Om Mani Padme Hum is one of the best-known mantras in the world. It is associated with Avalokiteshvara, the bodhisattva of compassion, and is recited, chanted and carved on stones, prayer flags and prayer wheels across the Himalayas.
The meaning
It literally translates as “the jewel in the lotus”. The lotus grows in mud and blooms clean on the water’s surface: a symbol of the mind that, amid difficulty, can open to clarity. The jewel is the compassion and wisdom already within us.
The six syllables
Tradition says each syllable helps purify an emotion and cultivate a quality: generosity, ethics, patience, perseverance, concentration and wisdom. You don’t need to understand it all to practise: the sound and intention do their work.
How to practise
- Sit quietly for a few moments and connect with the wish that all beings be well.
- Recite the mantra at a gentle pace, aloud or in a whisper.
- You can use a mala and do 108 repetitions.
- Finish in silence, noticing the vibration that remains.
In our Thai massage course we chant it often: it reminds us that touching another body is, above all, an act of compassion.
