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.” Continue reading →