OM is within, and all around us. It lies at the heart of all things, animate and inanimate. It is through OM that we have journeyed away from our home in God—into this world of maya and delusion—and it is through OM that we will find our way back to our true nature of oneness with God.

Yogananda used two spellings for the cosmic vibration: OM and AUM. Although AUM is the more accurate Sanskrit form, he often used the shorter spelling, OM, as well—especially in poetic writings. For simplicity, I will use the more commonly recognized OM in this article.

Occasionally, Yogananda would take some of the disciples to a movie. When the movie reached its most exciting part, he would tap them on the shoulder, point to the beam of light coming from the projection booth, and say, “It’s all just a play of light and shadow.”

This world, too, is a play of light and shadow and the OM vibration is the “beam of light” that brings it into being. OM is the primal cause of creation, and it shows us the way back to the freedom that lies beyond all causation. By following the beam of light back to its source, the yogi is lifted above this creation, realizing a state of oneness with all that is.

When God created this universe—or rather, when He became this creation—He did so by creating the idea of movement or vibration within His own consciousness. This primal vibration is OM, the same OM that is heard in deep meditation by yogis around the world.

Within OM are two forces. One is the creative force—an outward-moving force that creates the illusion of separate things existing in and moving about in time and space. The other is a unitive force—one that draws us back towards the state of pure consciousness from which we have come.

This unitive force contained within OM is none other than Divine Mother’s love—a love that is ever calling us to return to our true home in God. Communing with OM in deep meditation, the yogi is able to trace that feeling of love back to its source—back to the eternal presence of God.

Sri Yukteswar, Yogananda’s guru, described this unitive force as the awakening of the heart’s natural love—the feeling of devotion and spiritual longing that draws us on to the spiritual path and guides us on our journey homeward.

There is a story in Greek mythology that illustrates this idea—the story of Theseus and the Minotaur.

On the island of Crete there lived an evil creature called the Minotaur. Half man and half beast, it delighted in devouring human flesh. Beyond control—even by its stepfather, the king—it was imprisoned in a maze called the labyrinth; no one who entered could find their way out.

Theseus, a prince from nearby Athens, decided to enter the labyrinth to kill the Minotaur, for many Athenian citizens were being captured by King Minos and offered up to the beast. The problem was that once he killed the Minotaur, he too would be unable to escape the labyrinth.

But the king’s daughter, Ariadne, felt a great love for Theseus and came up with a plan. She went home and spun a great ball of golden thread. As Theseus was entering the labyrinth, she handed him the ball of thread, holding on to the loose end herself. He entered the labyrinth, unwinding the thread as he went. In time, he found the Minotaur, slew it, and followed the golden thread back to freedom—and back to his beloved Ariadne.

We too, like Theseus, find ourselves trapped within a labyrinth—a maze of delusion and sense-enslavement. Through many lives we have sought our happiness in the world of things, but have found it not. Over time, we have grown weary and now we are seeking a way out. Fortunately, our Divine Mother has provided a golden thread to guide us back to the blissful freedom of oneness with Her eternal light.

The unitive force contained in OM—in other words, Divine Mother’s love—is that golden thread. The guru introduces the disciple to OM, awakening its love within the disciple’s heart. Following the current of that love, the disciple is guided homeward on the journey towards self-realization.

To experience OM, we need to quiet the mind and turn our awareness inward. With closed eyes, we focus our attention deeply at the point between the eyebrows—the spiritual eye. We then listen for the inner sounds, not with our physical ears but with an inner intuitive awareness.

In time, if we listen with sensitivity, we will begin to hear and feel OM vibrating within and all around us—coming from everywhere and nowhere—and filling us with ever-expanding joy. As we offer ourselves more and more into the experience of OM, we realize our oneness with it, and it becomes our raft to salvation.

Yogananda has offered us a specific technique for awakening and communing with the inner sounds. However, discipleship is an integral part of its practice, so it cannot be shared in this article. You can learn more about Yogananda’s AUM technique HERE.

Communing with the symphony of OM, the yogi is filled with a wondrous joy. They are lifted above all self‑involvement and begin to embrace the whole of creation as their own greater self. In that expanded state of consciousness they know themselves to be one with the very Creator.

May God and Guru awaken the cosmic vibration of OM within each of us and may we be able to share its blessings and love with all souls.

If you feel to share a reflection from your own journey, we’d love to hear from you—please leave a comment below.

OM Shanti Shanti,

Suryadas