Namaste to everybody and kind regards to this forum,
does anybody know what this sign mean, I saw it at at a yoga retreat.
Thank you so much, Erikk
[QUOTE=Erikk;61061]Namaste to everybody and kind regards to this forum,
does anybody know what this sign mean, I saw it at at a yoga retreat.
Thank you so much, Erikk[/QUOTE]
It means “everything.” It is the graphic symbol of AUM, AMEN or the HOLY GHOST, the Cosmic Energy which sustains the Universe.
The AUM meditation is much used.
This is sanskrit variation of OM…
Have you been to the yoga class where everyone chant o-o-o-o-m-m-m-m…at the end of the class? This is it:)
look here for more details http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Om
I also like this on tibetian … and boloneese one is even more better:)
[QUOTE=oak333;61081]It means “everything.” It is the graphic symbol of AUM, AMEN or the HOLY GHOST, the Cosmic Energy which sustains the Universe.
The AUM meditation is much used.[/QUOTE]
I never heard “Aum” described as being synonymous with “the Holy Ghost”. I really like that :D. My 9yo daughter chose to be baptised (it took place yesterday), and I am always looking for ways to integrate her yogic and Christian heritage/practices. Thank you!
[QUOTE=oak333;61081]It means “everything.” It is the graphic symbol of AUM, AMEN or the HOLY GHOST, the Cosmic Energy which sustains the Universe.
The AUM meditation is much used.[/QUOTE]
This is nonsense.
Ah, every forum has its trolls, yes?
@Erikk, do yourself a favor and start with the wiki link posted by CityMonk. Then, see if you can find a senior yoga teacher at your studio of practice. They may be able to provide you with some more insight. It is good to read of your curiosity. Please do not be discouraged by the negativity we have witnessed.
AUM is not a symbol for amen or the holy ghost. The meaning of AUM is explained in the upanishads and has nothing to do with Christianity. People here have a lot of fantasy and come with uneducated explanations.
Understanding Om is as easy as understanding Brahman. 
Saying Om means ‘Amen’ or ‘Holy ghost’ makes no sense whatsoever.
The concept of the holy ghost would be more in tune with the concept of paramatma. And amen has nothing to do with Om: http://etymonline.com/index.php?term=amen
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Om - Wikipedia is a good start if someone wants to understand what Om means.
Ah, yes. Thank you for your explanation. I think I understand now. I just don’t think Christianity has cornered the market on the Holy Ghost
OP: As others have told you Oak’s answer is nonsense. The symbol is AUM which is a sacred Hindu mantra and represents the sound of creation. AUM is even sometimes said to be a representation of the Hindu god.
I’ve heard many explanation to the AUM (Om, even A_O_U_N_M)…
In the Shandilya Upanishad yogi is told:
Om represent three goddesses: Gayatri, Savitri and Saraswati. Those doddess are wives and Shaktis of the shiva, Vishnu and Brahma - who together constitute one Brahma…
[QUOTE=Surya Deva;61168]OP: As others have told you Oak’s answer is nonsense. The symbol is AUM which is a sacred Hindu mantra and represents the sound of creation. AUM is even sometimes said to be a representation of the Hindu god.[/QUOTE]
What has this “Oak” done to deserve your blatant disrespect and belittling? As a newbie to this site, I immediately wonder if it is your goal to turn newcomers away. After my first day of browsing through threads, I almost deleted my account due to the many disrespectful and intolerant comments I poured through, mostly in the religious debates that take place both within and without the appropriate forums. I stayed with the hope that I would find the love, patience, flexibility, tolerance, community and Oneness I expected from a forum dedicated the art/practice/philosophy/science/religion of Yoga.
Your interpretation of the symbol Aum or Om does not concern me, nor your interpretation of the Vedas or other spiritual texts. What does concern me is the blatant disrespect and negativity I have observed. I hope that I will have the opportunity to know and respect you. I also hope that I will find the wisdom and patience that I know is within you.
In love,
Mark
Hi Mark,
it is really up to us to lead by example. The words, while well composed and to the point, cannot penetrate tightly woven belief systems. They are like a suffocating fabric.
When the mental force, one of three vocalizations in the human being, is not brought down and transformed in the heart the student becomes preoccupied with rationale, the need to be “right”, logic, and a deeply vested interest in being recognized as knowledgeable, even in the absence of both wisdom and application.
[QUOTE=cydrtha;61193]What has this “Oak” done to deserve your blatant disrespect and belittling? As a newbie to this site, I immediately wonder if it is your goal to turn newcomers away. After my first day of browsing through threads, I almost deleted my account due to the many disrespectful and intolerant comments I poured through, mostly in the religious debates that take place both within and without the appropriate forums. I stayed with the hope that I would find the love, patience, flexibility, tolerance, community and Oneness I expected from a forum dedicated the art/practice/philosophy/science/religion of Yoga.
Your interpretation of the symbol Aum or Om does not concern me, nor your interpretation of the Vedas or other spiritual texts. What does concern me is the blatant disrespect and negativity I have observed. I hope that I will have the opportunity to know and respect you. I also hope that I will find the wisdom and patience that I know is within you.
In love,
Mark[/QUOTE]
Yogis should not be so sensitive that they can’t deal with simple corrections when misinformation is being spread. The most disrespectful and dishonest thing that was done here was to spread blatant misinformation when a newbie asked for the meaning of AUM.
You are accusing Hindus here of being suffocated by their belief system, but actually Christians here cannot take an objective look at yoga without trying to weave their own doctrine into it.
Actually, I think it is the other way around. It is the Hindus on this forum who are not respected by many of the non-Hindus. They get condemned for merely pointing out something is Hindu or giving a link back to the Hindu root, even when it is obvious.
The OP asked what the symbol was and Oak gave them wrong information. He said it was something to do with the holy ghost, amen and the cosmic energy which sustains the universe. It is easy to see from the links given to the OP this is completely false: It is a Hindu sacred symbol, meaning AUM, which is the sound of creation in Hindism.
I think it is becoming ridiculous how much the non-Hindus on this forum are trying to separate everything within Yoga from Hinduism, and even going to as far as to replace Yoga’s history with Christianity. If you hate the source relgion so much, then why do you even practice Yoga? If you really are so objective and detached then why do you hestitate from mentioning blatant facts like Aum is a sacred Hindu symbol? And why do you react so violently when we correct you?
I don’t really feel like another “Is Yoga Hinduism debate” It is getting ridiculous now.
Edit: If somebody posted, “What is the holy trinity” and a Hindu responded, the holy trinity is Brahman, Vishnu and Shiva. A Christian would have reacted in the same way - by stating it is nonsense and then giving the correct information.
Oak has a history by the way of making anti-Hindu posts.
Rather than condemning this, you should make an attempt to understand it. Why are these debates taking place. Just as a yogi would try to make sense of his inner-debates.
I stayed with the hope that I would find the love, patience, flexibility, tolerance, community and Oneness I expected from a forum dedicated the art/practice/philosophy/science/religion of Yoga.
I think your expectations are unrealistic then. The Yoga forum is not heaven with angelic beings, it is a human internet discussion forum with humans posting on it. We come together to discuss Yoga both its philosophy and practice. Many come with contrasting opinions, and then there is conflict. This same conflict is reflected within you. If you can deal with the conflict on the external level, you will be able to deal with it on the internal level.
Your interpretation of the symbol Aum or Om does not concern me, nor your interpretation of the Vedas or other spiritual texts.
A Hindus interpretation of Hindu symbols and Hindu scriptures does not concern you?
I also hope that I will find the wisdom and patience that I know is within you.
In love,
Mark
Please do not say such patronizing things. It is a subtle form of violence. I am not saying to you am I, “One day you will be as wise as me” If you looked deep down in yourself you will find the same impatience and intolerance you accuse me off.
I live my life by the principle of satya in Yoga. That is to speak truth all the time and remain as objective and as factual as I can, irrespective of profit/loss, censure/praise. I get both praised and censured on this forum. It does not affect me. You will find if you review my post history my views are very consistent.
A Hindus interpretation of Hindu symbols and Hindu scriptures does not concern you?
It is like saying “a physicists interpretation of quantum mechanics doesn’t interest me, I’d rather learn about some quantum quackery.” :roll:
If this was a physics forum and someone talked about quantum mechanics from “The Secret,” the physicists would say something about it. This is a yoga forum, so I expect people to do the same when an imaginairy definitions are given to yogic symbols.
Where some seek to inform and enlighten, others seek to force and belittle.
I respect your religion and the spiritual roots of yoga deeply. The debates, as such, are of no concern to me. When your heart opens, however, I am sure you will find that Brahman, the Holy Ghost, Om, the Trinity, you and I are all one and the same. This is not a fundamental religious debate. This is about universal experience and consciousness.
Through this Oneness, I think we can all find peace - and at the very least, a bit of respect for one another.
[QUOTE=cydrtha;61218]Where some seek to inform and enlighten, others seek to force and belittle.
I respect your religion and the spiritual roots of yoga deeply. The debates, as such, are of no concern to me. When your heart opens, however, I am sure you will find that Brahman, the Holy Ghost, Om, the Trinity, you and I are all one and the same. This is not a fundamental religious debate. This is about universal experience and consciousness.
Through this Oneness, I think we can all find peace - and at the very least, a bit of respect for one another.[/QUOTE]
Uncritically applying Oneness onto everything is becoming another dogma and also an excuse not to delve deeper into religious and philosophical ideas to understand nuances.
Thank you, Gordon. This, I understand now.