| The Om symbol is a very important symbol in Tibetan | | | | like a circle, while the second symbol of the Tibetan |
| jewelry and accessories. The word Aum is the | | | | one looks like a V. The earrings pictured above |
| primordial symbol, the first sound ever heard, and the | | | | represent the Tibetan om symbol. On our website we |
| sound that the earth was created by. The sound | | | | also offer purses and other items with the sanskrit om |
| starts with an opening of the lips and ends with a | | | | symbol. But regardless of whether the symbol is a |
| closing. This represents pulling all things into the body | | | | Tibetan Buddhist or Hindu symbol, the symbol is always |
| while making the sound. The Om sound is similar to the | | | | recognizable as om. |
| Greek Logos, and in Christianity it could be linked to the | | | | In Hinduism the symbol is the first symbol of all of the |
| Christian Amen. Everything in the world both begins | | | | mantras, and each of the mantras in the Upanishads |
| and ends with this sound. | | | | begins with om. Yoga classes in the west are |
| The Om symbol is found in both Hinduism and | | | | traditionally started and ended with the om sound, or |
| Buddhism, and began in Hinduism, but I will first discuss | | | | with an entire mantra. By starting and ending a yoga |
| the sound and its cosmology in the context of Tibetan | | | | class with om, the teacher brings a sense of opening |
| Buddhism. In Tibetan Buddhism, the most used mantra | | | | and closing to each class, almost as if she ended each |
| is 'om mani padme hum.' This phrase means 'hail to the | | | | class with a 'the end.' In The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, |
| jewel in the lotus.' This mantra is the mantra of the | | | | which are where much of the philosophy in |
| bodhisattva of compassion, Avalokiteshvara. | | | | modern-day yoga classes comes from, in verse 1:27 |
| When Buddhist practioners recite this mantra they are | | | | states, "God's voice is Aum." Meaning that not only is |
| striving to attain a Buddha-like mind and spirit. This | | | | om the beginning and ending of all things, it is also from |
| means a mind and spirit free from earthly evils such as | | | | God, and to go further it is God. |
| attachment, jealousy, and greed. And the Buddhist | | | | Om jewelry is very popular in Tibet, India, and Nepal, |
| practitioner wants to find more love, peaceful bliss, and | | | | and it is gradually becoming more and more popular in |
| contentment. "Om Mani Padme Hum" is also the Bija | | | | the west as well. To wear om symbol jewelry means |
| mantra in Tibetan Buddhism. This means that it is the | | | | that the person wearing it is interested in Buddhism, or |
| seed, or original mantra. | | | | Hunduism, or that they understand what the 'om' |
| The Tibetan Om symbol is different than the Hindu in | | | | symbol means. If you are interested in purchasing |
| appearance. The first character of both om symbols, | | | | Tibetan om jewelry, or jewelry with the om symbol, |
| from a western perspective, looks like a backwards | | | | please go to our Tibetan jewelry section. |
| three. But the second symbol of the sanskrit om looks | | | | |