“M” is the finalizing stage of the A-U-M Chant. M is viewed as the deep sleep state. This is termed susupti in sanskrit (etc) It is “deep meditative sleep” or “deep sleep consciousness.” Within this state, there are no perturbations that can disturb or dissuade the individual. The convergence of self and not self into mutual negation occurs here. This is where desire is seen for what it is, a pause prior to committing to an action. This is kriya. Proper action or kriya can be a vehicle by which karma is softened. Prajna is also a facet of ‘M’ as it refers to wisdom, insight, etc. Shiva and Parvati are two divine beings intertwined in the cosmic dance of creation and dissolution. M is the point of initiation into and continuance through dissolution.
The chanting of A-U-M is a cyclic continuity of beginning, middle, (beg)end(ing). Although M is what is taken to be the end, it is the point that leads into the silence. This is the gathering of energies, the point of inflection. One can revel in the subsiding of the sound. It is the preparatory phase of releasing into chaotic silence. M sets the course for complete release into the void while being completely aware. The M sound slowly fades as if it were a very drowsy infant putting forth a futile struggle against the approaching slumber. Yet, this must needs be.
To be asleep with complete awareness is not sleep in the conventional sense. One develops a quality of awareness that is available to only those who are comfortable with complete calmness: calm abiding. The ability to let ‘the Self’ expand into the void is developed through practice. As this is not conventional sleep, facilitation of awareness is key to consciously subsiding into silence. It is as if the A-U-M chant takes one on a psychical journey. The M sound is the vehicle that eases the individual into the resting state
This is indicative of a high level of profound stillness. The stillness is quality that facilitates, per se, the perception of a needle falling onto a haystack. The void (as haystack) is vast and is not something that one just jumps into. It is, best to alight onto the surface. One can then, by degrees, become absorbed into / within it with complete awareness. The M could, in this context, stand for ‘meld into’. Stillness does not mean ‘stop motion’. The placid waters of a deep stream may present as non-moving. Yet there is effortless, steady movement occurring beneath the surface.
M is a conclusion of a cyclical process of partial, complete sequences. The beginning and the middle are important aspects of the chant but they must be resolved in the end (beg)end(ing). There are many examples of this successional flow can be presented. There is the Generation of an impetus. Then one Operates the resultant forces. The whole process must then be Destroyed. A person wants to cook a specific meal (A). They bring together all of the needed ingredients and utensils and prepare the meal (U). They then prepare the meal (M). The void would be cleaning up the utensils and storing away the utensils and unused ingredients.
Kriya is action. Proper action is a boon. It is beneficial to those within the proximity of the actor and the actor themselves. Proper action is the culmination of the idea and the planning phases. The action is the resultant phenomena which gives evidence of the completion of the cycle. The action is the periodic cessation; periodic in the sense that the cycle, leading up to the action, will begin afresh. It must begin again: nothing is stagnant. Just as go through phases of igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary, so to the A-U-M. A is cognition. U is desire. M is action. A pause ensues and all begins again.
Insight and wisdom are by products of stillness . . . . . of the M. As one melds into the void, the chaos, insight develops. One can connect to the infinitesimal expanses of energies from whence actionable inspiration can be drawn. In Christianity, the Psalmist admonishes us to ‘Be Still and Know the I am God (Be still and know the we, ourselves, are gods)’. This insight and wisdom is attained through the contemplative act. Not by acting on something. Not through incessantly committing sundry activities. Contemplation is an act that gives clarity to action. It opens the channels through which wisdom and insight can be imparted.
The M, aspect of the A-U-M chant is reflective of Shiva as the Destroyer. The Shiva / Parvati union is encapsulated in the A-U-M chant. The eternal dance of Shiva (the Destroyer) and Parvati (his consort) vibrates throughout the cosmos. Shiva is often depicted with a third eye at the Ajna Chakra point. This eye the result of his wife, in her daughter of the Himalayas form as the beautiful goddess Uma. One day while Shiva was deep in meditation, Uma playfully came up behind him and placed her hands over his eyes. Immediately, the universe was descended into darkness. A light then suddenly arose. A third eye opened in the middle of Shiva’s forehead, and fire burst out of it, burning the Himalaya Mountains and destroying all the living things there. Uma removed her hands in shock, and Shiva closed his third eye and restored everything as it was, for he was all-forgiving.
The A-U-M Chant winds down with the vocalization of ‘M’. This is connected to the dream state (susupti in sanskrit), to “deep meditative sleep” or “deep sleep consciousness.” Ideally, the individual is not disturbed or dissuade by any outside influences. The convergence of self and not self into mutual negation occurs here. Resting in desire, as U, segues into the committing of action, as M. Kriya, or proper action, when well executed can be a soften individual (or group) karma. Acquisition of wisdom and insight (Prajna in sanskrit) are connected the sounding of’M’. The final stage of the A-U-M chant is reflective of destruction and dissolution through Shiva and Parvati.
Together, they create, sustain, and dissolve the universe, dancing in eternal harmony.
M is the conclusion of the cycle of the A-U-M chant.
One is entering the stage
Let us explore their essence:
- Shiva:
- The very name Shiva carries profound meanings. It signifies both “that which is not” and Adiyogi (the first yogi).
- Shiva embodies the vast emptiness, the cosmic void from which everything emerges and to which everything returns. Modern science now acknowledges that all existence arises from nothingness.
- Darkness, not light, defines Shiva. While light is transient, darkness is eternal. It pervades all, and it is the womb of creation.
- In scientific terms, Shiva represents the fundamental process of existence itself, a concept known for thousands of years.
- Adiyogi, the first yogi, transmitted the yogic sciences to humanity on the banks of Kanti Sarovar in the Himalayas. Yoga isn’t just about physical postures; it’s the science of understanding life’s essence and realizing its ultimate potential1.
- Parvati:
- Parvati, a form of Devi, resides within the Muladhara chakra as Kundalini Shakti.
- Legend has it that when Parvati purified herself, Lord Shiva appeared unannounced while she bathed.
- Their union symbolizes the cosmic marriage, the intertwining of the masculine and feminine energies.
- Together, they create, sustain, and dissolve the universe, dancing in eternal harmony.
AUM, the sacred syllable, encapsulates their union. It vibrates through the cosmos, echoing the eternal dance of Shiva and Parvati—the divine couple who birthed existence itself.
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