Namaskar Oct 2012

the point above the
crescent moon
represents pure
consciousness
Unlike all other sounds, which require air
movement to create their sound, in the case
of Aum the fourth syllable is silent, the
unstruck sound (anahat nada), and we shall
come back to this when we examine how
to chant Aum.
The pictograph of Aum, which is familiar
to most yogis (and anyone who happens
to have seen the tattoo on my back) also
symbolizes different aspects of our
consciousness a) the waking state : jagrathaavastha
“A”, b) the subconscious dream
state: svapna-avastha “U” and c) the
unconscious state: susupta-avastha “M’ and
these states are represented by the three
curves that combined look a bit like the
number 30.
Now for the really interesting bit - the
point (bindu – which in metaphysics
represents the point where multiplicity
merges back into unity) above the crescent
moon represents the unstruck sound I
referred to earlier in this article. It represents
the fourth state of consciousness called
Turiya which is pure consciousness and
transcends the other three states. In Turiya
there are no thoughts and no “I” and no
relative existence.
The crescent moon below the bindu
represents maya, (which in Vedanta is the
illusion of the ‘reality’ of the manifest and
in Tantra is the veil that cloaks the absolute
from the relative). But let’s move on to
consider how to chant.
HOW TO CHANT AUM
So once we are sitting comfortably we can
commence our Aum japa. The first syllable
is the “A” and is pronounced as ‘ahhh’
somewhat like the sound made when the
doctor wishes to inspect your tonsils! It
should come from the back of the throat
with the lips in a quite wide horizontal
elliptical shape akin to a wide-mouthed
frog (if you ever happen to have spotted
one)! It refers to the gross world i.e. the
physical world.
Then comes the “U” as the second syllable
and is pronounced somewhere between an
‘oo’ and an ‘or’ with the lips closing slightly
into an oval shape and resembles the
sound you might make if the doctor then
took your temperature using a very cold
rectoral thermometer! It refers to the subtle
astral world.
Then comes the third syllable, the “M”,
pronounced ‘mmm’ with the lips gently
closed (which intensifies the vibratory
resonance in the brain per Sri Dharma
Mittra, whom many readers will know as a
remarkable teacher of yoga with over half a
century of experience). The sound is similar
to that made after your first sip of hot
coffee on a cold winter’s day. It refers to the
causal realm and can be imagined as the
canvas on which the subtle and gross
realms are painted.
Finally, last but by no means least, we arrive
at the fourth syllable referred to earlier,
which is the unstruck sound of silence,
which does not sound like any other sound
in the manifest world, wherein the
practitioner may experience absolute reality
which encompasses all three of the prior
realms above. This last realm is the most
esoteric and probably the one most
students will take time to fully appreciate,
but during the silence the practitioner can
still experience the vibration of the mantra
in the higher chakras, particularly in ajna
(third eye) and sahasrara (crown) chakras.
RATIOS
There does not appear to be any scriptural
text that defines the ratio of time of each
syllable of the mantra, but typically most
gurus and swamis (e.g. Swami Jnaneshvara
Bharati), who have commented on this
topic, suggest the “M” should be longer
than the “A” and “U” but to varying
degrees. Personally I think after practicing
for a while, one develops a sense of what
feels right for you, although in a class
situation it is respectful to follow the lead
of the teacher. Typically beginners with
limited lung capacity may find their “M” is
too short because they run out of breath,
so unless you are an ex-deep sea pearl diver
then try not to get carried away with the
“AU” parts.
DECIBELS
So is there any guidance on how loud the
Aum should be? Again, different traditions
seem to have different approaches from
soft to loud. In Sanskrit the word japa
(repetition) derives from the root ‘jap’
which means ‘to utter in a low voice, repeat
internally or mutter’, so that would suggest
a softer Aum is appropriate. However, a
louder chant can be invigorating and (per
Omved) gives the practitioner a sense of
the omnipotence of the Supreme. I would
also add that chanting silently does not give
me the physical experience of feeling the
vibration of the sounds, not to mention in
a group setting it would seem a bit solitary!
So the only conclusion I can draw on this
point is that the fourth syllable, the
unstruck sound, should be silent, no
matter which tradition you follow.
FINAL FOOD FOR THOUGHT:
In the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna highlights
the importance of chanting Aum at the
time of one’s death: “Repeating in this
state (of meditation) the divine name, the
syllable Om that represents the changeless
Brahman, you will go forth from the body
and attain the supreme goal.” (Ch 8.13)
But for those of you in more of a hurry to
reach samadhi, I should like to refer you to
the Shiva Purana which apparently states
1,080,000,000 recitations of Aum purify
our mind and lead us automatically to
salvation. By my calculations, assuming 30
seconds per Aum, if you chant 12 hours a
day uninterruptedly for just over 2,000
years you will have reached the requisite
number of recitations!
Off I go….1,2,3….oh darn, there goes my
Blackberry again!
Andy is an
enthusiastic yoga
practitioner and now
teacher too with a
background in
aerobics and martial
arts. Outside work as
a headhunter and
practising yoga, he
plays the saxophone
for pleasure...his,
rather than the
neighbours’!
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