Hindu Aumkar; The ohm symbol

The Vedas are a form of Hindu scripture, created by the great Rishis, they are the most ancient scriptures of the Hindus. All the mantras are started with the Om symbol which is now the most powerful word-symbol used in meditation. The Om symbol is known as the symbolic representation of Ultimate Reality. With the spread of Buddhism reaching out across the world the Om symbol is being given new life by many new cultures.

Om may seem simple enough at fist glance but it is known by the great seers as complete detachment from the world of matter, domination of the senses and inner purification. By chanting the an Om mantra and conquering the self,it is possible to eventually reach heights of Self-Realization where humanity will learn the Truth (also known as Dharma). The great Rishis who performed all actions as acts of sacrifices for the well being of humanity, recognized the significance and power of Om.

Of all the different mantras the Omkar mantra is considered to be the most significant. It is known as the pranav mantra which means, something that pervades life or runs through prana or breath. All mortal beings depend on the flow of prana through their bodies in-order to survive, in the same way the planet needs the sun to harbor growth. It is the Om symbol that allows us to worship both of these things.

The Om is a symbol for pure consciousness, it resides in the three states of waking, dreaming and deep-sleep. When you recite the Omkar mantra, all these of these states are purified and your activities, mental thoughts, speech and actions become powerful and enlightened which brings peace and well being to all.

Although the Omkar mantra is a one-syllable mantra it has tremendous power over you mind body an soul. By using it in meditation your are able to attain inner harmony and dharma, aspirants have reached the state of Self Realization that Om brings to the light of knowledge on the aspirant's path of realization.

This is all well and good but there is a catch, you must first earn the right to the use of this holy mantra by being completely unselfish and detached. It is easier said than done, but for those who are selfish and only desire personal fulfillment they can not benefit from this mantra. In the olden days, only those Rishis who had withdrawn from the outer world of senses and conquered the inner enemies, such as passion, anger, attachment, greed, jealousy, and so on. With proper understanding they were allowed the practice of this mantra for humanity's welfare.

Omkar is ultimately a symbol of Parabrahim. Inside the sounds is the complete essence of divine wisdom - which helps to lead you from attachment to detachment, from ignorance to knowledge, from darkness to light. I prey that it will inspire you all to the path of Dharma and God-consciousness.

Wheel of Dharma

The wheel or wheels of Dharma are the tools in which Buddha uses to teach us how we can reach enlightenment. Physically there are eight spokes on the wheel of Dharma and each spoke is a representation or reference point to the eight fold paths to enlightenment. When each of these paths is followed continuously through out a persons life then they will finally have inner peace.

The meaning of the word Dharma is protection. When a person follows the eight fold path they will be protecting themselves from suffering and other problems of this earth. As humans we strive every day of our live to reach a point where we no longer have to come up against metaphorical walls, or problems, but because from the beginning of time, we have created more and more chaos around ourselves there is no way we can run. Everyday during our lives, we as a race are ignorant, we chose not to see this even though it will never go way on it's own. By practicing Dharma we can finally find the means to an end.

Our quality of life is dependent on or inner peace and happiness, not the items we own or our status in society. External development and material things have blurred our view of what is truly important in life. The only way to improve our quality of life is not to go subscribe to corporate greed but to practice Dharma and get control of our inner selves. Think about it, do you really need a big fancy TV or a big expensive house? Even if those things do make you happy for awhile, how long does the feeling last? The point is not give these things up completely but to live life in moderation. Buddha can teach us how to find pure, lasting happiness by using Dharma as a guide!

When we decide that it is truly time for a change, and accept Buddha's teachings into our daily way of life we can over come the obstacles of greed and use each problem we encounter as a gift to learn and grow. Without inner peace, outer peace is impossible. When we can control our thoughts and minds by following spiritual paths then outer peace will flow naturally into our lives.

Turning the wheel of Dharma

It took Buddha a whole lifetime to discover and refine the secrets to enlightenment, but a meager forty-nine days after reaching enlightenment he was asked to teach all he had learned. Buddha rose without question from his deep meditation to help the monks in there quest for knowledge. The lesson Buddha taught when he rose from meditation was first the wheel of Dharma.

Among these teachings of the first wheel of Dharma is the sutra of the four noble truths... 1. This is suffering, 2. The causes of suffering, 3. Suffering can end, nirvana is peace, 4. The true path or eight-fold noble path. These truths must be realized and accepted in order to move on to the next stage. This is also the source of the Hinayana known as the lesser vehicle of Buddhism.

The second wheel of Dharma teaches us the perfection of wisdom sutra, which is a profound saying paying homage to the holy Perfection of Wisdom! The third sutra or wheel of Dharma is about discriminating the intention, it is a long conversation about abandoning our self-cherishing personalities and cherishing only others we can begin to experience true peace and happiness.. These two wheels of Dharma make up the Mahayana, or the great vehicle of Buddhism.

The Hinayana teaches us how we can attain liberation from suffering for ourselves, no one can do it for you and it is not for you to force anyone else to follow Buddha's teachings. Wisdom is the end to suffering. In Buddhism wisdom can refer to conventional and ultimate wisdom, these cannot be forced on anyone who does not accept it into their hearts. The Mahayana teaching explains the way to reach full enlightenment or Buddhahood as it is sometimes called for the sake of others.

In Asia, where the Buddha grew and learned both the Hinayana and Mahayana traditions flourished. It started in India and then over time spread in to other surrounding countries like Tibet. Gradually these teachings are spreading in to the west.