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“All of the flowers of all the tomorrows are in the seeds of today.” -Proverb
Hello Spiritual Warriors!!! Let’s take a journey into The Hymn of the Universe!
Om, often referred to as the hymn of the universe, is considered the ultimate vibration, because it contains every vibration that has ever existed and every vibration that will ever exist. Just as white light contains all the colors of the spectrum, Om contains every sound in the vibrational spectrum—even those we can’t hear with our ears.
Historically, Om is first mentioned in the 12 verses of the ancient Vedic text the Mandukya Upanishads, which explains the three basic states of consciousness: waking, sleeping, and dreaming. In its original spelling and pronunciation, Aum (pronounced ahh-uhh-mmm) is a blending of those three states of consciousness into the one-ness of three distinct syllables: A, U, and M. These three vibrations also represent the three stages of our known existence: birth, life, and death.
The vibration “A” (pronounced ahh, like the sound you make opening your mouth for the doctor) represents the waking state and the beginning of all things. Just as the letter A is the first letter of most every alphabet—the first letter of the Rig Veda, the Koran, Homer’s Odyssey, even the first word of the New Testament—the vibration A heralds creation . . . the beginning. Vedic sages refer to it as the A-kara, and it represents the realm of form and shape—the physical realm.
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The vibration u (pronounced oo) is referred to as the U-kara and represents the dream state, the realm that is devoid of form or shape—the ethereal realms of air, water, fire, dreams—ever-changing aspects of the formless world around us.
The vibration m is known as the Ma-kara, which represents the state of deep sleep . . . neither form or formless like the other two realms but beyond shape or shapelessness . . . the realm of consciousness in hibernation, waiting to unfold.
In Sanskrit grammar, when the letters A and U are combined in writing, they are translated as the letter o. That is why we so often see Om written instead of Aum. Over thousands of years, the writing of Aum has taken a backseat to Om, and that has led to Om being the sound that is most often chanted by both Western students and teachers of yoga, meditation, and Vedanta.
When the three individual vibrations are combined, a fourth vibration is created, like a chord in music made up of individual notes. Aum (pronounced ahhh—uhhh—mmmm) represents the fourth state of consciousness—transcendent consciousness, or turiya . . . what we call enlightenment or one-ness.
The chanting of the mantra Om heralds our universality, which is why we usually chant Om before and/or after meditation and yoga practice, and when we read sacred, ancient texts.
By repeating a vibration or sound over and over, it will become part of your physiology; it will become your mind; it will become you. It will lose all meaning, all definition, and all relevance. There will be no separation between you and the vibration that is resonating right now.
Meditating on Om
We can meditate right now using the mantra Om. Say it out loud and feel the vibration a-u-m as it is birthed, then sustains, and then dies out as you purse your lips. Now let’s whisper it. Om. And now begin repeating it silently to yourself. Om, Om, Om, Om. To practice any type of mantra meditation, close your eyes and silently repeat the mantra over and over. When you notice that you have drifted away from the mantra to thoughts in your mind, sounds in the environment, or sensations in your physical body, gently drift back to the mantra. It will get louder and fainter, faster and slower; it will even become jumbled, distorted, and inaudible. However the mantra changes, simply keep repeating it, and when you notice you’ve drifted away just gently drift back. Back and forth and back and forth again. Gently surrender to the back and forth. Let’s try it for a few moments right now. And in the meantime, I’ll see you in the gap!!! Peace. -davidj
WATCH this video on the OM symbol with a guided translation into the various shapes!
