The Om Stone

Here below is the Om Stone, hand-carved with a hammer and chisel in New York Blue Stone by my brother Jeff – a master mason. The slab is 10 1/4″ wide x 15 3/4″ long x 2″ high and weighs 30lbs. Like all of Jeff’s stonework, it is a stunning piece carved with precision to perfection. In the below photo, the Om Stone is on its back in the driveway with the winter sun behind me – hence the shadow extending off the top.

Om, sometimes written as Omn or Aum, is the eternal sound of the cosmos, or the acoustic root of the entire created / manifested universe.  “A” represents creation; “U” represents retention / preservation; and “M” represents destruction; hence the term A-U-M or Aum.

Contrary to popular belief, this sound cannot be replicated by the human vocal cords; but it can be heard internally during deep, deep stages of meditation known as samadhi – or ensconcement in bliss. More about the sound Om is detailed below.

“Suppose all those sounds are expressed at one time. What will happen? Suppose you go to a market. Somebody will say, “What’s the rate of potato?” Somebody else will say, “What’s the rate of brinjal [eggplant]? What’s the rate of flour?” – like this. And the shopkeeper will say, “I want this much;” and the customer will say, “No, no, no, I won’t give more than that.” So many sounds. But if you go, say, about one hundred yards from the market, what will be the sound? Something like “hawawawawa”. All the sounds together will create a peculiar collective sound, is it not a fact? Will you hear “potato” or “beans” or “cauliflower” from a distance? No, you hear the collective sound “hawawawawa”. Is it not a fact? Similarly, all those sounds, innumerable sounds, brought under the broad category of fifty, will create a collective sound in the universe. That collective sound is aum, A-U-M.” (Discourses on Tantra, Acoustic Roots)

Here below is Jeff presenting the Om Stone at our annual family gathering in NY hosted at our sister Abbye’s house in Dec. Jeff is flanked by mom on the right and our sister Sherry on the left.

The Om Stone now resides here in Southern Anne Arundel County and – yes – I have brought it around to select classes – ones where I can park very close to the door!!