CATEGORIES OF OM
A simple translation of the symbol of Om is “the immanence of the transcendental”. It i means an illimitable spiritual force pervades and gives life to all that exists. It is the sub-stratum of the universe, both as a material form of energy (prakriti), and as an immaterial, higher force (purusha). The spiritual nature of the individual consciousness is called soul (atman). The material nature of this consciousness is experienced and expressed through physical instincts. Its psychological nature is characterised in accordance to one’s relationship to the world around, the education that is imperative from very early life and, later on, through self-effort in the process of coping with the basic instincts. They are: selfishness, self-preservation, conceit, fear, self-importance, lust, self-pity, hunger for love, deceit, secretiveness, resentment, the lying habit. One has to cope with them throughout life.
Although monosyllabic, Om has three aspects, AUM. It is pronounced as a prolonged Ooomm, with a soft beginning, then the sound becomes louder as it is lengthened, then the lips are closed and the sound is withdrawn as mmm. The three stages can be divided in equal parts. A yoga class, consisting of asana, primayama and relaxation, or a philosophy or meditation class, is generally began and concluded by chanting the sound of Om three times. In the group there should be no competition as to who can chant Om the longest. It is silly. Om can be compared to the Latin word omne, giving it the characteristic of omnipresent, omniscient and omnipotent, although it sounds rather pompous.
Figurewise, the top part of Om can be denoted A, the bottom U and the arm to the right, including the erescent with a dot above, M.
OM
There are many categories of Om. The basic one is Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. A represents the aspect of creation, rising from the unmanifest Brahman. It extends itself into the sustaining form, thus Brahma becoming Vishnu, U, which in turn is retracted by Shiv, M, into its formless origin, the Brahman, denoted by the dot above the crescent, a symbol of diminishing involvement.
Om represents the four states of consciousness. A is the waking state, jagrata, U the dreaming, swapna, and M the dreamless sleep, sushupti. The crescent can be compared to the fourth state turiya, finally merging in Brahman, the dot.
VARIOUS SYMBOLISM
Om is a symbol of the four stages of meditation. A is withdrawing the mind from external objects, leading to a state of abstraction, pratyahara. U is holding on to the subject (concept) or object (murti or deity) of meditation, dharana. M is reaching a state of absorption, through contemplation, dhyana. Transcending the three stages in deep’ meditation is experienced samadhi (crescent), ultimately attaining the nirvikalpa, state, when the mind is temporarily dissolved, all its modifications, kalpa, having ceased, the meditator becoming one with the goal (the dot) of meditation.
In another category, A is the articulation of thought or speech vak, U the thinking process, manas, and M the vital energy plana, giving the mind the power to think. The crescent is jivatma or the individual soul, and the dot paranatma the source of the former.
It should be remembered here that the Sanskrit word atman or soul is wholly spiritual in character, having its origin in paramatman, independent of the mind. The Greek word for soul, psyche, represents both the positive and negative aspects of the ‘I’, originating in the unconscious.
Om represents the four great utterances, mahavakya. A is tat twam asi, that thou art, or your soul is of the nature of the infinite spirit. U is aham brahma asmi, the pure ‘I’ in me is one with Brahman. M is ayam alma brahma, the soul of mine is of the quality of Brahman who is ultimately beyond quality. The crescent and the dot are prgyanam brahma, the transcendental consciousness is Brahman. It is more modest and honest to translate aham brahma asmi, giving the prefix ‘pure’ to the ‘1’, one’s ego being top- heavy with its vainglorious and mundane identity.
Om is also dimensional. A is the height, U the breadth, M the length, and the crescent and the dot the depth or volume.
Om is the sumtotal of the ( three gunas, the primordial qualities of nature. A is tamas, or nescience or a pre-state of knowledge, which can also be called darkness, lethargy and generally a negative disposition. U is rajas or light and shadow, activity, a mixture of positive and negative nature. M is sattwa or pure light, equilibrium, wholly positive. The crescent and the dot mean beyond the qualities, gunatita, transcendence.
Om is past, present and future: A to learn from the past, U to be practical and, mindful in the present, and M to have I motivation and to persevere for the best in the future.
LEVELS OF MIND AND LEARNING
Om denotes five levels of the mind. A IS the Conscious level, manas, which evaluates, decides and wills. U is the outer (vahir) part of the chitta, the underlying level. It has the field of memory (smriti), with the help of which manas is able to think. It is called the subconscious. It functions at times by itself even when the conscious level is active, such as when manas is not able to recollect name, the, question having been planted searches and remembers in a while. When one is asleep, it hashes up dreams without logic, manas being inactive. Most of our waking state is spent in the subconscious, the mind projected into the past, remembering events over which we have no control, resenting in a self- inflicting, counter-productive way, or regretting meaninglessly. Regret is thus a useless sentiment.
M is the innermost level, and is the field of instincts and emotions. Manas has no role in it. Therefore it is called the unconscious. It is the inner (antar) level of the underlying mind, and is called antar chitta. In it the instinct of self-preservation is predominant, which conduces selfishness. Sexual urge makes the continuity of the species possible. Fear serves as a defense mechanism. The insecurity, of the ego makes us aggressive. Due to the insufficiency of knowledge, we become argumentative. We lie due to three main reasons: fear of punishment or disapproval of others, due to the desire for selfish gain, and because of self-importance, trying to make our image more attractive.
Om is also a symbol of our learning process. A represents the formative, educational guidance from the very early childhood that our parents are supposed to provide, including supervising e-lass-work. They are responsible for instilling a sense of right and wrong, lacking which from adolescence and into later life we make horrendous mistakes heedlessly. There is also the factor of genetical inheritance of both the positive and negative in our parents, even if the genes are somewhat malleable through self-effort.
U denotes primary and secondary education in which the teacher-student involvement is very important. M is learning through personal effort, reading as much as possible to gather useful information, and theoretical and practical knowledge by observation and experimentation, by trial and error, also reading not so many superficial novels but especially history and biographies, history to have a sense of what events have made us and shaped society, and biographies of outstanding people for motivation and inspiration. Also reading classical literature helps us to know more about human nature. Reading and the audio-visual media; serve three purposes: to inform, to educate and to entertain, the priority of which should be in that order.
THE GOAL
All these categories of Om we are to learn not so much for gathering theoretical knowledge but how usefully we may shape our life through them. What good is it to prattle about them when one’s life is less than honest? The primary point is to have a sense of the sacred, the content of our innermost self being spiritual, to sustain and apply it in our relationship, behaviour and action. Knowledge when applied enhances life. That is its purpose. It is not merely for information and entertainment. A sense of reality, not the thin air but what is empirically verifiable and deepening the understaning of it, a desire to enlighten ourself, and living a life of everlasting values are indicated in the Vedic prayer:
Asato ma sat gamaya tamaso ma jyotir gamaya mrityor ma amritam gamaya
Lead me on from the unreal to the real from darkness to light from death (cowardice) to everlasting life (values).
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