Om Mani Padme Hum The bodhisattva of compassion, Avalokiteshvara who is called in Tibetan, Chenresi is said to have given a special mantra to Nagarjuna who left it to Lion-face Dakini to transmit to Padmasambhava, whose activity confirmed Buddhism as the predominant religion in Tibet. This is the Six Syllable - or the Mani Mantra Om Mani Padme Hum. In Tibetan: pron. Om Mahni Peh-meh HoonG It can be found painted, carved and inscribed on every type of surface. In fact, in that mountainous part of the world one of the only uses found for the marvelous machine that is the wheel is to spin out the mantra by means of a hand-held device -- the prayer wheel. Thus we can see that to many people mantras do not even have to be sounded to be effective; their power may reside in their written form, even if the writing is not displayed. Thin cotton small flags and also large banners that are activated by the wind, also are believed capable of sending out mantras and prayers. Each one of the 6 syllables is directed at one of the six realms of existence. Saying the mantra is like praying for and helping individuals in all possible situations. When you say this mantra, you are behaving as a bodhisattva, with the mindful intention of working towards the enlightenment of all sentient beings, without exception. Each syllable is considered to purify a specific human failing or obscuration Origin of the 6-syllable Mantra Once, when Buddha Shakyamuni was staying with his entourage at Anatapindika, in Jetas Grove near Shravasti, he introduced the Six-Syllable Mantra to the assembly. Sarva.nivarana.vishkambhin, the high bodhisattva, made a request to the Exalted One. He paid homage and cried, For the benefits of the beings in the six realms, please advise me how I may obtain this Great Mantra that is the wisdom of all the Buddhas, which will cut the roots of the samsara. May Buddha please bestow me this teaching. I offer the whole universe as Mandala. To whoever who wishes to write this Six-syllable Mantra, I offer my blood as ink, my bones as pen and my skin as paper. Please, Lord Buddha, grant me this teaching of the Six-syllable Mantra. Buddha Shakyamuni then gave the teaching, This is the most beneficial mantra. Even I made this aspiration to all the million Buddhas and subsequently received this teaching from Buddha Amitabha. Benefits of the Six-Syllable Mantra It is said that the merits of Om mani padme hum, the Six-Syllable mantra, are innumerable and cannot be fully described even by the Buddhas of the three times. Some of them are: The body of those who keep this mantra will transform into a vajra body, the bones will transform into relics of the Buddha and ordinary mind will transform into the wisdom of the Buddhas. Whoever recites the mantra even once will obtain immeasurable wisdom. He or she will eventually develop compassion and be able to perfect the Six Paramitas (virtues.) He or she will be born as a universal monarch. She or he will achieve the irreversible stage of a bodhisattva and finally attain Enlightenment. If this mantra is carved onto rocks and mountains, and a human or non-human being comes into contact and sees it, he or she will develop the conditions to be a bodhisattva in the next life, and thereby relieve suffering. It is said that the sands of the Ganges and drops of water in the ocean can be counted but not the merits resulting from the recitation of this mantra. The Mantra is the speech manifestation and the wisdom energy of all buddhas. It purifies our impure perception of sound. It is a means of protecting our mind from delusions. It eliminates ignorance and opens the way to wisdom. It amplifies blessings and by it, tranquility can be obtained. It can save and alleviate beings from hundreds and thousands of miseries. The aspiration of the deity, Avalokiteshvara, whose mantra this is, is likened to a hook with which he can liberate beings. When we have confidence in him, the mantra is said to be a solid and unbroken ring. so that the hook can catch, and we can be fished from the ocean of suffering that is samsara.
Posted on: Wed, 12 Nov 2014 03:46:12 +0000
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