THE 'Mani Mantra'
Copyright © 2003 James Deacon

"om mani padme hum"
The six-syllable mantra of the Great Bright Light

Shittan (Siddham) form, as used in Japan

Commonly referred to as the "mani mantra", om mani padme hum is probably most familiar as being the mantra of Chenrezig (the Tibetan 'incarnation' of the Indian Avalokitesvara).

Om mani padme hum is considered to be the universal mantra of Love and Compassion. The mantra is imbued with the grace, compassion and power of Avalokitesvara, who himself gathers the grace, compassion and power of all the buddhas and bodhisattvas.

However, this mantra is also popular in Chinese and Japanese Pure Land Buddhisn.

In Japan it is one of the shingon (mantras) associated with Kanzeon Bosatsu: 'the Bodhisattva who perceives the sounds of the world'. (also an 'incarnation' of Avalokitesvara).

Kanzeon Bosatsu, (sometimes known as Kanjizai Bosatsu: 'the Bodhisattva that sees and acts freely at will'), protects living beings with loving compassion and immediately grants salvation to the suffering and the afflicted, and dispels the evil and calamities surrounding them.