Aum; the primordial sound that created the universe, and the
word considered sacred to many and by many. For those who practice yoga or are
familiar with Hindu texts, the word Aum is considered to be the word that holds
the sacred vibration that created the universe and contains immense healing
qualities when sounded out. The word itself, or sound as it may be, is voiced
as it is written. As you chant it, you shape your mouth around the word so the
letters of the word are individually sounded out. A-U-M. When it is correctly
sounded out, the ‘A’ should be felt as a vibration which begins in the abdomen
and works its way up through the body, while the ‘U’ should be felt vibrating
in the chest and then the ‘M’ is felt in the cranium or head. Each of these
three parts of the sound is representative of the cycle of the universe. The
abdominal vibration symbolises creation, while the vibration in the chest
region symbolises preservation and finally the head vibration symbolises
destruction or sacrifice.
The reason for this deliberate sounding out is due to the vibrational
qualities that are produced when each letter is voiced. Aum is considered to be
the sacred sound that set into motion the creation of the universe, but why
exactly is this? How did this idea come about? Well, this word has a very rich
history and contains many qualities that add to the sacred and spiritual
aspects of it. This sound was found first in the Vedic scriptures of Hinduism
which are the religious texts in the Hindu religion, which define truth and the
philosophical teachings of this colourful and polytheistic religion and are
said to possibly be up to 2600 years old. Even the AUM symbol itself is
meaningful and symbolises the human life in its many forms. The symbol is made
up of three curves, a semicircle and a dot. The lower curve symbolises the
waking state, otherwise known as our consciousness, while the upper curve is
symbolic of deep sleep or the unconscious state and the third curve denotes the
dream state. These are the three states of an individual’s consciousness, and
thus all that we are capable of within our minds. The dot is symbolic of
Absolute consciousness and finally the semicircle is representative of maya or illusion. Therefore the Aum
symbol is symbolic of life; the life of a human and the life of the universe.
It is all-encompassing.
The origins of Aum stem back to Hindu cosmology which state
that the universe is cyclically created and destroyed in the finite life cycle
of the universe. This view attains that the universe is created and destroyed
repeatedly over a repetitive series of cycles, although through this cycle of
death and re-birth it is infinite. Indian seers and mystics have gained this
knowledge through astrology without the aid of modern science. It is written in
the stars.
Some of you might have heard of cymatics - the science of
sound frequencies. If you haven’t already look into it, as it is incredibly
interesting. In cymatics a large cardboard sheet of paper with sand particles
on top of it is placed on top of a speaker, and when amplified sounds –such as
Aum- are played through it sacred symbols are formed by the loose grains of
sand on the cardboard. Many of these symbols that are formed are of ancient
origin or form sacred geometric shapes. When Aum is chanted or hummed, we are
paying respect to the existence of our universe which keeps us alive and
supports our life, whether this be through a divine hand or an unknown physical
force. By the recitation of this sacred sound we are acknowledging our place in
the universe and our connection to it. We are honouring that we play a part in
the divine dance of existence and that we are are an active participant within
it. You, me, the the sea, the trees the sky, the cosmos… we are all intimately
connected. We are all One.
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