Painadath OM meditation

Mantra OM: Cosmic Vibration

One feels the vibration of OM not only in the heart but in the cosmos as well, not only in union between the human self and the divine Self, but in relation to the entire cosmic reality too. We live in an expanding cosmos; the divine presence that propels this cosmic expansion is experienced as OM. Hence OM denotes the presence of the Divine vibrating in every atom and pulsating in every cell. “All this is OM” (Chand. Up.2.23.3 Mand. Up. 1).

OM is the unfolding of the creative sound (vac) of the Divine. In and through OM the entire cosmos emerges and evolves. OM is the divine life energy in all: “OM is Brahman, OM is this whole universe” (Tait. Up. 1.8 Prasna Up. 5.2). When with OM one enters the heart, one enters the heart of the entire cosmos. The deeper one goes into the heart the more intensely one realises the interconnectedness of all beings in the ONE. In fact the heart is “smaller than the smallest atom”, yet “bigger than the universe” (Swet. Up. 3.20). Through the cosmic resonance of OM one experiences a deep correspondence between the microcosmic introspection and the macrocosmic perception. One realises one´s self as the Self of all (sarvabhūtātma bhūtātma, Bh. Gita. 5:7).

Everything has been created through the divine Logos; Logos is the life of all things and the light of the humans. (Jn. 1:4). Through the chanting of OM one experiences not a static indwelling of God but a dynamic percolation of the divine Logos, the transformative vibrancy of the divine Spirit. As one goes introspectively into the heart, one wakes extrospectively from the earthly realm (bhūh) through the etheric realm (bhuva) towards the astral realm (swaha) (Mand. Up. 9-11). With OM one resonates with the divine vibration in all beings. The entire cosmos experiences the birth-pangs of a new creation awaiting the participation in the liberty of the children of God (Rom. 8:19-23). Through the chanting of OM one gets attuned to this divine dynamism of the new being evolving in creation. In deep communion with creation one realises: I am divine.

“OM is the inner mover (antaryāmi), the source of all” - Mand. Up. 6.

“Just as all the leaves of a sprig are held together by their stem, so all words (sarva vac) are held together by the sound OM. OM is all this, idam sarvam” - Chand. Up. 2.23.3.

“The OM that is heard in the sound of leaves shaken by the wind, the OM which howls in the storm and sighs in the gentle breeze, the OM which roars in the rushing torrent and is softly murmured by the river on its peaceful way to the sea, the OM of the heavenly spheres in their journey through the space, the OM that throbs at the core of the atom, the OM that is heard in the song of birds and in the call of the beasts in the forest, the OM of our human laughter and also of our sobs, the OM which vibrates in our thoughts and our desires...” - Abhishiktanada.

Meditation

Inner Space: I come to an inner silence. I feel with every in-breath the upward flow of the pranah energy along the spinal cord, and with every out-breath the downward flow into the body. With every in-breath I feel the divine energy flooding into me from the cosmos; with every out-breath I chant OM and feel the divine energy permeating my body and beyond the body. I feel myself as a transparent medium of the percolation of the divine-cosmic energy stream, like a crystal in sunlight. Gradually the chanting gets reduced to an inner humming and finally merging into a silence.

Within the Heart: In this vibrant silence I feel into the spiritual heart. The soul is drawn by grace to the energy stream of the divine Spirit. And I feel a deep communion with all beings outside. The power of love emerging from the divine undercurrents streams forth from my heart as compassion. In the experience of divinisation there is no inside and outside.

From the author:

The realisation that you are divine is the heartbeat of Christian spirituality. The early Church Fathers spoke of theosis as the core of Christian faith. Quite a few books have been written on the history and theology of the perception of theosis. What is specific about this book is that it offers 100 meditative paths to open oneself to the grace of theosis. Each meditation is supported by a theological reflection and relevant quotations from classical Christian sources.

In this book I try to clarify two insights: (i) The divine presence is vibration (Spirit), and theosis is tuning oneself with the divine dynamism (ii) The realisation that you are divine is the deepest mystical meeting point of all religions.

The book can be ordered through Amazon or by contacting the publisher: ISPCK, POB 1585, Madarsa Rd. Delhi 110006.ispck@nde.vsnl.net.in Online order: http://ispck.org.in/book.php

Sebastian Painadath SJ, You Are Divine, 100 Meditations on Theosis. ISPCK, Delhi, 2018, pages 237. Paperback. Price 275 Ind Rupees.

Sabastian Painadath is an Indian Jesuit living at the Ashram Sameeksha in South India. He has been involved in giving seminars on inter-religious themes and conducting retreats with Hindu classics.