AUM is the primeval, audible and inaudible sound of Hindu creation, also thought to mysteriously embody the very essense of the universe. Chanted at the beginning and end of prayers and mantras and also used as a form of meditation, it is pronounced with three sounds, A-U-M.Lotus, according to the Egyptians, it was the first flower of the universe, and from it sprang the first gods. Many of the ancient pillars of monumental architecture in Egypt are actually designed as bunches of lotuses.
In Hinduism, the lotus blossom is one of the most important symbols used in spirituality and art. Brahma, the Hindu creator of the world, was born from a lotus blossom that grew from the navel of Vishnu on the water. However, the lotus paired with Om has a particularly significant Buddhist association.
In Buddhism, the lotus is thought to symbolize the Buddha's nature, pure and ascendant.
Along with Aum, it is part of the most famous of Buddhist mantras
