I welcome you to this practice.
The Mandukya Upanishad talks about the significance of Aum.
So first I will recite the Mandukya Upanishad and after that we will chant Aum together.
Allow yourself to get into your meditative posture and as you listen to this Mandukya Upanishad,
Let these words be absorbed in your soul through the gate of your heart.
Aum stands for the supreme reality.
It is a symbol for what was,
What is and what shall be.
Aum represents also what lies beyond past,
Present and future.
Brahman is all and the Self is Brahman.
The Self has four states of consciousness.
The first is called Vaishvanara,
In which one lives with all the senses turned outward,
Aware only of the external world.
Taijasa is the name of the second,
The dreaming state in which,
With the senses turned inward,
One enacts the impressions of past deeds and present desires.
The third state is called Prajna,
Of deep sleep,
In which one neither dreams nor desires.
There is no mind in Prajna.
There is no separateness,
But the sleeper is not conscious of this.
Let him become conscious in Prajna and it will open the door to the state of abiding joy.
Prajna,
All-powerful and all-knowing,
Dwells in the hearts of all as the ruler.
Prajna is the source and end of all.
The fourth is the superconscious state called Turiya,
Neither inward nor outward,
Beyond the senses and the intellect,
In which there is none other than the Lord.
She is the supreme goal of life.
She is infinite peace and love.
Realize her.
Turiya is represented by Aum.
Though indivisible,
It has three sounds.
A stands for Vaishvanara.
Those who know this,
Through mastery of the senses,
Obtain the fruit of their desires and attain greatness.
Aum indicates Taijasa.
Those who know this,
By mastering even their dreams,
Become established in wisdom.
In their family,
Everyone leads the spiritual life.
Ma corresponds to Prajna.
Those who know this,
By stilling the mind,
Find their true stature and inspire everyone around to grow.
The mantram Aum stands for the supreme state of Turiya,
Without parts,
Beyond birth and death,
Symbol of everlasting joy.
Those who know Aum as the selves,
Become the selves.
Truly,
They become the selves.
Aum Shanti,
Shanti,
Shanti.
And now we will chant Aum together.
To honor the silence of Turiya,
I have switched off the background music.
As the Mandukya Upanishad indicates,
It is the silence that follows Aum in which one experiences Turiya.
This experience is beyond all experience.
It is a paradox.
So we will chant Aum six times.
And every chant will be followed by silence.
Let's begin.
Aum Thank you for meditating with me today.
Namaste.
