Thursday, August 9, 2012

The Meaning and Symbolism of OM (3): How to chant OM to deepen our concentration!

In a previous post we explored the meaning of the word OM, and its reference to accross religions.As a next step we find out how to "chant OM" to deepen our concentration and also explore if  each of its pronounced syllables (AUM) signify something special? Read this  enclosed  excerpt to find out.
The following article elaborating on the meaning of OM(pages 38 to 41) is an extract from the immensely popular, short book "Vedic Symbols" by Shriram Sharma Acharya. The book references  a lot of research by Western scholars and experts engaged in the study of Yoga. A link to this book is present at the end of the article.(Wherever possible I have inserted links available on the web to validate the writers and researchers quoted in this article).

Quoted text:
OM is a way of deepening the concentration of the mind, which in turn leads to realization of the divine. This mantra maybe sounded aloud, whispered, or repeatedly enunciated mentally. The correct pronunciation of 'OM' is to pronounce it with a certain rhythm so that the "au" (O) sound is blown out and the "m"(m) sound is reverberated within. 
There are many Western authors and researchers who have extensively studied the practice on "OM". Steven Surgess,  offers a technique for chanting OM in his book; The Yoga Book. He suggests "begin meditation by chanting "OM" aloud  for ten minutes, then chant " OM" in a whisper for the next ten minutes, finally be still and meditate on the spiritual eye ( the point between your eyebrows deep inside the forehead). Surrender into the vibrations of OM ...feel your awareness expanding still further into the field of pure consciousness, become one with OM".
John Schumacher an expert on Yoga and mental well being states that while chanting OM we begin with our mouths wide open and gradually close our lips as the sound progresses, we transition physically as well as mentally from projecting ourselves into the material outer world to redirecting ourselves into the sublime world of the inner self.

Furthermore, the science of yoga states that the sound 'a' starts in our chests at the Anahata Chakra (the heart centre) moves upward with the "O" sound into the Vissudha Chakra ( the throat centre) and ends with the sound 'm' (mmmm) which vibrates higher in the Ajna Chakra and Sahastrara Chakra ( centres in the head). Thus it represents and enhances the upward movement of pranic energy along our spine which takes place as we progress in our practice of chanting OM. 

The "Self Realization Fellowship" founded by Paramhansa Yogananda in 1920 offers instructions on its website for using Yoganandas "Om" healing technique. Yogananda noted that everything in the Universe is composed of energy and that the apparent differentiation between solids, liquids, gases, sound and light is merely a difference in their vibratory rates. He maintained that by chanting "OM" the divine vibration , we can increase the body's supply of cosmic energy and even direct it as a healing force to any part of the body, mind , and soul.

The thorough research works of Dr H.R. Nagendra et.al , at the Vivekananda Yoga Kendra (deemed University "VYASA") at Prashanti Kuteeram, Bangalore has scientifically signified the healing power of OM and meditating upon its syllable. 
It is said that 12,000 recitations of  Om remove all sins , while 12,000 recitations daily for a period of one year bring realization of The Absolute( Brahm). If that seems a little overwhelming , the yoga teachers state- simply try chanting Om in your daily meditation and let the incredible power of the sound and vibration work for you. This will bring your mind   into a singular yet Universal focus.

If one plucks or strikes one of the strings of a guitar, the other strings though unplucked  vibrate in resonance with the vibration from the plucked string. In a similar sense, all creation (in Nature) is nothing more or less than the strings vibrating in resonance with The First Vibration or The Word. Rhythmic chanting of this word "OM" and meditating upon its sound is like attempting to tune our mental vibrations with this divine sound. Greater concentration and deeper feeling with sincere practice resonates this sound silently within our minds at a steady pace synchronized with the pulse of this Great Cosmic sound.

The syllable: Omkara (the symbol representing the sound OM) is said to have been visualized by the ancient Rishis in the state of deep meditative trance. This symbol (syllable of the Grantham or Prakrit language which is the origin of Sanskrit) in modern scientific terms can be stated to be the spectrograph of the sound realized by the Vedic sages.  They had devised the first ever script of syllables based on the 'shapes' of the different acoustic manifestations of this sound. 

There are many meanings behind this sacred Vedic syllable "OM". Some regard it as a symbolic representation of the core of the cosmic energy field. George Feuerstein in the book "The Yoga Tradition" states - the syllable Om is held to be or to express the pulse of the cosmos itself. It was through meditative practice rather than intellectual speculation that the seers and sages of Vedic times arrived at the idea of a Universal sound, eternally resounding in the Universe, and they saw this sound as the very origin of the created world.

In terms of Sanskrit phonemes, the decomposition of the gross (and audible sound) of Om is written in the Devnagari script of this language as - - (a) + - (u) + - (m). The experts of the "Akshar Yoga" ( science of syllables) also attributed the geometrical segmentation of the shape OM,   as a combination of the shapes of the above letters and vowels.

In the introduction to "Light on Yoga" , B.K.S. Iyengar devotes nearly two pages to the various meanings of OM. In his view the letter "a" symbolises the conscious or the waking state, "u" the dream state, and the letter "m" the dreamless deep sleep (trance like) state of the mind and the spirit.The entire symbol (OM) Iyengar says -stands for the "realization of mans divinity within himself"."

Note: Enclosed are the links to two other articles on the same subject published on this blog earlier:
1. Did you know that the chant of Om is referenced  to by all major religions of the World
2. Om and the BIG BANG Theory of modern science- the Origin of the Universe !    
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Note about the author Acharya Shriram Sharma:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shriram_Sharma
Link to the book "VEDIC SYMBOLS"