SO: Indicating and Connecting from the Latent

The character for “SO” is composed of the right semicircle, which represents the latent realm, and a small circle located at the same position as “I” (5)
(a phenomenal object) and “SHI” (the core intention of “indicating”). The absence of the left semicircle indicates that this character doesn’t represent a phenomenal object itself.

From these elements, “SO” is thought to represent the fundamental core intention corresponding to the “SO” sound used in modern Japanese words like “sore” (that), “sono” (that’s/its), “soshite” (and then), “sokode” (there/then), and “sorekara” (after that).

It’s used to refer to something (a state, a phenomenon, or sometimes a physical object) that has originated from the latent realm. In Katakamuna Utai (chants), the meaning of that “something” is unraveled through the context of what comes before and after “SO.”