What the Om Really Means - The Profound Power of the Om

Transcript

one of the most complex and multi-layered symbols you'll ever encounter the OM is rich in meaning it's a unique symbol found in Hinduism and other religions of India including Jainism Buddhism and Sikhism understanding arm can be confusing because it refers to both the sound um foreign that represents the sound so when talking about the symbol we have to take the meaning of the OM chant into account as well the concept of om originated a few thousand years ago in the upanishads Sanskrit Vedic texts which contain new religious ideas and teachings that would change the trajectory of Indian religious thoughts these texts presented the idea of a diverse yet interconnected Universe unified by a single principle the articulation of which in any form is called Brahman the impersonal absolute the sound om is one way to represent Brahman the omnipotent omniscient and impersonal source of all existence it's the primary vibration from which every single material thing in the universe originates taken this way om represents creation and God itself it is God in the form of sound the om symbol consists of several Elements which include three curves a semicircle and a DOT each of these holds profound meaning encompassing the philosophy of many of the Indian religions the lower curve represents the waking state in which Consciousness is turned out in a way from the gates of the senses the upper curve denotes a state of Deep Sleep also called the unconscious State it's in this state that a person doesn't desire anything or even dream the middle curve lies just between the state of deep sleep and the waking state it symbolizes the dream state in which the consciousness of the sleeper is turned inwards and they see an enthralling view of the world the semicircle above the three curves symbolizes Maya meaning magic or Illusion it keeps the curves separate from the dots Maya is what prevents a person from realizing the highest state of bliss and Enlightenment but the semicircle is open it isn't touching the dot signifying that Maya doesn't affect the highest state of consciousness it only impacts the manifested phenomenon in simpler terms Maya exists to prevent a person from reaching the ultimate goal and finally the dot represents the fourth and final State of Consciousness which is Transcendental Blissful and peaceful it is the highest state of consciousness that a person can achieve um om is pronounced as a three sound Chon a-u-m and the symbol has three individual elements so it's clear that the threefold nature of om is also Central to its meaning and stands for important Triads such as the three Worlds the atmosphere the earth and the heaven the three sacred Vedic scriptures rig Sama and yajur the three main Hindu gods Vishnu Shiva and Brahma the om symbol also represents Unity creation intuition knowledge some say that the OM is similar to the shape of Lord ganesha's body the Hindu god of Beginnings depicted with the head of an elephant the curves on the left side of the symbol Loosely represent his head and belly while the curve on the right side is his trunk the semicircular curve with the dot on top is the sweet meatball scene in Ganesha hand Ganesha is known as the God who removes all obstacles this links to the meaning of arm signifying the idea that one must overcome all obstacles and let everything go before being able to reach the absolute state of being the ohm symbol is seen by Hindus as a fundamental component of the metaphysical and physical principles of Hinduism one of the most chanted symbols in India it's said to have a profound effect on the mind and body of anyone who chants it when chanting om correctly the sound reverberates through the entire body filling it with tranquility and energy physically the act of chanting arm relaxes the body slows down the nervous system and calms and relaxes the mind on YouTube you will find videos that play back the sound of arm for hours at a time listening to such sounds is believed to be calming and removes negativity in mental blocks many yoga or meditation classes begin with the chanting of om and with the popularity of these Eastern practices in the west the Om symbol and the sound are widely known across the globe because the arm symbol has meanings that trans send religion it can be worn by even those who are non-believers but it's best to do it respectfully after all the arm is one of the most sacred symbols that exist in any religious belief what does the om symbol mean to you let us know in the comments below if you enjoyed this video so we can continue making more videos like this thanks for watching [Music]