Unlocking the Mystery of Om
Om (also written Aum) is the oldest and most sacred sound found
in yoga, Hinduism and Buddhism. Not only does
Om
represent the entire universe, known as Brahman, it is also said
to be the source of all creation.
Om represents all time: past, present, and future; and is beyond
time itself. Om represents the eternal oneness of all that is,
and thus represents the ultimate goal of yoga: to become unified
in body, mind and spirit.
Chanting the mantra
Om
is perhaps the oldest of yoga’s spiritual practices. In the
Mandukya Upanishad we find this beautiful passage: “The body is
the bow,
Om
is an the arrow, the arrow’s tip is the focused mind, and the
ultimate Mystery is the target.” Thus, meditating on
Om
is used to guide one to discovering the higher Self, and the
true nature of the universe. The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali
instructs one in contemplating the meaning of
Om as a direct path to enlightenment. “The repetition of the
sound of Om, along with a deep contemplation of the meaning of
what it represents, brings both the realization of the
individual Self (Atman) and the removal of obstacles that
normally block this realization” (Yoga Sutras 1.27-1.29).
Om is said to be the essence of all mantras, and is used as the
mula-mantra, the root and beginning of most mantras.
Om
is the bija (seed) mantra of the sixth chakra or third eye and
chanting
Om
activates and opens this energy center.
Om
is also known as the adi-bija, the primary seed mantra. Om is
used within sacred chants to increase their power and potency as
well as to draw the practitioner into a deep internal state.
It is very important when repeating
Om
to pronounce the "O" sound correctly. In Sanskrit, the sound "O"
is a diphthong-- a subtle speech sound that begins with one
vowel and changes to another vowel within the same syllable.
This “O” sound begins with an “A” sound as in “law” and ends
with a “U” sound as in “put.” When these two vowel sounds are
combined in this diphthong, it produces a single, pure vowel
sound. Thus, when you pronounce
Om
it should sound like “home” without the beginning “h” sound.
When pronouncing Om the sound should emanate from the navel,
with a deep and harmonious vibration, and gradually rises
upwards to resonate in the nostrils.
Though indivisible,
Om
has four subtle sounds that correspond to four levels of
consciousness. The first sound of "A" represents Vaishvanara,
the conscious waking state. The second sound of "U" represents
Taijasa, the subtle, unconscious dream state. The third sound of
"M" represents the Prajna, the casual, subconscious deep sleep
state. The fourth sound is the silence that follows the sound of
Om which represents Turiya, the absolute consciousness that
illumines and pervades the three prior states.
When chanting
Om,
equal measure should be given to both the “O” and the “M”
sounds, i.e. “oooommmm” and not “oommmmmm” or “oooooomm.” The
mantra
Om
may be chanted aloud, whispered, or repeated mentally. The
chanting of
Om
should be easy and natural, without strain. Usually when
Om
is chanted out loud it is long and when chanted mentally is it
short, but experiment and do what feels most comfortable for
you. When chanting Om you can also focus your gaze on the third
eye center, the sixth chakra. If using Om as a mantra
meditation you may wish to use a mala to count repetitions of
108.
