The word "OM" or "AUM" or the symbol "ॐ" these days is synonymous with Yoga.
Most of the things connected to Yoga are branded using this symbol. But, what
is the origin and meaning of ॐ?
The word Om was known to have been first referred in the ancient Upanishads that some believe were written in the 7th Century BC. But what does ॐ mean?
If we can do a small experiment, and try to make sounds without using our tongue, we can observe that we can make the sounds A, U, and M. All other sounds we use in all languages are said to have been made by using these basic words and assistance from the tongue to change the sounds. These are like the basic colours RGB (Red, Green, and Blue) based on which all other colours are created using some variations of these basic colours.
Some draw parallels across regions, religions, and languages based on these basic sounds (A, U, M). In Hinduism these sounds are combined to make them (A+U = O, M, = OM), in many western parts of the world and religions they use the word AMEN and in some other parts and religions the word AMEEN. All these words are interconnected and are probably based on the same basic sounds.
There are many philosophies connected to the symbol ॐ, but I will explain two aspects that are in line with our school of teaching and my personal understanding.
First the sounds. The sound A is guttural, i.e., it comes from the throat. The sound U (OO) comes from the middle of the palate and M from the end of vocal organ, the lips. The sounds made by letters A-U-M, represents the beginning, middle, and end of the vocal fields. The utterance of AUM is known to cover the full range of all sounds ever existed and will ever exist. These sounds are known to represent the whole of our existence.
Second is the symbolic representation. Vedanta explains that reality is that which persists in all circumstances. The three states of our consciousness are awakening, dreaming, and deep sleep state . All these three states are considered to be unreal, as each of them disappears to give way to the other. The only thing that remains real is the witness of these three states, which is the self (I). Beyond the three states lies "Turiya" or the fourth state. Yoga emphasizes that realization of the Self (Turiya) can bring peace, joy, and liberation. The symbolic representation of ॐ is shown in the below image:
I will explain the concept of "Atman" in my later blog posts.
Whatever the symbol ॐ means to you, having an understanding of the sounds and philosophy behind ॐ gives you a better understanding of Yoga.
[References]
http://isha.sadhguru.org/
www.wikipedia.org/
The word Om was known to have been first referred in the ancient Upanishads that some believe were written in the 7th Century BC. But what does ॐ mean?
If we can do a small experiment, and try to make sounds without using our tongue, we can observe that we can make the sounds A, U, and M. All other sounds we use in all languages are said to have been made by using these basic words and assistance from the tongue to change the sounds. These are like the basic colours RGB (Red, Green, and Blue) based on which all other colours are created using some variations of these basic colours.
Some draw parallels across regions, religions, and languages based on these basic sounds (A, U, M). In Hinduism these sounds are combined to make them (A+U = O, M, = OM), in many western parts of the world and religions they use the word AMEN and in some other parts and religions the word AMEEN. All these words are interconnected and are probably based on the same basic sounds.
There are many philosophies connected to the symbol ॐ, but I will explain two aspects that are in line with our school of teaching and my personal understanding.
First the sounds. The sound A is guttural, i.e., it comes from the throat. The sound U (OO) comes from the middle of the palate and M from the end of vocal organ, the lips. The sounds made by letters A-U-M, represents the beginning, middle, and end of the vocal fields. The utterance of AUM is known to cover the full range of all sounds ever existed and will ever exist. These sounds are known to represent the whole of our existence.
Second is the symbolic representation. Vedanta explains that reality is that which persists in all circumstances. The three states of our consciousness are awakening, dreaming, and deep sleep state . All these three states are considered to be unreal, as each of them disappears to give way to the other. The only thing that remains real is the witness of these three states, which is the self (I). Beyond the three states lies "Turiya" or the fourth state. Yoga emphasizes that realization of the Self (Turiya) can bring peace, joy, and liberation. The symbolic representation of ॐ is shown in the below image:
I will explain the concept of "Atman" in my later blog posts.
Whatever the symbol ॐ means to you, having an understanding of the sounds and philosophy behind ॐ gives you a better understanding of Yoga.
[References]
http://isha.sadhguru.org/
www.wikipedia.org/
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