The Aum Symbol – History And Meaning

Aum, also spelled “Om” or “Ohm,” is a symbol most sacred not only for followers of Hinduism but Buddhism and Jainism as well. Aum is also the symbol’s corresponding sound or chants interpreted in mentioned religions and other similar faiths as the sound of the universe. 

If you want to learn more about the Aum symbol, read on to find out the meaning, history, and significance of this religious symbol.

The Aum Symbol – History And Meaning

The Aum symbol is not limited to these religions, however. In fact, yoga practitioners use it along with their corresponding chant. The Aum symbol has also become incredibly popular as a feature on jewelry and decorations, particularly among feng shui practitioners all over the world.

Beads with mantra carvings are marketed as a symbol of heavenly blessings and protection. These “mantra beads” are commonly paired with feng shui symbols of prosperity. 

The Aum symbol, along with its corresponding chants or recitations, makes up a part of the myriad symbols of Hinduism and Buddhism. It reaches and touches people of all races and different religious beliefs. 

The Aum is easy to relate to because, well, who doesn’t aim for peace, tranquility, and unity? And these are exactly what this symbol—and chant—represents.

Aum History

Since the 6th century, the Aum symbol has been used to mark the beginning of a text in an inscription or a manuscript. 

Aum was first introduced in the sacred Hindu texts of religious teaching and ideas, the Upanishads, where Aum is said to be immortal and symbolic of all perception of time: the past, the present, and the future. The Vedanta philosophy further explains the deeper aspects of the Aum mystery.

In  Buddhism, the 14th Dalai Lama stated that the three letters of Aum symbolize the imperfect and impure body, speech, and mind of a practitioner’s unenlightened life. They also denote an enlightened Buddha’s pure, enlightened body, speech, and mind. 

Indian spiritual science explains that it was sound that was God’s first creation and from it came the world. This sound made up our whole existence. Every matter is supposed to have started from sound and Aum is the holiest of all sounds, being the syllable that predated the universe.

It is also believed that “Aum” is the origin of the Islamic “Amin” and the Christian “Amen.” 

The Aum Symbol

The Aum symbol is interpreted as the most untainted base of life and of everything that is. It is eternal knowledge and language, infinite and without end.

Both the Aum symbol and the chant are conducive to relaxation, slowing down, and being conscious of our breathing.

The Aum symbol is also identified with the Hindu god Ganesha because the symbol’s shapes are quite similar to his elephant form. What this Hindu god and the Aum stand for is also very much alike. Ganesha removes obstructions and lets go of corporeal desires in order to attain the state of bliss. 

The bottom curve of the Aum symbol denotes the waking state, the dream state is represented by its middle curve, and the upper curve is interpreted as the state of deep sleep. The crescent above these curves means illusion (“maya”), which obstructs the route to the ultimate state of bliss. The dot on top of the Aum symbol is meant to represent the state of bliss or the absolute state.

The Aum symbol is sacred in Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and other similar faiths. It is part of depictions and writings denoting these religions. 

Aum Symbol Meaning

Aum is one of the most sacred Hindu symbols. In Sanskrit, Aum means “to sound out loudly.”

Aum, as the Hindus believe, can be translated as follows: The letter “A” signifies the waking state; “U” stands for the dream state; and “M” denotes the unconscious state or the state of deep sleep. 

Aum is the first part of the top mantras in Hinduism as well as Buddhism. As claimed by the Upanishads, Aum is god in sound form. It is the all-encompassing cosmic vibration—the mula mantra or the “root” syllable—that holds the atoms and all the universe together.