AUM

What is ‘Om’ or ‘Omkar’ ? Omkar is cosmic sound, through which, the activities of the whole Universe began. Philosophically, it is believed that, when nothing existed, nor The Sun, The Moon. The Stars, there existed only a cosmic sound i.e. NAD_BRAHMA. The universe has imerged out of this sound, “The Om”. It will also immerse into Om. All this seems to be having a philosophical angle. In fact, the “Om” is predominantly regarded as something having spiritual base only.

PHILOSOPHICAL OF OM

‘Om’ has been recognised as a “MAHA-MANTRA” by Vedic philosophy. Many Religions of the world do recognize certain words, like ‘Ameen’, ‘Am’, ‘Aamen’, ‘Omega’, etc., which have status of “Mantra’ and which appear to be more or less different forms of ‘Om’. According to the philosophy, the sound of these words, is an energy behind everything, which is living, including Human beings. For functioning of activities of body cells they require energy. Food is one source of getting energy, but not adequate. Vibrations of sound ‘Om’, however, provide energy to all the cells. Not only this, but disturbances in the activities of the cell are set right by ‘Om’ vibrations. Several uses of ‘Om-sadhana’, i.e. ‘Om’ practicing can be found in the Literature of Indian Philosophy, Vedic Religion, Literature on Yoga/Naturopathy, literatures of saints. Due to such extraordinary utility, ‘Om sadhana was made inevitable part of everyday life, the way we take meal.

Most of the said literature, while admiring usefulness of ‘Om practicing’, have given tremendous importance for correct pronunciation of ‘Om’. It is stated that for results, rather early results, practicing of Om must be done in a correct way. But clear written Methodology by which ‘Om-sadhana’ is to be practiced is not given any where. This absence of Methodology was the factor which compelled the physician, to undertake research.

HINDU DHARAMA OF AUM 

The most sacred symbol in Hindu dharma. Aum (OM) is the sound of the infinite. Aum is said to be the essence of all mantras, the highest of all matras or divine word (shabda), brahman (ultimate reality) itself. Aum is said to be the essence of the Vedas. By sound and form, AUM symbolizes the infinite Brahman (ultimate reality) and the entire universe.  

A stands for Creation
U stands for Preservation  
M stands for Destruction or dissolution

This is representative of the Trinity of God in Hindu dharma (Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva) The three portions of AUM relate to the states of waking, dream and deep sleep and the three gunas (rajas, satva, tamas)

The three letters also indicates three planes of existence, heaven (swarga), earth (martya) and netherworld (patala)

All the words produced by the human vocal organ can be represented by AUM. A is produced by the throat, U & M by the lips

In the Vedas, AUM is the sound of the Sun, the sound of Light. It is the sound of assent (affirmation) and ascent (it has an upwards movement and uplifts the soul, as the sound of the divine eagle or falcon.

Sound Vibration of the Universe

The subtle sound is always there:

A vibration exists, underneath all of the grosser aspects of being, like a substratum. The subtle sound of OM Mantra is constantly there, and when heard in deep yoga meditation, sounds like a continuous vibration, ever sounding out mmmmmmm.... At a deeper level, it is extremely loud and serene.  

Silence from which OM emerges:

 Eventually, this leads to a deep stillness and silence, which paradoxically, is experienced as the silence from which the sound of OM itself emerged. In the sections below, the silence is described as being the fourth state, beyond the three sounds of A, U, and M, which are contained in OM Mantra. However, in this practice, as you internally repeat the sound of OM, imagine that underlying vibration of the universe, as if it were coming from all places, and through all things.

Listen to the vibration while remembering OM:

 There is a sound, by listening closely, the mmmmmmm... sound can be heard, like the end of the OM mantra (Or you might hear it as eeeeeeeee....) Listening to this vibration, with the awareness of OM is a good way to start with the vibration aspect of OM.

Allowing thoughts to come and go:

While listening, it is best to gently allow other thought patterns to come into the field of attention, and then allow those thoughts to drift away. There is not really any intent of doing anything with these thoughts, either engaging them or pushing them away. In other words, the listening for OM is not used to suppress thoughts and emotions

Gross, Subtle, and Causal Planes

Remembering four planes with OM:

 The OM mantra designates the whole of the universe, including the gross, subtle, and causal planes (realms, or levels) and the absolute reality of which they are a part.

 Four parts of OM: The OM Mantra has four parts. First, is the sound like "Ah," then "Uuuu," then "Mmmm," and finally the silence beyond the mantra. Thus, the mantra is also written as AUM, as well as OM. The three sounds, and the silence have the following meanings:

1. The A sound refers to the gross world.

2. The U part refers to the subtle realm.

3. The M refers to the causal plane, out of which the gross and subtle emerge.

4. The Silence after these three, refers to the absolute reality that is the substratum for each of the other three realities.

AaaaaaUuuuuuMmmmmm.....Silence.....

Waking, Dreaming, and Deep Sleep

Four states of consciousness: The four parts of AUM also refer to the levels of waking, dreaming, and deep sleep, as well. The three sounds, and the silence have the following meanings:

1.   The "A" sound refers to the waking state of consciousness.

2.   The "U" part refers to the dreaming state of consciousness.

3.   The "M" refers to the deep sleep state of consciousness.

4.   The Silence after these three, refers to the witness consciousness that is observer of the other three states of consciousness.

The question can arise of why a spiritual seeker cares about the states of waking, dreaming, and deep sleep. It is said that the states of deep sleep, samadhi, and death are very close together, that they function at the same levels.

7. Conscious, Unconscious, Subconscious Mind

Levels of consciousness: The four parts of AUM also refer to the levels of conscious, unconscious, and subconscious, as well as the consciousness that permeates these. (Note that some psychologies or systems use the words unconscious and subconscious in reverse, or use different terms. The meaning is what is important, not the particular choice of words). The three sounds, and the silence have the following meanings:

1.   The "A" sound refers to the conscious level of mental functioning.

2.   The "U" part refers to the unconscious level of mind.

3.   The "M" refers to the subconscious level, the storage place of mind.

4.   The Silence after these three, refers to the pure consciousness, which permeates the conscious, unconscious, and subconscious levels of awareness.

OM SADHANA

Why we chant Om three times at the beginning and at the of a class and I have heard teachers give different answers. Some say for peace in the physical dimension, the mental dimension and the spiritual dimension. Others say something else, but the real reason is concentration on the granthis. The word granthi means 'knot'. The yogic system recognizes three granthis or knots in our bodies.

The first is Brahma granthi, the knot of Brahma, the creator, at mooladhara chakra. When you chant Om the first time, always have your awareness at mooladhara. Mooladhara is responsible for creation. Our consciousness is stuck in mooladhara, in the world of matter. The second knot is Vishnu granthi at manipura chakra. When you chant Om the second time, bring your attention from mooladhara to manipura. The third is Rudra granthi, the knot of Rudra, the transformer, the destroyer, the re-emergence of consciousness, rising of the phoenix from the ashes to ajna chakra, rebirth. When you chant Om the third time, bring your attention to ajna chakra, the eyebrow centre.

This is one addition to our practice of three Oms, Stop for at least five seconds at each of the three chakras and become aware of light there. In time the quality of your experience will change. It may take a week or a month, but you will notice a great difference.

When we chant Om seven times, the general instruction for novices is to focus at ajna. But for mantra sadhakas each chanting of Om can be visualized in all the seven chakras, with a five second pause in between each one. There are different ways to chant Om. Normally people just use the word Om, the sounds 'o' and 'm'. It gives one effect. Some people practise with 'A-u-m'. When we practise three times in mooladhara, manipura and ajna, it is 'O-m'. When we practise seven times, it is 'A-u-m'. In kriya yoga, there is another version of Om chanting, which is an explosive 'O' followed by a long 'm-m-m'. These little things make a big difference to our practice and the quality of our experience.

So these are the three mantras: Mahamrityunjaya for healing, Gayatri for wisdom, and Om for peace. They are important practices and very beneficial for all aspects of life.    

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