SYMPOSIUMS
LECTURE
No. 6 – THE BENEFITS OF THE SOUND AUM ON EARTH AND IN THE HEREAFTER
THE BENEFITS OF THE SOUND AUM ON EARTH AND IN THE HEREAFTER
AUM is the sacred sound par excellence for the believers of many religions. The term Aumism, which designates the religion of Unity, is derived from the sound AUM. His Holiness the Lord HAMSAH MANARAH, its founder, writes: “Born of GOD, you must return to GOD; that is why I teach the miraculous and beneficial virtues of the Primordial Sound, the Bridge of Light between man and the Creator.”[1]
In this talk we will address:
– in the first part: the Sound AUM
– in the second part: the benefits of the sound AUM through the practice of prayer and meditation
– in the third part: AUM is the prayer of peace
I – THE SOUND AUM
“AUM is the Primordial Sound that GOD uttered to create the universes. AUM is at the origin of the words AMEN and AMIN.”[2] Sages have always stressed the power of words and the role of prayer. In most traditions, certain Names and Sounds are reputed to possess greater powers because they come from sacred languages and have been recited countless times for millennia.
The sacred Sound, the Word, is also Light, Breath, Vibration, Flesh and GOD, Knowledge, Truth, etc. AUM is the Maha-mantra of the Hindus. It is the privileged means of reaching the goal, Liberation, and the goal itself, since AUM is the Name of the Absolute.
Praying develops inner strength and facilitates dialogue with the invisible and with the Divinity. His Holiness the Lord Hamsah Manarah reminds us that “the Om is the fundamental prayer of Aumists in heart and mind, which in no way prevents them from worshipping the Divine in all its facets and from praying to it by the Name with which they have the greatest affinity.”[3] AUM is the mother sound of all sounds, at the origin of the sacred languages and of all sacred texts. Repeating the AUM makes it possible to go back to this original Unity beyond multiplicity, beyond the four seasons that govern creation and beyond the Beyond. This Transcendent Consciousness, which has existed for all eternity, delivers the messages needed for the evolution of the humanities at pivotal periods of their history, through prophets, envoys of GOD who accomplish their mission out of Love and in spite of adversity.
In the Golden Age, the Cosmoplanetary Messiah Hamsah Manarah transmits the sound AUM to human beings. “Each of us must be a redeemer for the kingdoms of nature and share the essence of our prayers of love with the spirits of minerals, plants, animals and other human beings.”
The future of life depends on this Law of sharing, so chant the Sound Om. “The Sound Om must be the Ark of the Covenant between man and nature.”[4]
II – THE BENEFITS OF THE SOUND AUM THROUGH THE PRACTICE OF PRAYER AND MEDITATION
We can read many books on the subject, which is enriching for our personal culture, useful and necessary in our Western societies, where prayer may seem a waste of time, whereas it allows us to move up levels in our existence and to avoid stagnation or, worse, regression. Let us consider the repetition of the Sound OM as a different understanding and management of our life: what do we want? Towards what goal are we heading? Prayer with perseverance and faith is an investment whose beneficial effects show themselves at every level, sometimes spectacularly: as in the Holy City of Mandarom Shambhasalem, whose Temples and Statues were first crystallised through prayer before being built.
His Holiness helps and encourages us: “Let those who lack faith and feel incapable of praying not lose heart.”[5] In his works he offers us many techniques and prayers with the Sound AUM: “Key of forgiveness of oneself”, “key of detachment from the fruits of action”, etc. (La Révolution du monde des vivants et des morts, pp. 249, 256).
Some general advice:
- Have a room with a small shrine, auspicious and evolutionary symbols, a candle and incense.
- Use a rosary for the repetitions.
- Keep a stable posture with the spine straight and calm breathing. The practice of hatha yoga or an equivalent discipline is an asset.
- Be regular in the exercise and measured in one’s progress.
- The Lord Hamsah Manarah stresses the need for purification: given its power, the OM must imperatively be repeated with benevolence. Anyone with ill intentions suffers the consequences of misusing this sacred sound.
The repetition of the Sound Om can be practised in a group with people who share the same ideal, in a setting that inspires elevated feelings. But also in our daily activities: travel, work, leisure; on getting up in the morning, in the evening before falling asleep, etc.
The benefits of the sound OM:
In the African tradition cited in the Dictionnaire des symboles (J. Chevalier, Seghers, article “Grue”, p. 393): “Man knew the word concerning GOD only from the moment he knew himself.” In Hinduism, the Word is the mother of knowledge; the mantra is the word that reveals.
We can read in the book L’Aumisme, la Doctrine de l’Âge d’Or, p. 20: “AUM is the awakening of each person to the mystery of their own heart. Through the AUM, man enters into communion with the Universe, with Creation, with the Divine expressed everywhere.”
– The help it brings in daily life
The sound AUM purifies the physical body and the subtle centres called chakras. The sound AUM purifies the atmosphere of a place and calms the mind. By concentrating on the OM, the soul can erase the sins committed during its life and their consequences (L’Aumisme, la Doctrine de l’Âge d’Or, p. 24).
It helps everyone throughout their existence: the sound AUM promotes health. It erases bad thoughts. It protects against harmful psychic influences. It maintains a climate of optimism and harmony.
– In the face of trials:
“The chant of the AUM gives life,” says the Lord Hamsah Manarah. “The chant of the AUM keeps misfortunes away, the chant of the AUM relieves all suffering, the chant of the AUM will be your lifebuoy.”[6]
– At the moment of death:
As we have just seen, the sound OM also helps everyone at the moment of death. “It is never too late to start praying. Even the second before the last breath can be an opportunity to chant at least once the Sound of Unity, the Word of GOD, OM, which frees one from anguish and the fear of dying.”[7] Prayer for departed souls who need help in their post-mortem evolution is one of the duties of those now living on Earth. Thus, the sincere and benevolent prayer of the OM brings us many benefits throughout our existence. But in addition, it allows us to help those who need it, near or far, known or unknown, on Earth and in the hereafter. For those who are not believers, His Holiness specifies: “Make the Sound OM your bedside prayer, and even if you do not believe in God at first, test its miraculous effects on your body, which will become harmonised.”
III – AUM, THE PRAYER OF PEACE
AUM is “the song of love”.
– It is “the song of infinite compassion”, which opens human hearts to fraternity and solidarity. The sound OM reconciles people and religions.
“In the AUM there is neither white nor black,
In the AUM there is neither Christian nor Muslim,
In the AUM there is neither Jew nor Buddhist…
In the AUM there is Unity in multiplicity.”
“The AUM is the fundamental prayer on which the Temple of AUMISM is built,”[8] His Holiness insists. The Temple Pyramid will help this restoration of the Unity of the Faces of GOD, the only dogma of Aumism. This Temple will contribute effectively to the crystallisation of the Golden Age through the radiance of prayers of love, tolerance and unity among human beings, and of unity among the religions, which are one in the values they advocate.
– Here is an example of the repetition of the Sound OM, for Aumism is a practical teaching: “Take up your ideal a thousand times, and if you fail a thousand times, try once more,” says Swami Vivekananda (La Réintégration divine par le yoga, p. 15).
Extract from the book Vers un Âge d’Or d’Unité, p. 79, chapter “The evolution of souls towards balance”:
Repetition of the sound Om in the heart: Om Om Om
Repetition of the sound Om in the 3rd eye between the eyebrows: Om Om Om
Repetition of the sound Om in the body of flesh: Om Om Om
Repetition of the sound Om for the different kingdoms: mineral Om Om Om, plant Om Om Om, animal Om Om Om, all human beings Om Om Om
Repetition of the sound Om in the different dimensions of the cosmos: the earth Om Om Om, the solar system Om Om Om, the galaxy Om Om Om, the universe Om Om Om, to infinity Om Om Om.
Concerning prayer in general:
– Prayer is a strength
In La Réintégration divine par le yoga, p. 183, in the paragraph entitled “Using the strength of prayer to reach the divine”, His Holiness quotes Swami Sivananda: “God is all to all. He is a personal God for the one who needs His presence. He is incarnate for the one who needs to touch Him. He is essence for those who have faith. He is within us, above us and beyond us.” Through prayer we facilitate the descent of light into the physical body. We become aware of our unity with the cosmos. Many traditions affirm that man and the universe are alike (Le Yoga de la divinisation, p. 105). Prayer helps us detach ourselves from our small, petty personal universe and open ourselves to others and to everything around us. Prayer is to the soul what fuel is to an engine.
– Prayer for the monks of the Mandarom
In the Monastery of Mandarom Shambhasalem, prayer is as natural and indispensable to us as the air we breathe and the food we eat. In the Monastery, the various tasks involved in running the centre, carried out with the right inner attitude, are a prayer, a thanksgiving addressed to GOD out of gratitude. Aumism advocates prayer in action and selflessness. It is a gift of self, a sharing, a contribution to maintaining balance on earth and beyond. Of course, those in the world who work in an association, who work with the aim of helping their neighbour, relieving suffering and restoring peace and harmony in place of chaos, can also make their work a prayer.
Moreover, His Holiness the Lord Hamsah Manarah writes: “What the monks cannot do through visible humanitarian action, they will do through invisible humanitarian action, granting the comfort of their prayers to all the souls who leave matter every day and ask to be guided in that unknown hereafter.”[9] The Aumist in heart and mind who understands the role of prayer always begins it with a series of blessings. In this way we practise feeling and spreading several qualities through thought, without limit of distance, for the benefit of all beings, beyond notions of race, religion, nation and social class, for the whole of nature.
IN CONCLUSION, I therefore suggest that we share this experience by mentally affirming several blessings, each of which, taken separately, is a true prayer that can be repeated several times with sincerity and faith. For example, we can do so for a given place, such as Paris and its region, which have been sorely tried in recent months. Or, conversely, a selection of blessings can be sent out for positive events that fill us with enthusiasm, so as not to sink into doom and gloom.
“May Love, Peace, Happiness, Prosperity, Light, Wisdom, Felicity, Knowledge and infinite Beatitude spread over all beings in all the directions of space, to the North, to the East, to the South, to the West, at the Zenith and at the Nadir. OM
May all sentient beings, in the ten directions of space, be free from enmity, may they be free from ill will, may they be delivered from suffering, may they be happy, to the North, to the South, to the East, to the West, to the North-West, to the South-East, to the North-East, to the South-West, above and below. OM
Blessings on the planes of consciousness, on all the kingdoms of nature, on all minerals, plants, animals and human beings. OM
Blessings on all the elements and elementals of earth, water, fire, air and ether. OM
Blessings on all the discarnate, to foster their evolution. OM
For the transmutation of low vibrations into high vibrations, of vibrations of hatred into forces of love. OM
Blessings and assistance to all those who may leave their vehicle of flesh or reincarnate during the coming day or night. OM
Blessings on those who love us and understand us, and on those who may not love us or understand us. OM
May protection, abundance and prosperity be for all. OM
May light, wisdom, knowledge, felicity and beatitude be for all. OM
May Love, Peace, Harmony and Fraternity reign among all people, all peoples and all nations. OM
Welcome to the advanced entities who may manifest on this Earth to foster the spiritual progress of humanity. OM”[10]
Those who wish to explore this paragraph further will benefit from studying “The technique of the yoga of benevolence” as well as the active waves of thought in the book Le Yoga de l’Amour dans la force.
Finally, let us recall that the Lord Hamsah Manarah composed magnificent poems on the Sound Om, which the Aumist choir will convey to those present better than any speech. All these abundant Teachings on the sound Om and the virtues of prayer show us that GOD provides for everything insofar as we take steps in the right direction. Let us also make good use of the gifts received and give thanks for the blessings granted. The sound Om and prayer answer every request. Let us be open and grateful: Earth and Heaven will be thankful to us for it.
“The sound AUM is the Torch, the banner of the New Religion of Synthesis.”[11]
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[1] Vers un Âge d’Or d’Unité, p. 112.
[2] L’Aumisme, la Doctrine de l’Âge d’Or, p. 18.
[3] Ibid., p. 44.
[4] Vers un Âge d’Or d’Unité, p. 259.
[5] Périple d’un Yogi et Initié d’Occident, p. 69.
[6] L’Aumisme, la Doctrine de l’Âge d’Or, p. 27.
[7] Vers un Âge d’Or d’Unité, p. 339.
[8] L’Aumisme, la Doctrine de l’Âge d’Or, p. 27.
[9] Une Loi pour détruire le mal, p. 87.
[10] Le Flambeau d’Unité, p. 426.
[11] L’Aumisme, la Doctrine de l’Âge d’Or, p. 27.
