4 Mar 2022 HYN Himalayan Yoga Academy
A session begins by chanting Aum also can be said 0m three times followed by three shantis.
Aum……………………………….
Aum……………………………….
Aum……………………………….
Aum Shanti Shanti Shanti’hi
So here we talk about a very famous Buddhist Mantra which is Om Mani Padme Hum, lies at the heart of the Tibetan system and is cherished by both layman and lama alike.
When we asked Buddhist monks about its meaning, some said that this mantra encompasses the entire Buddhist teaching and cannot be simply translated. “Om Ma Ni Pad Me Hum” consists of six true words, or six syllables with distinct sounds. The mantra’s essence is powerful and pure.
This ancient Buddhist Mantra literally translates to “Praise to the Jewel in the lotus”. So let`s go word by word in order to understand the complete meaning of this Mantra;
The Meaning of Om Mani Padme Hum
OM is the spiritual sound that purifies the body, speech, and mind and turns it into the exalted body, speech, and mind of Buddha. When you chant Om, you purify your soul by its sound vibration and deep meditation. So Om simply means a purifier that cleanses away pride and ego while representing divine energy and generosity.
Mani means “jewel” which symbolizes the selfless intention to become enlightened, compassionate, and loving. Ma is associated with dissolving jealousy and cultivating more ethical behavior. On the other hand, Ni represents patience and purifies passion and desire in the human body. It resides within the samsaric realm of human beings.
Padme , so this term means lotus that represents wisdom just as lotus grows beautifully from the mud but is not soiled by mud, so wisdom is capable of putting you in a situation of non-contradiction whereas there will be contradiction if you didn`t have wisdom. PAD represents diligence and purifies ignorance and judgement whereas ME represents connections and purifies attachments. Padme reminds us to not be attached to the conflicts that we experience. It resides within the samsaric realm of hungry ghost.
HUM , this term indicates wisdom through indivisibility or represents unity and purity. Hum helps perfection in the practice of wisdom. As you progress on your path and you keep doing that thing you keep increasing wisdom so when this union takes place where the procedure and the wisdom becomes one. Hum is the seed syllable of Akshobhya- the immovable, unfluctuating, that which can`t be disturbed by anything. Hum purifies the aggression and hatred. It is said to lie within the samsaric realm of hell.
Benefits of Om Mani Padme Hum
Om Mani Padme Hum, when you chant this mantra, you are in the process of purifying body, speech, and mind. Reciting the mantra repeatedly with the right intention can rid of that mud and muck. During the chant, the positive vibration of this sound sends energy to parts of the body and chakra centers and activates our energy centers.
Also, this six syllables, om mani padme hum, means 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.
This Mantra eases our restless mind and allows a sense of calmness. This mantra also helps purify the vibration within our body and the space around us. It keeps our greed and ego away. Chanting Om Mani Padme Hum empties the body of everything. It also releases the karma that is holding you back.
Overall, chanting Om Mani Padme Hum gives you mental peace, physical balance, health, happiness and overall success. The powerful piece of this mantra is its unifying intention.
During your yoga teacher training course in Nepal, you will learn various mantras that will help you gain calmness and peacefulness inside you. The mantra of Om Mani Padme Hum is also taught in our yoga school to all our yoga students. So that they can learn more deeply and explore themselves through different dimensions.
Here in our yoga training school, we not only focus on the physical but also the spiritual enhancement for a wonderful pathway to life. We teach our yoga teachers to be not only physical asana teachers but also spiritual gurus who can show motivation and enlightenment to their students.