AUM &OM***

A, U, M  &  “OM”.

The word AUM has been chosen because it is a short easily remembered syllable. The separate sounds of the word are symbols, nothing more. The combination of these three letter sounds in the one word symbolizes the world's unity. 

The three divisions of time--past present and future~ are also symbolized. Moreover, AUM contains three letters and Atman contains three states. Finally, just as it requires four quarters to merge and make up a whole unity, so A, U, and M are three of these quarters. 

A: When one  thinks of himself as seeing the waking experience ; but when he thinks of  the self apart from that self is  Atman.

 U: he regards his -self as being in the dream. This is a higher idea, because he knows that the universe is an object to the subject which is Atman.

M:When one understands that through deep sleep he is able to measure all else, that all other things (and the sounds A and U symbolizing them) merge back into Deep sleep, are all found in it, and re-appear from it. This is a still higher degree.

Even if one takes any language he likes, he finds that A involves the opening of the mouth whereas M involves shutting it. Now all sound implies soundlessness, because it begins from that and ends with that. Hence, the two always go together. 

Similarly, the knower and Known go together to form Brahman, are always present together although we do not usually recognize it. AUM= Turiya: This is not a state, as the ignorant Orthodoxy think.

 This word includes all the three sounds, which have merged in it. So the waking merges in dream, the latter in sleep and all the three in AUM. The latter is a unity, nevertheless it contains a trinity. Thus, when the word is made the subject of intelligent reflection, such meditation becomes a great help to the attainment, as Advaitins says, for it thus becomes an examination of the whole of life. 

Sounds imply names, names imply objects, objects imply the whole world. "Au" is beginning of all sounds, "uM" is the end of all sounds, even other sound is included within them, i.e. within AUM. 

Whatever may come in the future, whatever object existed in the past, whatever thing you can think of in the present ~ all these are included in the single word AUM, because all are named, hence are ideas, hence within the single mind. 

The word is a mnemonic purposely invented to give men in one short syllable, in the smallest compass, a handy reminder that everything, ~ this hill , your shirt , that dog ~ is of one and the same essential character. Every time any object is seen, you utter Aum and thus remember that it, and all other things, are the self. Every object in the external world is indicated by a name. Hence, the phrase "the universe consists of names and forms.” All names are but words. As soon as a word is uttered, what does your mind do? A thought comes. Now all these words in every language, all these sounds, all these thoughts, are compressed in the one word Aum; which also enables all objects to be comprehended by the Mind as being ideas. Hence, this word is unique. Nothing exists which is outside the scope of referential meaning AUM. 

Aum therefore is the whole of existence, the universe. But why is this specific word Aum chosen for such high office? Take the first letter "AH". It is the sound phonetically uttered by the mouth when it first opens. "UM" is the sound it utters when at last it closes. Hence, all sounds, without a single exception must be comprised between the opening and shutting of the lips, i.e. between "AH" and "UM" and as Brahman is silence, so ultimately the AUM disappears with the sounding of "UM" into silence, because the mouth must then shut. You have to use words to denote things, objects. You have to use letters to form words. The word AUM summarizes all other words. Finally, even this word disappears when the sound of it goes. So the letting go of AUM is to make you drop the whole world and make you think of Brahman. Thus, the mystery of AUM is wrapped in the meaning of words. Semantics aim at clarifying meanings, but AUM ultimately shows you that all words are futile because they cannot express the ultimate nature of anything: Silence alone does this. 

One cannot produce any sound without opening the mouth and the first sound he utters while opening the mouth is A. Thus A is said to pervade all sounds. A is considered to be the symbol of the universe because all objects are indicated by ideas, and all ideas are indicated by sounds and all sounds are pervaded by the letter A. 

When we utter the word "sound" how can we understand the meaning of sound? It is only by distinguishing it from soundlessness that we can understand sound. All sounds are got from soundlessness. Similarly, all the states are got from the Turiya, corresponding to soundlessness. We have to merge waking into dreams, then merge dream into deep sleep. And finally we have to merge even this into Turiya. 

AUM is conceived as the whole universe, which has got four quarters. How can one know that the universe and the self-[soul] are identical? The answer is "Look into his -self--the Atman.” This Atman has also four corresponding quarters.

 When one utter the word AUM, the waking comes before him: when he thinks of dream, the dream states come before him, and so also with sleep. Thus, every time he utters the word AUM the three states come before him. 

Meditation on symbols is meant for dull and mediocre intellects. When we utter the word AUM we must think of the three states and also of the Atman. 

Aum is a sound, how can it be an elephant? "All sounds" means all objects, or entire Brahman. 

Anything which is a thought, is an idea, and hence a superimposition. Aum is the substratum of all the words. It is the word of Atman. Aum stands for the sound and not the letter which is found in all languages. It sums up all the sounds in all the languages. As upon the mind everything else is super-imposed, so upon the Aum everything else is superimposed. 

The sound has for its substratum or substance one’s own self. It comes from and disappears into the self, which is Atman.

All this baggage is not necessary in  the pursuit of truth.  The Seeker has to find and realize “What is mind?” and “What is the substance of the Mind?” and "What is the source of the mind?"  nothing else in order to unfold the mystery of the physical existence ( the universe or the waking).  

The individuality is A  reality within the falsehood. All the great sages existed within the illusory duality (universe).  The duality is impermanent because it appears and disappears.  The duality is mere an illusion from the ultimate standpoint. The individuality names and forms are reality within the unreality (duality). The unreality (duality) is created out of single stuff. That single stuff is consciousness (spirit). Thus,  what is the use of talking about the unreality while we are seeking reality? The seeker aim is to realize  the ultimate truth. It is no use of discussing the unimportant subject in Atmic discussion.   

Many people are not even aware what is Atman; though knowing of it, many do not comprehend. Only few expound the  self- knowledge and very rare assimilate and realize it.  It is all because of their inherited religious and social background and grooming.

 There is a need to dismantle the inherited physical structure mentally to overcome the duality. The whole physical structure is built on the foundation of the ‘I’. Since they think the ‘I’ as Atman/self, it becomes difficult to grasp and assimilate and realize the non-dualistic truth.