om

Elliott

I understand this could be a lengthy question so forgive me.

What is the actual philosophy behind the mantra: Om. My basic understanding that Om is the sound of the universe but...... how is that suppose to mean anything to me, om is the sound of the universe??

Unless im being completly wrong here.

Your help would be appreciated, thanks.

caz

OM=The letter associated with the body of a buddha AH= The speech of a buddha and HUM= the mind of a buddha.

OM AH HUM fairly basic mantra recitations creates the causes for us to develop the body speech and mind of a buddha.

sukhita

The use of Om (Aum) in mantras, chants, and prayers has its origins from Vedic times... thats many hundreds of years before the Buddha's time.

See this link: http://www.lotussculpture.com/my_articles_om.htm

Many other 'concepts' from the Vedic or post Vedic times such as karma and samsara were also absorbed into Buddhism.

Kind regards.

Palzang

The whole use of mantras is one of those things that is often misunderstood by us Westerners. Actually mantras represent the essence of the teachings. They are similar to the Christian concept, like it says in Genesis, "In the beginning was the Word..." Mantras come from the mind of enlightenment, and they set up resonances in the subtle body, as taught in Tibetan Buddhism, so they're not just something you say. They really do have an effect on you.

On one level, OM AH HUNG does represent the body, speech, and mind of the Buddha. They are associated with the three main chakras of the body, the crown, the throat, and the heart. On another level they represent the three bodies of the Buddha, AH, the Dharmakaya (the primordial wisdom mind, beyond all concepts), OM, the Sambhogakaya (the body of bliss), and HUNG, the Nirmanakaya (the physical manifestation of the Buddha). And there are many other levels of meaning as well, sort of like the different levels of meaning we encounter as we go deeper into our practice.

BTW, there's nothing at all magic about mantras.

Palzang

Subjectivity9

There is more than one way to look at anything.

For instance, in ancient times, very often the monks were like the doctors today. They were looked to for healing, both mental and physical.

I have read that they knew more about sound and its healing effects than we do today, and that certain sounds like OM affected the body directly in good ways.

This is not so difficult to understand, when put with newer scientific discoveries like the fact that music releases serotonin, (Works as an antidepressant), and listening to music in a dentists office can lessen the amount of pain relieve required from chemicals.

Truth is often stranger than fiction, more magical,
S9