AUM - OM

The eternal, mystical syllable—the syllable that stands for the whole universe. It is pronounced with a nasalized ending, halfway between M and N. The letters comprise a triangle that physically delineate all the possibilities of sound. This sacred word encompasses in itself the whole universe, the past, the present and the future and goes beyond the periphery of Time itself. Beyond the symbol of the Brahman or the Universal Soul, it is the very essence of all that is sacred in Hindu thought. It is used at the beginning of meditation, at the beginning and at the end of a prayer, during the practice of Yoga, in fact at all times when the thought of the Brahman pervades one’s being.