Om (Aum) – The Sound Of The Universe

Fri, 02/19/2010

Om, pronounced "Aum," is the essence of all mantras. It is the most important and significant word of the Mantra tradition. It is ineffable and beyond symbol, syllable and sound. Unlike all others, there is no meaning of Om. It is said to be the Primal Shabda, the divine syllable and the essence of the Vedas.

It is considered as the mool mantra or root mantra of all mantras. Om is an integral part of most other mantras used in Yoga (Om Namah Shivaya, Gayatri Mantra, Mrityunjaya Mantra etc.). Om precedes other mantras since it symbolizes consciousness and 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 of all sounds and all other mantras. Without that which is symbolized by Om nothing can exist, including each of us.

By sound and form, Om symbolizes the infinite Brahman (ultimate reality) and the entire universe. Brahman, the impersonal Absolute - omnipotent, omnipresent, and the source of all manifest existence, in itself, is incomprehensible. A symbol becomes mandatory to help us realize the unknowable.  The closest approximation to the name and form of the universe is Om. It, therefore, represents both the unmanifest (nirguna) and manifest (saguna) aspects
of God.

The sound and symbol of Om is just a faint shadow of the reality behind the manifest world. Consider a full moon in the sky and one of its numerous reflections in a small puddle in your backyard. Obviously 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. And yet, 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, nevertheless, it is an indication of underlying reality.

Om is said to be the original primordial cosmic vibration or creative sound from which the entire universe manifested. This concurs with modern scientific thinking, which says that everything - every atom and molecule in every nook and corner of this universe - is formed out of energy vibration. Einstein formulated his famous equation that E = mc², which indicates that matter (m), is but an expression of Energy (E). That is why it is called Pranava, to mean that it pervades life and runs through our prana or breath. Another explanation is that ‘Pranava', is derived from the root 'nu' meaning 'to praise', to which is added the prefix 'pra' denoting superiority. The word, therefore, means the best praise or the best prayer.

This sound is considered as the sound of the existence.  It is believed that the whole universe, in its fundamental form, is made up of vibrating, pulsating energy. This is considered by some to be reminiscent of some current physical theories such as quantum physics and super string theory, which describe the universe in terms of vibrating fields or strings. Om is considered the humming sound of this cosmic energy. The 3 sounds of om (a, u, m) represent the beginning, middle and end of the cycle of life and the universe.

It is also known as the 'Anahat Nada', the "Unstruck Sound". If you observe the nature of sound you'll find that all sounds within our range of listening are produces by things (visible or invisible) striking each other or vibrating together. This results in pulsating waves of air molecules that we interpret as sound. In contrast, the sound of Om is unique. It needs no such action. It is the soundless sound. A Yogi or spiritual master can hear Om self-generated in the inmost recesses of his heart. 
The chanting of Om and reflection on its meaning help bring about a transformation in our perception. Thought this we can start to realize its true meaning. OM – AUM – AMEN – AMIN – OGHAM…

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