Om Mani Padme Hum is the six-syllable mantra of Avalokiteshvara, the bodhisattva of compassion, known as Chenrezig in Tibet and Guanyin in China. Mani means jewel and padme means lotus, so the mantra is often translated as "the jewel in the lotus." Scholars still debate the grammar, and for the people who recite it the mantra works as a whole: a prayer for compassion toward every living being.
How to pronounce it
In Sanskrit it is om ma-ni pad-me hum. Tibetans say om ma-ni pe-me hung. Either is fine. Recite it slowly, out loud or silently.
What the six syllables stand for
Tibetan teachers often explain the mantra one syllable at a time. In one widely taught reading, each syllable stands for one of the six perfections a bodhisattva cultivates:
- Om: generosity
- Ma: ethical conduct
- Ni: patience
- Pad: diligence
- Me: concentration
- Hum: wisdom
Another reading links the six syllables to the six realms of rebirth, with each syllable easing the suffering of one realm.
Where you will see it
Across Tibet, Nepal, Bhutan and the Himalayan regions of India, the mantra is carved into mani stones piled along paths, printed on prayer flags and rolled up by the thousand inside prayer wheels. Turning a prayer wheel clockwise counts as reciting every copy inside. In Chinese Buddhism it is called the Six-Syllable Great Bright Mantra, and in Chinese jewelry it often appears as "six true words."
Reciting it with a mala
The mantra is usually counted on a mala of 108 beads, one recitation per bead. Our guide on how to use mala beads walks through a full round.
Wearing the mantra
Jewelry engraved with Om Mani Padme Hum keeps the mantra in sight through the day. Many wearers treat it with the care they would give a prayer text.
- Om Mani Padme Hum Vajra Bracelet, silver plated.
- Tibetan Coconut Beads Engraved Om Mani Padme Hum Bracelet
- Black Obsidian Six True Words Protection Mala Bracelet
- Om Mani Padme Hum Singing Bowl, for the meditation corner at home.
