A-un
The term A-un (阿吽) is the Japanese transliteration of the syllable "aum" (or "om"). Written in Devanagari as ॐ, it is sacred to Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism.
The original term is composed of two letters, the first and the last of the Sanskrit alphabet. Together, they represent the beginning and the end of all things.[1] In Mikkyō, the letters represent the beginning and the end of the universe.[2]
The term is also used in Shinto and Buddhist architecture to describe the paired statues common in Japanese religious settings, most notably the Niō or the komainu.[1] In most cases one of the two, usually the right one, has its mouth open to pronounce the sound "a", while the other has it closed to utter the sound "um". In this case too, the symbolism is the same already seen above. The generic name for statues with an open mouth is agyō (阿形, lit. "a" shape), that for those with a closed mouth ungyō (吽形, lit. "un" shape").[1]
The term a-un is used figuratively in some Japanese expressions as "a-un breathing" (阿吽の呼吸, a-un no kokyū) or "a-un relationship" (阿吽の仲, a-un no kankei), indicating an inherent perfect harmony or non-verbal communication.
Identical twin taiko (traditional Japanese drums) player brothers Ryōhei and Kōhei Inoue, formerly of Ondekoza, play under the name of "A-un".[3][4]
Some a-un pairs
-
An agyō komainu -
An ungyō komainu -
Hōryū-ji's agyō Niō -
Hōryū-ji's ungyō Niō
_at_the_Central_Gate_of_Horyuji.jpg)
References
- ^ a b c JAANUS, A un, accessed on September 10, 2010
- ^ Daijirin Japanese dictionary, 2008, Monokakido Co., Ltd.
- ^ "Aun's MySpace page". MySpace. Retrieved 11 September 2010.
- ^ "Aun Japan". Retrieved 11 September 2010.
