"A Seven-Syllabled Phrase" HPB.
seven meanings and seven results
Om "OM," says the Aryan Adept, the son of the Fifth Race, who with this
syllable begins and ends his salutation to the human being, his conjuration
of, or appeal to, non-human PRESENCES.

"OM-MANI," murmurs the Turanian Adept, the descendant of the Fourth Race;
and after pausing he adds, "PADME-HUM."

This famous invocation is very erroneously translated by the Orientalists as
meaning, "Oh the Jewel in the Lotus." For although, literally, OM is a
syllable sacred to the Deity, PADME means "in the Lotus," and MANI is any
precious stone, still neither the words themselves, nor their symbolical
meaning, are thus really correctly rendered. In this, the most sacred of all
Eastern formulas, not only has every syllable a secret potency producing a
definite result, but the whole invocation has seven different meanings and
can produce seven distinct results, each of which may differ from the
others.
The seven meanings and the seven results depend upon the intonation which is
given to the whole formula and to each of its syllables; and even the
numerical value of the letters is added to or diminished according as such
or another rhythm is made use of. Let the student remember that number
underlies form, and number guides sound. Number lies at the root of the
manifested Universe: numbers and harmonious proportions guide the first
differentiations of homogeneous substance into heterogeneous elements; and
number and numbers set limits to the formative hand of Nature.
The Jewel of the Lotus - (Page 437) Know the corresponding numbers of the
fundamental principle of every element and its sub-elements, learn their
interaction and behaviour on the occult side of manifesting Nature, and the
law of correspondences will lead you to the discovery of the greatest
mysteries of macrocosmical life. But to arrive at the macrocosmical, you
must begin by the microcosmical, i.e., you must study MAN, the microcosm-in
this case as physical science does-inductively, proceeding from particulars
to universals. At the same time, however, since a key-note is required to
analyze and comprehend any combination of differentiations of sound, we must
never lose sight of the Platonic method, which starts with one general view
of all, and descends from the universal to the individual. This is the
method adopted in Mathematics-the only exact science that exists in our day.
Let us study Man, therefore; but if we separate him for one moment from the
Universal Whole, or view him in isolation, from a single aspect, apart from
the "Heavenly Man"-the Universe symbolized by Adam Kadmon or his equivalents
in every Philosophy-we shall either land in Black Magic or fail most
ingloriously in our attempt. Thus the mystic sentence, "Om Mani Padme Hum,"
when rightly understood, instead of being composed of the almost meaningless
words, "Oh the Jewel of the Lotus," contains a reference to this
indissoluble union between Man and the Universe, rendered in seven different
ways, and having the capability of seven different applications to as many
planes of thought and action. From whatever aspect we examine it, it means:
"I am that I am;" "I am in thee and thou art in me." In this conjunction and
close union with the good and pure man becomes a God. Whether consciously or
unconsciously, he will bring about, or innocently cause to happen,
unavoidable results. In the first case, if an Initiate (of course an Adept
of the Right-hand Path alone is meant), he can guide a beneficent or a
protecting current, and thus benefit and protect individuals and even whole
nations. In the second case, although quite unaware of what he is doing, the
good man becomes a shield to whomsoever he is with. Such is the fact; but
its how and why have to be explained, and this can be done only when the
actual presence and potency of numbers in sounds, and hence in words and
letters, have been rendered clear. The formula, "Om Mani Padme Hum," has
been chosen as an illustration on account of its almost infinite potency in
the mouth of an Adept, and (Page 438) of its potentiality when pronounced by
any man.
Be careful, all you who read this: do not use these words in vain, or when
in anger, lest you become yourself the first sacrificial victim, or, what is
worse, endanger those whom you love. The profane Orientalist, who all his
life skims mere externals, will tell you flippantly, and laughing at the
superstition, that in Tibet this sentence is the most powerful six-syllabled
incantation and is said to have been delivered to the nations of Central
Asia by Padmap ni, the Tibetan Chenresi. [See supra.ii. 188. 189.] But who
is Padmap ni, in reality? Each of us must recognize him for himself,
whenever he is ready. Each of us has within himself the "Jewel in the
Lotus," call it Padmap ni, Krishna, Buddha, Christ, or whatever name we may
give to our Divine Self. The exoteric story runs thus: The supreme Buddha,
or Amit bha, they say, at the hour of the creation of man, caused a rosy ray
of light to issue from his right eye. The ray emitted a sound and became
Padmap ni Bodhisattva. Then the Deity allowed to stream forth from his left
eye a blue ray of light, which, becoming incarnate in the two virgins Dolma,
acquired the power to enlighten the minds of living beings. Amhit bha then
called the combination, which forthwith took up its abode in man. "Om Mani
Padme Hum," "I am the Jewel in the Lotus and in it I will remain." Then
Padmap ni, "the One in the Lotus," vowed never to cease working until he had
made Humanity feel his presence in itself and had thus saved it from the
misery of rebirth. He vowed to perform the feat before the end of the Kalpa,
adding that, in case of failure, he wished that his head should split into
numberless fragments.
The Kalpa closed; but Humanity felt him not within its cold, evil heart.
Then Padmap ni's head split and was shattered into a thousand fragments.
Moved with compassion, the Deity re-formed the pieces into ten heads, three
white, and seven of various colours. And since that day man has become a
perfect number, or TEN. In this allegory the potency of SOUND, COLOUR, and
NUMBER is so ingeniously introduced as to veil the real Esoteric meaning. To
the outsider it reads like one of the many meaningless fairy-tales of
creation; but it is pregnant with spiritual and divine, physical and magical
meaning. From Amit bha-no colour, or the white glory- are born the seven
differentiated colours of the prism. The Pythagorean Tetrad - (Page 439)
These each emit a corresponding sound, forming the seven of the musical
scale. As G eometry, among the Mathematical Sciences, is specially related
to Architecture, and also (proceeding to Universals) to Cosmogony, so the
ten Jods of the Pythagorean Tetrad, or Tetraktys, being made to symbolize
the Macrocosm, the Microcosm, or man, its image, had also to be divided into
ten points. For this Nature herself has provided, as will be seen. But
before this statement can be proved and the perfect correspondences between
the Macrocosm and Microcosm demonstrated, a few words of explanation are
necessary. To the learner who would study the Esoteric Sciences with their
double object: (a) of proving Man to be identical in spiritual and physical
essence with both the Absolute Principle and with God in Nature; and (b) of
demonstrating the presence in him of the same potential powers as exist in
the creative forces in Nature-to such a one a perfect knowledge of the
correspondences between Colours, Sounds, and Numbers is the first requisite.
As already said, the sacred formula of the far East, "Om Mani Padme Hum." is
the one best calculated to make these correspondential qualities and
functions clear to the learner. In the allegory of Padmap ni, the Jewel (or
Spiritual Ego) in the Lotus, or the symbol of androgynous man, the numbers
3, 4, 7, 10, as synthesizing the Unit, Man, are prominent, as I have already
said. It is on the thorough knowledge and comprehension of the meaning and
potency of these numbers, in their various and multiform combinations, and
in their mutual correspondence with sounds or words, and colours or rates of
motion (represented in physical science by vibrations), that the progress of
a student in Occultism depends. Therefore we must begin with the first,
initial word, OM, or AUM. OM is a "blind." The sentence "Om Mani Padme Hum,"
is not a six- but a seven-syllabled phrase, as the first syllable is double
in its right pronunciation, and triple in its essence, A-UM. It represents
the for ever concealed primeval triune differentiation, not from but in the
ONE Absolute, and is therefore symbolized by the 4, or the Tetraktys, in the
metaphysical world. It is the Unit-ray, or tman. It is the tman, this
highest Spirit in man, which, in conjunction with Buddhi and Manas, is
called the upper Triad, or Trinity. This (Page 440) Triad with its four
lower human principles, is, moreover, enveloped with an auric atmosphere,
like the yolk of an egg (the future embryo) by the albumen and shell. This,
to the perceptions of higher Beings from other planes, makes of each
individuality an oval sphere of more or less radiancy.
Appendix Notes on Papers I, II, III. PAGE 436 (Page 530) Students in the
west have little or no idea of the forces that lie latent in Sound, the
kashic vibrations that may be set up by those who understand how to
pronounce certain words. The Om, or the "Om mani padme hum" are in spiritual
affinity with cosmic forces, but without a knowledge of the natural
arrangement, or of the order in which the syllables stand, very little can
be achieved. "Om" is, of course, Aum, that may be pronounced as two, three
or seven syllables, setting up different vibrations. Now, letters, as vocal
sounds, cannot fail to correspond with musical notes, and therefore with
numbers and colours; hence also with forces and Tattvas. He who remembers
the Universe is built up from the Tattvas will readily understand something
of the power that may be exercised by vocal sounds. Every letter in the
alphabet, whether divided into three, four, or seven septenaries, or
forty-nine letters, has its own colour, or shade of colour. He who has
learnt the colours of the alphabetical letters, and the corresponding
numbers of the seven and the forty-nine colours and shades on the scale of
planes and forces, and knows their respective order in the seven planes,
will easily master the art of bringing them into affinity or interplay. But
here a difficulty arises. The Senzar and Sanskrit alphabets, and other
Occult tongues, besides other potencies, have a number, colour, and distinct
syllable for every letter, and so had also the old Mosaic Hebrew. But how
many students know any of these tongues? When the time comes, therefore, it
must suffice to teach the students the numbers and colours attached to the
Latin letters only (N.B. as pronounced in Latin, not in Anglo-Saxon, Scotch,
or Irish). This, however, would be at present premature. A Mantra Operative
(Page 531) The colour and number of not only the planets but also the
zodiacal constellations corresponding to every letter of the alphabet, are
necessary to make any special syllable, and even letter, operative. HPB SD
III.

The colour and number of not only the planets but also the zodiacal
constellations corresponding to every letter of the alphabet, are necessary
to make any special syllable, and even letter, operative. The Voice of the
Silence . p. viii.] therefore if a student would make Buddhi operative, for
instance, he would have to intone the first words of the Mantra on the note
mi. But he would have still further to accentuate the mi, and produce
mentally the yellow colour corresponding to this sound and note, on every
letter M in "Om mani padme hum"; this, not because the note bears the same
name in the vernacular, Sanskrit, or even the Senzar, for it does not-but
because the letter M follows the first letter, and is in this sacred formula
also the seventh and the fourth. As Buddhi it is second; as Buddhi-Manas it
is the second and third combined. H. P. B. The Voice of the Silence . p.
viii.]

The ancient mystic formula of the King Srong-ch-Tsans-Gampo, the "Aum mani padme houm,"* effects its wonders now as well as in the seventh century. Avalokitesvara, highest of the three Boddhisattvas, and patron saint of Thibet, projects his shadow, full in the view of the faithful, at the lamasery of Dga-G'Dan, founded by him; and the luminous form of Son-Ka-pa, under the shape of a fiery cloudlet, that separates itself from the dancing beams of the sunlight, holds converse with a great congregation of lamas, numbering thousands; the voice descending from above, like the whisper of the breeze through foliage. Isis Unveiled HPB.

* Aum (mystic Sanscrit term of the Trinity), mani (holy jewel), padme (in the lotus, padma being the name for lotus), houm (be it so). The six syllables in the sentence correspond to the six chief powers of nature emanating from Buddha (the abstract deity, not Gautama), who is the seventh, and the Alpha and Omega of being. Isis Unveiled. HPB.

THE SECRET DOCTRINE -VOLUME -3- by H.P.Blavatsky - The Seven Hierarchies
(Page 475) In view of this, we must resume our teaching about the
Hierarchies directly connected and for ever linked with man. Enough has been
said to show that while for the Orientalists and profane masses the
sentence, "Om Mani Padma Hum," means simply "Oh the Jewel of the Lotus,"
Esoterically it signifies "Oh my God within me." Yes; there is a God in each
human being, for man was, and will re-become, God. The sentence points to
the indissoluble union between Man and the Universe. For the Lotus is the
universal symbol of Kosmos as the absolute totality, and the Jewel is
Spiritual Man or God. In the preceding Paper, the correspondences between
Colours, Sounds, and "Principles" were given; and those who have read our
second volume will remember that these seven principles are derived from the
seven great Hierarchies of Angels, or Dhy n Chohans, which are, in their
turn, associated with Colours and Sounds, and form collectively the
Manifested Logos. In the eternal music of the spheres we find the perfect
scale corresponding to the colours, and in the number, determined by the
vibrations of colour and sound, which "underlies every form and guides every
sound," we find the summing-up of the Manifested Universe.
Avalokiteshvara - (Sk.). "The on-looking Lord". In the exoteric
interpretation, he is Padmapani (the lotus bearer and the lotus born) in
Tibet, the first divine ancestor of the Tibetans, the complete incarnation
or Avatar of Avalokiteswara; but in esoteric philosophy Avaloki, the
"on-looker", is the Higher Self, while Padmapani is the Higher Ego or Manas.
The mystic formula "Om mani padme hum" is specially used to invoke their
joint help. While popular fancy claims for Avalokiteswara many incarnations
on earth, and sees in him, not very wrongly, the spiritual guide of every
believer, the esoteric interpretation sees in him the LOGOS, both celestial
and human. (TG) Agni Yoga.

The logoic Breath - First plane - The Sound 85 A.
This is the first etheric appearance of a solar system upon the atomic
subplane of the cosmic physical plane. The seeds of life are all latent.
Faculty inheres from an earlier solar essence.
The logoic Sound - Second plane - The Sound A U.
This is the body of the solar system in the second ether. This plane is the
archetypal plane. The seeds of [927] life are vibrating or germinating. The
seven centers of energy are apparent. The one deva Agni is seen as seven.
The form is now potentially perfect.
The logoic triple Word - The third plane - The Sound A U M.
The body of the solar system in substance of the third etheric plane is
seen, and the three function as one. The triple energy of the Logos is
coordinated, and nothing now can hinder the Work of evolution. The three
groups of devas are active, and the archetypal form is in process of
materialization.
The logoic septenary Word - The fourth plane - The seven syllabled Word
The logoic etheric centers become active.
The etheric body of the solar system is now complete, though it will not be
perfected till the end of another manvantara. The greater body of vitality
is ready to energize the dense physical vehicle. The seven centers with
their forty-nine major petals are vibrant, and consciousness thrills through
every atom in the system.

85 Mantric Sounds. A mantram is a combination of sounds, of words and of
phrases that, through virtue of certain rhythmic effects, achieve results
that would not be possible apart from them. The most sacred of all the
Eastern mantrams given out as yet to the public is the one embodied in the
words: "Om mani padme hum." Every syllable of this phrase has a secret
potency, and its totality has seven meanings and can bring about seven
different results.
There are various mantric forms, based upon this formula and upon the Sacred
Word, which, sounded rhythmically and in different keys, accomplish certain
desired ends, such as the invoking of protective angels or devas, and
definite work, either constructive or destructive upon the planes.
The potency of a mantram depends upon the point in evolution of the man who
employs it. Uttered by an ordinary man it serves to stimulate the good
within his bodies, to protect him, and it will also prove of beneficent
influence upon his environment. Uttered by an adept or initiate its
possibilities for good are infinite and far-reaching.
Mantrams are of many kinds, and generally speaking might be enumerated as
follows:
Some very esoteric mantrams, existing in the original Sensa, in the custody
of the Great White Lodge.
Some Sanskrit mantrams employed by initiates and adepts.
Mantrams connected with the different rays.
Mantrams used in healing.
Mantrams used in the departments of either the Manu, the Bodhisattva, or the
Mahachohan.
Mantrams used in connection with the devas and the elemental kingdoms.
Special mantrams connected with fire.
All these mantrams depend for their potency upon the sound and rhythm and
upon the syllabic emphasis imparted to them when enunciating and intoning.
They depend too upon the capacity of the man who uses them to visualize and
to will the desired effect.
AAB. Treatise On Cosmic Fire.

The revelation of full consciousness, or the streaming forth of that
response to contact which is potential or differing as yet in all forms but
which can and will be carried forward to the full flood-tide of awareness.
The revelation of that which the consciousness aspect (the second aspect) is
in its turn veiling. The unveiling of the soul leads to the manifestation of
the one life. The manifestation of the Son of God leads to a knowledge of
the Father. The shining forth of the higher self, through the medium of the
lower self, produces the revelation of the divine or spiritual self. The
matrix holds the diamond and when the matrix reveals its hidden gem, and the
work of cutting and polishing is accomplished, the glory of the jewel will
be seen. When the lotus plant has grown to maturity, the flower comes to
fruition and in the center of its petals the "Jewel in the Lotus" (Om mani
padme hum) can be seen. Yoga Sutras Of Patenjali. AAB.


MEDITATION UPON AUM

O Satyakama, AUM is the Supreme Brahman and the conditioned
Brahman. By meditating upon It the wise man may attain either the one
or the other.
If he meditates upon one letter (matra) alone and is enlightened
thereby, then after death he will quickly be reborn on this earth.
The Rik verses lead him to the world of men, and by practising
austerity, chastity and faith, he will enjoy greatness.
If he meditates on the second letter, he will hold the mind and
will be led up by the Yajur verses to the intermediate realm, the
plane of the moon. Having enjoyed greatness there, he will return
again to this earth.
But if he meditates upon the Highest Being through the word AUM,
consisting of three letters, he will be united with the effulgent
sun. He will be freed from sin even as a snake is freed from its
skin, and he will be led up by the Sama verses to the realm of
Brahma. From here, the aggregate of all lives, he will behold the
Supreme Purusha, higher than the High and dwelling in the body.
Thus it is written: "The three letters of AUM are separately
mortal; when joined together in meditation on Reality as a whole and
used rightly in the external, internal and intermediate states, the
Knower trembles not."

Prasna Upanishad.