The Living Journal – Om Mani Padme Hum

Every drop of water in the rivers, seas and oceans on this earth can be counted, but not the benefits and merits of reciting the  Om Mani Padme Hum mantra once. Every tree on this earth can be counted, but not the benefits and merits of reciting the compassionate universal mantra of Om Mani Padme Hum

By the Lord Shakyamuni Buddha

The mantra Om Mani Padme Hum is the embodiment of all the Buddhas’ heart, the root of the eighty-four thousand teachings of the Buddha, the essence of the Five Buddhas, and the essence of the secret holders. 

Each word is a pith instruction, the source of the qualities of all the Tathagatas, the root of all goodness and siddhis, the great path to higher realms and complete freedom. To recite this supreme among all mantras, the six syllables, the heart of all the teaching, just once can put you onto a spiritual path of no-turning-back, and you can become a great liberator of other sentient beings.

Even a small insect, if it were to hear the sounds of the mantra just before dying, would be liberated from that body and be born in the pure land of Amitabha Buddha. Just to think of it is like the sun shining on a snow mountain so brightly that bad karmic obscurations and defilements are eliminated, and one can be born in the pure land of Amitabha Buddha.

Just touching the mantra Om Mani Padme Hum is receiving empowerment from many Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. Meditating on it once equals the practices of listening, contemplating, and meditating combined together. In this way the entire experience of phenomena can be transformed into Dharmakaya experience, and great treasure gates of activity can be opened to benefit sentient beings.

By Guru Rinpoche (Padmasambhava)

Thus the six syllables,Om Mani Padme Hum, mean that in dependence on the practice which is in indivisible union of method and wisdom, you can transform your impure body, speech and mind into the pure body, speech, and mind of a Buddha.

By His Holiness the Dalai Lama

There is not a single aspect of the eighty-four thousand sections of the Buddha's teachings which is not contained in Avalokiteshvara's six syllable mantra "Om Mani Padme Hum", and as such the qualities of the "Mani" are praised again and again in the Sutras and Tantras. 

Whether happy or sad, if we take the "Mani" as our refuge, Chenrezig will never forsake us, spontaneous devotion will arise in our minds and the Great Vehicle will effortlessly be realized."

By Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche

The The six syllables mantra of Om Mani Padme Hum is the most widely used of all Buddhist mantras, and open to anyone who feels inspired to practice it. It does not require prior initiation by a Lama or Guru.

Tibetan Buddhists believe that saying the mantra (prayer), Om Mani Padme Hum, out loud or silently to oneself, appeal to the powerful benevolent attention and blessings of Chenrezig Bodhisattva, the embodiment of compassion. Viewing the written form of the mantra is said to have the same effect, it is often carved into stones, in the prayer wheels etc.

It is said that all the teachings of the Buddha are contained in this mantra: Om Mani Padme Hum can not really be translated into a simple phrase or sentence. It is appropriate, though, to say a little about the mantra, so that people who want to use it in their meditation practice will have some sense of what they are doing, and will understand a little better what the mantra is and why it is so vital to Tibetan Buddhists.

The mantra in the following languages

1] The Sanskrit pronounced as Om Mani Padme Hum 

2] The Tibetan pronounced as Om Mani Peme Hung 

3] The Common Mani Scripts of the mantra Om Mani Padme Hum is found written in Tibetan script and ancient Ranjana script.

The significance of the Mantra

Mantras are enlightened compassion and awareness in the form of sound. Through simply coming into contact with the enlightened beings are positively influenced. Tibetan Buddhists recite mantras as a way to connect to positive qualities and protect themselves from negativity, [especially inner negativity]

Through contact with and, especially, meditation on the mantra of compassion "Om Mani Padme Hum" positive qualities are developed and so, happiness naturally increases in one's life. 

By hearing the mantra, one can be liberated from the lower realms and become a master that can liberate sentient beings. One can purify negative karma accumulated from beginningless time, just like the rising sun melting the snow on top of the Snow Mountains and take rebirth in pure land.

Just by touching the mantra, it is like one is receiving empowerment from countless Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. By reciting the mantra is like practicing the Six Perfections and is able to close the doors to the six realms.

Syllable	Six  Pāramitas	Purifies	Samsaric  realm	Colors	Symbol of the Deity	(Wish them)  To be born in
Om	Generosity	Pride / Ego	God	White	Wisdom	Perfect Realm of Potala
Ma	Ethics	Jealousy	Asuras  (Demigod)	Green	Compassion	Perfect Realm of Potala
Ni	Patience	Desire	Humans	Yellow	Body, speech, mind quality and activity	Dewachen
Pad	Diligence	Ignorance	Animals	Blue	Equanimity	the presence of Protector (Chenrezig)
Me	Renunciation	Greed	Pretas (Hungry ghosts)	Red	Bliss	Perfect Realm of Potala
Hum	Wisdom	Anger / hatred	Naraka (Hell)	Black	Quality of Compassion	the presence of the Lotus Throne (of Chenrezig)

Om [Manifest in white color]   

Increases the wisdom of: tranquility and calmness.    

Increases transcendent: kindness, generosity.   

Purifies: arrogance, egotism.

Closes the door to the suffering of being reborn in the god’s realm.

The suffering of the gods arises from foreseeing one’s fall from the god’s realm and these suffering come from pride.

Ma [Manifest in green color]   

Increases the wisdom of activity   

Increases transcendent: ethics and moral principles.   

Purifies: resentment, envy and jealousy. 

Closes the door to the suffering of being reborn in the Semi-god Asura’s realm.

The suffering of Demi-god Asura is constant fighting and these suffering come from jealously.

Ni [Manifest in yellow color]   

Increases the wisdom of self-arisen wisdom   

Increases transcendent: patience and tolerance.  

Purifies: confused attachment.

Closes the door to the suffering of being reborn in the human realm.

The sufferings of humans are birth, sickness, old age and death and these suffering come from desire.

Pad [Manifest in blue color]   

Increases the wisdom of all-encompassing space   

Increases transcendent: enthusiasm   

Purifies: bewilderment, ignorance and prejudice.

Closes the door to the suffering of being reborn in the animal realm.

The sufferings of animals are being preying upon one another, or being killed for meat and these suffering come from ignorance.

Me [Manifest in red color

Increases the wisdom of discrimination   

Increases transcendent: meditation   

Purifies: greed and possessiveness

Closes the door to the suffering of being reborn in the hungry ghost realm.

The sufferings of hungry ghost are hunger and thirst and these suffering come from greed.

Hum [Manifest in black color]  

Increases the wisdom of clarity   

Increases transcendent: wisdom   

Purifies: anger.

Closes the door to the suffering of being reborn in the hell realm.

The suffering of hell is heat and cold and these suffering come from hatred.

Thank you for reading, may you find peace and great bliss. With your support it helps to spread the Buddha’s precious teachings and turning the Dharma wheels in the world.

Aspiration For Bodhichitta
For those in whom the precious Bodhichitta has not arisen
May it arise and not decrease
But increase further and further.

Dedication of Merit
By this merit may we obtain omniscience then.
Having defeated the enemies wrong-doings.
May we liberate migratory from the ocean of existence.
With its stormy waves of birth, old age, sickness and death.

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