Om: Symbol of the Absolute All About the Hindu Ico
"The goal which all the Vedas
declare, which all austerities aim
at, and which men desire when
they lead the life of continence
… is Om. This syllable Om is
indeed Brahman. Whosoever
knows this syllable obtains all
that he desires. This is the best
support; this is the highest
support. Whosoever knows this
support is adored in the world of
Brahma."
~ Katha Upanishad I
Om or Aum is of paramount
importance in Hinduism. This
symbol (as seen in the image on
the right) is a sacred syllable
representing Brahman, the
impersonal Absolute of Hinduism
— omnipotent, omnipresent, and
the source of all manifest
existence. Brahman, in itself, is
incomprehensible; so a symbol
becomes mandatory to help us
realize the Unknowable. Om,
therefore, represents both the
unmanifest (nirguna) and
manifest (saguna) aspects of
God. That is why it is called
pranava, to mean that it
pervades life and runs through
our prana or breath.
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Om in Daily Life
Although Om symbolizes the
most profound concepts of
Hindu belief, it is in use daily. The
Hindus begin their day or any
work or a journey by uttering
Om. The sacred symbol is often
found at the head of letters, at
the beginning of examination
papers and so on. Many Hindus,
as an expression of spiritual
perfection, wear the sign of Om
as a pendant. This symbol is
enshrined in every Hindu temple
premise or in some form or
another on family shrines.
It is interesting to note that a
newly born child is ushered into
the world with this holy sign.
After birth, the child is ritually
cleansed and the sacred syllable
Om is written on its tongue with
honey. Thus right at the time of
birth the syllable Om is initiated
into the life of a Hindu and ever
remains with him as the symbol
of piety. Om is also a popular
symbol used in contemporary
body art and tattoos.
The Eternal Syllable
According to the Mandukya
Upanishad, "Om is the one eternal
syllable of which all that exists is
but the development. The past,
the present, and the future are
all included in this one sound, and
all that exists beyond the three
forms of time is also implied in
it".
The Music of Om
Om is not a word but rather an
intonation, which, like music,
transcends the barriers of age,
race, culture and even species. It
is made up of three Sanskrit
letters, aa, au and ma which,
when combined together, make
the sound Aum or Om. It is
believed to be the basic sound of
the world and to contain all other
sounds. It is a mantra or prayer
in itself. If repeated with the
correct intonation, it can
resonate throughout the body
so that the sound penetrates to
the centre of one's being, the
atman or soul.
There is harmony, peace and
bliss in this simple but deeply
philosophical sound. By vibrating
the sacred syllable Om, the
supreme combination of letters,
if one thinks of the Ultimate
Personality of Godhead and quits
his body, he will certainly reach
the highest state of "stateless"
eternity, states the Bhagavad
Gita.
The Vision of Om
Om provides a dualistic viewpoint.
On one hand, it projects the mind
beyond the immediate to what is
abstract and inexpressible. On
the other hand, it makes the
absolute more tangible and
comprehensive. It encompasses
all potentialities and possibilities;
it is everything that was, is, or
can yet be. It is omnipotent and
likewise remains undefined.
The Power of Om
During meditation, when we
chant Om, we create within
ourselves a vibration that
attunes sympathy with the
cosmic vibration and we start
thinking universally. The
momentary silence between
each chant becomes palpable.
Mind moves between the
opposites of sound and silence
until, at last, it ceases the sound.
In the silence, the single thought
— Om—is quenched; there is no
thought. This is the state of
trance, where the mind and the
intellect are transcended as the
individual self merges with the
Infinite Self in the pious moment
of realization. It is a moment
when the petty worldly affairs
are lost in the desire for the
universal. Such is the
immeasurable power of Om.
How to Type it on your
Computer
Try this! To get the Om symbol
on your computer screen, open
MS Word and key in backslash
( ) in Wingdings font. You will
type in Om!
nice info.thanks to all.
