1012 Om and Hare

Published by VOICE (Vedic Oasis for Inspiration, Culture and Education) Page 1 of 1 ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness), Pune, India The Spiritual Scientist An ezine for those who think! Om and Hare Krishna Question: What is the relationship between the two popular mantras om and Hare Krishna? Answer: The divine syllable OM is often chanted by those practicing yoga, meditation or any eastern spiritual tradition. Though the seminal seed‐mantra omkara, from which om is derived, originates in the Vedic literature, om is hardly a sectarian sound. Om prefaces most of the English descriptions of God, as in omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient. Indeed, the prefix, omni, can be seen as a covered reference to OM. Even the Judaeo‐Christian utterance "amen" and the Muslim utterance "amin" are considered by Vedic scholars as variations on om. Patanjali's Yoga Sutras (1.23‐1.29) describe that focusing on this sound removes obstacles on the spiritual path and takes one to the divinely‐realized platform. Commonly written as "OM", the letters "A‐U‐M" better convey the deeper significance of this mantra. In the Sanskrit alphabet, 'A' and 'U' are the first and last vowels and 'M' is the last consonant. Vedic seers explain that these three letters together form "the perfect word" encompassing "all truths that words can convey." Though om is widely chanted in almost all eastern traditions, it is often thought of as an abstract way to signify the impersonal Absolute Truth. Bhaktas see om as non‐different than their beloved Lord, a non‐difference that is confirmed by Krishna in the Bhagavad‐gita (7.8, 9.17, 10.25). Thus, bhaktas consider both om and the holy names of God to be equipotent, yet because the holy names often evoke the remembrance of God more easily and directly, they prefer to chant the holy names. The Bhagavata Purana (12.3.52) describes that the easy method of chanting the holy names of Krishna can bestow all the benefits that can be accrued by all other methods of God‐realization. Among the various mantras comprised of the holy names of God, the mantra Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare is declared in the Vedic scriptures to be the mahamantra, the mantra that contains the potency of all other mantras. Krishna and Rama are universal names of God, which mean "the all‐attractive one" and "the reservoir of all pleasure" and Hare is the vocative for Hara, the divine potency and consort of God. Thus the mahamantra is a direct call to God, a call by a lost child for his parents. The mahamantra is simultaneously a prayer and the fulfillment of the prayer. As a prayer, it requests the grace‐bestowing feminine energy of God to unite us with Him through service, and at the same time chanting itself is that union, for the names of God are non‐different from Him.

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Om and Hare Krishna..

Transcript of 1012 Om and Hare

Published by VOICE (Vedic Oasis for Inspiration, Culture and Education) Page 1 of 1 ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness), Pune, India

The Spiritual Scientist An ezine for those who think!

Om and Hare Krishna Question: What is the relationship between the twopopularmantrasomandHareKrishna?

Answer: The divine syllable OM is often chanted by those practicing yoga, meditation or anyeastern spiritual tradition.Though the seminal seedmantraomkara, fromwhichom isderived,originatesintheVedicliterature,omishardlyasectariansound.OmprefacesmostoftheEnglishdescriptionsofGod,asinomnipotent,omnipresent,omniscient.Indeed,theprefix,omni,canbeseenasacoveredreferencetoOM.EventheJudaeoChristianutterance"amen"andtheMuslim

utterance "amin" are considered by Vedic scholars asvariationsonom.Patanjali'sYogaSutras(1.231.29)describethat focusing on this sound removes obstacles on thespiritualpathandtakesonetothedivinelyrealizedplatform.

Commonly written as "OM", the letters "AUM" better convey the deepersignificanceofthismantra.IntheSanskritalphabet,'A'and'U'arethefirstandlastvowelsand 'M' is the lastconsonant.Vedicseersexplain that these three letterstogetherform"theperfectword"encompassing"alltruthsthatwordscanconvey."

Thoughomiswidelychantedinalmostalleasterntraditions,itisoftenthoughtofas an abstractway to signify the impersonalAbsolute Truth.Bhaktas see om asnondifferentthantheirbelovedLord,anondifferencethatisconfirmedbyKrishnain theBhagavadgita (7.8,9.17,10.25).Thus,bhaktas considerbothomand theholynamesofGodtobeequipotent,yetbecausetheholynamesoftenevoketheremembranceofGodmoreeasilyanddirectly,theyprefertochanttheholynames.

TheBhagavataPurana (12.3.52)describes that theeasymethodofchanting theholynamesofKrishnacanbestowallthebenefitsthatcanbeaccruedbyallothermethodsofGodrealization.AmongthevariousmantrascomprisedoftheholynamesofGod,themantraHareKrishnaHareKrishnaKrishnaKrishnaHareHareHareRamaHareRamaRamaRamaHareHareisdeclaredintheVedicscripturestobethemahamantra,themantrathatcontainsthepotencyofallothermantras.KrishnaandRamaareuniversalnames of God, which mean "the allattractive one" and "thereservoirofallpleasure"andHare is thevocative forHara, thedivine potency and consort ofGod. Thus themahamantra is adirectcalltoGod,acallbyalostchildforhisparents.

The mahamantra is simultaneously a prayer and the fulfillment of the prayer. As a prayer, itrequeststhegracebestowingfeminineenergyofGodtouniteuswithHimthroughservice,andatthesametimechantingitselfisthatunion,forthenamesofGodarenondifferentfromHim.