Om, or AUM, is believed to be the one eternal symbol incorporating past, present, and future. Some say the three letters of AUM stand for Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva; Creator, Preserver, and Destroyer. The word is a shortened version of the whole phrase Aum-mani-padme-hum. According to The Theosophical Glossary of Helena P. Blavatsky:
“Om! the jewel in the lotus, hum! One of the most sacred Buddhist mantras or verbal formulas; used very frequently in Tibet and in surrounding countries of the Far East. Not only is every syllable said to have a secret power of producing a definite result, but the whole invocation has a number of meanings. When properly pronounced or changed, it produces different results, differing from the others according to the intonation and will given to the formula and its syllables. This mystic sentence above all refers to the indissoluble union between man and the universe, and thus conveys ‘I am in thee and thou art in me.’ Each of us has within himself the jewel in the lotus or the divine self within. When understood in a kosmic sense, it signifies the divine kosmic self within, inspiring all beings within the range of that kosmic divinity.”6
Two versions of the symbol for Om
Tattvas
One of the systems for classifying the five elements—water, air, fire, earth, spirit—in Hinduism is with the use of tattvas. Water is represented by a silver crescent moon, Air is a blue circle, Fire is a red triangle, Earth is a yellow diamond, and Spirit is an indigo egg. The names of the tattvas are the names of deities: Apas, Vayu, Tejas, Prithivi, and Akasa. The appropriate tattva may be used in ritual to summon one of the deities.
6. Helena P. Blavatsky, The Theosophical Glossary (London: Theosophical Publishing Society, 1892).