Om Mani Padme Hum
No other mantra is so closely associated with Tibetan Buddhism. "Om mani padme hum" in at the heart of Vajrayana. The literal translation, Jewel in the Lotus of the Heart or Hail the jewel in the lotus, doesn't begin to describe the powerful effect this mantra has on clearing negative karma. I speak from personal experience.
"Om mani peme hung" evokes Chenrezig, the Bodhisattva of compassion. The Buddha of Compassion is also known as Avalokitesvara, Guan Yin (Kuan Yin), Padmapa-ni, and Lokes'vara. His Holiness the Dalai Lama and His Holiness the Karmapa are both said to be incarnations of Chenrezig.
I've been repeating Om mani padme hum for a couple of years now. Not a lifetime but I'm proof positive it works. YMMV
Om mani padme hum is the primary mantra inside Tibetan prayer wheels. While other sutras, mantras, etc. are used, multiple copies of Om mani padme hum are written on scrolls of paper rolled inside. As one spins a prayer wheel, the beneficial effects of mantra are multiplied.
These six syllables are widely used by Tibetans and Tibetan Buddhists alike: on jewelry, carved on stones, on wall hangings, etc. Many folks have tattoos of Om mani padme hum in both Tibetan and English. I'm close to getting one myself.
Read what the Dalai Lama's piece on Om mani padme hum. The Foundation for the Preservation of Mahayana Tradition has a essay about it too.
Turning a prayer wheel is like repeating the mantra inside. The more it turns, the more powerful the effect. Turn your computer's hard drive into a prayer wheel. Download this text file that contains one million iterations of Om Mani Padme Hum [ZIP file]. Save it to our hard drive. Now your hard drive is a prayer wheel. How fast does your hard drive spin? 5400 times a minute, 7200 times, more? I did another version that has 108 iterations of Om mani padme hum It's small enough to always occupy one contiguous block on your unfragmented hard drive. What can I say; I'm nerdy like that. No geek like a Buddhist geek, ehhh?
Would you like to hear it? Click here.
I may be a bit biased because I love this mantra so much. I repeat it everyday, usually many times throughout the day. I wear a mala and tend to fill spare moments by rolling the beads as I mutter. The metal plate hangs over our front door much like a mezuzah. I have a homemade prayer wheel sitting next to the router in my office.
If you visualize Hail the jewel in the lotus and open your eyes you may see this wonderful tattoo. The tattoo artwork is titled "Lotus with Gem" so it ain't no coincidence. The dragonfly is a nice touch. The ink was done by Jeff Johnson in Newbury Park, CA. It makes me wonder how many people recognize the symbolism. I'll bet as many as get my license plate (3JEWELS).
Jerry DesVoignes' Healing Voices CD has a wonderful arrangement of Om Mani Padme Hum. On Amazon try these three: OM Mani Padme Hum
