The Word That is God

of speech and life-force in the intonation of Om that reveals the likeness of the individual
consciousness (jiva) to Brahman Itself.
“Speech and Life-force are joined together in the Syllable Om.” Both speech and prana are
manifested and reunited in the repetition of Om. Om is the point of their origin and their
return. Om is the source of all things, and therefore of speech and prana. By Om we begin
moving back to the state where they are one.
There is a very practical side to this, for: “Verily, whenever the pair come together, they
fulfil each other’s desire. He who knowing this thus, meditates on the Syllable, becomes,
verily, a fulfiller of desires.” Om being the source of all and the manifester of all is obviously
the accomplisher of all. He who has his consciousness united with Om will accomplish whatever
he desires. This is supported by the upanishadic seer pointing out that in Vedic rituals Om
was employed as a term of assent. Therefore whatever an adept in Om Yoga desires, it will be
assented to.
Since prana also means breath, the foregoing applies to the joining of Om to the breath in
the practice of Om Yoga. There is simply no comparison possible between the religious
endeavor of the religionist who knows of Om, but does not know Om by direct experience, and
the Om Yogi who does know. For Om is Divine Power Itself.
“He obtains wishes by singing [intoning], who knowing this, meditates on the udgitha
[Om] as the syllable. This, with regard to the self.” (Chandogya Upanishad 1.2.14)
We are frequently going to encounter the word udgitha in the upanishadic verses regarding
Om. Om is essential for all Vedic recitations and rites, being intoned throughout. It is technically
referred to as “the udgitha” in the ceremonial texts, and the upanishads also use that term to
underscore its prime value and dignity as the essence of the Vedas.
Those who desire to know the Self as they engage in the japa and meditation of Om shall
indeed obtain that knowing.
“One should meditate on the udgitha as this syllable [Om]….Verily, the gods, when they
were afraid of death, took refuge in the threefold knowledge [of the Rig, Saman, and Yajur
Vedas]. …Death saw them there in the Rig, in the Saman and in the Yajus just as one might
see a fish in water. When they found this out, they rose out of the Rig, out of the Saman, out
of the Yajus and took refuge in sound. Verily, then one learns the Rik, one sounds out Om. [It
is] the same with Saman; [it is] the same with Yajus. This sound is that syllable, the immortal,
the fearless. Having entered this, the gods became immortal, fearless. He who knows it thus,
praises this Syllable, takes refuge in that Syllable, in the immortal, fearless sound, and having
entered it, he becomes immortal, even as the gods became immortal.” (Chandogya Upanishad
1.4.1-5)
The Rig Veda has told us that the gods repose on/in the bindu of Om, the center of all
being, the “heart” of God. Now we are being given an account of how they ascended to
immortality. While examining this, we should keep in mind that the “gods” not only exist in
the subtle cosmos, but they exist also in us. Therefore a parable about the external gods
reveals the inner spiritual faculties that correspond to them.
The gods felt they would be safe from death by merging their consciousness with the
Vedic sound-powers. This, of course, was foolish, since all that begins must end. Only the
eternal abides unchanging and forever. Just as creation is cyclic, so also is the sounding forth
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