$JES 101 Jain Activity Book Level 1 Book

Author(s): JAINA Education Committee
Publisher: JAINA Education Committee

Page 31

OM
Om means completeness. It is a symbolic word meaning infinite, the perfect, and the eternal. The very sound is complete, representing the wholeness of all things.
Upon attaining absolute knowledge or omniscience, the body of the Arihanta emanates Om (called the Divine Sound - Divya Dhwani). It is an involuntary, spontaneous, and melodious sound that all humans, animals, and heavenly beings can understand as a sermon, in their own language.
Om sounds like Aum, which is the seat of the five benedictions (salutations of supreme beings) and is made up of five sounds and letters: a, a, a, u, and m:
• The first letter "a" represents Arihanta (a human being who has realized the true nature of the soul and reality and has conquered
passions). • The second "a" represents Ashariri (Siddha, a liberated soul who does
not have a physical body) • The third letter "ä" represents Acharya (an ascetic who is head of the
Jain congregation). • The fourth letter "u" represents Upadhyay (an ascetic teacher). • The fifth letter "m" represents Muni (Sädhus or Sädhvis who
practice Jain principles). The Om represents a salutation to the five revered personalities in the Jain religion. Om is a shortened form of the Namokar Mantra.
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