each bindu is a catalyst for manifestation. It is also nown as the Transcendental Point because each point of existence has intimate contact with t he underlying Reality. The raif is the crescent moon-shaped symbol shown in the glyph (see previous dia gram). It symbolises the creative, expressive energy which is generated by or th rough each bindu, each particle. The raif represents the cosmic hum of the unive rse, the means by which Shiva (the Unmanifest, Consciousness or underlying Intel ligence) can manifest through Sha ti (Cosmic Energy) to create the world of mult ifarious objects which we perceive through the senses. This process ta es place, continuously, moment to moment. In terms of quantum physics, we can say that ea ch and every particle (atomic, sub-atomic or whatever) arises out of the Quantum Vacuum and thereby creates every thing in existence. The Sans rit word raif means to murmur . Therefore, the Unmanifest murmurs , so to say , into the manifest world of form through each and every bindu. The bindu is the blue-print and the raif is the creative energy. Together, they symbolise the ineffable relationship between the finite and the Infinite, betwee n the part and the Totality, between the individual and the All, and between tim e and the Timeless. Modern quantum physics tells us that each particle of existe nce is instantaneously connected to every other particle. This is independent of time and space - which suggests that there is an underlying principle (David Bo hm, the well nown quantum physicist, called it the implicate order) which is be yond time and space and which unifies all things on a deeper level of reality. I n Yoga we call this principle Consciousness. In the glyph of \ it is symbolised by the formless bac ground on which the symbol is enscribed and by the ether fro m which the sound of Aum is created and to which it returns. Plunging through the Centre of Infinity. There is a well- nown and ancient herme tic statement: Reality is a circle whose centre is everywhere and whose circumference is no-wher e. There are many levels of interpretation, one of which was pointed out by Giordan o Bruno. He said that whereas finite space, no matter how large it is, can have only one centre, infinite space has its centre everywhere. Mathematically, infin ite space has an infinite number of centres. One hundred years later, Leibnitz, the German mathematician, inspired by Bruno s t hin ing, tried to explain the same thing with his theory of the Monad ( monas is an cient Gree for unit. ). Leibnitz described each centre of infinity as a monad. Each single monad contains the reflection of the entire universe which is in agreemen

t with modern Quantum theory as well as many mystical systems including Yoga and Tantra. The Hua Yen (or Kegon) School of Chinese Buddhism has tried to explain this even further with the image of Indra s Jewel Net where there are an infinite number of jewels in each of which is reflected all the other jewels together. Also, each of the jewels reflected in this one jewel also reflects all the other jewels, so that there is an infinite reflecting process going on. This gives an idea of in finitely repeated interrelationship among everything in the universe. In Yoga, each centre of infinity is called bindu (see previous heading The Bindu and the Raif ). Each monad, each particle of existence, is impregnated with energy and Consciousness. Each bindu is in intimate contact with every other bindu. Ea ch bindu shares with the Totality and the Totality shares with each bindu. The Primordial Vibration, symbolized by Om, resonates through each of these infi nite number of centres. By chanting Om (or any other mantra), we move from a sta te of extroversion and dissipation to a more introspective, harmonious state. Ce ntring ourselves in Meditation, we are able to touch the bindu (the Transcendental Point, symbolised by the dot in the top of the Om symbol \). Plunging through t his Bindu (which exists everywhere), we can realise the nature of Reality. The Bindu of the Human Personality. Each and every embodied being is an expressi on of Shiva (Consciousness; underlying Reality) acting through the medium of Sha ti (Energy; the Quantum Vacuum). As we have already said, each bindu (particle) of existence acts as a conduit for the flow of creative energy represented by t he raif. But the bindu of the human personality is nown as the Anandamaya Kosha, the Bli ssful Sheath or Causal Body. This is the nucleus of our existence as an embodied being. In Meditation, we are in contact with this level of our being, and we ca n be catapulted into osmotic contact and realisation of underlying Consciousness . As Ec hart, the medieval German mystic, said:

"The eye with which I see God is the same as that with which He sees me." That is, Reality sees us (i.e. is in constant and intimate contact with us) throug h the bindu, but we can also reciprocate by tuning into Reality through the bindu (by seeing through the same eye ). The bindu, here the Anandamaya Kosha, allows us to realise Reality. Or, more correctly, we should say that the bindu is the point through which the Cosmic Consciousness realises Itself through the individual co nsciousness. When we chant Om we focus on the resonance which is the raif. Our being gets abs orbed in this vibration and this has the power to lead us bac , via the bindu, t o realise the underlying nature or Consciousness which is beyond the bindu. All this is indicated by the symbol of \: it is a symbol of the process of manif estation or creation, the means by which we exist as embodied beings. But, at th e same time, Aum also symbolises the process of return, where through practice ( Sans rit, sadhana) we can realise our essential Roots. The Analogy of the Lotus. The lotus flower is an archetypal symbol of the evolut ionary potential and development of each human being. The lotus has three stages of growth and can be related to A-U-M as follows: The roots that sin deep in the mud correspond to A ; the stem, as it grows through the water, corresponds to U ; and the bud and the flower above the water facing th e Sun, is M . We are born in the womb, the matrix of matter (the roots in the mud); we grow up, developing the intellect, learning about our emotions and the ways of the world (the stem in the water of life); finally, we can blossom li e the b eautiful lotus flower when we realise our eternal connection with Spirit (our pe tals unfurl in the Sun). Put in other terms, we can say that the lotus symbolises our growth in life as w e pass through the three gunas : where we start in the mud of tamas (ignorance; identification with our physical form), pass through the waters of rajas (emotio ns, passion, ambition and furious activity) and finally, through refinement of o ur understanding (perhaps having practised Yoga or some related system), we arri

ve in the fresh air and clear s y of sattwa (harmony, joy and clarity). Then we are enabled to realise the Reality (the sun) which far transcends our individual ity (symbolised by the lotus). A-U-M and the lotus symbolise this whole process to supreme fulfilment of our li ves. Freed-Om. Chanting Om and reflecting on its meaning can lead us to freedom or Fr eed-Om. Our essential Nature is free; chanting Om helps us to realise this fact. The Real Om is the Primordial Cosmic vibration. It is ineffable and beyond symbo l, syllable and sound. The real Om is the bedroc of manifest existence. The sou nd of Om that we chant is just a faint shadow of the Reality behind the manifest world. And yet this shadow also represents the Transcendental. Consider a full moon in the s y and one of its numerous reflections in a small puddle in your bac yard. Obviously the reflection is not the full moon, and anything that you do to the r eflected moon (i.e. throw a stone in the puddle) will not even slightly influenc e the moon in the s y. And yet, despite its insignificance, the reflection does faithfully indicate the shape and mar ings of the full moon. So it is with Om. I t pales in comparison to what it represents, and yet, nevertheless, it is an ind ication of underlying Reality. This applies to every thing in existence from the s mallest atom to the most enormous galaxy. They are all indications of underlying Reality. Reflect on this. From the Circle to the Point. During chanting, the sound of Om starts with a cir cle and ends with a point. During pronunciation, the lips are slightly apart wit h A , slowly starting to close with U until they are completely closed with M . There is , firstly, expansion outwards and then contraction inwards. Try it for yourself. This indicates the path of Yoga: starting from a more or less (mentally and emot ionally) dissipated state (represented by the circle), where we search for meani ng externally, in the world at large, we start Yoga and progressively move to a more unified state where we are centred in Being (represented by the point). Eve ry time we chant Om we are symbolising the path towards Unity. Om in other Mantras. Om is an integral part of most other mantras used in Yoga ( Om Namah Shivaya, Gayatri Mantra, Mrityunjaya Mantra etc.). Om precedes other ma ntras since it symbolises Consciousness and without Consciousness, nothing can e xist. Without the presence of underlying Intelligence, the mantra has no value a nd no power to transform; indeed it cannot even exist! Om is the very core, the bed-roc , of all sounds and all other mantras. Without That which is symbolised by Om nothing can exist, including each of us. Om ta es us Home. Our essential nature, our original home, is Consciousness. H-O -M-E is composed of OM encompassed by HE; Therefore, OM is the essence of HE (Un derlying Intelligence). Chanting Om helps us to realise the roots of our Being, and in the deepest sense ta es us homeward. Om Symbolises: ? the vibration of God. ? Truth, the Absolute. ? the hum of the universe. ? liberation and the means to it. Om Symbolises and Encourages: ? the descent of Universality into the human heart. ? the descent of the Infinite into the finite. ? the expression of the Unconditioned into the conditioned. ? the descent of the Formless into form.

The chanting of Om and reflection on its meaning helps to bring about a transfor mation in our perception so that we can start to Realise the meaning of the abov e. ? OM AUM AMEN AMIN OGHAM .