The Meaning of the Om Symbol

The Meaning of the Om Symbol

Swami Dayananda Saraswati

Om is a very beautiful, single syllable word. In Kañopaniùad (1-2-15)
it is said that:

sarve vedā yatpadamāmananti
tapāüsi sarvāõi ca yadvadanti
yadicchanto brahmacaryaü caranti
tatte padaü saïgraheõa bravīmyomityetat

All the Vedas talk about that goal, to know which, people take
to a life of study and discipline, that I will tell you briefly.
That is Om.
So, this is something desiring which, people take to studious,
contemplative and disciplined life – sacrificing a lot. And what is that? Om.
You cannot be any briefer.
Linguistic meaning
In Sanskrit, the meaning of Om is avati, or rakùati. Rakùati means
‘One who protects, sustains’. So that which sustains everything is Om. And
that which sustains everything is what we have to see as the order. We can
go one step further. That order, which is the reality of everything. The
order itself is a reality. And so, that which is the essence of the order itself,
is Om. That means Om is the name of the Lord, who pervades your being,
who pervades everything in the world in the form of niyati, the form of the
order that sustains. Let’s see how.
When we say order is behind everything, it is not ‘behind’ anything
that is here. It is the very thing as such. This is a cup. What makes it a cup?
What is the material of the cup? Why does it appear in this particular form?
1 Transcribed by Amisha Upadhyaya. Edited by Vikas Tipnis and Sharad Pimplaskar. Published in the 10th
Anniversary Souvenir of Arsha Vidya Gurukulam, 1996.

Why it doesn’t have another form? Why its material, stainless steel, is not
subject to rusting? Why other steel is subject to rusting – one which is pigiron?
It is all order. And, this form is retained by the order. It is order that
makes a thing as it is. That a chair is a chair, is because of the order.
Anything that is here is pervaded by this order. This order is Īśvara. What
you see is the object and that you can see is the order. In the object itself
there is order. Therefore, you are not getting ‘behind’ the object to find the
order. Today it is steel cup. Tomorrow you can call it a steel cup.
Therefore, it is in order. If tomorrow it is not a steel cup, then also it is in
order. We see that also. Today we see the form of a flower. Tomorrow we
find the flower is gone and there is a fruit. Therefore, that is also order.
Order means how things are as they are. Everything there is, is maintained
by the order, called niyati. That niyati is Īśvara, the Lord, and is the
meaning of Om.
bhūtaü bhavad-bhaviùyad-iti sarvam Omkāra eva
What had happened before, what is now and what will be later
– everything is just Om. (Māõóukyopaniùad, 1)
And the teaching here is to connect that meaning to this word. If the
meaning is in my head, and when I bring that vision to you, then there is the
whole transaction or, communication. That is teaching.
A word or an object, abhidhānam, and its meaning, abhidheyam, are
one and the same. When I ask you to bring a pot, you don’t write pot “P – O
– T” and bring it to me. The name and the object which is meant by the
name are identical in the sense you cannot think of the word without
thinking of the meaning. If you don’t know the meaning, then it is not a
word – it only becomes a group of sounds. Once you know that for this
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group of sounds this is the meaning, then without thinking of the meaning,
you can not think of the word.
Thus, Om is a name of the Lord and what He means, the truth of the
Lord. Om is not, as they say, the primordial sound. This is all silly. Om is
the name for the Lord who is everything. When I say the word Om, you see
the meaning.
Vedic meaning of Om
Om is also used as a symbol, what we call a pratīka, for everything -
this entire universe – because Om sustains everything. The entire universe
means not only the physical universe, but also the experience there of.
That’s the meaning Vedas load in this symbol.
Being an oral tradition, Vedas explain Om as made up of three parts.
These are phonetic parts of that ‘Om’ sound and each of those parts are
loaded with certain meaning. That is called superimposition, adhyāsa. You
superimpose a meaning upon those sounds. In Om, there is ‘a’ there is ‘u’,
and there is ‘m’. ‘A’ is a vowel, ‘u’ is a vowel and ‘m’ is the consonant.
Thus, this ‘a’ plus ‘u’ plus ‘m’ together becomes ‘Om”. ‘A’ plus ‘u’
becomes ‘o’, a diphthong. If you see how the ‘a’ and ‘u’ is pronounced, as a
combination at the sthāna, the place where the sound comes from, then you
will see that ‘a’ plus ‘u’ can not be but ‘o’. And with ‘m’ ending, it becomes
“Om”.
The letter ‘a’ stands for the entire physical world of your experience.
The experiencer, the experience and the experienced, all three of them are
covered by the sound ‘a’. When you are awake, you are aware of your
physical body and this physical world – known and unknown. You are also
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aware of the experience of the physical world. At the same time, you are
also aware of the experiencer – that is you. All these three you are aware of,
are ‘a’.
The letter ‘u’ is the thought world, which is distinctly experienced as
other than the physical world. A thought world which is distinctly
experienced, as your dream, as your imagination and as abstract or subtle,
Sūkùma or subtle is represented by ‘u’. The thought world, the object of the
thought world and its experience are the meaning of the sound ‘u’.
Then there is ‘m’. It stands for the experience you have in deep sleep,
the unmanifest condition. What was there before and after the creation is the
meaning of the sound ‘m’.
Thus, the sleeper and the sleep experience, the dreamer and the dream
experience and the waker and the waking experience all these three
constitute what we call everything that is here. All these three together
represent ‘Om’. Om is complete.
We saw what existed before, what exists now and what will exist later
is all Om. Even all known and unknown that is experienced, the experience
and the experiencer, is also Om, vidim aviditam sarvam Omkāraþ. That is
the Lord, Bhagavān or Īśvara.
Non-linguistic meaning of Om
The whole jagat, the manifest world, is seen as one; but severally, we
can say it has many forms. Each of these you can look as one thing and if
you look at it severally, you find it is a combination of a lot of other things.
Each one has a form and for which we give a name. Even this physical body
is one, but severally, it has various forms. We have two hands, two legs and
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so on. Then, in each part, there are so many cells. The cells are different
also. If we take cells, there are many types; liver-cells, brain-cells etc.
Then, there are further components of the cell, DNA, etc. Thus, you find
that you go on getting new words because there are different forms within
each form.
All names and forms are not separate from the Lord. Now, I want to
give a name to the Lord; so I can relate to him or, to see the meaning and
even to communicate with him. So, what name should I give – a name that
includes all forms? When I say ‘pot’, it is not ‘chair’, it is not ‘table’, nor
‘tree’, nor ‘carpet’; ‘pot’ is only pot. Now the Lord is the one who is pot,
chair, table, tree, carpet…everything. So, what should we do? We have to
recite the whole dictionary! But, it is not enough. You have to do it for
every language! Each language, each dialect has its own names and forms.
And there are a lot of objects in the world which are not yet known and we
keep on inventing new facts for which we discover new names.
When you go to Sanskrit language, there is another problem.
Dictionary is an apology for the Sanskrit language. Dictionary in Sanskrit
language is not a dictionary at all, because Sanskrit language is full of
compounds and, you can make compounds all the time and when you make
a compound it is a word that is valid but not in the dictionary. So in
Sanskrit, there can not be a complete, comprehensive dictionary. Word
possibilities are infinite.
Linguistically, giving a name to the Lord – who is all names and
forms – is an impossible task. Therefore, we give up language. Thus, we
have another explanation of Om, which is not linguistic. Don’t look at it as a
word. Look at it as something which is purely phonetic.

All names are nothing but words. All words are nothing but letters,
and all letters are nothing but sounds. Letters and alphabets also differ. In
English, you have ‘A’ to ‘Z’. In Latin, it starts with ‘Alpha’ and ends with
‘Omega’. In Sanskrit, it goes from ‘a’ to ‘h’. We find that letters are unique
to each language. So we go beyond letters. All the individualities of
languages are crossed.
Beyond letters, a name becomes a group of sounds. The French, the
Arab, the African tribesman, a Sanskrit scholar or a Boston Brahmin; all
make some sounds. Especially when I don’t know a language, I hear only
sounds. In every language, certain sounds repeat themselves which is the
unique characteristic of that language.
Now, if a Frenchman or an Indian or anybody else opens his mouth to
make a sound, what will it be? When you open your mouth and make a
sound, the sound that is produced is ‘a’. If you close your mouth and make
a sound, then the sound is ‘m’. You don’t produce any other sound
afterwards. And all the other sounds are in-between ‘a’ and ‘m’ sounds,
whether they are consonants or vowels. Therefore, one sound that can
represent all the other sound, in a sense round-off all the sounds, you round
your lips and make a sound. It will be ‘o’. Now I can combine these three
sounds which represent all the sounds; ‘a’ plus ‘o’ plus ‘m’ and make a one
word, will become “Om”, the name of the Lord. Once you said “Om”, you
have said everything.
Once you know the meaning, “Om” becomes the name of the Lord for
you. Now you can call him, invoke him, pray to him. This is why many of
the prayers, chants or mantras begin with “Om”.

Aum Sweet Aum

Om(aum) in Mandukyopnishad

Seven method of Om meditation

Introduction
OM Method #1. Pulsing repetition
OM Method #2. With the flow of breath
OM Method #3. As the object called universe
OM Method #4. Sound vibration of the universe
OM Method #5. Gross, subtle, and causal planes
OM Method #6. Waking, dreaming, and deep sleep consciousness
OM Method #7. Conscious, unconscious, subconscious mind
Integration of the practices

1. Pulsing Repetition

Use a speed that is natural and comfortable: There are many rhythms in the body and mind, both gross and subtle. Imagine the sound of OM, rising and falling, at whatever speed is comfortable and natural. It may be very fast, several cycles per second. Or it may be slower, several seconds for each cycling of OM Mantra. Or it might become extremely slow, with the mmmmmm... sound continuing in the mind for much longer periods, but still pulsing at that slow rate.

Imagine it somewhat like one of these vibrations:

• OMmmOMmmOMmm...
• OMmmmmOMmmmmOMmmmm...
• OMmmmmmmmOMmmmmmmmOMmmmmmmm...

Meditation time and daily life: This kind of awareness of the OM mantra can be used both at meditation time and during daily life. The OM mantra is allowed to be somewhat of a constant companion. It brings a centering, balancing quality to daily life. This does not mean being in a dull, lethargic state. Rather, done well, it brings clarity of mind and a greater ability to be in the world, and selflessly serving others.

Breaking habit patterns: This is not intended as a blocking mechanism to prevent dealing with one's thought process or with the challenges of life. It is not a method of escapism. However, it definitely can have the effect of bringing focus to the mind, which can break a pattern of disturbing or distracting thoughts coming from the noisy or chattering mind. In this way, one has a greater openness to being aware of positive thoughts and spiritual realities that are always there.

2. With the Flow of Breath

One method: Imagine the sound of OM Mantra internally, in the mind only, making no external sound. Allow the mantra to flow with the breath. Repeat like this:

• Exhale: "OMmmmmmmm..." Inhale: "OMmmmmmmm..."
• Exhale: "OMmmmmmmm..." Inhale: "OMmmmmmmm..."
• Exhale: "OMmmmmmmm..." Inhale: "OMmmmmmmm..."

Another method: Alternatively, imagine the OM mantra only on exhalation, if that feels more comfortable:

• Exhale: "OMmmmmmmm..." Inhale: " (silence) "
• Exhale: "OMmmmmmmm..." Inhale: " (silence) "
• Exhale: "OMmmmmmmm..." Inhale: " (silence) "

Mind, breath, and mantra in unison: In this practice, you come to experience the mind, breath, and mantra flowing in unison. This synchronization has a beautiful effect on meditation. Simply allow the OM Mantra to come and go with each inhalation and exhalation. Allow there to be no gap, no space, no pause between inhalation and exhalation, or between exhalation and inhalation.

The speed naturally slows: As you gently allow the OM mantra to flow with the breath, the mind becomes calm. When the mind becomes calm, the body relaxes, and the breath becomes even soother and slower. That rate of speed at which the OM mantra is being repeated naturally slows down. It is not a matter of forcing the mantra to slow, but rather, this slowing comes quite naturally. Allow the mind to stay wide awake and alert, as the OM mantra and breath become naturally slower and slower. Meditation will deepen.

3. As the Object Called Universe

Words have an object and meaning: Words usually have a corresponding object and meaning to go with that word. If you hear the word chair, then the concept of chair-ness arises in your mind. Some specific chair will probably come to mind. It may be a wooden chair or a metal chair, for example. It may be large, small, or this or that style, and it may be new or old. So, three things are there: 1) the word chair, 2) the concept of chair-ness, and 3) a specific chair.

The object that goes with OM is the universe: When the word OM is heard, what is the concept and object that comes to mind? What is that thing that goes along with that word, OM? The concept that goes with OM is the one-ness or entirety of the universe. The object that goes with the word OM is the entire universe, as a single unit, including the gross, subtle, causal planes of reality, both manifest and un-manifest. It means that whole, as if it was one, single object. It is that infinitely huge object, which is the object that goes with the word OM.

Awareness expands to contain the object: With attention turned inward, and reflecting on chair, the concept and image of chair arises. In the same way, do the same thing with the word OM, and allow your awareness to expand, as if it could contain the whole universe to go with that word.

Stretching the attention: There is a feeling of stretching, as if the attention had to get bigger and bigger, to contain the whole, the same way as the chair has a back, a seat, and legs, yet is collectively a chair. Continue to repeat OM, and continue to expand, so as to allow your attention to contain the whole of the object called OM.

4. Sound Vibration of the Universe

The subtle sound is always there: A vibration exists, underneath all of the grosser aspects of being, like a substratum. The subtle sound of OM Mantra is constantly there, and when heard in deep yoga meditation, sounds like a continuous vibration, ever sounding out mmmmmmm.... At a deeper level, it is extremely loud and serene.

• Emerging from OM: The reality symbolized by OM Mantra is the ground vibration out of which all other vibrations, sounds and mantras emerge.
• Receding into OM: That vibration represented by OM Mantra is the substratum into which all those vibrations, sounds, and mantras recede when followed back to their source.

Similar words: Some say that this everlasting, all pervasive vibration of OM Mantra is also the source and intent of Amen, Amin, and Shalom. Some say that this sound is the Word of God.

Silence from which OM emerges: Eventually, this leads to a deep stillness and silence, which paradoxically, is experienced as the silence from which the sound of OM itself emerged. In the sections below, the silence is described as being the fourth state, beyond the three sounds of A, U, and M, which are contained in OM Mantra. However, in this practice, as you internally repeat the sound of OM, imagine that underlying vibration of the universe, as if it were coming from all places, and through all things.

Listen to the vibration while remembering OM: There is a sound that can relatively easily be heard in your ears that is more surface level, coming from the brain. Some people experience this as a buzzing or ringing sound. By listening closely, the mmmmmmm... sound can be heard, like the end of the OM mantra (Or you might hear it as eeeeeeeee....) Listening to this vibration, with the awareness of OM is a good way to start with the vibration aspect of OM. Gradually, it will expand to deeper sound of the mantra. Listening in this way can be particularly enjoyable and insightful when recalling some of the other meanings of OM Mantra at the same time.

Allowing thoughts to come and go: While listening, it is best to gently allow other thought patterns to come into the field of attention, and then allow those thoughts to drift away. There is not really any intent of doing anything with these thoughts, either engaging them or pushing them away. In other words, the listening for OM is not used to suppress thoughts and emotions. Rather, attention is allowed to expand, but at the same time, non-attachment is learned by staying with the vibration, and letting go of the thought patterns. This is one way to gain access to the ability to be a neutral witness of the stream of thoughts in the mind, as is sometime described as being like watching leaves, sticks, and logs floating by in a river.

5. Gross, Subtle, and Causal Planes

Remembering four planes with OM: The OM mantra designates the whole of the universe, including the gross, subtle, and causal planes (realms, or levels) and the absolute reality of which they are a part. The explanation below can sound a bit technical, but this truly is a very practical use of the mantra, once you understand the meaning. It does require working with the mantra and the meaning, but then it becomes clearer and quite insightful.

Four parts of OM: The OM Mantra has four parts. First, is the sound like "Ah," then "Uuuu," then "Mmmm," and finally the silence beyond the mantra. Thus, the mantra is also written as AUM, as well as OM. The three sounds, and the silence have the following meanings:

1. The A sound refers to the gross world.
2. The U part refers to the subtle realm.
3. The M refers to the causal plane, out of which the gross and subtle emerge.
4. The Silence after these three, refers to the absolute reality that is the substratum for each of the other three realities.

Start slowly in remembering the parts: When using the mantra in this way, it is easiest to begin by remembering the mantra very slowly, allowing time to be aware of each of the levels. Be aware of the four parts of the mantra separately (though forming a continuous sound), something like this:

AaaaaaUuuuuuMmmmmm.....Silence.....

1. When the "A" of OM mantra arises in the mind field, be aware of the gross world, including the objects of the world, the people, and your own physical being. Actually allow your attention to scan these aspects of the world. Do not get caught up in these objects; just be aware of this level of reality, and then let go of it, so as to go beyond.
2. When the "U" of OM mantra arises in the mind field, be aware, as best you can of the existence of the subtle or astral realm, including whatever objects you might intuit. As with the gross world, do not get caught up in these objects; just be aware of this level of reality, and then let go of it, so as to go beyond.
3. When the "M" of OM mantra arises in the mind field, be aware of the causal, the background stillness out of which the subtle and gross emerge, and into which they rest when not active. This can be difficult to imagine. It might help to think of it like being the canvas on which a picture is painted, or the screen on which a movie is projected.
4. When the Silence comes to the mind field, be aware of the absolute reality that permeates each of the other three layers. This fourth level of the mantra the absolute reality, is experienced in a shallow way at first, and only deepens with continued practice of contemplation and yoga meditation. (To better understand this, please refer to the paper on the Mahavakyas, the great contemplations. From that, you will see how the mantra and the contemplations go together.)

6. Waking, Dreaming, and Deep Sleep

Four states of consciousness: The four parts of AUM also refer to the levels of waking, dreaming, and deep sleep, as well. The three sounds, and the silence have the following meanings:

1. The "A" sound refers to the waking state of consciousness.

2. The "U" part refers to the dreaming state of consciousness.

3. The "M" refers to the deep sleep state of consciousness.

4. The Silence after these three, refers to the witness consciousness that is observer of the other three states of consciousness.

The question can arise of why a spiritual seeker cares about the states of waking, dreaming, and deep sleep. It is said that the states of deep sleep, samadhi, and death are very close together, that they function at the same levels. To understand this further, it would be good to read the paper on OM and the 7 levels of consciousness.

Begin by remembering slowly: As in the last practice, it is easiest to begin by remembering the mantra very slowly, allowing yourself time to be aware of each of the levels. With practice, it moves more quickly, as attention longs to rest in the silence.

1. When the "A" of OM mantra arises in the mind field, be aware of the waking state of consciousness. This does not mean thinking of the objects of the world, but rather, being mindful of your personal waking state, in relation to the world and your inner mental and emotional process. This simply means being aware of being awake.

2. When the "U" of OM mantra arises in the mind field, be aware of the dreaming state of consciousness. This does not necessarily mean that you are experiencing those dreams, but that you are mindful of the dream state that is beneath the waking state.

3. When the "M" of OM mantra arises in the mind field, be aware of the deep sleep state of consciousness. Be aware of how the mind is in complete stillness in that state, where there is no active thought process, no images, no pictures, and no words. All of these have come to rest in a dormant, formless form.

4. When the Silence comes to the mind field, be aware of the consciousness that permeates all of the other three states of consciousness. In other words, consciousness flows through the waking state, the dreaming state, and even the deep sleep state (although there is no active content in deep sleep). Imagine that you can somehow be witness to waking, dreaming, and deep sleep from a higher vantage point that is aware of all.

Focusing more inwardly: When using the OM mantra in this way, notice how very personal the practice is, in that you are consciously cultivating awareness of the levels of your own internal states. It has an in here focus. By contrast, the use of OM with the levels of gross, subtle, causal, and absolute reality (above) has more of a focus out there. Ultimately, they merge into one awareness.

7. Conscious, Unconscious, Subconscious Mind

Levels of consciousness: The four parts of AUM also refer to the levels of conscious, unconscious, and subconscious, as well as the consciousness that permeates these. (Note that some psychologies or systems use the words unconscious and subconscious in reverse, or use different terms. The meaning is what is important, not the particular choice of words). The three sounds, and the silence have the following meanings:

1. The "A" sound refers to the conscious level of mental functioning.

2. The "U" part refers to the unconscious level of mind.

3. The "M" refers to the subconscious level, the storage place of mind.

4. The Silence after these three, refers to the pure consciousness, which permeates the conscious, unconscious, and subconscious levels of awareness.

Begin slowly: Once again, it is easiest to begin by remembering the mantra very slowly. With practice, it moves more quickly, as attention longs to rest in the silence.

1. When the "A" of OM mantra arises in the mind field, be aware of the conscious level of mind. The easiest way to do this, is to contrast conscious to the unconscious. There is the conscious, that we are aware of here, in this external world, and there is the unconscious that is not seen in the deeper mind.

2. When the "U" of OM mantra arises in the mind field, be aware, as best you can, that your mind is presently functioning at an unconscious level as well. There is a tremendous amount of thinking process normally going on, that is out of view. This is what psychologists call primary process. It is going on behind the scenes, much like the microprocessor in a computer that is invisibly doing its work.

3. When the "M" of OM mantra arises in the mind field, be aware of the latent part of the mind, where all of the countless memories of people, objects, and day to day information is stored. It is there, like the information stored on a hard disk of a computer. Until it is needed, it just sits there in a latent, dormant form (It is actually in a formless form, somewhat like the data on the hard disk that is stored only as raw data, with no images as such). Be aware of that stillness, that is the storage of your deep impressions and habit patterns.

4. When the Silence comes to the mind field, be aware of the consciousness that permeates all of the other three levels. In other words, consciousness flows through the unconscious functioning. Consciousness is there in the latent part of the mind, even though those objects are not awakened into action at the moment. Eventually, this Silence expands to being the awareness of the other three states. It is at this stage that one is called a Seer, in that all of the other levels of mind are witnessed from this vantage point.

Integration of the Practices

Three methods from same levels: Gradually, one comes to see that the last three methods of using AUM (above) are manifestations of the same levels of being. Notice how the "A" represents, Waking, Conscious, and Gross levels. The "U" represents Dreaming, Unconscious, and Subtle levels. The "M" represents Deep Sleep, Subconscious and Causal. The Silence represents the fourth state, which is above or higher than the other three. These are further described in the paper 4 Levels and 3 Domains of Consciousness.

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AUM	Name of level	States of Consciousness	Levels of Consciousness	Levels of Reality
A	Vaishvanara	Waking	Conscious	Gross
U	Taijasa	Dreaming	Unconscious	Subtle
M	Prajna	Deep Sleep	Subconscious	Causal
Silence	Turiya / Fourth	Turiya / Fourth	Consciousness / Self / Atman	Absolute Reality

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The one great vibration: One comes to experience that the four aspects of AUM, the vibration of the universe, the object that goes with OM mantra, the flow with the breath, and the countless pulsings of the gross and subtle, are all manifestations of that one great vibration that is represented by OM mantra.

Tripura: Maha Tripura Sundari, the great, beautiful one, essence, consciousness, or reality that dwells in the three "cities" (tri-pura, or three cities including: gross, subtle, causal; waking, dreaming, sleeping; conscious, unconscious, subconscious). (See Tripura in Tantra, Bindu, other articles)

Unity of the methods: In practicing the seven methods above, it is best to focus on one at a time, so as to capture its individual meaning and experience. Eventually, the unity of the methods is experienced.

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