The Manifest Reality Technique(Omkara)

A 21 minutes powerful chanting technique that is very helpful or beneficial for centering with your inner being.  The seed syllable Om or Aum is the most fundamental and potent mantra in the Vedic tradition. This mantra represents the underlying unity of Brahman or reality. Essentially, before existence and beyond existence is only One reality, Brahman, and the first manifestation of Brahman in existence is the vibration of Om. That is why it is known as the pranava mantra, the source of all mantras.

The mantra Om is made up of the syllables ‘a-u-m’, which represent the three major processes of creation, maintenance and dissolution that are continuously taking place in the manifested universe. The silence that follows the mantra represents the unmanifest reality or consciousness that underlies all manifestation. This makes Omkara the complete mantra, which invokes both the form (saguna) and the formless aspect (nirguna) of the Divine. Om can be either chanted independently, or prefixed to another mantra or prayer. For instance, if we wish to invoke a particular deity, Aum can be combined with name of that deity (eg. Om namah shivaya, meaning Om, salutations to Shiva). When chanting omkara (Om mantra), the ‘O’ is generated deep within the body, from inside the navel, and slowly brought upward, joining with the ‘m’ which then resonates through the entire head. In this technique, we use omkara to go beyond the mind and enter totally into the resonance of the cosmic manifestation (saguna Brahman).

 

Instructions

Step 1 (11 minutes)

Sit upright with your eyes closed. Concentrate on your navel center, manipuraka chakra (a vital energy center in the body located in the navel area).  Just take a few moments to place your awareness on the navel center. Forget all other parts of the body, remember only the navel center. Now from your navel, start creating the deep vibration of Omkaara or ‘Om’ sound. Start the sound from your navel center, as deeply as possible. Don’t allow the mind to go anywhere else. Enjoy the pure resonance of the mantra. Just be centered on the mantra, go into the center of the sound.

Step 2 (10 minutes)

Once you are harmonious with the mantra, you can drop saying it out loud. Now, intone it only inside, don’t bring it out. The sound should still fill your whole body, so say it loudly inside. Feel the mantra continuously resonating inside you. Without creating the sound, be filled by the sound within.  Relax and open your eyes. Try this meditation for just ten days. You will see that you are able to sit without thoughts. You will be filled by the mantra, by the vibration that you create, and your mind will not move outside the vibration.