Pranav Jaap or Primordial Sound Meditation

1. Pranav Jaap, or Udgitha,
or
Primordial Sound
Meditation

2. Importance and Significance
 most important and significant Mantra
 root mantra of all mantras
 All mantras start with OM
 Most often chanted sound among all sacred sounds on earth
 Used in the start and end of the yoga class
 Handed down by sages (Maharishi Vishwamitra)

3. Traditional Belief
 Everything we see or feel comes from primordial vibration symbolized by AUM
 Sound of existence
 Whole universe made up of vibrating, pulsating energy
 Vibration= sound, OM considered humming sound of this cosmic energy

4. Traditional Belief cont'd…
 Entire universe manifested from this “primordial creative sound” also
known as ‘Anhat Nada’ the “Unstruck sound” – sound not made by
striking of two things
 All ordinary audible sound produced by striking objects, visible or
invisible, striking each other or vibrating together, resulting in
pulsating waves of air molecules which we interpret as sound
 AUM emanates on its own

5. Traditional Belief cont'd…
 Primal sound of the universe, contains all sounds in itself
 Everything has emanated from this primordial vibration (yoga languages, material
objects and all living beings)
 Human system is capable of producing only three fundamental sounds ‘A’, ‘U’ and
‘M’ (others by permutation and combination of three)

6. Experiment 1 – AUM as root sounds
 Hold your tongue still with one hand
 Try different sounds
 you will only be able to produce three sounds: A-U-M
 Tongue, with the help of other parts of oral cavity, helps you produce all different
types of sounds
 that is why A-U-M are called root sounds

7. Experiment 2 – AUM and nadis
 Chant AUM
 Check vibration for:
i. A – Manipura Chakra (lower abdomen to chest)
ii. U – Upper chest to throat
iii. M - Whole head
 AUM vibrates whole body from inside (specifically 3/4th inch below navel
where all nadis meet (Manipura Chakra)
 Each AUM sound activates certain nadis and produces effect in certain dimension of
your energy system
 Vibration => sound and sound => creation…therefore, sound can create, maintain or
annihilate.
Manipura Chakra

8. Om and Science
 Matter -> Molecules -> Atoms
 Atoms -> subatomic particles (electrons, protons, neutrons,
pi-ons, mesons, etc. )
 Each structure follows particle & wave nature
 Each atomic particle is further divisible into quarks ( only
wave in nature)
 So, since all of us are made up of matter that means we are
truly made up of just energy…like condensed energy forms
Atom
Quark

9. Om and Science cont'd…
 Einstein formulated E = mc², where E stands for energy, m stands for mass, and c is
a constant.
 that energy is directly proportional to the mass
 mass cannot be destroyed or created; it can just change from one form into
another.
 OM or AUM symbolises that everything in any macrocosm or microcosm, is a state
of energy originated from that primordial vibration.

10. Om and Science cont'd…
 Unlike all other mantras, there is no meaning to OM. It is just a sound.
 As per Hindu tradition, OM is the purest name of God, the sound of the
supreme consciousness.
 Maharshi Dayanand Saraswati was founder of the 'Arya Samaj'.
 He used to write ' Ao3m` ' instead of 'Aom` '.
 The '3 ' (Devanagari digit 3) between O and M is called 'ploot‘ that was used to
emphasize long pronunciation of 'O'.
 Only followers of Swami Dayanand Saraswati (members of 'Arya Samaj') write '
Ao3m` ' instead of 'ॐ'.
 The syllable that is prior to a ploot is pronounced for a longer time/period
(more than double)

11. Om in Sanatan Dharma
 Sanatan means old.
 Indian mystical and philosophical thinking is impregnated with Om, mentioned
widely in the Upanishads, Tantras, Puranas, Samkhyas and Yoga Vashishta.
 It symbolises the essence of Sanatan Dharma (the Eternal Way), commonly known
as Hinduism - the tolerant and profound conglomeration of spiritual thinking and
practice from which Yoga has come.

12. Om in Sanatan Dharma - Mahat Mantra
 Om is widely known as the 'Mahat Mantra' - ‘the great mantra’.
 Om is not directly mentioned in Rig Veda – too sacred
 Om is first mentioned, albeit indirectly, in the Yajur Veda in verse 1:1 where it is
known as the ‘pranava’ – ‘the humming sound’- or ‘udgitha’ – ‘the elevating chant’.
 no graphic representation of Om has yet been found in the extensive
excavations of the so called Indus Valley civilisation (circa 3000 BC, though probably
much older).
 reason
 either that Om was considered too sacred to be graphically represented
 or that it had not yet been realised and brought into mainstream spiritual
practice.
 The oldest direct references and descriptions of Om are to be found in the
Upanishads which are considered to contain the essential teachings of the
Vedas.
Upanishads

13. Om in the Mandukya Upanishad.
 shortest of the Upanishads – the scriptures of Hindu Vedanta.
 It is in prose, consisting of twelve verses expounding the mystic syllable Aum,
 the three psychological states of waking, dreaming and sleeping, and the transcendent
fourth state of illumination (Atyanta shunyata).
 This Upanishad has been greatly extolled.
 Muktikopanishad, says that the Mandukya Upanishad alone is enough for salvation.
 According to Dr Radhakrishnan, it contains the fundamental approach to reality.
 The Mandukya Upanishad is exclusively dedicated to explaining the significance of Om.

14. Om in the Mandukya Upanishad cont'd…
 Om symbolises everything manifest 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.
 three mātrās ("letters", syllabic instants in prosody) in the word aum: ‘a’, ‘u’ and ‘m’.
 ‘a’ = state of wakefulness (experience externally through our mind and sense organs)
 ‘u’ = dream state (inward experiences are available)
 ‘m’ = deep sleep (no desire and consciousness is gathered in upon itself)

15. Om (Mandukya Upanishad) –
Fourth State (Transcendent State)
 one "who is neither inwardly nor outwardly aware, nor both inward and outward,
nor with consciousness infolded on itself, who is unseen and ineffable,
ungraspable, featureless, unthinkable and unnameable."
 corresponds to silence while the other three correspond to AUM.
 substratum of the other three states, referred to as atyanta-shunyata (absolute
emptiness).

16. Om in Indian Classical Music.
 The phonemes of the Vedic hymns and the seven fundamental
nodes – Sa, Re, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha, Ni of the Indian classical
music have originated (distinctly recognized by the Rishis) from the vibrations of
the sublime sound of Om in the Nature.
 The Vedic quote – ‘Ekoham Bahusyami’ implies that all the sounds, all the energies,
all the motions and everything existing in the universe have originated from the
vibrations of this single anahata nada.
 source of the manifestation of the Shabda-Brahm and the Nada Brahm.

17. Om in other Upanishads
 The vibrations of Om act on the personality to bring transmutation
 there is a change in one’s whole being and perception.
 enables us to realise the hidden but ever present Reality known as Atma
(Consciousness).
 has the power to transform our perception of what we are and our place in the
universe.

18. Om in the Bhagavad Gita
 Om is widely mentioned in the Bhagavad Gita where the mantra Om is an essential part of its teachings and practice.
 Krishna tells Arjuna:
‘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 Consciousness.
 Om can be traced back to its source by practising Mantra or Gyana Yoga (or even Bhakti Yoga)

19. Om in Sikhism
 The concept of “Om‟ continues to play a prominent role in Sikhism.
 The Sikh prayer, known as the Mool mantra, begins with the expression, Ek Onkar
(meaning “God is One”).
 Ek Onkar is the root basis of all Sikh sacred thought, and the first phrase of the Sikh Guru
embodied in scripture, the Guru Granth Sahib.
 The Sanskrit word omkāra (from which came Punjabi onkār; literally "OMmaker”) has a
twofold meaning:
i. Brahma in his role as creator, and thus a word for "creator";
ii. writers' term for the “Om‟ sign.

20. Aum / Om in Buddhist tradition
 Buddhists almost never transliterate it as ‘Aum,’ but use ‘Om’ instead.
 Buddhist mantras incorporates the sound of ‘Om’ into their formulation.
 most famous of these is the six-syllabled mantra, Om Mani Padme Hum.
"Hail the jewel in the lotus"
(‘Aum’ = Hail, ‘Mani’ = Jewel, ‘Padme’ = Lotus and Hum).
 the scholar Donald Lopez, in his book Prisoners of Shangri-La: Tibetan Buddhism and the West,
challenges this conventional translation, which he claims to be an interpretation supported by
neither linguistic analysis nor Tibetan tradition.
 He suggests that Manipadme is actually the name of a bodhisattva, a form of Avalokiteshvara who
in any case has many other names, including Padmapani or “lotus flower in hand.”

21. Aum / Om in Buddhist tradition - Om and
唵…
 absolutely correct pronunciation of Sanskrit broke down as Buddhism was
exported to other countries where the inhabitants found it difficult to reproduce
the sounds.
 in Tibet, this mantra is on the lips of many Tibetans all their waking hours, the
mantra is pronounced, "Om mani peme hum."
 In China, the character ‘Om’ appeared as " 唵 " in Chinese Buddhism, and was also
utilized in prayers towards Amitabha Buddha in Pure Land Buddhism, among other
sects.

22. Om in Jain tradition
 “Om‟ is regarded to be a condensed form of the five parameshthis.
 made from the initials of the five parameshthis.
 It has been said: "Arihanta, Ashiri (i.e. siddha), Acharya, Upadhyaya, Munis
(sadhus)."

23. Aum (Om) in ancient Egypt.
 ancient Egyptians knew of Aum as Amen or Amun.
 Amen or Amen-Ra was a primordial creation deity; the name of the supreme God who
was considered the creator and ruler of the other gods, and to have no beginning and no
end.
 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.
 can be seen in the names of some of the Pharaohs => Tut-ankh-amen which literally
means ‘The Living Image of Amen’.
 temple in the ancient city of Thebes called ‘Amen-Re’ or the Temple of Amen’, located at
the ‘navel’ of Egypt; that is, at its exact geographical centre.
 ovoidal-shaped stone markers called Om-pholos (a Greek word which literally means
‘navel’) were placed throughout Egypt as a means by which the land was delineated and
surveyed.
 each ompholos indicated that the god Amen was present there.
Ompholos

24. Aum (Om) in ancient Egypt cont'd..
 Speculation: Om was symbolically placed in the form of these ompholos’ marker-monuments all
over Egypt to indicate that that which Om represents is everywhere – in a word, Om-nipresent
 The god Thoth (the God of Wisdom, known by the Greeks as Hermes) is believed to have created
the world by his Voice (Primordial Vibration) alone; this again hints at Om.
 Egyptians had enormous commercial, cultural and religious exchange with India
 in the mists of time, they shared a common culture or a common heritage.
 some people say that the massive pyramids were constructed, not using present-day construction
techniques, but the power of sound.
 As we develop our understanding of sound we may rediscover knowledge that the ancient
Egyptians had known and used.
Thoth, in one
of his form
as an Ibis-
headed man

25. Om in Judaism and Christianity.
Indian mystical thinking influenced Judaism in
many ways…
Aum (Om) became Amen and, as such, was later
incorporated into Christianity.

26. Om in Islam
 A few centuries after Christ, Amen was adopted into Islam as
Amin or Alm.
 The Arabic letter 'l' is pronounced like 'u' when it appears before a
consonant which means that Alm automatically become Aum.
 the Koran starts with Aum in the form of Alm!

27. Om and Celts
 ancient mystical language of the Irish Celts was called Ogham (pronounced Ohm, Om or Aum).
 not a flexible, developed language, but more a set of hieroglyphic words for a limited range of things,
mostly denoting objects revered by the Druids.
 indicates the possibility that the ancient Celts, through their Druid priests, knew of and used Om.
 evidence of the influence of ancient Indian culture in the ancient Irish culture.
 Gallic is an Indo-European language in which there are many words with Sanskrit roots. For example,
 Eire (Ireland), like the word for Iran, is derived from arya, a Sanskrit word which
means ‘noble’ and denotes the people of ancient India.
Possible that Ogham language has distant roots and was inspired by Om which, in turn,
epitomises Sanskrit and ancient Indian mystical thinking.
Ogham

28. 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)’.
 Not a direct reference to Om, it does seem to imply that in pre-Columbian
America, Mayan sages (like Indian sages) knew the power of sound vibration
(mantras) which Om symbolises.
 Same applies to many ancient cultures world-wide who knew 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.

29. Om in English Words
 Various English words derived from Latin, some with important philosophical
meaning start with Om...coincidence? (e.g. Om-niscience, Om-
nipotence, etc. )
 all sounds and vibrations - also contained in ‘Omnipresent’
 Om-nifarious and Om-en: Latin root word omni means ‘universal’.
 strange (or perhaps logical!) that the last letter of the Greek alphabet is Om-ega?

30. Shree Yantra, the Geometric Form of Om
 yantra =‘mystical diagram’.
 different types and they are widely used in yogic and tantric practice
as a means of bringing about Meditation.
 most famous is called the Shree Yantra (lit., ‘the Blessed Mystical
Diagram’)
 symbolises the ineffable relationship between the manifest and the
Unmanifest, between the material universe and the underlying
Substratum, and between the immanent and the Transcendental.
 Each part and each triangle of the Shree Yantra is symbolic of
underlying processes both within each of us as human beings, and
in the universe as a whole.

31. Shree Yantra cont'd…
 not the place to go into any detail - the Bija (Seed) mantra associated with the
Shree Yantra is Om.
 the resonant frequency of the Shree Yantra is Om.
 process of focusing on the Shree Yantra, whilst chanting specific mantras and
visualising associated deities, is widely practised in India and is known as Shree
Vidya (lit., ‘the Blessed Means’ or ‘the Blessed Knowledge’).
 complex meditational practice which can bring about a deep transformation in the
practitioner.

32. 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 things as follows:
 Aum can be chanted by feeling the resonance of ‘A’ in the abdomen, then allowing
the ‘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
head (i.e. beyond thinking), the ineffable: Spirit, or Consciousness

33. Symbolism - In Realms of experience
 According to the Mandukya Upanishad, the syllables of Aum represent the
following realms of experience:
A = jagrat (waking state)
U = swapna (dreaming state)
M = sushupti (deep sleep state)
 After chanting Aum there is silence; this symbolises the spiritually awakened state,
which transcends the previous three states.

34. Symbolism – in Mind
 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 state
which transcends the previous three states.

35. Symbolism – Gunas
 According to Yoga, Tantra, Samkhya and Vedanta, the whole of nature, including the
human mind and body, is made up of the three gunas (Sanskrit, ‘guna’, qualities):
1. sattwa (harmony, clarity and light);
2. rajas (passion and dynamism); and
3. tamas (ignorance, darkness and inertia).
 The three syllables of Aum symbolise these three gunas as follows:
A = tamas
U = rajas
M = sattwa
 After chanting Aum there is silence; this symbolises the state of trigunatita (Sanskrit, tri,
three; atita, beyond) - that which transcends the three gunas, i.e. Pure Consciousness.

36. Symbolism – Principles of Existence
 three syllables of AUM symbolise the three principles of existence symbolised 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
destruction (Shiva).

37. Symbolism – Three realms of time
 The three syllables of AUM symbolise the three realms of time: past, present and
future:
A = Present
U = Past
M = Future
 After chanting Aum there is silence; this symbolises underlying Reality which
underlies and yet is beyond past, present and future; the Timeless out of which
time emerges.

38. Beyond Aum-the Transcendental
 Acc. to the Mandukya Upanishad, the Transcendental State is called turiya
(Sanskrit, the fourth) – that which is beyond and yet
encompasses the three states symbolised by A, U and M.
 to discourage us from putting a concept on something which is beyond
concept, it is simply and succinctly called ‘the fourth.’
 Turiya can be symbolised as follows:
 circle symbolises Turiya, underlying Reality.
 includes jagrat, the conscious waking state (A)
 includes swapna, the dream, or subconscious state (U)
 includes and yet is beyond shushupti, the causal, unconscious state (M).

39. Beyond Aum-the Transcendental - Turiya…
 Though not necessarily visible to eyes, the first three states exist in, and are part of,
the manifest universe.
 includes all of these three states or levels of manifest reality, and yet beyond them
 encompasses them and yet transcends them
 unseen substratum which can only be realised when our mind dissolves into
Consciousness – when, to use an expression attributed to the sage Ramakrishna,
the ‘salt doll dissolves in the ocean.’

40. Symbolic Meaning of the Glyph ॐ (Aum).
 The glyph or symbol ॐ
supplements what we have already
said for the syllables A, U and M.
 the three curves of Om also
indicate the waking state
(conscious mind), dream state
(subconscious mind) and non-
dream sleep state (unconscious
mind).
 However, the symbol Å contains two
extra aspects which are not found
either in the three Aum syllables, nor
their three associated sounds
 these are the bindu and the raif.

41. The Bindu and the Raif.
 Bindu:
 bindu (Sanskrit, point)- symbolises each particle of existence.
 Each bindu is a catalyst for manifestation, also known as the Transcendental Point because each point of existence has
intimate contact with the underlying Reality.
 Raif:
 is the crescent moon-shaped symbol shown in the glyph, symbolises the creative, expressive energy which is generated
by or through each bindu, each particle.
 represents the cosmic hum of the universe, the means by which Shiva (the Unmanifest, Consciousness or underlying
Intelligence) can manifest through Shakti (Cosmic Energy) to create the world of multifarious objects which we perceive
through the senses.
 This process takes place, continuously, moment to moment. In terms of quantum physics, we can say that
each and every particle (atomic, sub-atomic or whatever) arises out of the Quantum Vacuum and thereby
creates every ‘thing’ in existence.
 The Sanskrit word raif means ‘to murmur’.
 the Unmanifest ‘murmurs’, so to say, into the manifest world of form through each and every bindu.

42. The Bindu and the Raif cont'd…
 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,
between the part and the Totality, between the individual and the All, and between time
and the Timeless.
 Modern quantum physics tells us that each particle of existence is instantaneously
connected to every other particle.
 Independent of time and space - which suggests that there is an underlying principle (David
Bohm called it the implicate order) which is beyond time and space and which unifies all things
on a deeper level of reality.
 In Yoga we call this principle Consciousness.
 In the glyph of Å it is symbolised by the formless background on which the symbol is
enscribed and by the ether from which the sound of Aum is created and to which it
returns.

43. Plunging through the Centre of Infinity.
 well-known and ancient hermetic statement:
‘Reality is a circle whose centre is everywhere and whose circumference is no-where.’
 many levels of interpretation, one of which was pointed out by Giordano Bruno:-
‘whereas finite space, no matter how large it is, can have only one centre, infinite space has its
centre everywhere.’
 Mathematically, infinite space has an infinite number of centres.
 One hundred years later, Leibnitz, the German mathematician, inspired by Bruno’s thinking, tried to
explain the same thing with his theory of the Monad (‘monas’ is ancient Greek for ‘unit.’).
 Leibnitz described each centre of infinity as a ‘monad.’

44. Plunging through the centre of Infinity - Monad…
 Each single monad contains the reflection of the entire universe (in agreement 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.
 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, gives an idea of infinitely repeated interrelationship among
everything in the universe.
 In Yoga, each centre of infinity is called bindu.
 Each monad, each particle of existence, is impregnated with energy and Consciousness.
 Each bindu is in intimate contact with every other bindu.
 Each bindu shares with the Totality and the Totality shares with each bindu.

45.  The Primordial Vibration, symbolized by Om, resonates through each of these
infinite number of centres.
 By chanting Om (or any other mantra), we move from a state of extroversion and
dissipation to a more introspective, harmonious state.
 Centring 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 this Bindu (which exists everywhere), we can realise the nature of
Reality.
Plunging through the centre of Infinity - Monad…

46. The Bindu of the Human Personality.
 Each and every embodied being is an expression of Shiva (Consciousness; underlying Reality) acting
through the medium of Shakti (Energy; the Quantum Vacuum).
 already said, each bindu (particle) of existence acts as a conduit for the flow of creative energy
represented by the raif.
 But the bindu of the human personality is known as the Anandamaya Kosha, the Blissful Sheath or
Causal Body.
 nucleus of our existence as an embodied being.
 In Meditation, we are in contact with this level of our being,
 we can be catapulted into osmotic contact and realisation of underlying Consciousness.
 As Eckhart, 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) through the bindu, but we
can also reciprocate by ‘tuning’ into Reality through the bindu (by ‘seeing’ through the same ‘eye’).

47. The Bindu of the Human Personality
cont'd…
 The bindu, here the Anandamaya Kosha, allows us to realise Reality.
 more correctly, the bindu is the point through which the Cosmic Consciousness realises
itself through the individual consciousness.
 By focusing on the resonance which is the raif, our being gets absorbed in this vibration
 this has the power to lead us back, via the bindu, to realise the underlying nature or
Consciousness which is beyond the bindu.
 All this is indicated by the symbol of Å: a symbol of the process of manifestation or
creation, the means by which we exist as embodied beings.
 at the same time, Aum also symbolises the process of return, where through practice
(Sanskrit, sadhana) we can realise our essential Roots.

48. The Analogy of the Lotus.
 lotus flower - an archetypal symbol of the evolutionary potential and development of
each human being.
 three stages of growth and can be related to A-U-M as follows:
 The roots that sink deep in the mud correspond to ‘A’
 the stem, as it grows through the water, corresponds to ‘U’;
 the bud and the flower above the water facing the 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 like the beautiful lotus flower when
we realise our eternal connection with Spirit (our petals unfurl in the Sun).

49. Growth of life (lotus)
 in other terms, lotus symbolises our growth in life as we 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 (emotions, passion, ambition and furious
activity) and
 finally, through refinement of our understanding (perhaps having practised
Yoga or some related system), we arrive in the fresh air and clear sky of
sattwa (harmony, joy and clarity).
 Then we are enabled to realise the Reality (the sun) which far transcends
our individuality (symbolised by the lotus).
 A-U-M and the lotus symbolise this whole process to supreme
fulfilment of our lives.

50. Freed-Om
 Chanting Om and reflecting on its meaning can lead us to freedom or Freed-Om.
 Our essential Nature is free; chanting Om helps us to realise this fact.
 Real Om is the Primordial Cosmic vibration - ineffable and beyond symbol, syllable
and sound.
 Real Om is the bedrock of manifest existence.
 The sound 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.

51. Om and reality
 Consider a full moon in the sky and one of its numerous reflections in a small puddle in
your backyard:
 The reflection is not the full moon, and anything that you do to the reflected moon (i.e. throw a
stone in the puddle) will not even slightly influence the moon in the sky.
 Despite its insignificance, the reflection does faithfully indicate the shape and markings of the full
moon. So it is with Om. It pales in comparison to what it represents, and yet, nevertheless, it is an
indication of underlying Reality.
 applies to every ‘thing’ in existence from the smallest atom to the most enormous galaxy.
 all indications of underlying Reality.

52. From the Circle to the Point.
 During chanting, the sound of Om starts with a circle and ends with a point.
 During pronunciation, the lips are slightly apart with ‘A’, slowly starting to close
with ‘U’ until they are completely closed with ‘M’.
 at first expansion outwards and then contraction inwards.
 This indicates the path of Yoga:- starting from a more or less (mentally and
emotionally) dissipated state (represented by the circle), where we search for
meaning 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).
 Every time we chant Om we are symbolising the path towards Unity.

53. Om in other Mantras.
 Om is an integral part of most other mantras used in Yoga (Om Namah Shivaya,
Gayatri Mantra, Mrityunjaya Mantra etc.).
 It precedes other mantras since it symbolises Consciousness
 without Consciousness, nothing can exist.
 Without the presence of underlying Intelligence, the mantra has no value and no
power to transform; indeed it cannot even exist!
 Om is the very core, the bed-rock, of all sounds and all other mantras.
 Without that which is symbolised by Om nothing can exist, including each of us.

54. H-O-M-E
 Om takes 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 (Underlying Intelligence).
 Chanting Om helps us to realise the roots of our Being, and in the deepest sense
takes us homeward.

55. Om Symbolises
 The vibration of God.
 Truth, the Absolute.
 The ‘hum’ of the universe.
 Liberation and the means to it.

56. 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 transformation in our
perception so that we can start to realise the meaning of the above.
OM – AUM – AMEN – AMIN – OGHAM…….