analysis of OM

[Guest guest]

hariH OM!

 

my dearest friend colette asked me awhile ago to talk about

the OMkar and its metaphysical symbolism. recently the list

discussed such, and what was said was imo quite excellent

and insightful. what follows below may serve to augment it.

 

it's two parts: the first is my understanding of its symbolism

according to the vedantic perspective, followed by [in part] what

i wrote her (relating to perennial esotericism, evidenced somewhat

more in occidental metaphysics), edited and further elaborated.

 

sundarji also posted some [of course excellent] excerpts from

guru ramana re the various samadhi states. one in particular

discussed the sthithaprajna associated with the sahaja state

which, however, i believe can be *very* misleading. however,

bhagavan sri ramana in other discussions spoke and alluded to

different properties of awareness in this state. when i have

time, i'll post some of these. (i mention this here, because

that particular excerpt re the sahaja state can be interpreted

as significantly contradictory with what is being said below,

which can cause some unnecessary confusion. briefly, the idea

that the sahaja state yields absolutely no awareness of the

world can be misleading. as i said, i will discuss this very

important issue in some days to come, giving other references

where ramana unmistakably not only alludes to the contrary

but, perhaps even more importantly, whose behavior in many

instances *clearly demonstrates* the contrary!)

 

OM ramanarpanamasthu

OM namah sivaya

OM shaanthiprem

 

_____________

 

(note: the "=" sign below denotes not exactly that which

is utterly equal; but rather that which has an intrinsic

correlation or association.)

 

____________

 

vedantic analysis of 'OM'

 

O = empty circle symbol = the mouth open, resonating the

hollow tone of the attributeless Void = nirguna brahman =

nirvikalpa samadhi = nirmaya, no-Mind, no awareness of the

sohamidam (isvara/jiva/jagat or God/ego(s)/world) = pralaya

of brahma = disembodied state of the jivatman = the static

[changeless] Deep of the Ocean of Self.

 

M = graph symbol of Relativity = the mouth closed, resonating

the dynamic vibration of Life = saguna brahman = savikalpa

samadhi = maya, mata (mother), manas (Mind), man, manu, mana,

manifestation (note the "m's"!) = manvantara of brahma = the

awareness of the sohamidam = the embodied jivatman = the

dynamic [changing] Surface of the Ocean of Self.

 

OM = the fusion of nirguna and saguna brahman = advaitic

wisdom of "sarvam khalvidam brahma" ("all this [nirguna and

saguna sthithi] is brahman") = sahaja nirvikalpa samadhi =

foundational, stable state of the jnani [in sushupti-jagrat

(wakeful sleep)], who can also exclusively/particularly

oscillate [in the 'frontal' awareness] between the nirvikalpa

(trance or 'sleep') state and the savikalpa (alert or wakeful)

state = moksha.

 

OM tatsat OM!

 

_______________________________

 

OM = O + M

O = the Void (noumena)

M = the Plenum (phenomena)

 

the symbolism of the 'O' as the Void is obvious.

the symbolism of the 'M' as the Plenum is due to the shape of the

letter representing the four arms of the cross, formed into the

shape of a wave of water, which has 2 peaks and a valley, being

emblematic of Relativity. also, 'M' spawns the words maya, mother,

man, manifestation, mana, manas, manvantara, manu, etc (which is

not merely coincidence).

 

here's the progression (more elaborate):

 

(note the symbol "-->" used below represents, as in chemistry,

the idea that what was before "yields" or "becomes" or "resolves

into" the next permutation [being thus the natural evolutionary

progression of the former].)

 

O (Void)

-->

O with dot in middle (symbolizing "the birth of light and sound

in the cosmogenetic theory of the Big Bang

and also symbolizing the star")

-->

O with line dividing it, creating polarity in relativity, male/female.

(taking line [viz. the "|"] out and putting it in front of the

"O" and the number 10 emerges [being the number of completion

or at-ONE-ment])

-->

O [with the |] divided again (now with 2 lines [the cross]), emblematic

of the planet or satellite of the star, since manifestation is the

integration of vertical spirit and horizontal matter. (take out the

cross and you have the elements of maya, by rearranging the four arms

of the cross into the letter 'M' as the eternal manifestation of the

World Play or brahman's leela.)

 

so the cross inside the 'O' is the format of the *eternal*

Sport or Play of brahman.

 

_____________

[Guest guest]

The synbol OM actually has three parts or syllables A U and M.

 

Shri Shankaracharya's sishya,Shri Sureshvaracaharya in his PancheekaraNa Vartika

has explained this in the following manner: (Original relevent sanskrit slokas

are omitted and only the translation is given ):

 

" The one Reality which is conciousness in essence, appears by illusion as

different, in the form of Visva,Taijasa and Prajna as also in the form of

Viraj,Sutra and Akshara.

 

The whole universe is one with the syllable "Om"; for,the universe is made up of

designations and the designataed,which are never in fact perceived

seperately.Viishva is one with the syllable 'a'; the syllable 'u' is said to be

one with Taijasa,and the syllable 'm' is one with Prajna. In this order one

should regard them.

 

Prior to the time of samadhi,one should thus contemplate with much effort and

then dissolve the whole universe in the Concious Self,step by step,dissolving

the gross in the subtler one.The devotee should dissolve the syllable 'a', the

Vishva aspect of the Self, in the syllable 'u';and the syllable 'u' the subtle

Taijasa, in the syllable 'm';the syllable 'm',the Prajna, in the Chidatman, the

Concious Self. "I am the Concious Self,the

Eternal,Pure,Wise,Liberated,Existent,Seacondless;I am the 'Om', Vasudeva,the

Supreme Bliss in its entirety"; Having thus thought,he should dissolve even this

discriminative thought( Chitta) in the Witness thereof.When dissolved in the

Concious Atman,that thought should no longer be disturbed.He should remain as

the all-full Conciousness, like the full unmoving ocean.

 

Thus having attained balance in mind,endued with faith and devotion,having

subdued the sense organs,having overpowered anger,the Yogin should see the

secondless Atman.Because in the beginning ,at the middle and at the end,all this

is pain,therefore he should always firmly dwell in the Reality,abandoning all. "

 

warm regards,

 

Hari Om,

 

Swaminarayan

 

"f. maiello" <egodust wrote:

 

hariH OM!

 

my dearest friend colette asked me awhile ago to talk about

the OMkar and its metaphysical symbolism. recently the list

discussed such, and what was said was imo quite excellent

and insightful. what follows below may serve to augment it.

 

it's two parts:

 

 

 

 

Thousands of Stores. Millions of Products.

 

 

[Guest guest]

Namaste,

 

For those who would like to pursue on their own further study

of the 'praNava' symbol, maaNDukya upanishhad is a MUST. The

following on-line reasources would be useful:

 

http://www.friesian.com/upan.htm#manduk tr. Radhakrishnan, Moore, Wood

 

http://www.san.beck.org/Upan6-Mandukya.html tr. Sanderson Beck

 

http://www.swami-krishnananda.org/mand_0.html tr. Sw. Krishnananda

 

http://www.philo.demon.co.uk/gaudapad.htm Tr. of Karikas of Gaudapada

[based on tr. by Nikhilananda, & by Gambhirananda

 

http://www.philo.demon.co.uk/Darshana.htm 'Darshana',Indian Philosophy

 

 

Regards,

 

s.

 

 

 

advaitin , Swaminarayan T <tvswaminarayan>

wrote:

>

> The synbol OM actually has three parts or syllables A U and M.