Mahaprana Yoga

 Om, or Aum, is said to be the primordial sound that was present at the creation of the universe. It is the original sound that contains all other sounds, all words, all languages and all mantras.

Upon first hearing, this might seem a bit far-fetched. Yet Om is from the Sanskrit language, which is one of our oldest languages and is the antecedent to English and most European languages.  More evidence can be found for this in three of the world’s major religions. It is thought that “Amen” in Christianity, “Amin” in Islam and “Shalom” in Judaism were all derived from AUM.  Even “mom” or “ma,” the first utterance of many children, are strikingly similar to the word Om.

 Om is considered the supreme mantra, or sacred syllable used for meditation. Om is thought to be the holiest of all words, and has been the object of profound religious meditation. The mantra “OM” is the name of God, the reflection of the absolute Reality, the vibration of the Supreme.

 Om consists of three sounds, a – u – m.  When taken letter by letter, A-U-M symbolizes the holy trinities or sacred triunes that are integral to Hindu Philosophy.

A few examples of sacred triunes are:

• Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva
• Creation, Preservation, Destruction
• Truth, Consciousness and Bliss – or Satchitananda
• Rajas, Tamas, Sattva – the Three Gunas or qualities of matter
• Birth, life, death

The three phonemes a (a-kāra), u (u-kāra), m (ma-kāra), are themselves considered to be spiritually charged. A-kara refers to solid forms or shapes – like earth, trees, or metal. U-kara refers to formless or shapeless matter – like water, air or fire.  Ma-kara means neither shape nor shapeless – such as thoughts, or the dark matter in the Universe. When we combine all three phonemes we get AUM.

The combination of these three sounds produces an all-encompassing range of speech.  Remarkably, though composed of three elements, it is still pronounced as one syllable.  This reflects a higher state of Reality, a state of non-differentiation, non-partiality and equanimity. In essence, Om is the signifier of the ultimate truth that all is one. 

The pronunciation of this monosyllabic word is complex and has been described as: “A long or over-long nasalized close-mid back rounded vowel.” Various Sutras have emphasized that the repetition of Om should be made with an understanding of its meaning. It is so laden with spiritual energy that it should be pronounced with complete concentration. For its correct pronunciation please view the video that accompanies this post, or the last post.

So the next time you hear or speak this word, know that the power of this word goes well beyond any individual – and, in fact, serves to unite us all – while connecting us to the beginning of time.