u may get online translations. this one may not be the best http://www.swami-krishnananda.org/mand/Mandukya_Upanishad.pdf,
ohm is described at sloka 7 onward.
There is a lot written about “AUM”. But it is the easiest and quickest thing you can try to experience. Close your eyes, sit in a quiet environment, allow your body to relax by deep breathing, allow your mind to get away from the chaos (say, if you have watched TV before or talked a lot), then try this:
Take a full breath. Open your mouth by parting lips slowly to let air out to form a natural sound of a (sounds like ‘u’ in ‘hulk’) which grows into ‘o’ (as in ‘bold’) as you continue to open the mouth wider. About half way through your natual exhalation, start closing the mouth bringing the lips together. When you close the lips the sound will naturally turn into ‘m’ (as in ‘jam’). Keep releasing the last quarter of your breath into ‘mmmm…’ finally remaining just a vibration.
Over time, you can improve this in many directions, but 2 most important:
- Feel the vibration not just at the end, but through out and feel it in every part of the body. Then drill it down to organs and cells and as deep as you can go.
- Slowly shift loud recital into quiet listening of AUM from all over the body.
Good luck.
[QUOTE=thomas;40725]I’m trying to understand the purpose and meaning of chanting OM, but am getting different answers and am not clear what it means or represents.
I understand that it’s to be pronounced as if it were spelled “AUM,” is that right?
Also, the best understanding I have of what it means is that it represents the beginning and end of all creation, or all that is.
Is it a prayer?[/QUOTE]
The Mandukya Upanishad defines it ad nauseum. A Google search should find you an online copy.
Om
reminds me of Amen.
I wonder why that is?
[QUOTE=The Scales;45563]Om
reminds me of Amen.
I wonder why that is?[/QUOTE]
Probably because Amen came from Om which came from Hinduism, the Ultimate Eternal Super-Religion?
[I]FROM the book of Ernest wood (1954)
" OM is an introductory mantra. the other three are called seed mantras (aim, klim, strim). Mantra OM is used in the beginning and the end of all prayers. It is considered to have harmonizing effect… It is composed of letters A, O , U, M, with A and O blended together.
The meaning may be derived the following way. As A is sounded from the throat, it is the beginning of all sounds, and M is formed by closing the lips and is the end.
In the Upanishad Shandilya , the yoga is told to meditate on the OM. at the same time thinking of three goddes. Gayatri represent letter A, Savitri letter U, and Saraswati letter M. Those goddes are three wives of Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma, hence represent three shaktis, powers of the Trinity."[/I]
[QUOTE=Indra Deva;45570]Probably because Amen came from Om which came from Hinduism, the Ultimate Eternal Super-Religion?[/QUOTE]
Probably.
LOL
[QUOTE=CityMonk;45595][I]FROM the book of Ernest wood (1954)
" OM is an introductory mantra. the other three are called seed mantras (aim, klim, strim). Mantra OM is used in the beginning and the end of all prayers. [B]It is considered to have harmonizing effect.[/B]… It is composed of letters A, O , U, M, with A and O blended together.
[/I][/QUOTE]
Works for me. 
[QUOTE=CityMonk;45595][I]FROM the book of Ernest wood (1954)
" OM is an introductory mantra. the other three are called seed mantras (aim, klim, strim). Mantra OM is used in the beginning and the end of all prayers. It is considered to have harmonizing effect… It is composed of letters A, O , U, M, with A and O blended together.
The meaning may be derived the following way. As A is sounded from the throat, it is the beginning of all sounds, and M is formed by closing the lips and is the end.
In the Upanishad Shandilya , the yoga is told to meditate on the OM. at the same time thinking of three goddes. Gayatri represent letter A, Savitri letter U, and Saraswati letter M. Those goddes are three wives of Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma, hence represent three shaktis, powers of the Trinity."[/I][/QUOTE]
I love Om!
(but Hinduism, not so much) 
[QUOTE=thomas;40725]I'm trying to understand the purpose and meaning of
I understand that it's to be pronounced as if it were spelled "AUM," is that right?
[/QUOTE]
A=Shri Mahakali
U=Shri Mahasaraswati
M=Shri Mahalakshmi
As you can see, Thomas, there are many interpretations of what Om is and what it means. I’m really surprised that in a yoga forum, no one has mentioned Patanjali yet. In Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, Om (which is referred to as the [I]pranava[/I]) is the symbol of Isvara, usually translated as “The Lord”. This begs the question, who is Isvara?
Patanjali describes several qualities of Isvara, beginning in 1.24
[ul]
[li]He is a purusa, that is a self, soul, or person if you will.[/li][li]He is not just a person though, he is a special person, with qualities that normal people don’t have.[/li][li]He is untouched by klesas, that is, the causes of suffering.[/li][li]He is untouched by action and its fruition, and its deposit (in depth memory)i.e. karma and the seed of rebirth.[/li][li]In him, the seed of omnicience is unsurpassed.[/li][li]He is said to be the teacher of the ancient yogins, by means of temporal continuity.[/li][/ul]
In Samkhya philosophy, Isvara is the first soul who comes into existence at the beginning of a cycle of creation. Samkhya and Yoga are closely related.
I see this description of Isvara as very different from the usual pantheon of Hindu gods and goddesses. Note that ‘Om’ is always the first word in both Hindu and Buddhist mantras.
On that adorable splendour Of the divine Creator we Meditate; may He our thoughts inspire – Who beyond all darkness is, Om.
Tripura Tapini Upanishad 1.2
Thanks, I found it. I scanned through the thread, and will come back to it when I have more time. I’d like to read it all. Lots of interesting posts there.
I never really thought about if it even had a meaning. I just thought it was a device used to help focusing for Yoga practice or meditation.
Om. Meh, I have always seen it simply defined as a sound, with all sorts of connotations and meanings applied to it.
Don’t worry Thomas, chanting it won’t cause spirits and crap to inhabit your body, according to your “religion.”
i’ve just heard that its meant to vibrate through your body – i like doing them. feels good.
[QUOTE=YogaHelps;58621]i’ve just heard that its meant to vibrate through your body – i like doing them. feels good.[/QUOTE]
It isn’t.
Its a word in our languages with many different connotations and usages.
OM is not a word. It is a sacred syllable or sound which is said to be the sound of creation. Therefore it is indeed is vibrating throughout you and through everything in existence. It can be heard by yogis.
Whoops, I was thinking in English! I was thinking of
as Om, the word in English!
I just Indian failed!
I am a disgrace to our millennia old traditions! I must atone for my idiocy!!!!!!
The Indian Mantra of OM or AUM is 11000 years old. When you chant this master mantra with its harmonics at 7.83 Hz ( earth’s heart beat --Schumann resonance ) , the Sri Yantra forms like magic on water.
The geometry above is divine. It contains the THEORY OF EVERYTHING. This geometry is seen in our ancient Indian temples.
Super genius Nikola Tesla with a fractal mind would see the Sri Yantra in blinding flashes.
The Sri Yantra is traditionally held by 12 strand nil junk DNA Vedic rishis to have been divinely revealed around 8000 BC. These super-men with fractal minds and king sized pineal glands could see numerical problems as fractal 3D geometry.
f you stare at the centre spot ( bindu singularity ) every morning for 5 minutes , you will balance your left and right brain lobes.