| Om mani padme hum | |||||||
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| Chinese name | |||||||
| Chinese | 唵嘛呢叭咪吽 | ||||||
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| Karandavyuha Sutra name | |||||||
| Chinese | 唵麼抳缽訥銘吽 | ||||||
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| Tibetan name | |||||||
| Tibetan | ཨོཾ་མ་ཎི་པདྨེ་ཧཱུྃ | ||||||
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| Vietnamese name | |||||||
| Vietnamese | Úm ma ni bát ni hồng Án ma ni bát mê hồng | ||||||
| Thai name | |||||||
| Thai | โอํ มณี ปัทเม หูํ | ||||||
| Korean name | |||||||
| Hangul | 옴 마니 반메 훔 옴 마니 파드메 훔 | ||||||
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| Mongolian name | |||||||
| Mongolian Cyrillic | Ум мани бадмэ хум Om mani badme khum | ||||||
| Mongolian script | ᢀᠣᠸᠠ ᠮᠠᢏᢈ ᢒᠠᢑᠮᠧ ᢀᠾᠤᠤ | ||||||
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| Japanese name | |||||||
| Kana | オーム マニ パドメー フーム オム マニ ペメ フム | ||||||
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| Tamil name | |||||||
| Tamil | ௐம் மணி பத்மே ஹூம் | ||||||
| Hindi name | |||||||
| Hindi | ॐ मणि पद्मे हूँ | ||||||
| Sanskrit name | |||||||
| Sanskrit | Devanagari:ॐ मणि पद्मे हूँ Siddham:𑖌𑖼𑖦𑖜𑖰𑖢𑖟𑖿𑖦𑖸𑖮𑖳𑖽 | ||||||
| Russian name | |||||||
| Russian | Ом мани падме хум | ||||||
| Bengali name | |||||||
| Bengali | ওঁ মণি পদ্মে হূঁ | ||||||
| Assamese name | |||||||
| Assamese | ওঁ মণি পদ্মে হূঁ | ||||||
| Nepali name | |||||||
| Nepali | ॐ मणि पद्मे हूँ | ||||||
| Burmese name | |||||||
| Burmese | ဥုံ မဏိ ပဒ္မေ ဟုံ | ||||||
| IPA | [òʊɰ̃manḭpaʔmèhòʊɰ̃] | ||||||
| Malayalam name | |||||||
| Malayalam | ഓം മണി പദ്മേ ഹും | ||||||
| Odia name | |||||||
| Odia | ଓଁ ମଣି ପଦ୍ମେ ହୁଁ | ||||||
| Marathi name | |||||||
| Marathi | ॐ मणि पद्मे हूँ | ||||||
| Punjabi name | |||||||
| Punjabi | ੴ ਮਣਿ ਪਦਮੇ ਹੂੰ | ||||||
| Chakma name | |||||||
| Chakma | 𑄃𑄮𑄀 𑄟𑄧𑄕𑄨 𑄛𑄧𑄘𑄳𑄟𑄬 𑄦𑄪𑄀 | ||||||
Oṃ maṇi padme hūm̐[1] (Sanskrit:ॐ मणि पद्मे हूँ,IPA:[õːːmɐɳɪpɐdmeːɦũː]) is the six-syllabledSanskritmantra particularly associated with the four-armedShadakshari form ofAvalokiteshvara, thebodhisattva of compassion. It first appeared in theMahayanaKāraṇḍavyūha sūtra, where it is also referred to as thesadaksara (Sanskrit:षडक्षर, six syllabled) and theparamahrdaya, or "innermost heart" ofAvalokiteshvara.[2] In this text, the mantra is seen as the condensed form of all Buddhist teachings.[3]
The precise meaning and significance of the words remain much discussed by Buddhist scholars. The literal meaning in English has been expressed as "praise to the jewel in the lotus",[4] or as a declarative aspiration, possibly meaning "I in the jewel-lotus".[5]Padma is the Sanskrit for theIndian lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) andmani for "jewel", as in atype of spiritual "jewel" widely referred to in Buddhism.[6] The first word,aum/om, is a sacred syllable in variousIndian religions, andhum represents the spirit ofenlightenment.[7]
InTibetan Buddhism, this is the most ubiquitous mantra and its recitation is a popular form of religious practice, performed bylaypersons andmonastics alike. It is also an ever-present feature of the landscape, commonly carved onto rocks, known asmani stones, painted into the sides of hills, or else it is written onprayer flags andprayer wheels.[8]
InChinese Buddhism, the mantra is mainly associated with the bodhisattvaGuanyin, who is the East Asian manifestation ofAvalokiteshvara. The recitation of the mantra remains widely practiced by bothmonastics andlaypeople, and it plays a key role as part of the standard liturgy utilized in many of the most common Chinese Buddhist rituals performed in monasteries.[9][10][11] It is common for the Chinesehanzi transliteration of the mantra to be painted on walls and entrances in Chinese Buddhist temples, as well as stitched into the fabric of particular ritual adornments used in certain rituals.
The mantra has also been adapted into ChineseTaoism.[12]
Mantras may be interpreted by practitioners in many ways, or even as mere sequences of sound whose effects lie beyond strictsemantic meaning.
The middle part of the mantra,maṇi padme, is often interpreted as being in thelocative case, "wish-fulfilling jewel in the lotus",Sanskritmaṇi "wish-fulfilling/priceless gem, jewel,cintamani" and thelocative ofpadma "lotus". The lotus is a symbol present throughout Indian religion, signifying purity (due to its ability to emerge unstained from the mud) and spiritual fruition (and thus, awakening).[13]Maṇipadme is preceded by theoṃ syllable and followed by thehūṃ syllable, both interjections without linguistic meaning, but widely known as divine sounds.
However, according toDonald Lopez (citing Tibetan grammatical sources) it is much more likely thatmaṇipadme is in fact avocative, addressing abodhisattva calledmaṇipadma, "Jewel-Lotus" – an alternative epithet of the bodhisattvaAvalokitesvara.[14]
Damien Keown also notes that another theory about the meaning of the mantra is that it actually invokes a female deity named Manipadmi.[15] This is due to evidence from texts such as theKāraṇḍavyūhasūtra which depict the mantra as a female deity. Also, as noted by Studholme, if the word is read as a vocative, it is most likely in the femininegrammatical gender, because if masculine, it would be a highly irregular form.[16] Thus as Lopez notes, the original meaning of the mantra could in fact be an invocation of "she of the lotus jewel", who is thevidya (wisdom) and consort of Avalokiteshvara and is equivalent toShakti's rolevis a visShiva.[17]
Regarding the relationship between the jewel and the lotus, Sten Konow argued that it could either refer to "a lotus that is a jewel" or to "a jewel in the lotus". He argues that the second explanation makes more sense, indicating Shaivite influence through the imagery of thelingam and theyoni, both also terms associated withmani andpadma respectively.[17] Thus the mantra could in fact mean "O, she with the jewel in her lotus".
According to Alexander Studholme however, the meaning ofmanipadme "should be parsed as atatpurusa, or 'determinative', compound in the (masculine or neuter) locative case", meaning "in the jewel-lotus", or "in the lotus made of jewels", which refers to:[18]
the manner in which buddhas and bodhisattvas are said to be seated in these marvelous blooms and, in particular, to the manner in which more mundane beings are believed to appear in the pure land of the buddhas. Given the predominance, in theKāraṇḍavyūha and in the Mahayana in general, of the religious goal of the pure land of Amitabha, it may be safely assumed thatmaṇipadme would have been quite naturally associated with the mode of the rebirth of human beings there. The recitation ofOṃ Maṇi Padme Hūṃ, then, the bringing to mind of the name of the Buddhist isvara, includes a declaration of the manner in which a person is reborn in Sukhavati: "in the jewel lotus."
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The first known description of the mantra appears in theKāraṇḍavyūha Sūtra ("The Basket’s Display", c. 4–5th centuries), which is part of certain Mahayana canons such asChinese andTibetan. In thissutra,Shakyamuni Buddha states, "This is the most beneficial mantra. Even I made this aspiration to all the million Buddhas and subsequently received this teaching from BuddhaAmitabha."[19]
The sutra promotes the recitation of this mantra as a means to liberation. It states that whoever knows (janati) the mantra will know liberation as a fully enlightened Buddha. It also states that initiation into the mantra by a qualified preceptor (which is said to be a laydharmabhāṇaka,vidyadhara ormahasiddha) is an important requirement for practicing this mantra. In the sutra, Avalokitesvara says that the mantra should not be given to one who has not seen themandala.[20] This initiation is said to be open to all Buddhists regardless of class and gender, whether they be of the Mahayana orHinayana, but not totirthikas.[21]
TheKāraṇḍavyūhasūtra also sees the mantra as thepith or condensed expression of all "eighty four thousand Dharmas". Because of this it is called "the grain of rice of the Mahayana", and reciting it is equivalent to reciting numerous sutras.[22]
Thus, according to Studholme, the significance of the mantra in theKāraṇḍavyūha is mainly that it is the "innermost heart" of Avalokitesvara, and therefore is "a means both of entering into the presence of Avalokitesvara and of appropriating some of the bodhisattva's power".[23] Its practice is said to lead numerous positive qualities including:[24]
In this sutra, thesadaksari mahavidya (six syllabled greatvidya) also appears as a goddess, "autumn yellow" in color, with four arms, with two arms holding a lotus and prayer beads, and the other two inanjali mudra. According to Studholme, these features are similar to the way the mantraOm nama shivaya is depicted inShaiva texts, since "both are concisevidyas, thehrdayas [heart] of their respectiveisvaras, sui generis means of attaining liberation, universally available, though of rare value and somewhat secret. Both are also, it has been argued, conceived of as forms ofpranava [divine sound]."[25]
The 11th-century Bengali masterAtiśa Dīpaṃkara Śrījñāna, who was influential in bringing Buddhism to Tibet, also wrote a short treatise on the mantra called theArya-sad-aksari-sadhana.[27] Some Buddhist scholars argue that the mantra as practiced inTibetan Buddhism was based on theSadhanamala, a collection ofsadhana or spiritual practices published in the 12th century.[28] However, according to Peter Alan Roberts, "the primary source for Tibetan Avalokitesvara practices and teachings" is the 11th-centuryMaṇi Kambum.[29]
Donald Lopez writes that according to a 17th-century work by the prime minister of the fifth Dalai Lama, the meaning of the mantra is said to be "O, you who have the jewel and the lotus." Thatmanipadme is in thevocative case is also supported by a 9th-century Tibetan grammatical treatise.[30]
Lopez also notes that the majority of Tibetan Buddhist texts have regarded the translation of the mantra as secondary, focusing instead on the correspondence of the six syllables of the mantra to various other groupings of six in the Buddhist tradition.[31]
For example, in theChenrezigSadhana, Tsangsar Tulku Rinpoche expands upon the mantra's meaning, taking its six syllables to represent the purification of the six realms of existence:[32]
| Syllable | SixPāramitās | Purifies | Samsaric realm | Colors | Symbol of the Deity | (Wish them) To be born in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Om | Generosity | Pride / Ego | Devas | White | Wisdom | Perfect Realm of Potala |
| Ma | Ethics | Jealousy / Lust for entertainment | Asuras | Green | Compassion | Perfect Realm of Potala |
| Ni | Patience | Passion / desire | Humans | Yellow | Body, speech, mind quality and activity | Dewachen |
| Pad | Diligence | Ignorance / prejudice | Animals | Blue | Equanimity | the presence of Protector (Chenrezig) |
| Me | Renunciation | Greed / possessiveness | Pretas (hungry ghosts) | Red | Bliss | Perfect Realm of Potala |
| Hum | Wisdom | Aggression / hatred | Naraka | Black | Quality of Compassion | the presence of the Lotus Throne (of Chenrezig) |
The tutor to the present Dalai Lama,Trijang Rinpoche (1901–1981) wrote a commentary on the mantra which states:
Regarding mani padme, "Jewel Lotus" or "Lotus Jewel" is one of the names of the noble Avalokitesvara. The reason that he is called by that is that, just as a lotus is not soiled by mud, so the noble Avalokitesvara himself has, through his great wisdom, abandoned the root of samsara, all the stains of the conception of true existence together with its latencies. Therefore, to symbolize that he does not abide in the extreme of mundane existence, he holds a white lotus in his hand...He joins the palms of his two upper hands, making the gesture of holding a jewel to symbolize that, like a wish-granting jewel, he eliminates all the oppression of suffering for all sentient beings and bestows upon them all temporary and ultimate benefit and bliss.[33]
The14th Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso states:
The mantra was first introduced intoChinese Buddhism during theSong dynasty (960 - 1279) in 983 CE when theKāraṇḍavyūha Sūtra was first translated into Chinese by the monk Tianxizai[zh] (Chinese: 天息災,pinyin:Tiānxīzāi,Sanskrit:Devasantika).[36] The mantra's popularity further heightened during subsequent Chinese dynasties due to increased interactions between Chinese Buddhists and Tibetan and Mongolians Buddhists.
The mantra remains ubiquitous and widely employed in contemporary Chinese Buddhist liturgies and practices, such as the esotericYujia Yankou rite, where it is recited up to 108 times during a subsection where the ritual space is visualized, as well as being incorporated into theĀryavalokiteśvarā Bodhisattva Vikurvana Dhāraṇī (Chinese: 觀音靈感真言,Pinyin:Guānyīn Línggǎn Zhēnyán), which is one of theTen Small Mantras that are recited every morning and evening as part of the standard daily liturgy at all Chinese Buddhist temples.[37][38][39][40][10][9][11]
Usage of the mantra has spread into Taoism, where various figures from the Buddhist pantheon such asŚākyamuni Buddha andAvalokiteshvara have been incorporated as part of the Taoist pantheon.[12] Like in Buddhism, usage of the mantra is widespread in mainstream Taoist practice.
A key example of the mantra's employment is the practice of a chanting exercise which maps the syllables to specific areas of the body. During the exercise, the practitioner recites the mantra using certain intonations while performing specific visualizations in order to attain a transcendental state of experience.[41] The mantra is also widely used by Taoist practitioners when creatingfulus (Taoist charms that are usually written in a talismanic script).
In English, the mantra is variouslytransliterated, depending on the schools ofBuddhism as well as individual teachers.
Most authorities considermaṇipadme to be one compound word rather than two simple words.[42] Sanskrit writing does not have capital letters and this means that capitalisation of transliterated mantras varies from all caps, to initial caps, to no caps. The all-caps rendering is typical of older scholarly works, and Tibetan Sadhana texts.
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am ma ni ba mi xu
As Bucknellet al. (1986, p. 15) say, the completeAvalokiteshvara Mantra includes a finalhrīḥ (Sanskrit:ह्रीः,IPA:[ɦɽiːh]), which is iconographically depicted in the central space of the syllabic mandala as seen in the ceiling decoration of thePotala Palace.[43] The full mantra in Tibetan is thus:ཨོཾ་མ་ཎི་པདྨེ་ཧཱུྃ་ཧྲཱིཿ Thehrīḥ is not always vocalized audibly and may be resonated "internally" or "secretly" through intentionality.
According to Sam Van Schaik, Tibetan works fromDunhuang which was a major cult center of Avalokitesvara, contain numerous mantras associated with this figure, the six syllable mantra only being one of many. Some of these are lesser known variations on the six syllable mantra such as:Om vajra yaksa mani padme hum.[44]
Another variation, noted by Peter Alan Roberts, isOm manipadme hum mitra svaha.[29]
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