Introduction: Aum / Om

• Om is a Sanskrit word and bija mantra.
• It is said to be the sound from which the universe manifested.
• Om represents Absolute Reality which is not subject to change. It represents the Supreme Being and is an affirmation of the Divine Presence that is the Universe.
• Written as “AUM,” each of the letters and the silence afterward represent states of consciousness and other “sacred threes.”
• Most scholarly sources use Om and AUM interchangeably.

The Most Often Chanted Sacred Sound

Of all the sacred sounds on this planet, the one that is most often chanted is the “OM.” Undoubtedly, at any given moment, there is someone, somewhere chanting this sacred mantra. The “OM ” is considered one of the oldest vocal sounds in existence—many speculate that it has been chanted for untold thousands of years. It is considered to be the original, primordial sound—the mantra of creation… To many, the sound of OM is synonymous with the energy of peace. OM may be found as the root of many sacred words of different languages including our western “Amen” and the Hebrew “Shalom”, which has many meanings including “peace.” The OM initiates peace and tranquility when it is listened to, and particularly when it is chanted. – Jonathan Goldman

Attunes Us with Our True Nature

Om is the prime mantra of the Purusha, the Cosmic Being, the Atman or higher Self. As such, it attunes us with our true nature and higher reality. Om is the sound of Ishvara, the cosmic lord, the creator, preserver and destroyer of the universe, who is also the inner guru and prime teacher of Yoga. It reflects both the manifest and the unmanifest Brahman, sustaining the vibration of being, life and consciousness in all worlds and all creatures. – Dr. David Frawley