Japanese niō and komainu, or lion-dog statues, are often depicted doing this action in front of the honden in pairs named for two components of it. The Aitareya Brahmana of the Rig Veda divides this action, which the Mandukya Upanishad focuses on, into three stages that correspond to the three stages of cosmic creation. Jains do this action while commemorating their five groups of religious figures in (*) Navkar. It’s not being monotheistic, but the Sikh name for the god Ik Onkar refers to doing this action. This action is done in the most common bijamantra, which is often linked with Brahman or the Trimurti. For 10 points, name this Hindu spiritual practice of saying a specific syllable believed to be the primordial sound of the universe. ■END■
ANSWER: chanting ōm [or chanting a-un; or chanting aum; accept any answers above with pranava or udgītha or ekāksara in place of ōm, or reciting or saying in place of chanting; prompt on chanting or reciting with “what are they chanting?”; prompt on saying mantras with “what mantra?”; prompt on meditation with “while performing what action”]
<Benjamin McAvoy-Bickford, Religion>
= Average correct buzz position