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uplifting the soul. For this reason there is no other name of the Deity which can claim precedence over Om. Concerning the magic potency of the term, swami Rama Tirtha writes:
YOGA
"To realize this idea [the divinity of the soul], and to dehypnotize into the Real Self, a beginner gets a great help from the syllable Om. While chanting the syllable Om, to the Vedantin, the sense, the meaning attached to it is: I am the Light of Lights; I am the Sun, I am the real Sun, the apparent sun is my symbol only. I am the Sun, hefore whom the planets and all the bodies revolve. For my sake all the heavenly as well as the human bodies undergo their movements, do everything. I am immovable, eternal, the same yesterday, to-day and for ever. Before me does this whole globe, this whole universe, unfold itself. It goes on turning round and round to bring out before me all her parts-to show me everything that is hers. The earth revolves upon her axis to lay open before me all her sides; the universe does! all sorts of things for me; the sun sheds lustre for my sake; the moon shines for my sake, before me.'"
Chanting the praises of the Self, thus, is the most potent means for changing the negative rhythm of the soul into the positive one. For, will is omnipotent, but unreasoning, and, for that reason, amenable to suggestion. So long as it is imbued with the idea of powerlessness and impotency, it cannot manifest its divine powers. The singing of its praises, consequently, is the most potent means of purging the individual consciousness of the harmful idea of its supposed weakness, and of lifting it out of the slough of despond and negativity. It immediately responds to the chant, and the joyous vibrations of power which are set up by holy mantras, such as the mono-syllable 'Om,' furnish the strongest practical proof of our statement. But let it be distinctly understood that mere counting of beads is time absolutely wasted
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