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There was a temple on the summit of a very high mountain. At the base of that mountain was a sign, and it pointed the way to the most beautiful Buddha. I think that temple is in South Korea. When you reach the top, there is a stūpa there, but it is actually empty. There is no statue and no image of the Buddha there. Yet, through the arches of the temple on all sides, you can see the view, which is quite stunning in all four directions. In the middle of that stūpa is one small note. It says: "If you can’t see the Buddha here, then you better go down and practice some more." I was looking at that view last night and thinking how beautiful it was. If you cannot see beauty in that, then we had better go and practice some more. This morning, Gajanandjī is going to talk about the Oṁ bhajan, as we chant Oṁ in the morning and perform pūjā. Or, as Avatār Purī would call it, "bakery." I was just speaking earlier with Govind Purī about a memory of Avatār Purī as a small boy—a story Avatār Purī loves to hear because it is true. The story is that Avatār Purī first walked for a chocolate. Premanānjī was about five or six meters away, and Avatār Purī was doing all the things with his feet but would not let go. I was standing there with the chocolate. Suddenly, it was no longer important to hold on; it was just the chocolate. So he tells that story: "I learned to walk because of the chocolate." He often says, "Don’t tell me that story. Tell me that story when I was walking around making chocolate." Talking about Oṁ is not a small task. In fact, he who tells you he can explain it to you—do not even listen to him, because it is not like that. Oṁ is not an object you can know and describe. Oṁ is the sound-form of God itself; it is God. As Swāmījī always says: Nāda rūpa para-brahma—the highest divine self, Para-Brahma, takes the form, appears in the form of sound. And that sound is Oṁ. There is a beautiful mantra about Oṁ: Oṁkāra bindu saṁyuktaṁ nityaṁ dhyāyanti yoginaḥ | Kāmaṁ mokṣaṁ ca vāñchanti tad oṁkāra namo 'stu te || Oṁ kāraṇāya namaḥ | To explain, "kāra" here in Hindi means making Oṁ, the sound of Oṁ. Oṁkāra simply means the sound, the letter Oṁ. "Bindu" is connected with the point, and we know it from the Bindu chakra, the point where the divine nectar, the amṛt, is produced. Amṛt means immortality. So oṁkāra bindu saṁyuktaṁ means Oṁ is connected with the Bindu. It is a hint: "Oṁ gives the immortality, the nectar of immortality, the amṛt." Nityaṁ dhyāyanti yoginaḥ: "Dhyāyanti"—you recognize the word dhyāna, to meditate. So, the yogīs meditate on Oṁ eternally. Nitya can be understood in the sense of daily, as a daily practice. Kāmaṁ mokṣaṁ ca vāñchanti: Kāma are desires and passions. It liberates us from our passions and desires; in other words, it purifies our karma. And mokṣa, liberation—it eases and guides us on the path to mokṣa. Tad oṁkāra namo 'stu te: "My salutation to that divine Oṁ." Oṁ kāraṇāya namaḥ: "My salutation to the divine Oṁ." When you want to know about Oṁ, there is one holy scripture entirely dedicated to it: the Māṇḍūkya Upaniṣad. It is the shortest of all, with only twelve ślokas, so the whole Upaniṣad fits easily on one page. Yet, it is seen as the most essential of all Upaniṣads. From the traditional understanding of Vedānta, it is said you just meditate on this Upaniṣad, and that should be enough to realize God. If, unfortunately, it did not work for you, then you must study and meditate upon the ten major Upaniṣads. If still you did not manage, then there are thirty Upaniṣads to meditate upon. And if you are a little bit slow and it still did not work, then you must study all the Upaniṣads. But the Oṁ Upaniṣad, the Māṇḍūkya Upaniṣad, is seen as the essence of all. I will try to give just the short essence of this Upaniṣad. The first śloka is: "Oṁ." This word contains the whole universe. The universe—whatever was in the past, whatever is in the present, whatever will be in the future—all that is Oṁ. And whatever is beyond these three times, that too is Oṁ. So, Oṁ is everything. Whatever was in the past, present, or future means this material universe, which is changing and developing in time and space. That is what we would call Saguṇa—that which is describable, which has form. And whatever is beyond these three times—in samādhi there is no time, no space—even that is Oṁ. Here is a very important statement already: Oṁ is both Nirguṇa and Saguṇa. The second śloka says: "All this is Brahman." The next sentence is very important because it is one of the four Mahāvākyas of the Vedas: Ayam ātmā brahma—"This Ātmā is Brahman." This is one of the basic statements of Vedānta, declaring the oneness between our individual ātmā (which is actually not individual) and the universal Self. "This ātmā, my ātmā, is Brahman." It is expounded in more detail. It says this ātmā has four aspects, and these are the three parts of Oṁ. Oṁ is not just O-M, but A-U-M. Therefore, traditionally it is written as three letters joined together, and these three letters represent different aspects of Oṁ, different aspects of our universe and our own existence. "A" stands for the waking state of our consciousness, in which we are now. "U" stands for the dream state. And "M" stands for deep sleep. We could also say the conscious level, the subconscious level, and the unconscious level. But all this is on the Saguṇa side. The three aspects of Oṁ describe different aspects of this creation, of this universe. This Upaniṣad specifically describes the different levels of consciousness. Perhaps even more important is that it also represents the three guṇas: tamas, rajas, and sattva; the three times: past, present, and future; and the three aspects of God: Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Śiva. These are the elements from which this universe is composed. When Swāmījī speaks about the creation of the universe, he usually says, "In the beginning was Brahman." This is also the highest realization in meditation, which you always find as a statement from Śaṅkarācārya: "I am one without a second. There is nothing else." But then comes the first pūrṇa, as Swāmījī calls it—the first divine will: Ekohaṁ bahu syām—"I am one; let me become many." This first subtle vibration is Oṁ. Originally, it is undivided; it is one. But now it splits into the three aspects, into the three guṇas: A-U-M—Tamas, Rajas, Sattva. This is like the seeds, the material from which the universe can be created, though it has not yet happened. This together is now called Prakṛti, or Māyā, or the Divine Mother. Oṁ is the Divine Mother. Now, out of this, slowly, the different levels of the universe are created—first the subtle ones, then more and more gross levels. But the origin of the whole is Oṁ. Therefore, Oṁ is in everything; it is in us. Oṁ is the reality in this phenomenal world. So, A-U-M as separate letters represent the separate aspects—the three guṇas and the three different states of consciousness. But when they merge together as Oṁ, the signs merge as one sign for the whole Oṁ. This is now the key to samādhi, to Turīya. Turīya simply means "the fourth." After these three levels of consciousness, the fourth level is that which we do not yet know. The seventh śloka of this Upaniṣad tries to explain a little bit what this Turīya is, though it is basically impossible; it gives us an idea by telling us what it is not, so we realize it is nothing of that which we already know. Turīya is not that which is conscious of the inner world, nor that which is conscious of the outer world, nor that which is conscious of both. It is also not just a mass of consciousness as in deep sleep. It is not simple consciousness nor unconsciousness. It is unthinkable and indescribable. It is the essence of consciousness. It is peace. It is bliss, and it is beyond duality. This is what is known as the fourth, Turīya. This is the Ātmā, the Self, and this is what has to be realized. The last śloka of this Upaniṣad says: "Oṁ is the Ātmā truly." He who knows this merges his self into the universal Self. Holī Gurujī was a complete bhakta, a devotee of Mahāprabhujī. He meditated day and night on Him. In bhakti yoga, you have "me" and God; there is duality. But because the God on whom you meditate, the guru on whom you meditate, is itself Nirguṇa, your consciousness goes to this highest level. Most of the bhajans Holī Gurujī wrote about Mahāprabhujī are full of love and devotion. So, when I first realized he also wrote this bhajan about Oṁ, I was a little astonished, because that is actually Vedānta. But through bhakti, we come to this highest state of consciousness. As Swāmījī used to say, for us, our path goes through Saguṇa to Nirguṇa. We live in these three aspects of Aum, but when we follow it, we come to the Aum, the Nirguṇa aspect. So, Aum somehow guides us through the different stages from the material universe to the highest level of consciousness. Let us look at Holī Gurujī's composition. We have it in the bhajan book as Oṁkār Mantra Kā Bhajan—the bhajan of the sound Oṁ. Or perhaps you have it under the first line: Oṁ kī rakṣā nā śarīre. Do you know this bhajan? Do you sing it? You have it in your bhajan book? Let us start by singing the refrain so you get a little into it. Oṁ kī racanā sarī re, oṁ kī racanā sarī re, oṁ kī racanā sarī re. Racanā means creation, and sarī means everything. "Everything is the creation of Oṁ." It again states that Oṁ is the origin of the whole universe. This is such basic knowledge you find even in the Bible. Are you aware of this? Who knows the Bible well enough to know where you find it? At the beginning: "In the beginning was the Word." Yes, this is one statement from the Gospel of John, the first verses: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." Do you hear Swāmījī's words? It is exactly the same: "The Word was God." That means God has the form of the Word. We must stop a moment to understand what we are talking about with "Word." First, it is a translation, not the original text. When we hear "word," we think of someone speaking with a mouth and someone listening with an ear. But it says "in the beginning." There was no mouth yet, no language yet, no ear yet. Nothing had been created. So, we must understand it is symbolic language, trying to give us a hint. What is this "Word"? We could say it is a vibration. In some bhajans, we have the word śabda: Śabda sanimārī jāta rāmārī helī. This is the same. It is a certain sound, a certain vibration, or even the origin of sound, the origin of vibration. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." It is repeated: "The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made." A very clear statement: this is the origin of the whole creation. Later it says, "And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us," and then, "full of grace and truth." So, the Bible speaks very clearly about God incarnating. Thus, Holī Gurujī puts it: Oṁ kī racanā śarīra—everything has been created through Oṁ. And Oṁ is a secret. Jñānī jana behede—the wise ones know the secret of Oṁ. So he jana rahe sukhyārī re—therefore, they live all the time in bliss. Let us sing the first verse. To warn you: when we finish the verse, we go back to the chorus, and then to the third line of the verse again, so we go a little up and down. Oṁkāra parabrahma rūpa hai, oṁ kī chāyā nahīṁ dūpa hai. Oṁkāra nabha rūpa sadā hai, nirādhārī re. Oṁ kī racanā śarīra... Oṁkāra parabrahma rūpa hai: Parabrahma, you know, is the highest divine self. Oṁkāra is the form of God. This is exactly what Swāmījī says: Nāda rūpa parabrahma. It is just in Hindi. Oṁ kī chāyā nahīṁ, dūpa hai: This is the light, the divine light, not physical light. To make this clear, he says, "This is the light without any shadow." Oṁkāra nabha rūpa sadā hai: Nabha is the sky, the base, the fundament. So it is nirādhāra—without fundament. Because Oṁ is the origin of everything, what should be the origin of Oṁ? There is nothing. Oṁ is the origin, the root. Nothing is the root of Oṁ. It is not supported by, nor dependent on, anything. Oṁkār kī triguṇā māyā: Oṁ consists of the three guṇas, and together they are Māyā. Māyā is sometimes also called Prakṛti, depending on the philosophical context. From the background of Sāṅkhya philosophy, you call it Prakṛti; from Vedānta, you call it Māyā. It is the Divine Mother, or in simple language, we could say nature—though here it is not yet developed nature; it is like three seeds. Perhaps it is easier to understand when a painter wants to paint an oil painting. He has a palette with colors and mixes them, but the original colors are only three. Also, on a computer or at a printer, any color is made from three basic colors. In the same way, God created this whole universe out of these three elements, the three guṇas. From this Māyā, this Prakṛti, the whole universe was created. Oṁ kārame jīva rāhe śabdeha dārīre: Therefore, all living beings having a body live in Oṁ. We are surrounded and pervaded by Aum, like a fish in water. Vidyā sarva auṁ se āyai: All divine wisdom comes through Aum. Actually, not only divine wisdom but every wisdom. I like to give an example: There was research at a university where a group of students was asked a very difficult question. Those who knew wrote down answers. Then, with no class or lecture, they chanted Oṁ for one hour. Afterward, they asked the same question again and found many more knew the answer. Because our inner divine self knows it; we are just always disconnected from that. Oṁ brings us into contact with our inner self, which is omniscient. So, if you cannot understand something or are searching for something, just relax. Your inner self knows where it is. All knowledge comes through Oṁ. Also, the Vedas are created through Oṁ. Veda means the divine wisdom revealed by God. The Vedas consist of thousands of mantras. The first part of every Veda is called Mantra Saṁhitā, the collection of mantras. Sarva-mantrā-ko-mūla: Oṁ is the root, the essence of every mantra. As Swāmījī says, a real mantra cannot be without Oṁ. Therefore, every mantra Swāmījī gives in mantra initiation definitely has Oṁ inside. In our mantras, we have God in both Saguṇa form and Nirguṇa form. Nirguṇa is the Oṁ, and Saguṇa is mostly Mahāprabhujī or Śrī Devpurījī. Oṁ se brahma vicārī re: All thoughts about God come from Oṁ, because it is like a call from our origin, calling us back. What we call a jijñāsū, a spiritual seeker, is actually someone who listens to this call back to the origin. Oṁkār rato melesara: Now Holī Gurujī comes to our practical sādhanā and says, therefore, all together, always repeat Oṁ. When we chant Oṁ, we often sing it, so I make Oṁ now. First, we must be aware this is not true—we do not create Oṁ through chanting it. Oṁ is already there; it is a reality. What happens when we chant Oṁ is that we imitate the really existing Oṁ sound. Through our chanting, we get into resonance with this really existing divine Oṁ. That explains the power of Oṁ chanting: it brings us into contact with reality, with the divine. This is Oṁ in us. You can also experience Aum without chanting, without doing anything, just in meditation. That is the aspect of Nāda Yoga—listening to these inner, divine sounds. The most subtle, essential of these sounds is Oṁ. I know someone from our people who has experienced this: Oṁ as an experience, not as doing something. So, when we chant Oṁ, it means opening ourselves to the experience of the really existing Oṁ. Oṁkār se hotā ujjyā: Through Oṁ, the light comes—the divine light, what we call dīpa, which is Mahāprabhujī’s name. So, Mahāprabhujī is this Oṁ; He is this light. This statement is special: "Hotā" means it is a very basic, fundamental statement; it is always like that. Therefore, always keep the meditation on Oṁ. Continue the meditation on Aum. Oṁ se bhava bhaya harī re: Please note, harī here is not Hari (Viṣṇu). Harī means destroying. So, the fears and attachments are destroyed through Oṁ. Ṛṣi, munī, ara yogī sara, Oṁkāra ko’ī dayā dhārā: Therefore, all the ṛṣis, munis, and saints—for them, Oṁ is so dear, and they always keep it in their heart. Oṁkāra ke binā sādhanā sāpa hotā bekārī re: Therefore, all sādhanā without Oṁ is fruitless. Oṁkār se hotā ānanda: Through Oṁ, you come to the experience of divine bliss. Again, it is a special statement with hotā, meaning it is a basic statement; it is always like that. So we have two basic statements: through Oṁ comes the light, and through Oṁ comes the bliss. Because Oṁ is our divine Self, saccidānanda, and ānanda is this bliss. Oṁkār ko jāna Govinda: Govinda knows Oṁ. Who is Govinda? It is another name for Lord Kṛṣṇa. Here, I guess it is pars pro toto: every saint, every avatar knows Oṁ. This line is like an echo of the refrain, because Holī Gurujī already said the wise ones know the secret of Oṁ and therefore live in happiness and bliss. Oṁ se sudhare kāj: Kāj is the same as karma. So, Oṁ purifies our karmas. How to understand that? What is karma? When we act, we create a vibration in our subtle bodies. This vibration becomes part of our existence; it always goes with us like a backpack and radiates outward. According to our karma, it attracts certain events, and the karma comes back. So, it is a vibration. Oṁ is also a vibration. The difference is our karma is a very low vibration, and Oṁ is a very fine, subtle, powerful divine vibration. It is like two armies meeting. Which one is stronger? The karmas are washed away, wiped away when these energies meet. So, our mantra, especially the Oṁ in our mantra, is the power of powers. No karma has a chance. Oṁ se hoya bhava parire: Through Oṁ, you cross the ocean of this world. "World" here does not mean the physical world but what it awakens in us: desires and attachments toward worldly things. These are the karmas. When the karmas are slowly purified, our relation to this world becomes clearer and more pure. Basically, we live in this world with spectacles on our eyes that allow us to see only certain things. All the time we look: "Do I like that? Is this interesting, or do I hate that?" Rāga and dveṣa—these spectacles make us see the world through attraction and aversion. Therefore, we do not see the world as it really is—pure, divine, beautiful. When this karma slowly vanishes, we start to see reality as it is. And since this is a bhajan of Holī Gurujī, unavoidably, in the end he must greet his master. Oṁ namoḥ prabhu dīpa swāmī, oṁkār guru deva namāmī: "My salutation to Mahāprabhujī. You are called the Oṁ Guru." You can say, "You are Oṁ in a form for me." The personification of the divine Oṁ—that is you. The Guru is the personification of God for us. Kahi mādhavānanda: Holī Gurujī says, "Therefore, my salutation to Oṁ." What a beautiful and poetical bhajan by Holī Gurujī on this very high and demanding topic. I would like to finish with an explanation of Swāmījī about Oṁ. You know, when he leads meditations, quite often before Oṁ singing he gives explanations. I suggest we finish with a mini-meditation on Oṁ, and I will read Swāmījī’s text, which I translated from German into English. Please sit straight and close your eyes. Empty your mind so you are receptive now to Swāmījī’s words. Let us start by chanting Oṁ three times. "Oṁ is God. Oṁ is the light. It is prāṇa. It is life. Oṁ is the beginning, middle, and end—the trinity in one. Singing Oṁ purifies the atmosphere. It illuminates your inner space. It fills each and every cell of your body with cosmic energy. Singing Oṁ purifies the nāḍīs and activates your cakras. Sing Oṁ very consciously. Relax your body and your breathing. Withdraw your mind from all worldly thoughts and problems. Withdraw your sense organs from the outer world into the inner world. Observe your inner space with closed eyes. Observe how the Oṁ sound originates in the navel as a subtle vibration called parā. It rises to the throat, paśyantī, and to the lips where it becomes articulated, vaikharī. But within less than a second, the sound reaches the brain, causing a vibration within the whole head, which you feel especially in your eyebrow center. When this vibration touches the Sahasrāra cakra, it becomes reflected in the form of light, which penetrates your entire body and forms a protective sheath around your whole being—your physical, astral, and causal bodies. This protects you from negative cosmic energies. It guards your meditation and allows you to travel freely and fearlessly in the inner space of your consciousness. The Aum sound travels through space into infinity, expanding your consciousness into the universe as far as it reaches. Its vibration wanders in eternity in space, preparing and purifying a beautiful path for you." I realized we actually did not sing the whole bhajan yet. Do you want to? Shall I tell it? Oh, I forgot because I had to go to the toilet. How is the rhythm? It starts with the syncopation, but the rhythm is very smooth—a simple, smooth rhythm.