Are you wondering what is Om and its significance in Hinduism? Consider how every Guru Sampradaya reveres ‘AUM’ as integral to the path of self-realisation. Almost every mantra has 'Om' in it, doesn't it? It is believed that starting your early morning chanting 'AUM' or listening to the chant can transform your energy. It is important to be aware that the actual sound of the chant is A-U-M though we often write or refer to it as 'Om'.
[Subscribe to my weekly newsletter: https://svara.substack.com/]
Why is Om most powerful?
The sound of 'AUM' is often referred to as 'Pranava'. As Swami Vivekananda once said while describing the splendour of this word as "The only possible symbol wich covers the the whole ground....there is none other like it." And he further referred to 'AUM' as 'Nada Brahaman' which means the 'Sound of the Supreme One'.
Why is Om chanting so powerful?
Swami Chinmayananda, known as one of the greatest exponents of the Bhagawad Gita, explains that the word 'A' represents the waking state, 'U' represents the dream state and 'M' represents the dream state.
Swami Chinmayananda further says:
1. To every mantra, OM is added. Without 'OM', no sacred chant has its power.
2. A mantra has no life in it without the Pranava.
What is the secret of the Om mantra?
Without 'AUM', how do you begin your baby steps in your spiritual journey? Let me put it in a simpler way. Can you score a single mark in any exam without preparing or studying for it over a period of time? Then, why do we ask for short cuts and instant results on our spiritual journey, which is a more impactful journey? You cannot expect successful outcomes without devoting time and putting in sincere, disciplined efforts first.
Your first step of tuning into your higher awareness begins with 'Om'. If you are sincere on the path of self-realisation, chanting Om is your first step. Your gender, your country, your community and such external factors do not matter at all.
As my beloved and revered Guru, Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai says, "The Upanishads praise Pranava as the cause of Creation. It is extolled as quenching grief. Why? He who ruminates on AUM, ever aware of its significance, can steadily move to an Awareness of the Real, behind all this unreal Appearance, of the Paramatatthwa itself."
When you begin this practice, always send out sincere prayers for the well-being of the world.
Comments
Understand religion from a fresh perspective? Nourish your soul and be prepared to view God differently? Is global spirituality possible? While many have heard of the Near Death Experience, this book is unique, as it searches for the common thread between us, here, in this world. This is not a book on the afterlife or what happens on the other side. There is another way to view this phenomena. Discovering a global context for the Near Death Experience is exciting. A Modern-Day Journey for Peace, winner of five book awards, moves us to consider if the Light of the Near Death Experience isn’t actually the bedrock of religion and the springboard for a universal connection. This modern-day story melds the innumerable religious experiences into a visual whole. The essence of God becomes globally and tangibly defined. This story uncovers our prevailing spiritual unity despite our world’s seemingly different beliefs. Ultimately, there is a powerful spiritual bond we have with one another. Gods and the names for God have changed in every era, yet one dynamic remains constant—the Light.
Religion’s Common Denominator? . . .The Light
God does not have a religion.
God does not speak a language.
God does not have a culture.
It is we who require these things.
This is a ground breaking memoir on the Near Death Experience that unveils the roots to a global spirituality.
Sincerely,
Judith Lambert