What is OM?

HOUSTON: Excerpted from the enlightening talks by revered master Anandmurti Gurumaa, this article sheds light on the essential meaning of the Mahamantra OM.

What is the root of all mantras? Rishi says OM is the fundamental starting point of all mantras. Three alphabets conjoin to form OM. OM emerges from a fusion of three distinctive sounds. Without sounds, there can be no words, no alphabets. So, we can say that OM emerged from the confluence of three sounds  ‘A’, ‘U’ and‘M’. In Sanskrit this is a symbol, known as a mahamātrā, representing that which is transcendental to every sound, every alphabet. This means that it is beyond the mind. OM is a symbolic and phonetic representation of Brahman. And the most interesting thing is that these three sounds of OM produce a tremendous impact on our body and mind. But then it is also true that just as an arrow is ineffective if the string is not stretched appropriately, likewise if the string of your mind is not ‘stretched’ (i.e. focussed) then you will not experience the effect of OM.

Say if you were to go in the middle of a busy road and shout ‘Stop!’, will the vehicles listen to you? People will think you are a lunatic and drive past. But, if a traffic policeman waves his hand to stop the traffic, the vehicles will halt immediately. This is because the policeman has the power, the necessary authority and you don’t. Similarly, the effect of baikhari depends upon who is chanting, and how is he chanting. So, the first step is that the string of mind needs to be stretched i.e. the mind needs to be integrated, focused. And secondly, you should be familiar with the sound and vibrations of OM. See, sound is a type of energy. Vibrations travel through air (or other mediums) and are heard as sound when they reach our ears. So when you produce the sound ‘A’, ‘U’ and ‘M’ you should be able to clearly perceive the vibrations, especially in the navel, chest and throat region respectively. Now, this will be possible only when your mind is focused on those areas and does not wander anywhere else. On the other hand, if the mind is scattered, thinking about past or future, it will be unavailable to perceive the vibrations.

Anandmurti Gurumaa will be in Houston On 28,29,30 and 31 July.  For more information call 713 834 2397.