Om is the most familiar of symbols representing Hinduism. There are a number of other important symbols like the swastika, lotus, trishul, naamam, pratik, etc. but none of them is as profound as the Om. The symbol Om is adorned on the top of main gopuram (towers) of old but famous temples in South India. People have wooden or metallic frames of this symbol in homes and offices. It is also painted on the walls. Many men and women wear gold or silver chains as jewelry with the symbol Om as a pendant mostly for fashion but sometimes as a mark of reverence of the religion. Though the symbol itself is widely known across the whole of India, the significance of this sacred syllable and symbol is scarcely known among the populace
Om or ‘Aum’ is the primordial sound, a sound that has always been in existence and that which will continue to exist forever. It is the cosmic vibration of this universe. It is also the cosmic energy behind all that exists today. Scriptures say that Brahma, the Creator, created this universe by chanting Om and reciting the Vedas. Such is the power of Om.
Om is a “bīja” or seed mantra which means a mantra that is the source of power to all other mantras. This might be the reason why the everyday mantras like “namah shivāya” and “namo narāyanāya” are prefixed with the syllable Om to make them even more powerful
Māndukya Upanishad, which is one of the few “mukhya” (important) Upanishads, is totally dedicated to explaining the meaning and significance of Om in twelve wonderful verses. This Upanishad categorically states that Om is verily Brahman, the Supreme Being, the Omnipotent and the Absolute from where we came and to where we go
The scripture further states that the ātman or self or consciousness in us is Brahman. Our consciousness has 4 states
1. Waking state – This is the state in which we are when awake. In this state, the consciousness is affected by perception of the sense organs (eyes, ears, etc) to the real objects in the vicinity of the body. Examples: sweet smell from flowers, taste of fruits, a thorn in the leg causing pain, etc. The consciousness is bound by the limitations of the real world in terms of time and space. One cannot rewind time to become younger or jump from one city to another
2. Dreaming state – This is the state in which we are when asleep. In this state, the consciousness is affected by perception of the sense organs to the imaginary objects in the vicinity of the mind. Examples: terror due to visualizing some strange creatures, meeting your good old school friends, etc. The consciousness is no longer bound by the limitations of the real world in terms of time and space. Anything can be achieved, good or bad
3. Deep sleep state – In this state, the consciousness is totally shutdown as the sense organs are no longer responsive. This is equivalent to a coma state when nothing is registered in the mind but the body as such is active and performing its life saving functions – heart beat, breathing, functioning of the liver, kidney and digestive system, etc. Nothing is remembered during this state
4. Still state – In this state, the consciousness is active but still and in rest. The sense organs are functioning but do not affect the consciousness. It is under complete control. It thinks of nothing, acts on nothing. Unlike the other three states, it transcends time and space. This is the state one must achieve to attain bliss. This state is the ātman, the Brahman. Can this state be achieved? Yes but requires concentration, will power and patience over a long period of time. Each one of us would have experienced a lower form of this state at least once if not more. Have we not forgotten ourselves when doing something with tremendous concentration? Like reading a thriller novel, preparing for exams to get the best score, working to meet the deadline, etc. In each of these cases, we tend to forget the time and sometimes even the space. Hours would have passed but we feel like it has only been minutes. In all these cases, though the notion of time and space is lost, the mind is active and focused on something. It is not still. It is not in rest. When the mind becomes still without thinking of anything, it is called the still state.
Phonetically, Om is composed of 3 sounds – A, U, M. Each sound is said to correspond to a specific state of our self or consciousness. The sound ‘A’ in Om is said to correspond to the awakening state of the self. The sound ‘U’ corresponds to dreaming state and the sound ‘M’ corresponds to the deep sleep state. The silence that follows Om which is unutterable and which is nothing but the absence of sound corresponds to the still state, state of absolute peace and bliss. This, the Upanishad states, must be realized
So transcendental is the sound of Om that if chanted and meditated upon gives immense goodness by purifying the mind and freed from distractions. The purpose of human life is to reach Brahman and the vehicle to reach it will be the supreme Om. Mundaka Upanishad beautifully describes this as below
Om is the bow; Ātman is the arrow; Brahman is the target. Shoot with great vigilance to merge ātman with the Brahman
How can chanting Om breed goodness? Human mind thinks both good and evil. When evil is suppressed, goodness fosters. Primary evil thoughts of the mind are lust, greed and anger. The intensity of these thoughts varies with the individual. By meditating on Om, the mind is denied the freedom to think and nurture these evil thoughts. Once the evil thoughts are shut out, goodness prevails and the mind is purified. Purified mind brings great benefits to the body. Such a person beams with confidence and perfect health. Even others benefit from this person and as a result their family and community benefits.
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