What does Om Mani Padme Hum mean?
- OM, composed of three sound A, U, and M, stands for the practitioner's impure body,
speech, and mind; they also symbolize the pure exalted body, speech, and mind of an enlightened person, a Buddha - MANI ( jewel) symbolizes the altruistic intention to become enlightened
- PADME (lotus) a symbol of wisdom
- HUM indicates indivisibility.
"Thus the six syllables, OM MANI PADME HUM, mean that by 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." HH the Dalai Lama
Tibetan 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 Wheel
