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[edit] Summary

العربية: أُم

English: Aum

Omh/Aum- symbol of hindu faith A hindu faith which many followers believe in.

Om is the universal name of the Lord. It is made up of the letters A (phonetically as in "around"), U (phonetically as in "put") and M (phonetically as in "mum"). The sound emerging from the vocal chords starts from the base of the throat as "A". With the coming together of the lips, "U" is formed and when the lips are closed, all sounds end in "M".

The three letters symbolize the three states (waking, dream and deep sleep), the three deities (Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva), the three Vedas (Rig, Yajur and Sama) the three worlds (Bhuh, Bhuvah, Suvah) etc. The Lord is all these and beyond.

Om is also called pranava that means, "that (symbol or sound) by which the Lord is praised". The entire essence of the Vedas is enshrined in the word Om. It is said that the Lord started creating the world after chanting Om and atha. Hence its sound is considered to create an auspicious beginning for any task that we undertake. The Om chant should have the resounding sound of a bell (aaooommm).

The most common form symbolizes Lord Ganesha’s. The upper curve is the head; the lower large one, the stomach; the side one, the trunk; and the semi-circular mark with the dot, the sweetmeat ball (modaka) in Lord Ganesha's hand. Thus Om symbolizes everything - the means and the goal of life, the world and the Truth behind it, the material and the Sacred, all form and the Formless.

Om is one of the most chanted sound symbols in India. It has a profound effect on the body and mind of the one who chants and also on the surroundings. Most mantras and vedic prayers start with Om.

All auspicious actions begin with Om. It is even used as a greeting - Om, Hari Om etc. It is repeated as a mantra or meditated upon. Its form is worshipped, contemplated upon or used as an auspicious sign.

Through whatever language symbology used at the time, inside the Essene temple where the Wailing Wall stands today -- written on the other side of the wall -- was a descriptor of a "sacred sound" of the Universe, the omkara, the accoustic root of the Universe, of which only well-prepared initiates were allowed to partake of its sound, the "om" or "aum" sound.

Abraham's family were Shaivites, worshippers of Shiva, who, among other families, migrated from the western edge of the then Bharata [India] or eastern Persia at the time of a great monsoon with long-lasting rains that sent local people westward in search of dryer grounds and clearer skies. [1]

Om, the omkara, had been discovered and put to use many thousands of years ago, even before Shiva, who was here on Earth somewhere between 6,200 and 7,000 years ago. Upon raising one's kundalini above the fourth chakra, anahat chakra, the bass tone resonance of this omkara sound can, and will, permeate the spiritual aspirant's being, filling their attention in much the same way that the air that surrounds us permeates our being now. This omkara, and another universally resonant tone, can be heard by all sadhakas [spiritual aspirants] who have experienced the amrta [nectar] of enlightenment through sincere practice.

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	Date/Time	Thumbnail	Dimensions	User	Comment
current	18:05, 10 December 2007		356×367 (3 KB)	Rugby471	(cleanup)
	17:28, 6 December 2007		356×367 (4 KB)	Rugby471	(Om)