Raja-Yoga

128 RAJA YOGA.
of sound producing. As such, it must be the natural
symbol, the matrix of all the various sounds. It
denotes the whole range and possibility of all the
words that can be made. Apart from these specula
tions we see that around this word Om are centred all
the different religious ideas in India;
all the various
religious ideas of the Vedas have gathered themselves
round this word Om. What has that to do with
America and England, or any other country ? Simply
that the word has been retained at every stage of
religious growth in India, and it has been manipulated
to mean all the various ideas about God. Monists,
Dualists, Mono-Dualists, Separatists, and even Athe
ists, took up this Om. Om has become the one symbol
for the religious aspiration of the vast majority of
human beings. Take, for instance, the English word
God. It covers only a limited function, and,
if
you go
beyond it, you have to add adjectives, to make it Per
sonal, or Impersonal, or Absolute God. So with the
words for God in every other language; their significa
tion is
very small. This word Om, however, has around
it all the various significances. As such it should be
accepted by everyone.
28. The repetition of this (Om) and meditating on
its meaning (is the way).
Why should there be repetition We ? have not for
gotten that theory of Samskdras, that the sum-total of
impressions lives inJLhe mind. Impressions live in the