This might be a subject matter for debate. But then, might as well take this opportunity to explain what thoughts it brings to the mind.
We must try to understand first, what is the sound of Om, and what does ‘chanting’ mean.
The Solar System
But before we proceed, we must retrace our thoughts to the structure of the solar system. The sun is the centre of the solar system, with a radius shy of 700,000 kilometres. For the purpose of reference, and to remind ourselves, the earth’s radius is just shy of 6,500 kilometres, so the sun is a little more than 100 times the size of earth. To stay in perspective, if we take about 20 hours to fly from one side of the earth to the other, on a commercial flight that is nearly at the speed of sound, we would take approximately 3 months on a heavenly body of that much size. Three months of sitting in an airplane seat, just to get to the other side of the surface. Your return flight is bound to be similar.
Now, the distance between the sun and earth is approximately 150 million kilometres, which light covers in a time gap of 8 minutes and 23 seconds, traveling at the speed of 300,000 kilometres every second. For reference, sound travels approximately a third of a kilometre every second.
The radius of the solar system is about 10 billion kilometres. That means, the radius of the solar system is more than 7,000 times that of earth’s orbit around the sun. This means, light from the sun takes almost 5 hours to escape the outer confines of what we know as the solar system, where dwarf planets like Pluto and Ceref revolve; while it takes only 3 minutes to reach Mercury.
This is the mammoth size of the solar system. And yet, the total mass of the solar system is just about 1.00001 times the mass of the sun. For the sake of simplicity, independent of other star systems in the galaxy, the mass of the solar system is basically the mass of the sun, and it is all concentrated at an almost invisible centre, while the gravitational pull is noticeable as far as the outer orbits of the last planets. This mass of the system includes, the mass of all planets, including the mass of the Earth, as well as the mass of Jupiter which is about 3,000 times the mass of the Earth.
You might be knowing, that one light year, is the measure of distance, that light travels across the time span of one earthly year, and the nearest star in our galaxy, i.e. The Alpha Centauri, is at a distance of approximately 4.25 light years from us. Which means, if we were able to travel at the speed of 300,000 kilometres every second, we would reach the nearest star in 4.25 years. And in the same perspective, the sun is about 26,000 light years away from the centre of the galaxy, our Milky Way. There are billions of stars like the sun within the Milky Way, and correspondingly billions of galaxies beyond.
It is only thought, that is capable of finding its way into the far reaches of the universe, within the given time-span of human life, and thus, with that framework of space, let us take the point towards what this solar system is made of.
Everything is made from nothing.
The answer to that is emptiness. The solar system is predominantly “nothing”, or a vacuum. Yes, along certain orbits, we have the presence of “heavenly bodies” namely the planets, and our mother earth is among the smaller ones, that is present in orbit closer to the sun. However, if someone were to question what this solar system is full of, constituting 99.99999% percent of its volume, we would comfortably be able to answer “it is composed of nothingness or emptiness”.
It has been observed that patterns in nature repeat themselves. The structure of the solar system is thus similar to that of an atom. The nucleus, where mass is concentrated, is the center, and represents only about 0.00001% of the space in the solar system. The majority of the solar system is basically nothingness, and the distance between two neighbouring stars, like the Sun and Alpha Centauri, is also nothingness.
Then, there are systems in the galaxy, that are circumbinary. Which means, their planets are stable orbit around two suns, not one. This sort of system is similar to molecules, where the electrons revolve around two or more nuclei, and not just one.
While millions, billions and trillions of star systems make a galaxy, and a similar order in number of galaxies constitute all of existence, or conveniently, the Universe.
The universe is continuously expanding. We have observed in science, new stars are born, matter is being created, while at the same time, anti-matter is also being created. Randomness increases as time moves forward, which is measured in entropy. We observe phenomena like red-shift and blue-shift, studied under Doppler’s effect and our physical study of the universe goes on.
It brings us to a big question – how does the balance of equilibrium come around? The planets revolve in destined orbits, maintaining perfect balance, that governs the future of time, our existence on the planet, and the existence of the universe.
The sound, the cosmic vibration
While science observes the elemental existence of the universe from the visible perspective, where are the rules that determine how elements will be created? To create +1 and -1 in observable quantum physics, from 0, and create abundance over the 14+ billion years of existence, such that the universe exists the way we know it.
There is, an elemental vibration that repeats itself through the universe. The vibration that is observed as the sound of Om. Repeat, this vibration is not a sound in itself, but explains the entire spectrum of existence, and a facet of this vibration is observed as the sound of Om. This vibration spans the entire scope of the Universe, and thus has no beginning and no end.
How the universe is designed, how it must operate, how it will expand over time, is all documented in the timeless document called the Veda. The Veda in it’s own manifestation is a self-evolving document, that expands its scope with the passage of time, with increasing complexity. While all sciences are documented in the Veda, the science of Om is documented in the one part – the Sama Veda.
The chant
The Sama Veda, is one part of the Veda that details the science of this cosmic vibration. The observable form of the cosmic vibration is the sound is Om. From the cosmic vibration itself, other forms of sound have been observed and reproduced, which creates the audible spectrum. However, the cosmic vibrations are present in the entire spectrum of existence, that is all not observed by the scope of earthly science. We do know that everything in the universe is observable in terms of waves and energy, and wave-particle duality.
In the science of music, we know of 3 elemental forms of sound, which produces audible vibrations. While flutes and conches can produce sound waves simply with the passage of sound, the other two forms are by impact in either of linear dimension or planar dimensions. Linear instruments include the likes of guitars and strings, that create vibrations perpendicular to the tensile direction. Vibrations perpendicular to tensile planes are observable in instruments like drums and cymbals. We bring these together in orchestra and create music.
Even in our existence, music gives us reason to enjoy the balance of life, feel peace and calm. Especially, classical music.
The universe works like an orchestra, with multiple energies from different directions – such as gravitation, light, wave energy balancing out very carefully, and this becomes observable as the sound of Om, and documented in the minutest detail in the Sama Veda.
The sun undoubtedly is a part of the universe, and part of the entire orchestra. While in our existential form, on earth, we are able to produce “sound” by one of the three forms of managing disturbances – passage of wind, or tensile impact in one or two dimensions, the universe works on the vibrations of Om, that is not all observable directly by senses in physical form. However, with the use of complex instruments, the study of Physics has revealed patterns of vibration that the sun absorbs, as well as produces. It sings as part of the cosmic orchestra, and that is what is referred to as “the chant of Om”.
For us as well, the chant of Om, is not about uttering the sound from the depth of our lungs, but a tuning of vibrations, of living in harmony with nature, with the basis of our existence. The practice of such living, that is sympathetic vibrations with the rules of the universe are thus described as “Brahmacharya”, meaning living a life that is in accordance with the universal rules of existence. The sun, which has existed long before we came into being, and will continue to exist long after as well, practices no exception from Brahmacharya. And thus, while it exists in harmony with the rules of the Universe, it’s behaviour in the audible spectrum is seen as an example of a being that chants Om. Thus, is observed.
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