Connectedness in Ik Onkar Symbol
August 22, 2006 by Arvind
Symbols of oneness, unity and non-dualism are revealed in various traditions, which shows its importance in spiritual life. In Sikhism the Oneness of the Divine is the first and primary message with which the Guru Granth Sahib begins depicted below:
This symbol has four primary aspects to it. The first is 
. This is the same as the number “1″ and represents the transcendent One before creation and division into various manifestation. Ik is the sound current from which the streams of creation manifest (Guru Granth Sahib, Page 3). In mathematics a zero on its own is nothing but with a one before it, we can create tens, hundreds, thousands, millions and more. So also without the manifestation of the One, the universe itself only has potential. Before creation the indivisible One alone existed with full potential for manifestation.
After IK we have ON or OM, 
which is the sound symbol of creation also used in Hindu and Buddhist chants as OM or AUM. Through the sound current of ON, the “One” or Ik becomes Anek or “many.” In scientific terms it can be equated to the point of the Big Bang.
The arch KAR
represents the manifest through myriad streams of evolution, where the one has become many but yet the essential unity is still contained in the universe though hidden behind the veil of egoism. The unrepresented part in the diagram is the universe collapsing back into the One, since the universe has expanded and collapsed many times, oscillating between manifest and potential. So here is the whole symbol:
This symbol is good representation of how the one becomes many through creation but yet the essential oneness or connection is not lost through evolution. The full symbol would read “1 OM MANIFEST” with the collapse back into the one unstated but elaborated elsewhere in the Sikh scriptures.
Another aspect to understanding <i>Ik Omkar</> requires an explanation of the Hindu Trinity or <i>Trimurti</i> (literally “three images”). The Trimurti is composed of three deities of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva responsible for creation, sustenance and destruction. By adding Ik or “One” before “On” or “Om,” Guru Nanak is clarifying that the three functions of creation, preservation and destruction are part of the One Supreme Being.
So when we put the various aspects of Ik Onkar together, a good way to explain it in English would be the following: “One Sound-current Manifest” or alternatively “One Creator-Sustainer-Destroyer Manifest,” which can simplified to “One Supreme Being.”
This becomes a statement of monotheism in Sikhism, where only One Supreme Being exists and all others have their source in that One. Oneness always exists but due to the wall of egoism or haumai, we imagine division and separation as ego-influenced mind produces dualistic thoughts and hides Oneness of all creation. The mystical journey for a Sikh is to recover the unity through the teachings of the Gurus.
Brother/Sister
if you read Bhai Gurdas Diya Vaaran, you will realise that it is in fact Ik On Kar, an not Om Kar, i too thought it was Om until i read Bhai Sahibs Vaaran
http://www.searchgurbani.com/main.php?book=bhai_gurdas_vaaran&action=pauripage&vaar=3&pauri=15
Guru Gobind Singh Ji said in-order to understand Guru Granth Sahib, understand Bhai Sahibs Vaaran.
BTW Bhai Sahib Vaaran are accepted by the whole panth without question, while many other writings are still not.
my two cents
Thank you for your insight. Can it merely be a question of transliteration into English whether we write OM or ON? Or is there a significance beyond that in terms of meaning between the two variations?
I thought the variation was just like the difference between Panjab and Punjab, without any greater significance than what might be easiest to convey in terms of pronuniciation into English. The “M” or “N” in either case is a nasal sound well represented in Gurumukhi script but with no equivalent in English.
Interestingly most nasal sounds are not represented in the Granth but are understood to be there. Or maybe modern day Punjabi is highly nasal compared to the sacred language used in the Granth. C. Shackle’s “An Introduction to the Sacred Language of the Sikhs” presents a grammatical overview of the language used in the Guru Granth Sahib and it is a good reference book.
I used OM variant, since it cannot be confused with the English word “on.” If you read the post again you will better understand my choice. Thank you for your feedback and the link to the varan of Bhai Gurdas.
[...] and in Sikh scriptures the oneness of God is emphasized through Ik Onkar. Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism, used to word Onkar (literally “OM-maker”
to state the concept of a monotheistic God rather than the Tri-deity concept of AUM. By placing “1″ in front of Onkar, he stated that the creative, sustaining and destructive energies are all embodied in the One Supreme Being. [...]
[...] read Connectedness in Ik Onkar Symbol for a detailed explaination of this attribute. It is a transcendent quality that is both manifest [...]
[...] Ik Onkar symbol of Sikhism. To further understand this symbol read Connectedness in Ik Onkar Symbol. [...]
Hi Debra and Arvind, its me Hazel8500, just taking a joyride in LolaT’s back seat and came across this entry.
Thank you for this detailed explanation about the parts of language and sound that makes up this beautiful symbol. This one’s been on my mind for some time now, with little understanding on my part.
Hazel.