Om - Aum - Pranava - Omkara
Oh, the Glories of Om! "Aum" is a variant spelling of "Om". The word can be spelled either way because the letter "o" is regarded as a diphthong consisting of "a" and "u". There is quite a division among people as to how Om is actually pronounced. Many people try to accentuate the “au” sound in aum, trying to make it sound like “ow-m” or “awe-m”. However, “aum” is pronounced “om” as in “home”. The “au” sound is an extremely subtle intonation that naturally arises, when Om is intoned, and can be heard when the pitch is increased. One does not have to accentuate the “au” sound in Om to hear it. Just intone Om as “om” and you will hear it naturally. Just intone the mantra slowly.

Information on Om and all about Om and Aum

Of all the mantras, the most powerful and the significant one is the single-syllabled incantation called the Pranava. This is the OM. The available literature upon the significances of the Vedic mantra is almost voluminous. Nowhere in the world can we meet with a more sacred symbol that has got such a vast amount of significance.

From Vedic times until the present day the word 'OM' has been taken as a symbol and as an aid to meditation by spiritual aspirants. It is accepted both as one with 'Brahman' and as the medium, the Logos, connecting man and God. The entire history of the syllable is in the revelations of the Vedas and in the declarations of the Upanishads.

There is a verse in the Vedas: 'Prajapathi vai idam agra asit' (In the beginning was Prajapathi, the Brahman): 'Tasya vak dvitiya asit' (With whom was the Word): 'Vag vai Paraman Brahma' (And the Word was verily the Supreme Brahman).** This sphota has its symbol in the word OM. The sound of OM is also called 'Pranava', meaning, that it is something that pervades life, or runs through prana or breath.

The very central theme of the Mandukya Upanishad is the syllable OM through which the mystery of Brahman is gathered to a point. The text of this Upanishad first treats OM in terms of the Upanishadic doctrine of the three states of waking, dream, and deep sleep, but then passes on to the 'fourth' (turiya), thus transporting us beyond the typical Upanishadic sphere into that of the later 'classic Advaita Vedanta'. Speaking of OM, the Taittiriya Upanishad says: "Thou art the sheath of Brahman.' That is, OM is the container for the Supreme and, therefore, invoking OM is invoking the Supreme.

In every piece of music there are three aspects, namely (1) the meaning of the song; (2) the laws of music, and (3) the sound of the song. Similarly, on OM there are three aspects. The first is the mere sound, the mere mantra as pronounced by the mouth; the second is the meaning of the syllable, which is to be realized through feeling; and the third is the application of OM to your character, singing it in your acts, and so through your life.

OM represents the Self which is the Supreme Nondual Reality. The Self is known in four states, namely, the waking state, the dream state, the deep-sleep state, and the fourth state called the turiya. All these states are represented in the three sounds of OM (i.e., A, U, M***), and the silence that follows and surrounds the syllable.

The sound A represents the waking state; the sound U represents the dream state, and the sound M represents the deep sleep state. The waking state is superimposed on the A sound because it is the first of the three states of consciousness, and so is the sound A the very first of the letters of the alphabet – in all languages. The dream is but a view within the mind of the impressions that had reflected on the surface of the mental lake during the waking state. Besides, the dream state occurs between the waking and the deep-sleep state, and comes second among the three states of consciousness. And so, U, being next to A in order of sounds, and also since it is between A and M, is treated as representing the dream state. On the M sound of OM is superimposed the deep-sleep state. The comparison between the last sound of the OM and sleep lies in that it is the closing sound of the syllable, just as deep sleep is the final stage of the mind in rest. A short pregnant silence is inevitable between two successive OMs. On this silence is superimposed the idea of the fourth state, known as turiya. This is the state of Perfect Bliss when the individual Self recognises the identity with the Supreme.

In OM, the sounds A, U, and M are called mantras or forms; there is also in AUM the common principle called the amatra-OM, that which signifies the things-in-itself, running through and pervading the threefold phenomena of waking, dream, and deep sleep. The law of memory is that the rememberer and the experiencer must be one and the same individual, or else memory is impossible. So, as we can remember all our experiences in all three planes, there must necessarily be a single common factor which was a witness of all the happenings in all the three planes. There must be some entity within ourselves who is present in the waking world, who moves and illuminates the dream, who is a distant observer in the deep sleep world, and yet who is not conditioned by any of these three realms. This entity, conceived as the fourth state (turiya), is the Real, the Changeless, the Intelligent Principle.

The syllable OM symbolizes both the spheres:(1) the phenomenal, visible sphere of the 'jagat', wherein the manifestations of time and space appear and perish, and (2) the transcendent, timeless sphere of the Imperishable Being, which is beyond and yet one with it. Thus, A the 'waking state', U, the 'dream', and M, the 'deep sleep', and the silence, 'turiya', all the four together comprise the totality of this manifestation of Atman-Brahman as a syllable. Just as the sound M manifests itself, grows, becomes transformed in its vocal quality, and finally subsides into the silence that follows****, so too the four 'states' or components of being ultimately merge into the homogeneous silence of the 'fourth' (turiya). The other three states are transformations of the one experience, which taken together constitute the totality of its modes, whether regarded from the microcosmic or from the macrocosmic point of view.

The A and U are essential to the sound as M, or as the silence (turiya) against which the sound appears. Moreover, it would be a mistake to say that AUM did not exist while the silence reigned; for it would be still potentially present even in the silence. The actual manifestation of the syllable, on the other hand, is fleeting and evanescent, whereas the silence abides. The silence, indeed, is present elsewhere during a local pronunciation of the AUM - that is to say (by analogy), transcendentally during the creation, manifestation, and dissolution of the universe.

It may be asked as to why this particular word 'OM' should be chosen as the word representative of the 'thought' out of which the universe has become manifested. The answer may be given in Swami Vivekananda's own words: "This OM is the only possible symbol which covers the whole ground, and there is none other like it. The sphota is the material of all worlds, yet it is not any definite word in its fully formed state. That is to say, if all the particularities which distinguish one word from another be removed, then what remains will be the sphota. Therefore, this sphota is called the Nada-Brahman, the sound-Brahman.

Now, every word symbol intended to express the inexpressible sphota, will so particularise it that it will no longer be the sphota. That which particularise it the least and, at the same time, most approximately expresses its nature will be the truest symbol thereof; and this is the OM, and the OM only; because, these three letters A, U, M, pronounced in combination as OM, can alone be the generalized symbol of all possible sounds. The letter A is the least differentiate of all sounds. Again, all articulate sounds are produced in the space within the mouth – beginning with the root of the tongue and ending at the lips – the throat-sound is A, and M is the lip-sound; and U exactly represents the rolling forward of the impulse which begins at the root of the tongue, continuing till it ends in the lips."

If properly pronounced, this OM will represent in itself the whole phenomenon of sound production, and no other word can do this; and this, therefore, is the fittest symbol of the sphota, which is the real meaning of the OM. And as the symbol can never be separated from the thing signified, the OM and the sphota are one. And, as the sphota, being the finer side of the manifested universe, is nearer to God, and is indeed the first manifestation of Divine Wisdom, this OM is truly symbolic of God.

OM thus represents the entire manifested world and the unmanifest, and also that which lies beyond both the manifest and the unmanifest – the Brahman, which is the changeless substratum for the changing objects of the world of experience.

To every mantra, OM, the Pranava, is added on. And without 'OM' no sacred chant has its power. Just as a living body has no vitality when the life-giving breath is not flowing through its veins, so too, a mantra has no life in it without the addition of the Pranava.

Vedantic students generally practise the repetition of and the mediation upon the symbol provided by the Pranava - this is called the Pranava upasana. OM represents, in its silent significance, both the manifest and the unmanifest, which together constitute the entire subtle and gross world. The word loka in Sanskrit is generally translated as 'world', but, in its etymological meaning, it signifies 'a field of experience'.

The entire possibility of experience in life has been terraced by the rsis into fourteen worlds; seven higher lokas and seven lower worlds. There are three worlds in which a limited ego-centre comes to play its game of reincarnation and repeated deaths: these are (1) Bhur-loka, the physical earth; (2) Bhuvar-loka, the world next to the physical and closely connected with it, but constituted of finer matter; and (3) Suvar-loka, the heavenly world. Beyond these are the four other 'worlds' wherein the ego comes to move about and enjoy in its higher evolutionary life, and they are called the Mahar-loka, Jana- loka, Tapa-loka, and Satya-loka.

In the Hindu literature we also find conceptions of other 'worlds' such as Indra-loka, Candra-loka, Surya-loka, Pitra-loka, etc., which are special 'realms of experiences' located within the above regions.

Below these seven 'worlds' there is yet another set of seven 'worlds' called the talas. They are named as Pa-talam, Maha-talam, Rasa-talam, Tala- talam, Su-talam, Vi-talam, and A-talam.

Of these fourteen 'worlds', Bhur-Bhuvar-Suvar, denoting the 'three worlds', are called the vyahrtis. In the Gayatri Mantra, when these vyahrtis are chanted, the meditator can visualise the 'three worlds' as arising from, existing in, and disappearing into AUM. He can subjectively identify them with the waking, dream, and deep-sleep conditions of consciousness, transcending which extends the realms of the Infinite. All of them are represented in the symbol OM. In this sense, the vyahrtis in the Gayatri represent in one sweep the entire 'world' of the subjective and the objective experiences of man.

Excerpted from Swami Chinmayananda
Mantra and Japa - Gayatri Meditation and Life.
Central Chinmaya Mission Trust, Bombay, India

Sathya Sai Baba said about Om:

V. MANDUKYOPANISHAD: This Upanishad is the kernel of Vedantha; it is the most profound among all the Upanishads; it is also the chiefest, having the distinction of being recommended as, by itself, enough to lead man to salvation. It is very brief, consisting of just a dozen manthras! They are divided into four sections, Agama, Vaithathya, Adwaitha and Alathasanthi. In the Agamaprakarana, the secret doctrine of Pranava which is the key to self-realisation is expounded. In the second Prakatana, the doctrine of Dualism, the great obstacle to liberation is discussed and rebutted. In the third, the A-dwaitha or non-dual Unity is propounded. The last Prakarana describes certain mutually contradictory non-Vedic doctrines and rejects them.

No sound is beyond the ken of Om; all sounds are permutations and products of Om. Brahmam too is Om, identified by It and with It. The Brahmam, which is beyond Vision, is manifest for the vision as Atma.

The distinctions of Viswa, Taijasa and Prajna are but appearances imposed on the Atma; that is to say the Atma continues the same, unaffected by the waking, the dreaming and the deep-sleep stages of man's existence. This Atma and the Atma which one refers to as 'I' are both the same. The 'I' or the Atma swims like a fish in the river, paying no regard to this bank or that, though the waters are limited and guided by them. In deep sleep, all the vasanas or impulses are suspended and though they still persist, they are not manifest or active. In dream, man follows the impulses and wins satisfaction in the process. All the manifold pulls and attractions of the sensory world, which impel man towards the objects around him, are born during the waking and the dream stages. The mind is full of agitations and these are the fertile fields where the vasanas grow, multiply and strike root. As a matter of fact, it is the agitating mind that causes Creation, that is behind all Srishti.

There is however a Fourth stage, distinct from these three: it is named Thuriya! This stage cannot be described by words or even imagined by the mind, for it is beyond both Buddhi and Manas. The experience is inadequately described as Santham, Sivam, Adwaitham; that is all. It is Peace. It is Grace. It is One-ness. The mental agitations are stilled and so there is no more mind. It is the conquest of the mind, its negation, the A-manaska stage. What a victory it is! For, in deep sleep the Mind is latent; in dream, the Mind is restless with agitations; in the waking stage, it is active and motivating. In all the three stages, Truth remains unknown. The objective world is but a delusion of the agitated mind, the super-imposition on the rope of a non-existent snake. The world is not born, nor does it die; it is born when you are ignorant; it dies when you become wise.

The AUM of the Omkara, representing the Viswa, Taijasa and Prajna aspects of the waking, dreaming and deep sleep stages of existence, have each a particular role in Sadhana. Upasana which A emphasises more, makes one realise all desires; if U is concentrated upon, then Jnana increases and if M is specially dwelt upon in the Upasana, the final merging of the Soul in the Supreme is effected. The Upasaka of Pranava will also earn the knowledge of the Truth of the world and Creation. The Upasaka, therefore, of the Pranava draws unto himself the reverence of all.

The A, U and M proceed from one to the other in the Pranava and finally merge in an A-manthra, a letterless resonance which thins out into silence. That is the symbol of the Santham, the Sivam and the Adwaitham, the merging of the individualised soul in the Universal, after the shedding of the limiting particulars of name and form. This is not all. The Karikas 24-29 of this Upanishad praise Pranava as the cause of Creation. It is extolled as quenching all grief. Why? He who ruminates on he Om, ever aware of its significance can steadily move on to an Awareness of the Real behind all this unreal Appearance, of the Paramatmathathwa Itself. ~Sathya Sai Baba

"Upanishad means 'to sit down near' because they were explained to
the students, who sat at the feet of their teachers. In general
Upanishads proclaim salvation by knowledge and realization, rather
than by faith and works. Selfish desires are obstacles to the seekers
of Truth (the Higher- Self, also called as Brahman). A seeker of true
Divinity will attain salvation when he realizes the Truth, the all-
pervasive Brahman. The universe came into existence because of a
primeval desire of Brahman. Now it is the duty of the humans to
restore it to the state of things before creation.... Honesty is
especially extolled. He who has not denounced evil will never obtain
Brahman. The worldly perceptions of smell, taste, touch, hearing and
sight makes one separate from the True Self. When one can transcend
these perceptions there is no consciousness of anything other than
Self. This is immortality.

There are six great sayings (Mahavakyas) from the Upanishads that
give the basic insight into its philosophy. They are as follows with
a brief analysis of each:

Aham Brahmasmi
"I am Brahman": Vedic knowledge teaches that our own "Self" is the
true Divinity. The Truth is within us, in our own heart. This states
the identity of the inner most consciousness of the individual with
the supreme Divine.
Ayam Atma Brahma
"The Self is Brahman": This states that not only individual soul is
Divine but all beings are identified with the Absolute Truth.
Tat Tvam Asi
"That art thou": Whatever we see or think about, we are That. We are
the ultimate Thou and I in all.
Prajnanam Brahma
" Knowledge is Brahman": Supreme intelligence is present inherently
within us and is capable of returning us to the Divine. Our
understanding of the truth is the Truth itself.
Sarvam Kalvidam Brahma
" The whole universe is Brahman": Not only the consciousness in you
and I but also the `principle of being' are all Divine. The entire
universe is Divine, which includes our Self.
So `ham
"Here am I": This identifies the Divinity in our Self in something
that happens naturally like breathing. "So" is inhalation and "Ham"
is the natural sound of exhalation.

These are the six statements of the identity of individual
consciousness with the Divine reality. They all merge into and derive
from the word "Om (Aum)" or the Divine word "I Am All". All of these
statements point to the fact that whatever or however we worship, be
it an image, book, an idea or even a God, it is the knowledge that
the Truth is within ourselves that will ultimately lead to self-
realization. Self is the true Divinity. This is the essence of
Upanishads."

Neria Harish Hebbar, MD
May 4, 2002 ]]> http://sweetnessness.wordpress.com/?p=4 Wed, 18 Jun 2008 20:35:45 +0000 Yotam Luz http://sweetnessness.wordpress.com/?p=4 I was searching for Babaji's favorite Sangeet - Pandit Jasraj - on YouTube and found that the first result is one of the Ragas he likes more. So here it is "Raga Purvi":

It'll take forever to complete this journey - writing here, and this seems like a nice way to start...

with just a simple OHM------

 

A buddhist sits still for hours on end,

repeating the same frequency: OHM

and some could say that's just the fundamental tone to all truths- the greatest teacher man could ever have: existence-

and some could say it's Christ,

some could say God

or the "elan vital"

People say a lot of things. Not enough of them sit still and listen though.

Have you ever heard water rushing down a mountain or a strong breeze?

as if life was breathing all around you?

Have you ever heard the highway cars glide like a great sudden movement of man and notice how it al happens to sound the same?

There is energy in existence, of that I am sure.

I am sure there has been a past, and the peoples of those times have said something, sang songs and left certain truths more evident for us. I'm also sure some sort of future is possible. Theres a lot of oppurtunities to act on.

But of all the things, the most certain of all things is this inherent present. It is in this time that action is only possible. Now is the oppurtunity. Now is time. Now is truth. Now. Now. Now.

Where is God? Who is God?

It isin't a person.

It isin't in a poem.

or even in a phrase.

He isin't in a book

nor has he written one.

I don't think he's left us any promises

and i don't even think it's a He.

I could think a lot of things. But of what i'm most sure is of that which i hear-

in what I see, feel and believe.

I have faith.

I am fortunate enough to fathom such an impossible term.

People tell me a lot of things.

Sometimes i just shrug, smile, and sing.

There's not much else that makes me happy except singing and dancing.

I heard Dylan say in an interview this one time that he was a song-and-dance-man. Someone asked him what that meant. He said there wasn't enough time to go into that. I believe him.

Music is the greatest metaphor we have for life.

Even in silence can one hear nature singing.

Dippanka or some buddhist or another asked his mentor what life was or something.

It is the roaring silence of a diamond.

 

and when i think of things like that, well, this little blue earth becomes a part of something so much bigger than space and time. and that's probably the most universal truth i can think of right now.

Om mani padme hum

Om mani padme hum

Om mani padme hum

Om mani padme hum

Om mani padme hum

Om mani padme hum

Om mani padme hum

Om mani padme hum é possivelmente o mantra mais famoso do Budismo; o mantra de seis sílabas do bodhisattva da compaixão: Avalokiteshvara.

De origem indiana, de lá foi para o Tibete. É o mantra mais entoado pelo budistas tibetanos.

Om Mani Padme Hum.

• Om fecha a porta para o sofrimento de renascer no reino dos deuses. O sofrimento do reino dos deuses surge da previsão da própria queda do reino dos deuses [isto é, de morrerem e renascerem em reinos inferiores]. Este sofrimento vem do orgulho.

• Ma fecha a porta para o sofrimento de renascer no reino dos deuses guerreiros (sânsc. asuras). O sofrimento dos asuras é a briga constante. Este sofrimento vem da inveja.

• Ni fecha a porta para o sofrimento de renascer no reino humano. O sofrimento dos humanos é o nascimento, a doença, a velhice e a morte. Este sofrimento vem do desejo.

• Pad fecha a porta para o sofrimento de renascer no reino animal. O sofrimento dos animais é o da estupidez, da rapina de um sobre o outro, de ser morto pelos homens para obterem carne, peles etc., e de ser morto pelas feras por dever. Este sofrimento vem da ignorância.

• Me fecha a porta para o sofrimento de renascer no reino dos fantasmas famintos (sânsc. pretas). O sofrimento dos fantasmas famintos é o da fome e o da sede. Este sofrimento vem da ganância.

• Hum fecha a porta para o sofrimento de renascer no reino do inferno. O sofrimento dos infernos é o calor e o frio. Este sofrimento vem da raiva ou ódio.

•    Tradução: Recebemos a Jóia da consciência no coração do Lótus. (O Lótus é o chakra).

     Significa - Recebemos a jóia da consciência divina, no centro do nosso chakra da coroa.

No Hinduísmo:

• O Om (ॐ) é o mantra mais importante do hinduísmo e outras religiões. Diz-se que ele contém o conhecimento dos Vedas e é considerado o corpo sonoro do Absoluto, Shabda Brahman. O Om é o som do infinito e a semente que "fecunda" os outros mantras. O som é formado pelo ditongo das vogais a e u, e a nasalização, representada pela letra m. Por isso é que, às vezes, aparece grafado Aum. Estas três letras correspondem, segundo a Maitrí Upanishad, aos três estados de consciência: vigília, sono e sonho. "Este Átman é o mantra eterno Om, os seus três sons, a, u e m, são os três primeiros estados de consciência, e estes três estados são os três sons" (VIII).

Om é a vibração primordial, o som do qual emana o Universo, a substância essencial que constitui todos os outros mantras, sendo o mais poderoso de todos eles. Ele é o gérmen, a raiz de todos os sons da natureza.

In "Wikipédia"

Yogi A male practitioner of yoga. The term also connotes a male saint and teacher of spiritual knowledge.

Yogis take many different forms and various complementary and competing schools can be found within ancient, medieval and modern Hinduism.

T. S. Rukmani notes that advanced yogis like Sankara are said to have some degree of perception of past and future, although they are not equal to brahman in this respect.¹

Yogis may also possess unusual spiritual powers called siddhis. However, these are generally downplayed and even discouraged because they are regarded as a distraction to the ultimate goal of liberation through union with the godhead.

---

¹"Untitled Review of 'The Role of Divine Grace in the Soteriology of śaṅkarācārya by Bradley J. Malkovsky'" in Journal of the American Oriental Society, Vol. 124, No. 4, (Oct. - Dec., 2004: 813-816), p. 814.

» James (William), Karma, Karma Transfer, Mythic Eternalization, Rajas, Shakti, Yogini, Watts (Alan)

Add to this, report errors, suggest edits or voice your opinion by posting a comment

The Sanskrit word yoga derives from the root yuj, which means 'yoke,' 'bind together' or 'union.'

Hatha yoga is a set of bodily postures as well as breathing and mental exercises designed by Patanjali that ultimately aim to connect the ego and soul with God.

Although this yoga is popular in the West, there are other important Hindu yogas and the entire concept of yoga runs far deeper than fashionable stretch suits and inflatable balls.

Generally speaking, yoga for the Hindu means any technique or practice that links individual volition to the Divine Will.

The Bhagavad-Gita outlines four different but related types of yoga.

1. Jnana yoga is the yoga of divine knowledge.
2. Raja yoga is the yoga of right rule.
3. Karma yoga is the yoga of sacred duty or action.
4. Bhakti yoga is the yoga of pure devotion to God.

Depending on where the aspirant 'is at,' so to speak, in their spiritual journey, these four different yogas intermingle in various degrees and combinations.

For example, a hard working businesswoman (karma yoga) does puja in the morning (bhakti yoga). On returning home after work she meditates on spiritual lessons learned from the day's activities (jnana yoga). At night she participates in a women rights group that works to eradicate sutee (raja yoga). In addition, she may also practice the bodily and contemplative postures of hatha yoga.

Another aspect of yoga relates to Tantricism and, depending on the particular path, is variously championed or denounced among the Hindu faithful. This type of yoga is generally called kundalini yoga.

Kundalini yoga involves awakening the spiritual 'serpent power' said to reside at the base chakra. Usually through intense and prolonged training with a spiritual master (guru), one eventually learns how to channel this power up the spinal column so it resonates within each of the seven chakras, in a balanced way among them.

The most noble chakra is believed to be located at the top of the head (crown chakra). When this chakra activates and is properly balanced with all the other chakras, one is said to be in a state of samadhi--i.e. complete and perfect union with God.

» Aurobindo (Sri), Ahimsa, Bhakti yoga, Caste, Chakras, Eliade (Mircea), Faith and Action, Jnana yoga, Karma yoga, Raja yoga, Rama, Shakti, Tantra, Yogi, Yogini

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If a court-initiated psychiatric evaluation finds 50-year-old Chizuo Matsumoto is fit to stand trial, his death sentence could move a step toward finalization depending on how his lawyers respond.

The evaluation is due to be released this month, sources said.

But if Matsumoto, founder of Aum Shinrikyo, is deemed mentally unfit, the appeals trial will be suspended.

The evaluation was initiated by the Tokyo High Court in September after Matsumoto's appeal stalled because defense lawyers claimed their client was unable even to communicate.

In February 2004, the Tokyo District Court sentenced Matsumoto to death on murder and other charges. He was found guilty of masterminding the 1995 sarin attacks on the Tokyo subway system that left 12 dead as well as other crimes by his disciples.

Aum Shinrikyo now calls itself Aleph.

After it reviews the report and hears from the defense team and prosecutors, the high court will decide if Matsumoto is fit to continue his appeal.

If he is found fit, the defense team must give the Tokyo High Court a crucial document it has withheld since August--a summary of its reasons for appealing.

Matsumoto's attorneys have said they cannot prepare the summary because their client could not communicate with them.

If the defense still refuses to produce that paper, the court could dismiss the appeal.

A dismissal could lead to the death sentence becoming final, although the defense may file an objection.

If the defense team hands in the summary, the hearings will resume, unless the court rejects the paper for missing the August deadline.

In that situation, the case would likely go on to the Supreme Court. But then, Matsumoto's lawyers would have to change tactics, as the trial would move forward on the premise that Matsumoto is mentally competent.

Presiding Judge Masaru Suda agreed to the psychiatric test in order to move the stalled process forward.

In December 2004, Suda took the rare step of meeting Matsumoto in person. The judge found him capable of understanding him.

The court's evaluation has been conducted by a court-appointed psychiatrist. The same doctor in a previous case found another defendant, who is now on death row, to be mentally competent.

Because they fear the psychiatrist could decide against them, defense lawyers offered him assessments by other experts in support of their position, sources said..."

International Herald Ttribune /Asahi News, February 17, 2006

"The Tokyo High Court is set to conduct a psychiatric evaluation of AUM Shinrikyo founder Shoko Asahara who has appealed a lower court ruling that sentenced him to death for masterminding crimes including subway gassing, his defense lawyers said.

The appeal court made the decision in order to see if Asahara, whose real name is Chizuo Matsumoto, is fit to stand trial. The evaluation is expected to take several months to complete.

However, the court dismissed a request by his defense lawyer that the trial be suspended because of his mental problems.

In requesting the court to suspend his trial, the defense lawyer submitted to the court a psychiatrist's opinion that he should be treated for a mental disorder.
"He cannot communicate with others because he suffers mental problems as a result of being detained. There is a high possibility that he will recover if he undergoes treatment at an appropriate institution," the psychiatrist said.
On the other hand, prosecutors have submitted an opinion pointing out that the guru is pretending to be ill.

Asahara and 12 other members of the cult have been sentenced to death for the subway gassing and other crimes. On March 20, 1995, five members of AUM Shinrikyo released sarin nerve gas on subway trains in downtown Tokyo, killing 12 people and sickening thousands of others.

The cult also released sarin in Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture, in 1994 and murdered anti-AUM lawyer Tsutsumi Sakamoto, his wife and their infant son in 1989."

Mainichi Newspaper, August 20, 2005

Artist: Deuter
Album: Aum

Tracklist :

• Phoenix
• Aum
• Soham
• Offener Himmel I / Gelichzeitig
• Offener Himmel II
• Sattwa
• Mroning Glory
• Soma
• Surat Shabda
• Abraxas
• Susani
• The Key

The event to commemorate the March 20, 1995, attack in which 12 people died and thousands were injured was organized by Recovery Support Center, a nonprofit organization that offers free medical support for the victims. The center considers walking together with people who share the same traumatized memories as a type of therapy.

About 15 doctors and nurses accompanied the walk alongside Tokyo Metro's Hibiya Line.

The Yomiuri Shimbun, 20 March, 2005

"Meanwhile the survivors and the relatives of those who died say they have been abandoned by their government, whose machinery was the cult's prime target, but which has refused to pay a single yen in compensation.

Every Sunday Shizue Takahashi visits the grave of her husband, Kazumasa, an assistant stationmaster at Kasumigaseki station who died after removing sarin-filled bags from a train carriage.

She says the government has "barely lifted a finger" to help the relatives of the dead and those who survived.

"Anyone could have been a victim," she said in an interview with Kyodo News. "Is it right for the government just to pity us, to think that we were just unlucky at that moment and then do nothing?"

Hundreds of people who were caught up in the attack still suffer from visual disorders, headaches, extreme fatigue and psychological complaints, but most depend on free medical check-ups offered by volunteers in Tokyo.

Egawa says the families have a strong case for compensation.

"Aum was targeting government people and policemen when they released the sarin, so the families and survivors' request for compensation is not unreasonable."

Guardian Unlimited, Friday March 18, 2005