Om is a flower

mOhanaji , Great to share this excellent wrtie up, have another meanings as someone shared, on OM which goes as under : - AUM is also regarded as a combination of the three sounds, viz., the two vowel sounds of A, and U, and the consonant, M.One view is that the three alphabets are said to represent Vishnu, Shiva and Brahmaa. There is a saying: Akaaro Vishnur Uthishta Ukaarasthu Maheswarah: Makaarasthu Brahma Pranavasthi thryatmakah: meaning : - "A" stands for Vishnu "U" stands for Maheswara "M" stands for Brahma. Thus in the Pranava (AUM) all three lords are present. Another view considers "AUM" as the weak form, representing the Samsaaric state where: A = Brahman (Ultimate) , U = Atman (Soul) M = Maayaa (illusion) Jagat (perceived world) Prakriti (manifested form) The regular practice of chanting OM, particularly vibrating it in various part of the energy flow system in the body.

mOhanaji and Lakshmiji your write-ups are as interesting as your kolams!

According to “Sri Vinoba Bhave, the Latin word “Omne” and the Sanskrit word “AUM” are both derived from the same root meaning ‘all’ and both words convey the concepts of omniscience, omnipresence and omnipotence. Another word for Aum is “Pranava”, which is derived from the root “nu” meaning “to praise’, to which is added the prefix ‘pra’ denoting superiority. The word, therefore, means the best praise or the best prayer. The letter A symbolizes the conscious or waking state (jagratha-avastha), the letter U the dream state (swapna-avastha) and the letter M the dreamless sleep state (susupta-avastha) of the mind and spirit. The entire symbol together with the crescent and the dot stands for the fourth state (turiya-avastha), which combines all these states and transcends them. This is the state of samadhi (a state of super-consciousness brought about by profound meditation, in which the individual aspitant (sadhaka) becomes one with the object of his meditation – Paramatma or the Universal Spirit). The letters A, U and M symbolizes respectively speech (vak), the mind (manas) and the breath of life (prana), while the entire symbol stands for the living spirit, which is but a portion of the divine spirit. The three letters also represent the dimensions of length, breadth and depth, while the entire symbol stands for the perfect man (a sthita-prajna) , one whose wisdom is firmly established in the divine. They represent the three genders, masculine, feminine and neuter, while the entire symbol stands for the Creator, who transcends the limitations of time. They also stand for the teaching imparted by the Mother, the Father and the Guru respectively. The entire symbol represents Brahma Vidya, the knowledge of the Self, the teaching which is imperishable. The A, U and M depict the three states of yogic discipline, namely, asna (posture), pranayama (rhythmic control of breath) and pratyahara (withdrawal of emancipation of the mind from the domination of the senses and exterior objects). The entire symbol represents samadhi, the goal for which the three stages are the steps. They represent the triad of Divinity, namely – Brahma - the Creator, Vishnu -the Maintainer and Shiva the Destroyer of the Uniserse. The whole symbol is said to represent Brahman from which the Universe emanates, has its growth and fruition and into which it merges in the end. It does not grow or change. Many change and pass, but Brahman is the One that ever remains unchanged. The letter A, U and M also stand for the mantra ‘Tat Twam Asi” (That Thou Art), the realization of man’s divinity within himself. The entire symbol stands for this realization, which liberates the human spirit from the confines of his body, mind, intellect and ego. (Information collected from various websites from the internet)

Thanks to JKMji, Lakshmi Ma'am & Judy Ma'am... Your kolams are treat for our eyes...Thanks a lot for feeding our Souls too, through IKOLAM....