05/03/2026
Meaning of Om shanti… the Brahma Kumaris Raja Yoga perspective..
Dear friends! I’ve been wanting to start a series where I share unique words and phrases—sometimes from English, and sometimes from languages like Latin, French, Greek, or even ancient scriptures. But instead of just teaching vocabulary, I want to explore the deeper spiritual significance of these words, especially from the perspective of the Brahma Kumaris Raj Yoga.
Let’s start with a phrase you hear everywhere in the Brahma Kumaris: “Om Shanti.” It’s actually two words—“Om” and “Shanti.” While people sometimes give deep, complicated meanings to the word “Om,” Brahma Kumaris Raj Yoga keeps it simple: “Om” means “I am,” and “Shanti” means “peace.” It’s a reminder that our true nature is peaceful.
But what does that really mean? Who is this “I” that is peace? Underneath all our labels—name, age, gender, nationality, religion, culture, and so on—there’s a being, a pure life force, the energy that animates our bodies. Think of the body as a chariot and the soul as the charioteer. Without this inner “I,” the body is just an empty shell.
This idea connects to a famous quote from the French philosopher René Descartes: “Je pense, donc je suis”—Je in french means I, ponse means ponder, to think, donc means therefore, and suis is “am” which means “I think, therefore I am.” In Latin, it’s “Cogito ergo sum.” Cogito means congnition, that is to think, ergo is there fore and sum means am.
It’s the “I” that does the thinking, feeling, dreaming, aspiring, as well as observing and experiencing—the actor playing its part in this world. And at its core, this “I” is peaceful. Remembering this can help us reconnect with our inner calm, no matter what’s happening outside.
So let’s remind ourselves again and again of Om shanti! If this has interested you, follow for more content… until next time, Om shanti!
