The secret of Om is the mystery of the primal sound, the origin of all.
Om is the origin of the universe, the root of all mantras. Mantras are divine revelations, experienced by sages in deep meditation. The Māṇḍūkya Upaniṣad explains Om through the four states of consciousness. The waking state, Vaiśvānara, perceives gross objects. The dream state, Taijasa, experiences subtle inner objects. Deep sleep, Prājña, is an undifferentiated mass of consciousness, a gate back to waking and dreaming. The fourth state, Turīya, is beyond all ordinary experience. It is invisible, imperceptible, indefinable. It is peace, divine bliss, beyond duality. This is the Ātman. The syllable Om corresponds to these states: A, U, M, and the whole Om. To realize this is self-realization. One enters the Ātman with the help of the Ātman. Liberation comes through surrender, not through personal effort. The grace of the guru is essential. Practice leads to devotion, not directly to liberation.
"ayam ātmā brahma – this Ātmā is Brahman."
"Thus, Om is truly identical with the Ātman. Whoever realizes this, through the help of the Ātman, enters into the Ātman."
Filming locations: Vienna, Austria.