Pretty mantras! And some meditation music.
Green Tara Mantra
Nam Myoho Renge Kyo Mantra
Deep Tibetan Meditation Music
April 20, 2010
The Wind of Karma
THE WIND OF KARMA
Who killed my only father? Who killed my only mother?
Who caused the rain of blood? Who gathered the black clouds of the thunderbolts?
Who caused the earthquake that shook the whole world?
I asked these questions in the middle of a crowd
But no one was able to answer.
So I asked a second time and a third,
Shouting at the top of my voice.
My mind was blank and I didn't know what to think.
Suddenly the great red wind of karma arose.
The king of death appeared on the face of the earth and raised a fearful hailstorm.
The flag of no-retreat, emblazoned with the knot of eternity, unfurls before the storm.
Even the wind of karma takes delight in blowing it.
The truth of the pattern emerges
And unshakable confidence is aroused.
Now I am certain, I am fearless,
There is no retreat:
The voice of truth is heard throughout the world.
>From TIMELY RAIN: Selected Poetry of Chogyam Trungpa, page 140. Composed in Bhutan, 1968.
Who killed my only father? Who killed my only mother?
Who caused the rain of blood? Who gathered the black clouds of the thunderbolts?
Who caused the earthquake that shook the whole world?
I asked these questions in the middle of a crowd
But no one was able to answer.
So I asked a second time and a third,
Shouting at the top of my voice.
My mind was blank and I didn't know what to think.
Suddenly the great red wind of karma arose.
The king of death appeared on the face of the earth and raised a fearful hailstorm.
The flag of no-retreat, emblazoned with the knot of eternity, unfurls before the storm.
Even the wind of karma takes delight in blowing it.
The truth of the pattern emerges
And unshakable confidence is aroused.
Now I am certain, I am fearless,
There is no retreat:
The voice of truth is heard throughout the world.
>From TIMELY RAIN: Selected Poetry of Chogyam Trungpa, page 140. Composed in Bhutan, 1968.
April 19, 2010
What is Namaste?
I found this article when I was trying to find out more about the etymology of the word namaste. I usually associate it with a warm or respectful greeting, but something caught my attention in this definition.
I had previously associated the word with Hinduism, a respectful greeting, and Yoga. I didn't realize that the word could also allude to not-me, or not-mine. For me that's been a very helpful way of understanding emptiness and not-self. I don't know if this part of the definition is really very common knowledge, so I thought I would share it here. And namaste to all my fellow bloggers, for I see the good in you.
What is Namaste?
by Subhamoy Das
‘Namaste’ or ‘namaskar’ is the Indian way of greeting each other. Wherever they are – on the street, in the house, in public transport, on vacation or on the phone – when Hindus meet people they know or strangers with whom they want to initiate a conversation, namaste is the customary courtesy greeting to begin with and often to end with. It is not a superficial gesture or a mere word, and is for all people - young and old, friends and strangers.
Namaste According to the Scriptures:
Namaste and its common variants ‘namaskar,’ ‘namaskaara’ or ‘namaskaram’, is one of the five forms of formal traditional greeting mentioned in the Vedas. This is normally understood as prostration but it actually refers to paying homage or showing respect to one another, as is the practice today, when we greet each other.
The Meaning of Namaste:
In Sanskrit the word is namah + te = namaste which means “I bow to you” - my greetings, salutations or prostration to you. The word ‘namaha’ can also be literally interpreted as "na ma" (not mine). It has a spiritual significance of negating or reducing one's ego in the presence of another.
How to Namaste :
Bend the arms from the elbow upwards and face the two palms of the hands. Place the two palms together and keep the folded palms in front of the chest. Utter the word namaste and while saying the word bow the head slightly.
Why Namaste:
Namaste could be just a casual or formal greeting, a cultural convention or an act of worship. However, there is much more to it than meets the eye. The real meeting between people is the meeting of their minds. When we greet one another with namaste, it means, ‘may our minds meet’, indicated by the folded palms placed before the chest. The bowing down of the head is a gracious form of extending friendship in love, respect and humility.
Spiritual Significance of Namaste:
The reason why we do namaste has a deeper spiritual significance. It recognizes the belief that the life force, the divinity, the Self or the God in me is the same in all. Acknowledging this oneness with the meeting of the palms, we honor the god in the person we meet.
Namaste in Prayers:
During prayers, Hindus not only do namaste but also bow and close their eyes, as it were, to look into the inner spirit. This physical gesture is sometimes accompanied by names of gods like ‘Ram Ram’, ‘Jai Shri Krishna’, ‘Namo Narayana’, ‘Jai Siya Ram’ or just ‘Om Shanti’ – the common refrain in Hindu chants. This is also quite common when two devout Hindus meet - indicating the recognition of the divinity within ourselves and extending a warm welcome to each other.
In Sanskrit the word is namah + te = namaste which means “I bow to you” - my greetings, salutations or prostration to you. The word ‘namaha’ can also be literally interpreted as "na ma" (not mine). It has a spiritual significance of negating or reducing one's ego in the presence of another.
I had previously associated the word with Hinduism, a respectful greeting, and Yoga. I didn't realize that the word could also allude to not-me, or not-mine. For me that's been a very helpful way of understanding emptiness and not-self. I don't know if this part of the definition is really very common knowledge, so I thought I would share it here. And namaste to all my fellow bloggers, for I see the good in you.
What is Namaste?
by Subhamoy Das
‘Namaste’ or ‘namaskar’ is the Indian way of greeting each other. Wherever they are – on the street, in the house, in public transport, on vacation or on the phone – when Hindus meet people they know or strangers with whom they want to initiate a conversation, namaste is the customary courtesy greeting to begin with and often to end with. It is not a superficial gesture or a mere word, and is for all people - young and old, friends and strangers.
Namaste According to the Scriptures:
Namaste and its common variants ‘namaskar,’ ‘namaskaara’ or ‘namaskaram’, is one of the five forms of formal traditional greeting mentioned in the Vedas. This is normally understood as prostration but it actually refers to paying homage or showing respect to one another, as is the practice today, when we greet each other.
The Meaning of Namaste:
In Sanskrit the word is namah + te = namaste which means “I bow to you” - my greetings, salutations or prostration to you. The word ‘namaha’ can also be literally interpreted as "na ma" (not mine). It has a spiritual significance of negating or reducing one's ego in the presence of another.
How to Namaste :
Bend the arms from the elbow upwards and face the two palms of the hands. Place the two palms together and keep the folded palms in front of the chest. Utter the word namaste and while saying the word bow the head slightly.
Why Namaste:
Namaste could be just a casual or formal greeting, a cultural convention or an act of worship. However, there is much more to it than meets the eye. The real meeting between people is the meeting of their minds. When we greet one another with namaste, it means, ‘may our minds meet’, indicated by the folded palms placed before the chest. The bowing down of the head is a gracious form of extending friendship in love, respect and humility.
Spiritual Significance of Namaste:
The reason why we do namaste has a deeper spiritual significance. It recognizes the belief that the life force, the divinity, the Self or the God in me is the same in all. Acknowledging this oneness with the meeting of the palms, we honor the god in the person we meet.
Namaste in Prayers:
During prayers, Hindus not only do namaste but also bow and close their eyes, as it were, to look into the inner spirit. This physical gesture is sometimes accompanied by names of gods like ‘Ram Ram’, ‘Jai Shri Krishna’, ‘Namo Narayana’, ‘Jai Siya Ram’ or just ‘Om Shanti’ – the common refrain in Hindu chants. This is also quite common when two devout Hindus meet - indicating the recognition of the divinity within ourselves and extending a warm welcome to each other.
April 18, 2010
Mani Mantra
This is a beautiful version of the mantra Om mani padme hum with music. This artist, Imee Ooi, always puts together lovely songs using mantra. I'll also post her version of Green Tara's mantra. And here is her musical version of The Heart Sutra. It really is pretty. The opening I'm not so crazy about but then the song picks up nicely.
Om mani padme hum is the mantra associated with Chenrezig, the bodhisattva and embodiment of compassion. Here's an explanation of the mantra found at dharma-haven.org The vast majority of information in this post is taken directly from that site with a few bits and pieces of my own words.
The Mani mantra 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 (meditation master). Buddhists believe that saying the mantra (prayer), Om Mani Padme Hum, out loud or silently to oneself, invokes the powerful benevolent attention and blessings of Chenrezig, the embodiment of compassion. Viewing the written form of the mantra is said to have the same effect -- it is often carved into stones, like the one pictured above, and placed where people can see them.
Spinning the written form of the mantra around in a Mani wheel (or prayer wheel) is also believed to give the same benefit as saying the mantra, and Mani wheels, small hand wheels and large wheels with millions of copies of the mantra inside, are found everywhere in the lands influenced by Tibetan Buddhism. The Mani mantra 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 (meditation master). However it is good to receive transmission if possible, when the opportunity arises.
As a side note, I have a prayer wheel that is nailed to the wall by my front door. It's a standard little prayer wheel, filled with rolls of the mantra inside. I was pleased when I found one that I can hang up, as it's so easy to stop for a moment and spin the wheel with mindfulness when entering or leaving the apartment. If you ever run across a mani wheel that you can hang by a doorway or an area you pass through often, I highly recommend investing in the prayer wheel. It's worth it! Folks like me do better with a touch of convenience mixed in with efforts I try to put forth. Digital prayer wheels for your computer can be found here.
The wall prayer wheel I have looks a lot like this. My hand-held wheel is nice too but it doesn't get as much use.
The six syllables of the mantra, as it is often pronounced by Tibetans -- Om Mani Padme Hum -- are here written in the Tibetan alphabet:
Reading from left to right the syllables are:
Om (ohm) Ma (mah) Ni (nee) Pad (pahd) Me (may) Hum (hum)
The vowel in the sylable Hu (is pronounced as in the English word 'book'. The final consonant in that syllable is often pronounced 'ng' as in 'song' -- Om Mani Padme Hung. There is one further complication: The syllablePad is pronounced Pe (peh) by many Tibetans: Om Mani Peme Hung.
The mantra originated in India; as it moved from India into Tibet, the pronunciation changed because some of the sounds in the Indian Sanskrit language were hard for Tibetans to pronounce. Here are the different spellings of the mantra. Chenrezig is also called Avalokiteshvara are the same bodhisattva/buddha.
People who learn about the mantra naturally want to know what it means, and often ask for a translation into English or some other Western language. However, Om Mani Padme Hum can not really be translated into a simple phrase or even a few sentences.
All of the Dharma is based on Buddha's discovery that suffering is unnecessary: Like a disease, once we really face the fact that suffering exists, we can look more deeply and discover it's cause; and when we discover that the cause is dependent on certain conditions, we can explore the possibility of removing those conditions.
Within the Mahayana the Buddha revealed the possibility of very quickly benefiting all beings, including oneself, by entering directly into the awakened state of mind, or Buddhahood, without delay. Again, there are different ways of accomplishing this, but the most powerful, and at the same time the most accessible, is to link ones own mind with the mind of a Buddha.
In visualization practice
we imagine ourselves to be a Buddha, in this case the Buddha of Compassion, Chenrezig. By replacing the thought of yourself as you with the thought of yourself as Chenrezig, you gradually reduce and eventually remove the fixation on your personal self, which expands your loving kindness and compassion, toward yourself and toward others, and your intelligence and wisdom becomes enhanced, allowing you to see clearly what someone really needs and to communicate with them clearly and accurately.
In most religious traditions one prays to the deities of the tradition in the hopes of receiving their blessing, which will benefit one in some way. In the vajrayana Buddhist tradition, however, the blessing and the power and the superlative qualities of the enlightened beings are not considered as coming from an outside source, but are believed to be innate, to be aspects of our own true nature. Chenrezig and his love and compassion are within us.
In the words of Kalu Rinpoche, "Through mantra, we no longer cling to the reality of the speech and sound encountered in life, but experience it as essentially empty. Then confusion of the speech aspect of our being is transformed into enlightened awareness."
That enlightened awareness includes whatever we might need to understand in order to save any beings, including ourselves, from suffering. For that reason the entire Dharma, the entire truth about the nature of suffering and the many ways of removing it's causes, is said to be contained in these six syllables. [Om Mani Padme Hum]
Here is a marvelous and brief recitation and visualization of Chenrezig practice and mantra. It's from FPMT (Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition): Chenrezig meditation
Transformation of Speech--[An excerpt from The Dharma, by Kalu Rinpoche, from a chapter on The Four Dharmas of Gampopa. ]
"The second aspect of transformation [of confusion into wisdom] concerns our speech. Although it may be easy to consider speech as intangible, that it simply appears and disappears, we actually relate to it as something real. It is because we become so attached to what we say and hear that speech has such power.
In the Vajrayana context, we recite and meditate on mantra, which is enlightened sound, the speech of the [Bhodisattva of Compassion], the union of Sound and Emptiness. It has no intrinsic reality, but is simply the manifestation of pure sound, experienced simultaneously with its Emptiness. Through mantra, we no longer cling to the reality of the speech and sound encountered in life, but experience it as essentially empty. Then confusion of the speech aspect of our being is transformed into enlightened awareness.
"Behold! The jewel in the lotus!"
This phrase is often seen as a translation of the mantra. However, although some mantras are translatable, more or less, the Mani is not one of them; but while the phrase is incorrect as a translation, it does suggest an interesting way to think about the mantra, by considering the meanings of the individual words.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama said the following about the meaning of the mantra,"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." He defined the mantra in the following way,
Om mani padme hum is the mantra associated with Chenrezig, the bodhisattva and embodiment of compassion. Here's an explanation of the mantra found at dharma-haven.org The vast majority of information in this post is taken directly from that site with a few bits and pieces of my own words.
The Mani mantra 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 (meditation master). Buddhists believe that saying the mantra (prayer), Om Mani Padme Hum, out loud or silently to oneself, invokes the powerful benevolent attention and blessings of Chenrezig, the embodiment of compassion. Viewing the written form of the mantra is said to have the same effect -- it is often carved into stones, like the one pictured above, and placed where people can see them.
Spinning the written form of the mantra around in a Mani wheel (or prayer wheel) is also believed to give the same benefit as saying the mantra, and Mani wheels, small hand wheels and large wheels with millions of copies of the mantra inside, are found everywhere in the lands influenced by Tibetan Buddhism. The Mani mantra 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 (meditation master). However it is good to receive transmission if possible, when the opportunity arises.
As a side note, I have a prayer wheel that is nailed to the wall by my front door. It's a standard little prayer wheel, filled with rolls of the mantra inside. I was pleased when I found one that I can hang up, as it's so easy to stop for a moment and spin the wheel with mindfulness when entering or leaving the apartment. If you ever run across a mani wheel that you can hang by a doorway or an area you pass through often, I highly recommend investing in the prayer wheel. It's worth it! Folks like me do better with a touch of convenience mixed in with efforts I try to put forth. Digital prayer wheels for your computer can be found here.
The wall prayer wheel I have looks a lot like this. My hand-held wheel is nice too but it doesn't get as much use.
The six syllables of the mantra, as it is often pronounced by Tibetans -- Om Mani Padme Hum -- are here written in the Tibetan alphabet:
Reading from left to right the syllables are:
Om (ohm) Ma (mah) Ni (nee) Pad (pahd) Me (may) Hum (hum)
The vowel in the sylable Hu (is pronounced as in the English word 'book'. The final consonant in that syllable is often pronounced 'ng' as in 'song' -- Om Mani Padme Hung. There is one further complication: The syllablePad is pronounced Pe (peh) by many Tibetans: Om Mani Peme Hung.
Here is the sound of the mantra: Om mani padme hum It's pronounced slowly which makes it easy to follow along with if you would like to practice it.
The mantra originated in India; as it moved from India into Tibet, the pronunciation changed because some of the sounds in the Indian Sanskrit language were hard for Tibetans to pronounce. Here are the different spellings of the mantra. Chenrezig is also called Avalokiteshvara are the same bodhisattva/buddha.
People who learn about the mantra naturally want to know what it means, and often ask for a translation into English or some other Western language. However, Om Mani Padme Hum can not really be translated into a simple phrase or even a few sentences.
All of the Dharma is based on Buddha's discovery that suffering is unnecessary: Like a disease, once we really face the fact that suffering exists, we can look more deeply and discover it's cause; and when we discover that the cause is dependent on certain conditions, we can explore the possibility of removing those conditions.
Within the Mahayana the Buddha revealed the possibility of very quickly benefiting all beings, including oneself, by entering directly into the awakened state of mind, or Buddhahood, without delay. Again, there are different ways of accomplishing this, but the most powerful, and at the same time the most accessible, is to link ones own mind with the mind of a Buddha.
In visualization practice
we imagine ourselves to be a Buddha, in this case the Buddha of Compassion, Chenrezig. By replacing the thought of yourself as you with the thought of yourself as Chenrezig, you gradually reduce and eventually remove the fixation on your personal self, which expands your loving kindness and compassion, toward yourself and toward others, and your intelligence and wisdom becomes enhanced, allowing you to see clearly what someone really needs and to communicate with them clearly and accurately.In most religious traditions one prays to the deities of the tradition in the hopes of receiving their blessing, which will benefit one in some way. In the vajrayana Buddhist tradition, however, the blessing and the power and the superlative qualities of the enlightened beings are not considered as coming from an outside source, but are believed to be innate, to be aspects of our own true nature. Chenrezig and his love and compassion are within us.
In the words of Kalu Rinpoche, "Through mantra, we no longer cling to the reality of the speech and sound encountered in life, but experience it as essentially empty. Then confusion of the speech aspect of our being is transformed into enlightened awareness."
That enlightened awareness includes whatever we might need to understand in order to save any beings, including ourselves, from suffering. For that reason the entire Dharma, the entire truth about the nature of suffering and the many ways of removing it's causes, is said to be contained in these six syllables. [Om Mani Padme Hum]
Here is a marvelous and brief recitation and visualization of Chenrezig practice and mantra. It's from FPMT (Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition): Chenrezig meditation
Even though this is already a very long post, I'll go on here with some more information about the meaning of the mantra. All of this information is taken from dharma-haven.com As you can see, the meaning of the mantra has many layers and likewise the mantra can resonate with us on many levels, with layer upon layer. I feel the information about this mantra and mantras in general is really valuable.
Transformation of Speech--[An excerpt from The Dharma, by Kalu Rinpoche, from a chapter on The Four Dharmas of Gampopa. ]
"The second aspect of transformation [of confusion into wisdom] concerns our speech. Although it may be easy to consider speech as intangible, that it simply appears and disappears, we actually relate to it as something real. It is because we become so attached to what we say and hear that speech has such power.
Mere words, which have no ultimate reality, can determine our happiness and suffering. We create pleasure and pain through our fundamental clinging to sound and speech.
In the Vajrayana context, we recite and meditate on mantra, which is enlightened sound, the speech of the [Bhodisattva of Compassion], the union of Sound and Emptiness. It has no intrinsic reality, but is simply the manifestation of pure sound, experienced simultaneously with its Emptiness. Through mantra, we no longer cling to the reality of the speech and sound encountered in life, but experience it as essentially empty. Then confusion of the speech aspect of our being is transformed into enlightened awareness.
At first, the Union of Sound and Emptiness is simply an intellectual concept of what our meditation should be. Through continued application, it becomes our actual experience. Here, as elsewhere in the practice, attitude is all-important...
The Power of the Six Syllables--The six syllables perfect the Six Paramitas of the Bodhisattvas. Gen Rinpoche, in his commentary on the Meaning of said, "The mantra Om Mani Pädme Hum is easy to say yet quite powerful, because it contains the essence of the entire teaching. When you say the first syllable Om it is blessed to help you achieve perfection in the practice of generosity, Ma helps perfect the practice of pure ethics, and Ni helps achieve perfection in the practice of tolerance and patience. Päd, the fourth syllable, helps to achieve perfection of perseverance, Me helps achieve perfection in the practice of concentration, and the final sixth syllable Hum helps achieve perfection in the practice of wisdom. So in this way recitation of the mantra helps achieve perfection in the six practices from generosity to wisdom. The path of these six perfections is the path walked by all the Buddhas of the three times. What could then be more meaningful than to say the mantra and accomplish the six perfections?"
Quick explanation on the paramitas: The six perfections, or paramitas, are necessary elements to master on the path to liberation. To become a buddha, a bodhisattva must practice them. The list is as follows (with a brief explanation inserted):
1. The perfection of giving (dana paramita) This perfection is divided into four categories:
a) The giving of property
b) The giving of Dharma
c) The giving of refuge
d) The giving of active love (maitri).
2. The perfection of morality (shila-paramita)
a) The first aspect is the protection of our body, speech and mind from performing unskillful deeds. We have the tendency to act unskillfully, and this tendency needs to be controlled. We protect ourselves from acting this way when we stop using our body, speech and mind in harmful ways.
b) The second aspect is to protect others in the same way as we protect ourselves. For instance, when someone is about to kill an animal and we demonstrate that it is wrong to do so, we are protecting that person from committing harmful actions.
c) When we perform any skillful deed, this automatically protects us from performing any unskillful ones. This substitution of skilful action in the place of unskilful is the third aspect of the perfection of morality.
3. The perfection of patience (kshanti-paramita)
a) Patience when we are harmed by others. When we are harmed bodily or mentally by others we should not react by getting angry or harming them in return.
b) Patience when we are suffering.
c) Patience of keeping concentration.
4. The perfection of energy (virya-paramita) This means the protection of energy for dharma.
a) The first is the energy of the mind that stops the desire for unprofitable things. Energy for worldly things is weakness; energy for Dharma is real strength.
b) The second kind of energy protects us against tiredness. For instance, a meditator who suffers from such tiredness that even the mere sight of the meditation place brings on sleep, overcomes this weakness by this kind of energy.
c) The third kind of energy is the confidence that we are not too small, weak or stupid to obtain the fruit of Dharma practice. Weakness of this kind stands in the way of achievement of the object.
5. The perfection of meditation (dhyana-paramita)
There are two kinds of meditation: analytical meditation and concentration meditation. It is necessary to use both kinds of meditation to remove delusion and reach the goal. Some people say that thinking and learning about Dharma are not meditation, but the scriptures say that these activities are in fact also kinds of meditation. If we do not think carefully and know the nature of the object we cannot concentrate well. The bustle within the mind is mind-produced; to quiet it, therefore, action by the mind itself and nothing external is required. The primary action must be by the mind; on this basis, factors such as a suitable place and the meditation posture can help.
6. The perfection of wisdom (prajna-paramira)
The root cause of all our trouble is ignorance. We have to use our knowledge of emptiness to dispel ignorance; we must use our mind, purified by calm abiding and special insight, to cut the root of the tree of ignorance. In the drawing, at this stage, the practitioner is holding a sword, symbolizing the realization of emptiness, to cut the two black lines symbolizing the two obscurations: the defilement-obscuration and the knowledge- obscuration. The realization of emptiness is essential to remove ignorance. Once we come close to a thorough understanding of emptiness we are on the way to the perfection of wisdom—the complete comprehension of emptiness.
This list is courtesy of a teaching called "The Graduated Path to Liberation" by Geshe Rabten Rinpoche. You can read the complete teaching here at the FPMT website. You can also read a very good teaching on the six paramitas given by His Holiness the Dalai Lama at this site.
Now on to more explanation of the meaning of Chenrezig's mantra, Om Mani padme Hum.
The syllable Om purifies the neurotic attachment to bliss and pride, which afflict the beings in the realm of the gods. Here is a list of what afflictions the syllables of the mantra purifies, and according to which realm a being is in. The Buddha taught that there are six samsaric realms and 31 planes of existence.
 | ||
"Behold! The jewel in the lotus!"
This phrase is often seen as a translation of the mantra. However, although some mantras are translatable, more or less, the Mani is not one of them; but while the phrase is incorrect as a translation, it does suggest an interesting way to think about the mantra, by considering the meanings of the individual words.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama said the following about the meaning of the mantra,"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." He defined the mantra in the following way,
- "It is very good to recite the mantra Om mani padme hum, but while you are doing it, you should be thinking on its meaning, for the meaning of the six syllables is great and vast... The first, Om [...] symbolizes the practitioner's impure body, speech, and mind; it also symbolizes the pure exalted body, speech, and mind of a Buddha[...]"
-
- "The path is indicated by the next four syllables. Mani, meaning jewel, symbolizes the factors of method: (the) altruistic intention to become enlightened, compassion, and love.[...]"
- "The two syllables, padme, meaning lotus, symbolize wisdom[...]"
- "Purity must be achieved by an indivisible unity of method and wisdom, symbolized by the final syllable hum, which indicates indivisibility[...]"
- "Thus the six syllables, om mani padme hum, mean that in dependence on the practice of a path which is an indivisible union of method and wisdom, you can transform your impure body, speech, and mind into the pure exalted body, speech, and mind of a Buddha[...]"
Lastly, here is a grid that specifies several aspects of the mantra. I find it very useful. It's from a wikipedia page. I know that wikipedia can be a little bit dodgy, but this article seemed fine.
| Syllable | Six Pāramitās | Purifies | Samsaric realm | Colours | Symbol of the Deity | (Wish them) To be born in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Om | Generosity | Pride / Bliss | 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 | Poverty / possessiveness | Pretas (hungry ghosts) | Red | Bliss | Perfect Realm of Potala |
| Hum | Wisdom | Aggression / hatred | Naraka | Black | Quality of Compassion | the presence of the Lotu |
- So in conclusion, the mani mantra is very widely known and used. It's simple and short, only six syllables long and it's so useful on so many levels. If one wishes to attain the wisdom and compassion of the Buddha/Bodhisattva Chenrezig, this mantra is very important.
- Although earlier in this post I quoted a bit from dharma-haven.com that stated that transmission is not necessary to recite this mantra, it's good to mention too that it's always better to have received transmission for any mantra. It's true that one can recite Green Tara mantra or Chenrezig mantra without permission or blessings, but it's a more powerful practice if one has received empowerment. So any opportunity that arises to receive this would be very auspicious and recommended. In closing, I'd like to offer a brief prayer. I hope that some person out there in cyberspace might run across this post and find it useful. There's so much more that could be said about Chenrezig's mantra and mantras in general, but this is a start. My prayers and aspirations are that all beings swiftly attain the state of Chenrezig and be free from suffering and the causes of suffering. May all sentient beings quickly come to reside in the pure lands and Buddha fields, and spontaneously assist others on the path to freedom out of immeasurable love and compassion. may all beings always be near to happiness and the causes of happiness, and be blessed with long life and the precious triple gem. Om mani padme hum _/|\_
April 17, 2010
A Collaboration Between Science and Religion
I thought this article was a good read. It's a teaching given by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. According to stories I've heard about him, he's always had a keen interest in science. When he was young he was insistent that he learn the sciences along with his other studies, anticipating that one day it would be very useful knowledge for him to have. He now lectures on Physics and other sciences in addition to his teachings on the precious dharma.
A Collaboration Between Science and Religion
January 14, 2003
By His Holiness Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama
These are times when destructive emotions like anger, fear and hatred are giving rise to devastating problems throughout the world. While the daily news offers grim reminders of the destructive power of such emotions, the question we must ask is, what can we do to overcome them?
Of course such disturbing emotions have always been part of the human condition - humanity has been grappling with them for thousands of years. But I believe we have a valuable opportunity to make progress in dealing with them, through a collaboration between religion and science.
With this in mind, I have, since 1987, engaged in an ongoing series of dialogues with groups of scientists. Organized by the Mind & Life Institute, they have been on topics ranging from quantum physics and cosmology to compassion and destructive emotions. I have found that while scientific findings offer a deeper understanding of such fields of knowledge as cosmology, it seems that Buddhist explanations can sometimes give scientists a new way to look at their own field.
Our dialogue has provided benefits not just for science, but also for religion. Though Tibetans have valuable knowledge about the internal world, we have been materially backward partly because of a lack of scientific knowledge. Buddhist teachings stress the importance of understanding reality. Therefore, we should pay attention to what modern scientists have actually found through experiment and through measurement the things they have proved to be reality.
At the beginning of these dialogues there were very few of us from the Buddhist side at first just myself and two translators. But recently, we have started to introduce modern science studies in our monasteries, and at our most recent science dialogue there were twenty or so Tibetan monks in the audience.The goals of the dialogue are on two levels. One is at the academic level, the expansion of knowledge. Generally speaking science has been an extraordinary tool for understanding the material world, making vast progress in our lifetime though of course there are still many things to explore. But modern science does not seem to be as advanced regarding internal experiences.
In contrast, Buddhism, an ancient Indian thought, reflects a deep investigation into the workings of the mind. Over the centuries many people have carried out what we might call experiments in this field and have had significant, even extraordinary, experiences as a result of practices based on their knowledge. Therefore, more discussion and joint study between scientists and Buddhists scholars on the academic level could be useful for the expansion of human knowledge.
On another level, if humanity is to survive, happiness and inner peace are crucial. Otherwise the lives of our children and their children are likely to be unhappy, desperate and short. The tragedy of 11th September 2001 demonstrated that modern technology and human intelligence guided by hatred can lead to immense destruction. Material development certainly contributes towards happiness - to some extent - and a comfortableway of life. But this is not sufficient. To achieve a deeper level of happiness we cannot neglect our inner development. I feel, for example, that our sense of fundamental human values has not kept pace with powerful new developments in our material abilities.
For that reason I have been encouraging scientists to examine advanced Tibetan spiritual practitioners, to see what effects of their spiritual practice might be of benefit to others, outside the religious context. One approach would be to take the help of scientists in trying to make the workings of these inner methods clear. The important point here is to increase our understanding of the world of the mind, of consciousness, and of our emotions.
Experiments have already been carried out that show some practitioners can achieve a state of inner peace, even when facing disturbing circumstances. The results show such people to be happier, less susceptible to destructive emotions, and more attuned to the feelings of others. These methods are not just useful, but cheap: you don't need to buy anything or make anything in a factory. You don't need a drug or an injection.
The next question is how are we to share these beneficial results with people beyond those who happen to be Buddhists. This does not concern Buddhism as such or any other religious tradition - it is simply a matter of trying to make clear the potential of the human mind. Everybody, whether rich or poor, educated or uneducated, has the potential to lead a peaceful, meaningful life. We must explore as faras we can how that can be brought about.
In the course of that exploration, it will become obvious that most disturbances are stimulated not by external causes but by such internal events as the arising of disturbing emotions. The best antidote to these sources of disruption will come about through enhancing our ability to handle these emotions ourselves. Eventually we need to develop an awareness that provides the ways and means to overcome negative, disturbing emotions ourselves.
The spiritual methods are available, but we must make these acceptable to the mass who may not be spiritually inclined. Only if we can do that will these methods have the widest of effect. This is important because science, technology, and material development cannot solve all our problems. We need to combine our material development with the inner development of such human values as compassion,tolerance, forgiveness, contentment and self-discipline.
A Collaboration Between Science and Religion
January 14, 2003
By His Holiness Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama
These are times when destructive emotions like anger, fear and hatred are giving rise to devastating problems throughout the world. While the daily news offers grim reminders of the destructive power of such emotions, the question we must ask is, what can we do to overcome them?
Of course such disturbing emotions have always been part of the human condition - humanity has been grappling with them for thousands of years. But I believe we have a valuable opportunity to make progress in dealing with them, through a collaboration between religion and science.
With this in mind, I have, since 1987, engaged in an ongoing series of dialogues with groups of scientists. Organized by the Mind & Life Institute, they have been on topics ranging from quantum physics and cosmology to compassion and destructive emotions. I have found that while scientific findings offer a deeper understanding of such fields of knowledge as cosmology, it seems that Buddhist explanations can sometimes give scientists a new way to look at their own field.
Our dialogue has provided benefits not just for science, but also for religion. Though Tibetans have valuable knowledge about the internal world, we have been materially backward partly because of a lack of scientific knowledge. Buddhist teachings stress the importance of understanding reality. Therefore, we should pay attention to what modern scientists have actually found through experiment and through measurement the things they have proved to be reality.
At the beginning of these dialogues there were very few of us from the Buddhist side at first just myself and two translators. But recently, we have started to introduce modern science studies in our monasteries, and at our most recent science dialogue there were twenty or so Tibetan monks in the audience.The goals of the dialogue are on two levels. One is at the academic level, the expansion of knowledge. Generally speaking science has been an extraordinary tool for understanding the material world, making vast progress in our lifetime though of course there are still many things to explore. But modern science does not seem to be as advanced regarding internal experiences.
In contrast, Buddhism, an ancient Indian thought, reflects a deep investigation into the workings of the mind. Over the centuries many people have carried out what we might call experiments in this field and have had significant, even extraordinary, experiences as a result of practices based on their knowledge. Therefore, more discussion and joint study between scientists and Buddhists scholars on the academic level could be useful for the expansion of human knowledge.
On another level, if humanity is to survive, happiness and inner peace are crucial. Otherwise the lives of our children and their children are likely to be unhappy, desperate and short. The tragedy of 11th September 2001 demonstrated that modern technology and human intelligence guided by hatred can lead to immense destruction. Material development certainly contributes towards happiness - to some extent - and a comfortableway of life. But this is not sufficient. To achieve a deeper level of happiness we cannot neglect our inner development. I feel, for example, that our sense of fundamental human values has not kept pace with powerful new developments in our material abilities.
For that reason I have been encouraging scientists to examine advanced Tibetan spiritual practitioners, to see what effects of their spiritual practice might be of benefit to others, outside the religious context. One approach would be to take the help of scientists in trying to make the workings of these inner methods clear. The important point here is to increase our understanding of the world of the mind, of consciousness, and of our emotions.
Experiments have already been carried out that show some practitioners can achieve a state of inner peace, even when facing disturbing circumstances. The results show such people to be happier, less susceptible to destructive emotions, and more attuned to the feelings of others. These methods are not just useful, but cheap: you don't need to buy anything or make anything in a factory. You don't need a drug or an injection.
The next question is how are we to share these beneficial results with people beyond those who happen to be Buddhists. This does not concern Buddhism as such or any other religious tradition - it is simply a matter of trying to make clear the potential of the human mind. Everybody, whether rich or poor, educated or uneducated, has the potential to lead a peaceful, meaningful life. We must explore as faras we can how that can be brought about.
In the course of that exploration, it will become obvious that most disturbances are stimulated not by external causes but by such internal events as the arising of disturbing emotions. The best antidote to these sources of disruption will come about through enhancing our ability to handle these emotions ourselves. Eventually we need to develop an awareness that provides the ways and means to overcome negative, disturbing emotions ourselves.
The spiritual methods are available, but we must make these acceptable to the mass who may not be spiritually inclined. Only if we can do that will these methods have the widest of effect. This is important because science, technology, and material development cannot solve all our problems. We need to combine our material development with the inner development of such human values as compassion,tolerance, forgiveness, contentment and self-discipline.
April 16, 2010
April 15, 2010
April 14, 2010
Kyabje Lati Rinpoche passed away peacefully.
http://www.buddhistchannel.tv/index.php?id=9,9076,0,0,1,0
Biography: The Most Venerable Kyabje Lati Rinpoche
His Eminence Kyabje Lati Rinpoche was born in the Kham region of Eastern Tibet in 1922. After the famous Gongkar Rinpoche (previous incarnation) identified and recognized Him as a reincarnation of a great practitioner, Rinpoche consequently embarked on the fulfillment of His destiny by joining the local monastery in Tibet - at the age of ten.
By fifteen years old, Rinpoche was enrolled in Gaden Shartse Norling College, located in central Tibet. It is the most prestigious and renowned school in Tibet, and it was at Gaden Shartse Norling College where Rinpoche pursued his study of Buddhist scriptures, and eventually, earning Him the highest honours among the foremost scholars of His day.
At that time, Rinpoche?s field of study included Pramana Vidya (Logic), Prajnaparamita (Perfection of Wisdom), Madhyamika (Middle Philosophy), Abidharma (Treasure of Knowledge), Vinaya (Spiritual Rules and Moral Law).
In 1959, after nineteen years of intensive study and training, Rinpoche sat for the Geshe Lharmapa examination. This major examination was held in the summer palace of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, located in the capital of Tibet, Lhasa.
Candidates were various scholars and top students from the 3 main monasteries, and yet Rinpoche still managed to emerge 2nd overall. In the next year, H.E. was officially conferred as "Geshe Lharampa", a qualification which is equivalent to the PH.D. degree in the Indian universities. And in that same year, Rinpoche joined the tantric college in Lhasa, and started intensive study in Tantra since.
In the following years, H.E. taught many young incarnate lamas, as well as gave dharma talks to the mass public. In 1964, Rinpoche arrived in Dharamsala, and was subsequently appointed as Spiritual Assistant to His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama. Rinpoche serves His Holiness faithfully till today.
In 1976, under His Holiness?s suggestion, various universities in America invited Lati Rinpoche over, where H.E. gave illuminating dharma discourses to an appreciative public. In addition, Rinpoche taught at Namgyal Gomba (His Holiness?s personal monastery), at the debating college, and has guided and taught many laypeople as well.
In the same year, Rinpoche was appointed as the Abbot of the Shartse Norling College of Gaden Monastery, in South India. H.E. held this position for eight years ? where besides looking after the administration, law and order of the Sangha, Rinpoche also personally taught extensively on all aspects of Buddhism. Rinpoche?s contribution towards Gaden Shartse Norling College is widely recognized by all, and H.E. is deeply respected by many strong devotees all over the world.
Since His retirement, Rinpoche dedicated His life mainly on dharma practice, as well as propagating the dharma, guiding people along the sometimes complex path of the dharma. On repeated requests from many countries in Europe and America, Rinpoche has travelled extensively, benefiting dharma students in various parts of the world.
To His credit, Lati Rinpoche has authored many important books on Tibetan Buddhism, including:
- Death, Intermediate State and Rebirth
- Mind in Tibetan Buddhism
- Meditative States in Tibetan Buddhism.
_/\_ _/\_ _/\_
Biography: The Most Venerable Kyabje Lati Rinpoche
His Eminence Kyabje Lati Rinpoche was born in the Kham region of Eastern Tibet in 1922. After the famous Gongkar Rinpoche (previous incarnation) identified and recognized Him as a reincarnation of a great practitioner, Rinpoche consequently embarked on the fulfillment of His destiny by joining the local monastery in Tibet - at the age of ten.
By fifteen years old, Rinpoche was enrolled in Gaden Shartse Norling College, located in central Tibet. It is the most prestigious and renowned school in Tibet, and it was at Gaden Shartse Norling College where Rinpoche pursued his study of Buddhist scriptures, and eventually, earning Him the highest honours among the foremost scholars of His day.
At that time, Rinpoche?s field of study included Pramana Vidya (Logic), Prajnaparamita (Perfection of Wisdom), Madhyamika (Middle Philosophy), Abidharma (Treasure of Knowledge), Vinaya (Spiritual Rules and Moral Law).
In 1959, after nineteen years of intensive study and training, Rinpoche sat for the Geshe Lharmapa examination. This major examination was held in the summer palace of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, located in the capital of Tibet, Lhasa.
Candidates were various scholars and top students from the 3 main monasteries, and yet Rinpoche still managed to emerge 2nd overall. In the next year, H.E. was officially conferred as "Geshe Lharampa", a qualification which is equivalent to the PH.D. degree in the Indian universities. And in that same year, Rinpoche joined the tantric college in Lhasa, and started intensive study in Tantra since.
In the following years, H.E. taught many young incarnate lamas, as well as gave dharma talks to the mass public. In 1964, Rinpoche arrived in Dharamsala, and was subsequently appointed as Spiritual Assistant to His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama. Rinpoche serves His Holiness faithfully till today.
In 1976, under His Holiness?s suggestion, various universities in America invited Lati Rinpoche over, where H.E. gave illuminating dharma discourses to an appreciative public. In addition, Rinpoche taught at Namgyal Gomba (His Holiness?s personal monastery), at the debating college, and has guided and taught many laypeople as well.
In the same year, Rinpoche was appointed as the Abbot of the Shartse Norling College of Gaden Monastery, in South India. H.E. held this position for eight years ? where besides looking after the administration, law and order of the Sangha, Rinpoche also personally taught extensively on all aspects of Buddhism. Rinpoche?s contribution towards Gaden Shartse Norling College is widely recognized by all, and H.E. is deeply respected by many strong devotees all over the world.
Since His retirement, Rinpoche dedicated His life mainly on dharma practice, as well as propagating the dharma, guiding people along the sometimes complex path of the dharma. On repeated requests from many countries in Europe and America, Rinpoche has travelled extensively, benefiting dharma students in various parts of the world.
To His credit, Lati Rinpoche has authored many important books on Tibetan Buddhism, including:
- Death, Intermediate State and Rebirth
- Mind in Tibetan Buddhism
- Meditative States in Tibetan Buddhism.
_/\_ _/\_ _/\_
April 13, 2010
Obscurations and compassion.
In the daily dreamlike mandala, negative forces can spread harm.
How can I not see, they are doing so by poisonous influences of their own karma? How can I not have compassion while they are creating suffering for themselves and others with the results of karma?
Should I make it worse; burst in hot flames and spit these towards them?
Only the importance of own mind purification, by that one cannot see (in obscuration) them as enemies.
The earth is simple abiding, not judging and not discriminating bad-good. So should be mind.
Even tears are rolling on cheeks when others are harmed and so the precious human mind; in the empty interdependency, purification shows us the wisdom of the precious ones.
Hatred or revenge must not harm beings, to recognize that these obscurations make new wounds for own being and others.
Such obscurations are preventing us and others from liberation.
May Bodhichitta take birth in each and every sentient being
May all suffering and causes of sentient beings, exhaust in me.
Through the great impartial benefit for all,
MAY ALL BEINGS ATTAIN BUDDHAHOOD TOGETHER.
How can I not see, they are doing so by poisonous influences of their own karma? How can I not have compassion while they are creating suffering for themselves and others with the results of karma?
Should I make it worse; burst in hot flames and spit these towards them?
Only the importance of own mind purification, by that one cannot see (in obscuration) them as enemies.
The earth is simple abiding, not judging and not discriminating bad-good. So should be mind.
Even tears are rolling on cheeks when others are harmed and so the precious human mind; in the empty interdependency, purification shows us the wisdom of the precious ones.
Hatred or revenge must not harm beings, to recognize that these obscurations make new wounds for own being and others.
Such obscurations are preventing us and others from liberation.
May Bodhichitta take birth in each and every sentient being
May all suffering and causes of sentient beings, exhaust in me.
Through the great impartial benefit for all,
MAY ALL BEINGS ATTAIN BUDDHAHOOD TOGETHER.
April 06, 2010
Passing clouds.
In the sounds of the cloudlike experience
In the dancing flames of bads and goods
Trying to take the moon out of the lake
While very thirsty hoping for water,
the water is freely offered.
Through analysis of moon's qualities
No seeing of radiant beauty
While through harmless cloud projections
The flutes' melody of wisdom and warmth,
is revealing its' sound in open silence.
Dedication. May suffering vanish.
In the dancing flames of bads and goods
Trying to take the moon out of the lake
While very thirsty hoping for water,
the water is freely offered.
Through analysis of moon's qualities
No seeing of radiant beauty
While through harmless cloud projections
The flutes' melody of wisdom and warmth,
is revealing its' sound in open silence.
Dedication. May suffering vanish.
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For your listening pleasure
>> April 20, 2010
Pretty mantras! And some meditation music.
Green Tara Mantra
Nam Myoho Renge Kyo Mantra
Deep Tibetan Meditation Music
The Wind of Karma
THE WIND OF KARMA
Who killed my only father? Who killed my only mother?
Who caused the rain of blood? Who gathered the black clouds of the thunderbolts?
Who caused the earthquake that shook the whole world?
I asked these questions in the middle of a crowd
But no one was able to answer.
So I asked a second time and a third,
Shouting at the top of my voice.
My mind was blank and I didn't know what to think.
Suddenly the great red wind of karma arose.
The king of death appeared on the face of the earth and raised a fearful hailstorm.
The flag of no-retreat, emblazoned with the knot of eternity, unfurls before the storm.
Even the wind of karma takes delight in blowing it.
The truth of the pattern emerges
And unshakable confidence is aroused.
Now I am certain, I am fearless,
There is no retreat:
The voice of truth is heard throughout the world.
>From TIMELY RAIN: Selected Poetry of Chogyam Trungpa, page 140. Composed in Bhutan, 1968.
What is Namaste?
>> April 19, 2010
I found this article when I was trying to find out more about the etymology of the word namaste. I usually associate it with a warm or respectful greeting, but something caught my attention in this definition.
In Sanskrit the word is namah + te = namaste which means “I bow to you” - my greetings, salutations or prostration to you. The word ‘namaha’ can also be literally interpreted as "na ma" (not mine). It has a spiritual significance of negating or reducing one's ego in the presence of another.
I had previously associated the word with Hinduism, a respectful greeting, and Yoga. I didn't realize that the word could also allude to not-me, or not-mine. For me that's been a very helpful way of understanding emptiness and not-self. I don't know if this part of the definition is really very common knowledge, so I thought I would share it here. And namaste to all my fellow bloggers, for I see the good in you.
What is Namaste?
by Subhamoy Das
‘Namaste’ or ‘namaskar’ is the Indian way of greeting each other. Wherever they are – on the street, in the house, in public transport, on vacation or on the phone – when Hindus meet people they know or strangers with whom they want to initiate a conversation, namaste is the customary courtesy greeting to begin with and often to end with. It is not a superficial gesture or a mere word, and is for all people - young and old, friends and strangers.
Namaste According to the Scriptures:
Namaste and its common variants ‘namaskar,’ ‘namaskaara’ or ‘namaskaram’, is one of the five forms of formal traditional greeting mentioned in the Vedas. This is normally understood as prostration but it actually refers to paying homage or showing respect to one another, as is the practice today, when we greet each other.
The Meaning of Namaste:
In Sanskrit the word is namah + te = namaste which means “I bow to you” - my greetings, salutations or prostration to you. The word ‘namaha’ can also be literally interpreted as "na ma" (not mine). It has a spiritual significance of negating or reducing one's ego in the presence of another.
How to Namaste :
Bend the arms from the elbow upwards and face the two palms of the hands. Place the two palms together and keep the folded palms in front of the chest. Utter the word namaste and while saying the word bow the head slightly.
Why Namaste:
Namaste could be just a casual or formal greeting, a cultural convention or an act of worship. However, there is much more to it than meets the eye. The real meeting between people is the meeting of their minds. When we greet one another with namaste, it means, ‘may our minds meet’, indicated by the folded palms placed before the chest. The bowing down of the head is a gracious form of extending friendship in love, respect and humility.
Spiritual Significance of Namaste:
The reason why we do namaste has a deeper spiritual significance. It recognizes the belief that the life force, the divinity, the Self or the God in me is the same in all. Acknowledging this oneness with the meeting of the palms, we honor the god in the person we meet.
Namaste in Prayers:
During prayers, Hindus not only do namaste but also bow and close their eyes, as it were, to look into the inner spirit. This physical gesture is sometimes accompanied by names of gods like ‘Ram Ram’, ‘Jai Shri Krishna’, ‘Namo Narayana’, ‘Jai Siya Ram’ or just ‘Om Shanti’ – the common refrain in Hindu chants. This is also quite common when two devout Hindus meet - indicating the recognition of the divinity within ourselves and extending a warm welcome to each other.
Read more...
Mani Mantra
>> April 18, 2010
This is a beautiful version of the mantra Om mani padme hum with music. This artist, Imee Ooi, always puts together lovely songs using mantra. I'll also post her version of Green Tara's mantra. And here is her musical version of The Heart Sutra. It really is pretty. The opening I'm not so crazy about but then the song picks up nicely.
Om mani padme hum is the mantra associated with Chenrezig, the bodhisattva and embodiment of compassion. Here's an explanation of the mantra found at dharma-haven.org The vast majority of information in this post is taken directly from that site with a few bits and pieces of my own words.
The Mani mantra 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 (meditation master). Buddhists believe that saying the mantra (prayer), Om Mani Padme Hum, out loud or silently to oneself, invokes the powerful benevolent attention and blessings of Chenrezig, the embodiment of compassion. Viewing the written form of the mantra is said to have the same effect -- it is often carved into stones, like the one pictured above, and placed where people can see them.
Spinning the written form of the mantra around in a Mani wheel (or prayer wheel) is also believed to give the same benefit as saying the mantra, and Mani wheels, small hand wheels and large wheels with millions of copies of the mantra inside, are found everywhere in the lands influenced by Tibetan Buddhism. The Mani mantra 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 (meditation master). However it is good to receive transmission if possible, when the opportunity arises.
As a side note, I have a prayer wheel that is nailed to the wall by my front door. It's a standard little prayer wheel, filled with rolls of the mantra inside. I was pleased when I found one that I can hang up, as it's so easy to stop for a moment and spin the wheel with mindfulness when entering or leaving the apartment. If you ever run across a mani wheel that you can hang by a doorway or an area you pass through often, I highly recommend investing in the prayer wheel. It's worth it! Folks like me do better with a touch of convenience mixed in with efforts I try to put forth. Digital prayer wheels for your computer can be found here.
The wall prayer wheel I have looks a lot like this. My hand-held wheel is nice too but it doesn't get as much use.
The six syllables of the mantra, as it is often pronounced by Tibetans -- Om Mani Padme Hum -- are here written in the Tibetan alphabet:
Reading from left to right the syllables are:
Om (ohm) Ma (mah) Ni (nee) Pad (pahd) Me (may) Hum (hum)
The vowel in the sylable Hu (is pronounced as in the English word 'book'. The final consonant in that syllable is often pronounced 'ng' as in 'song' -- Om Mani Padme Hung. There is one further complication: The syllablePad is pronounced Pe (peh) by many Tibetans: Om Mani Peme Hung.
Here is the sound of the mantra: Om mani padme hum It's pronounced slowly which makes it easy to follow along with if you would like to practice it.
The mantra originated in India; as it moved from India into Tibet, the pronunciation changed because some of the sounds in the Indian Sanskrit language were hard for Tibetans to pronounce. Here are the different spellings of the mantra. Chenrezig is also called Avalokiteshvara are the same bodhisattva/buddha.
People who learn about the mantra naturally want to know what it means, and often ask for a translation into English or some other Western language. However, Om Mani Padme Hum can not really be translated into a simple phrase or even a few sentences.
All of the Dharma is based on Buddha's discovery that suffering is unnecessary: Like a disease, once we really face the fact that suffering exists, we can look more deeply and discover it's cause; and when we discover that the cause is dependent on certain conditions, we can explore the possibility of removing those conditions.
Within the Mahayana the Buddha revealed the possibility of very quickly benefiting all beings, including oneself, by entering directly into the awakened state of mind, or Buddhahood, without delay. Again, there are different ways of accomplishing this, but the most powerful, and at the same time the most accessible, is to link ones own mind with the mind of a Buddha.
In visualization practice
we imagine ourselves to be a Buddha, in this case the Buddha of Compassion, Chenrezig. By replacing the thought of yourself as you with the thought of yourself as Chenrezig, you gradually reduce and eventually remove the fixation on your personal self, which expands your loving kindness and compassion, toward yourself and toward others, and your intelligence and wisdom becomes enhanced, allowing you to see clearly what someone really needs and to communicate with them clearly and accurately.In most religious traditions one prays to the deities of the tradition in the hopes of receiving their blessing, which will benefit one in some way. In the vajrayana Buddhist tradition, however, the blessing and the power and the superlative qualities of the enlightened beings are not considered as coming from an outside source, but are believed to be innate, to be aspects of our own true nature. Chenrezig and his love and compassion are within us.
In the words of Kalu Rinpoche, "Through mantra, we no longer cling to the reality of the speech and sound encountered in life, but experience it as essentially empty. Then confusion of the speech aspect of our being is transformed into enlightened awareness."
That enlightened awareness includes whatever we might need to understand in order to save any beings, including ourselves, from suffering. For that reason the entire Dharma, the entire truth about the nature of suffering and the many ways of removing it's causes, is said to be contained in these six syllables. [Om Mani Padme Hum]
Here is a marvelous and brief recitation and visualization of Chenrezig practice and mantra. It's from FPMT (Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition): Chenrezig meditation
Even though this is already a very long post, I'll go on here with some more information about the meaning of the mantra. All of this information is taken from dharma-haven.com As you can see, the meaning of the mantra has many layers and likewise the mantra can resonate with us on many levels, with layer upon layer. I feel the information about this mantra and mantras in general is really valuable.
Transformation of Speech--[An excerpt from The Dharma, by Kalu Rinpoche, from a chapter on The Four Dharmas of Gampopa. ]
"The second aspect of transformation [of confusion into wisdom] concerns our speech. Although it may be easy to consider speech as intangible, that it simply appears and disappears, we actually relate to it as something real. It is because we become so attached to what we say and hear that speech has such power.
Mere words, which have no ultimate reality, can determine our happiness and suffering. We create pleasure and pain through our fundamental clinging to sound and speech.
In the Vajrayana context, we recite and meditate on mantra, which is enlightened sound, the speech of the [Bhodisattva of Compassion], the union of Sound and Emptiness. It has no intrinsic reality, but is simply the manifestation of pure sound, experienced simultaneously with its Emptiness. Through mantra, we no longer cling to the reality of the speech and sound encountered in life, but experience it as essentially empty. Then confusion of the speech aspect of our being is transformed into enlightened awareness.
At first, the Union of Sound and Emptiness is simply an intellectual concept of what our meditation should be. Through continued application, it becomes our actual experience. Here, as elsewhere in the practice, attitude is all-important...
The Power of the Six Syllables--The six syllables perfect the Six Paramitas of the Bodhisattvas. Gen Rinpoche, in his commentary on the Meaning of said, "The mantra Om Mani Pädme Hum is easy to say yet quite powerful, because it contains the essence of the entire teaching. When you say the first syllable Om it is blessed to help you achieve perfection in the practice of generosity, Ma helps perfect the practice of pure ethics, and Ni helps achieve perfection in the practice of tolerance and patience. Päd, the fourth syllable, helps to achieve perfection of perseverance, Me helps achieve perfection in the practice of concentration, and the final sixth syllable Hum helps achieve perfection in the practice of wisdom. So in this way recitation of the mantra helps achieve perfection in the six practices from generosity to wisdom. The path of these six perfections is the path walked by all the Buddhas of the three times. What could then be more meaningful than to say the mantra and accomplish the six perfections?"
Quick explanation on the paramitas: The six perfections, or paramitas, are necessary elements to master on the path to liberation. To become a buddha, a bodhisattva must practice them. The list is as follows (with a brief explanation inserted):
1. The perfection of giving (dana paramita) This perfection is divided into four categories:
a) The giving of property
b) The giving of Dharma
c) The giving of refuge
d) The giving of active love (maitri).
2. The perfection of morality (shila-paramita)
a) The first aspect is the protection of our body, speech and mind from performing unskillful deeds. We have the tendency to act unskillfully, and this tendency needs to be controlled. We protect ourselves from acting this way when we stop using our body, speech and mind in harmful ways.
b) The second aspect is to protect others in the same way as we protect ourselves. For instance, when someone is about to kill an animal and we demonstrate that it is wrong to do so, we are protecting that person from committing harmful actions.
c) When we perform any skillful deed, this automatically protects us from performing any unskillful ones. This substitution of skilful action in the place of unskilful is the third aspect of the perfection of morality.
3. The perfection of patience (kshanti-paramita)
a) Patience when we are harmed by others. When we are harmed bodily or mentally by others we should not react by getting angry or harming them in return.
b) Patience when we are suffering.
c) Patience of keeping concentration.
4. The perfection of energy (virya-paramita) This means the protection of energy for dharma.
a) The first is the energy of the mind that stops the desire for unprofitable things. Energy for worldly things is weakness; energy for Dharma is real strength.
b) The second kind of energy protects us against tiredness. For instance, a meditator who suffers from such tiredness that even the mere sight of the meditation place brings on sleep, overcomes this weakness by this kind of energy.
c) The third kind of energy is the confidence that we are not too small, weak or stupid to obtain the fruit of Dharma practice. Weakness of this kind stands in the way of achievement of the object.
5. The perfection of meditation (dhyana-paramita)
There are two kinds of meditation: analytical meditation and concentration meditation. It is necessary to use both kinds of meditation to remove delusion and reach the goal. Some people say that thinking and learning about Dharma are not meditation, but the scriptures say that these activities are in fact also kinds of meditation. If we do not think carefully and know the nature of the object we cannot concentrate well. The bustle within the mind is mind-produced; to quiet it, therefore, action by the mind itself and nothing external is required. The primary action must be by the mind; on this basis, factors such as a suitable place and the meditation posture can help.
6. The perfection of wisdom (prajna-paramira)
The root cause of all our trouble is ignorance. We have to use our knowledge of emptiness to dispel ignorance; we must use our mind, purified by calm abiding and special insight, to cut the root of the tree of ignorance. In the drawing, at this stage, the practitioner is holding a sword, symbolizing the realization of emptiness, to cut the two black lines symbolizing the two obscurations: the defilement-obscuration and the knowledge- obscuration. The realization of emptiness is essential to remove ignorance. Once we come close to a thorough understanding of emptiness we are on the way to the perfection of wisdom—the complete comprehension of emptiness.
This list is courtesy of a teaching called "The Graduated Path to Liberation" by Geshe Rabten Rinpoche. You can read the complete teaching here at the FPMT website. You can also read a very good teaching on the six paramitas given by His Holiness the Dalai Lama at this site.
Now on to more explanation of the meaning of Chenrezig's mantra, Om Mani padme Hum.
The syllable Om purifies the neurotic attachment to bliss and pride, which afflict the beings in the realm of the gods. Here is a list of what afflictions the syllables of the mantra purifies, and according to which realm a being is in. The Buddha taught that there are six samsaric realms and 31 planes of existence.
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"Behold! The jewel in the lotus!"
This phrase is often seen as a translation of the mantra. However, although some mantras are translatable, more or less, the Mani is not one of them; but while the phrase is incorrect as a translation, it does suggest an interesting way to think about the mantra, by considering the meanings of the individual words.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama said the following about the meaning of the mantra,"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." He defined the mantra in the following way,
- "It is very good to recite the mantra Om mani padme hum, but while you are doing it, you should be thinking on its meaning, for the meaning of the six syllables is great and vast... The first, Om [...] symbolizes the practitioner's impure body, speech, and mind; it also symbolizes the pure exalted body, speech, and mind of a Buddha[...]"
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- "The path is indicated by the next four syllables. Mani, meaning jewel, symbolizes the factors of method: (the) altruistic intention to become enlightened, compassion, and love.[...]"
- "The two syllables, padme, meaning lotus, symbolize wisdom[...]"
- "Purity must be achieved by an indivisible unity of method and wisdom, symbolized by the final syllable hum, which indicates indivisibility[...]"
- "Thus the six syllables, om mani padme hum, mean that in dependence on the practice of a path which is an indivisible union of method and wisdom, you can transform your impure body, speech, and mind into the pure exalted body, speech, and mind of a Buddha[...]"
Lastly, here is a grid that specifies several aspects of the mantra. I find it very useful. It's from a wikipedia page. I know that wikipedia can be a little bit dodgy, but this article seemed fine.
| Syllable | Six Pāramitās | Purifies | Samsaric realm | Colours | Symbol of the Deity | (Wish them) To be born in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Om | Generosity | Pride / Bliss | 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 | Poverty / possessiveness | Pretas (hungry ghosts) | Red | Bliss | Perfect Realm of Potala |
| Hum | Wisdom | Aggression / hatred | Naraka | Black | Quality of Compassion | the presence of the Lotu |
- So in conclusion, the mani mantra is very widely known and used. It's simple and short, only six syllables long and it's so useful on so many levels. If one wishes to attain the wisdom and compassion of the Buddha/Bodhisattva Chenrezig, this mantra is very important.
- Although earlier in this post I quoted a bit from dharma-haven.com that stated that transmission is not necessary to recite this mantra, it's good to mention too that it's always better to have received transmission for any mantra. It's true that one can recite Green Tara mantra or Chenrezig mantra without permission or blessings, but it's a more powerful practice if one has received empowerment. So any opportunity that arises to receive this would be very auspicious and recommended. In closing, I'd like to offer a brief prayer. I hope that some person out there in cyberspace might run across this post and find it useful. There's so much more that could be said about Chenrezig's mantra and mantras in general, but this is a start. My prayers and aspirations are that all beings swiftly attain the state of Chenrezig and be free from suffering and the causes of suffering. May all sentient beings quickly come to reside in the pure lands and Buddha fields, and spontaneously assist others on the path to freedom out of immeasurable love and compassion. may all beings always be near to happiness and the causes of happiness, and be blessed with long life and the precious triple gem. Om mani padme hum _/|\_
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Read more...
A Collaboration Between Science and Religion
>> April 17, 2010
I thought this article was a good read. It's a teaching given by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. According to stories I've heard about him, he's always had a keen interest in science. When he was young he was insistent that he learn the sciences along with his other studies, anticipating that one day it would be very useful knowledge for him to have. He now lectures on Physics and other sciences in addition to his teachings on the precious dharma.
A Collaboration Between Science and Religion
January 14, 2003
By His Holiness Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama
These are times when destructive emotions like anger, fear and hatred are giving rise to devastating problems throughout the world. While the daily news offers grim reminders of the destructive power of such emotions, the question we must ask is, what can we do to overcome them?
Of course such disturbing emotions have always been part of the human condition - humanity has been grappling with them for thousands of years. But I believe we have a valuable opportunity to make progress in dealing with them, through a collaboration between religion and science.
With this in mind, I have, since 1987, engaged in an ongoing series of dialogues with groups of scientists. Organized by the Mind & Life Institute, they have been on topics ranging from quantum physics and cosmology to compassion and destructive emotions. I have found that while scientific findings offer a deeper understanding of such fields of knowledge as cosmology, it seems that Buddhist explanations can sometimes give scientists a new way to look at their own field.
Our dialogue has provided benefits not just for science, but also for religion. Though Tibetans have valuable knowledge about the internal world, we have been materially backward partly because of a lack of scientific knowledge. Buddhist teachings stress the importance of understanding reality. Therefore, we should pay attention to what modern scientists have actually found through experiment and through measurement the things they have proved to be reality.
At the beginning of these dialogues there were very few of us from the Buddhist side at first just myself and two translators. But recently, we have started to introduce modern science studies in our monasteries, and at our most recent science dialogue there were twenty or so Tibetan monks in the audience.The goals of the dialogue are on two levels. One is at the academic level, the expansion of knowledge. Generally speaking science has been an extraordinary tool for understanding the material world, making vast progress in our lifetime though of course there are still many things to explore. But modern science does not seem to be as advanced regarding internal experiences.
In contrast, Buddhism, an ancient Indian thought, reflects a deep investigation into the workings of the mind. Over the centuries many people have carried out what we might call experiments in this field and have had significant, even extraordinary, experiences as a result of practices based on their knowledge. Therefore, more discussion and joint study between scientists and Buddhists scholars on the academic level could be useful for the expansion of human knowledge.
On another level, if humanity is to survive, happiness and inner peace are crucial. Otherwise the lives of our children and their children are likely to be unhappy, desperate and short. The tragedy of 11th September 2001 demonstrated that modern technology and human intelligence guided by hatred can lead to immense destruction. Material development certainly contributes towards happiness - to some extent - and a comfortableway of life. But this is not sufficient. To achieve a deeper level of happiness we cannot neglect our inner development. I feel, for example, that our sense of fundamental human values has not kept pace with powerful new developments in our material abilities.
For that reason I have been encouraging scientists to examine advanced Tibetan spiritual practitioners, to see what effects of their spiritual practice might be of benefit to others, outside the religious context. One approach would be to take the help of scientists in trying to make the workings of these inner methods clear. The important point here is to increase our understanding of the world of the mind, of consciousness, and of our emotions.
Experiments have already been carried out that show some practitioners can achieve a state of inner peace, even when facing disturbing circumstances. The results show such people to be happier, less susceptible to destructive emotions, and more attuned to the feelings of others. These methods are not just useful, but cheap: you don't need to buy anything or make anything in a factory. You don't need a drug or an injection.
The next question is how are we to share these beneficial results with people beyond those who happen to be Buddhists. This does not concern Buddhism as such or any other religious tradition - it is simply a matter of trying to make clear the potential of the human mind. Everybody, whether rich or poor, educated or uneducated, has the potential to lead a peaceful, meaningful life. We must explore as faras we can how that can be brought about.
In the course of that exploration, it will become obvious that most disturbances are stimulated not by external causes but by such internal events as the arising of disturbing emotions. The best antidote to these sources of disruption will come about through enhancing our ability to handle these emotions ourselves. Eventually we need to develop an awareness that provides the ways and means to overcome negative, disturbing emotions ourselves.
The spiritual methods are available, but we must make these acceptable to the mass who may not be spiritually inclined. Only if we can do that will these methods have the widest of effect. This is important because science, technology, and material development cannot solve all our problems. We need to combine our material development with the inner development of such human values as compassion,tolerance, forgiveness, contentment and self-discipline.
Kyabje Lati Rinpoche passed away peacefully.
>> April 14, 2010
http://www.buddhistchannel.tv/index.php?id=9,9076,0,0,1,0
Biography: The Most Venerable Kyabje Lati Rinpoche
His Eminence Kyabje Lati Rinpoche was born in the Kham region of Eastern Tibet in 1922. After the famous Gongkar Rinpoche (previous incarnation) identified and recognized Him as a reincarnation of a great practitioner, Rinpoche consequently embarked on the fulfillment of His destiny by joining the local monastery in Tibet - at the age of ten.
By fifteen years old, Rinpoche was enrolled in Gaden Shartse Norling College, located in central Tibet. It is the most prestigious and renowned school in Tibet, and it was at Gaden Shartse Norling College where Rinpoche pursued his study of Buddhist scriptures, and eventually, earning Him the highest honours among the foremost scholars of His day.
At that time, Rinpoche?s field of study included Pramana Vidya (Logic), Prajnaparamita (Perfection of Wisdom), Madhyamika (Middle Philosophy), Abidharma (Treasure of Knowledge), Vinaya (Spiritual Rules and Moral Law).
In 1959, after nineteen years of intensive study and training, Rinpoche sat for the Geshe Lharmapa examination. This major examination was held in the summer palace of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, located in the capital of Tibet, Lhasa.
Candidates were various scholars and top students from the 3 main monasteries, and yet Rinpoche still managed to emerge 2nd overall. In the next year, H.E. was officially conferred as "Geshe Lharampa", a qualification which is equivalent to the PH.D. degree in the Indian universities. And in that same year, Rinpoche joined the tantric college in Lhasa, and started intensive study in Tantra since.
In the following years, H.E. taught many young incarnate lamas, as well as gave dharma talks to the mass public. In 1964, Rinpoche arrived in Dharamsala, and was subsequently appointed as Spiritual Assistant to His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama. Rinpoche serves His Holiness faithfully till today.
In 1976, under His Holiness?s suggestion, various universities in America invited Lati Rinpoche over, where H.E. gave illuminating dharma discourses to an appreciative public. In addition, Rinpoche taught at Namgyal Gomba (His Holiness?s personal monastery), at the debating college, and has guided and taught many laypeople as well.
In the same year, Rinpoche was appointed as the Abbot of the Shartse Norling College of Gaden Monastery, in South India. H.E. held this position for eight years ? where besides looking after the administration, law and order of the Sangha, Rinpoche also personally taught extensively on all aspects of Buddhism. Rinpoche?s contribution towards Gaden Shartse Norling College is widely recognized by all, and H.E. is deeply respected by many strong devotees all over the world.
Since His retirement, Rinpoche dedicated His life mainly on dharma practice, as well as propagating the dharma, guiding people along the sometimes complex path of the dharma. On repeated requests from many countries in Europe and America, Rinpoche has travelled extensively, benefiting dharma students in various parts of the world.
To His credit, Lati Rinpoche has authored many important books on Tibetan Buddhism, including:
- Death, Intermediate State and Rebirth
- Mind in Tibetan Buddhism
- Meditative States in Tibetan Buddhism.
_/\_ _/\_ _/\_
Obscurations and compassion.
>> April 13, 2010
In the daily dreamlike mandala, negative forces can spread harm.
How can I not see, they are doing so by poisonous influences of their own karma? How can I not have compassion while they are creating suffering for themselves and others with the results of karma?
Should I make it worse; burst in hot flames and spit these towards them?
Only the importance of own mind purification, by that one cannot see (in obscuration) them as enemies.
The earth is simple abiding, not judging and not discriminating bad-good. So should be mind.
Even tears are rolling on cheeks when others are harmed and so the precious human mind; in the empty interdependency, purification shows us the wisdom of the precious ones.
Hatred or revenge must not harm beings, to recognize that these obscurations make new wounds for own being and others.
Such obscurations are preventing us and others from liberation.
May Bodhichitta take birth in each and every sentient being
May all suffering and causes of sentient beings, exhaust in me.
Through the great impartial benefit for all,
MAY ALL BEINGS ATTAIN BUDDHAHOOD TOGETHER.
Passing clouds.
>> April 06, 2010
In the sounds of the cloudlike experience
In the dancing flames of bads and goods
Trying to take the moon out of the lake
While very thirsty hoping for water,
the water is freely offered.
Through analysis of moon's qualities
No seeing of radiant beauty
While through harmless cloud projections
The flutes' melody of wisdom and warmth,
is revealing its' sound in open silence.
Dedication. May suffering vanish.
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