15 Karmapa on benefits of Om Mani Peme Hung mantra
Here is an excerpt from the writing of the Fifteenth Gyalwa Karmapa Khakyab Dorje (1871–1922), the Head Lama of the Karma Kagyu tradition, on the meaning and benefits of Chenrezig’s mantra OM MANI PEME HUNG.
Karmapa has given this commentary on a Four-Armed Chenrezig practice at the request of two of his female disciples:
The first syllable, OM , is in white colour; it is the manifestation of Lord Chenrezig’s five wisdoms and the essence of all his qualities.
It is the expression of perfect meditation. It purifies the karma of pride, the general result of pride, and in particular it purifies the suffering of change and falling of the god realms.
It is also the inseparable union of the activity and body of the Buddha of the god realm (Tib. Gya jin, Skt. Muni Zakra).
The self-arisen form of the wisdom of equanimity, it liberates beings from the six realms to the Glorious Pure Land of the southern direction (Tib. Lho pal tang den pa’i shing, Skt. Ratnaloka) and it enables everyone to achieve the Buddhahood of Ratnasambhava.
om mani-2The second syllable, MA , is in green colour and is the blessing of Lord Chenrezig touching all sentient beings. It is the manifestation of Chenrezig’s limitless benevolence, the essence of all his activity, and is the expression of absolute patience.
It purifies the karma of jealousy, the general result of jealousy, and in particular purifies the suffering of the fighting and quarrelling of the demigod realm.
It is also the inseparable union of the activity and body of the Buddha of the demi-god realm (Tib. Thag zang ri tib, Skt. Vemachitra).
The self-arisen form of all-accomplishing wisdom, it liberates beings from the six realms to the Supreme Perfected Realm of the northern direction (Tib. Chang le rab dzok pa’i shing, Skt. Karmaprasiddhi), and it enables everyone to achieve the Buddhahood of Amoghasiddhi.
The third syllable, NI , is in yellow colour and is the blessing of Lord Chenrezig effortlessly reaching out.
It is the manifestation of the combined body, speech, mind, and activity of Vajra wisdom, the syllable of reversing samsara naturally into the realm of nirvana.
It is the expression of perfect morality.
It purifies the ignorance of clinging to duality, and the general result of ignorance; and in particular it purifies the suffering of birth, old age, illness, and death of the human realm.
It is the inseparable union of the activity and body of the Buddha of the human realm, Shakyamuni Buddha.
The self-arisen form of self-arising wisdom, it liberates beings from the six realms to the Pure Land of the Absolute Realm of Dharmadhatu) (Tib. Og min cho kyi ying, Skt. Akanishtha Dharmadhatu) and it enables everyone to achieve the Buddhahood of the sixth Buddha, Vajradhara.
The fourth syllable, PE , is in blue colour and is the blessing of Lord Chenrezig’s limitless equanimity.
It is the manifestation of the syllable of form, and is expression of the absolute wisdom. It purifies the karma of stupidity and its general result, and in particular it purifies the suffering of the tormented bewilderment of the animal realm.
It is the inseparable union of the activity and body of the Buddha of the animal realm (Tib. Sang gye rab ten, Skt. Shravasinha).
The self-arising wisdom of dharmata, it liberates beings from the six realms to the central Pure Land of Densely Displayed (Tib. Tug po kodpa, Skt. Ghanavyuha).
It enables everyone to achieve the Buddhahood of Vairochana.
The fifth syllable, ME , is in red colour and is the blessing of reaching all with limitless joy.
It is the manifestation of the syllable of speech, and is expression of perfect generosity.
It purifies the karma of desire and greed and their general results, and in particular it purifies the suffering of the hunger and thirst of the hungry ghost realm.
It is the inseparable union of the activity and body of the Buddha of the hungry ghost realm (Tib. Kha la me bar, Skt. Mukha Agni Valate).
Self-arising discriminating wisdom, it liberates beings from the six realms to the pure land of Great Bliss (Tib. Dewachen, Skt. Sukhavati), the Buddha Land in the west.
It enables everyone to achieve the Buddhahood of Amitabha.
The sixth syllable, HUNG , is in black colour, and it is the blessing of Lord Chenrezig gazing with limitless compassion on all beings as if they were all his children.
It is the manifestation of the syllable of mind and is in expression of the perfect mirror-like wisdom.
It purifies the karma of hatred and its general result, and in particular it purifies the suffering of the hot and cold of the hell realms.
It is the inseparable union of the activity and body of the Buddha of the hell realms (Tib. Cho kyi gyal po, Skt. Dharmaraja). Self-arising mirror-like wisdom, it liberates beings from the six realms to the pure land of Obvious Joy (Tib. Ngon par ga wa, Skt. Abhirati), Buddha-field in the east. It enables everyone to achieve the Buddhahood of Akshobhya.
Guru Rinpoche on benefits of Om Mani Peme Hung
Guru Rinpoche (Padmasambhava), the great teacher who brought Buddhism to Tibet in 6th century, on benefits of 6-syllable mantra has said:
Guru Rinpoche 6 syllable mantra
The mantra OM MANI PEME HUNG is the embodiment of all the Buddhas’ heart, the root of the eighty-four thousand teachings of the Buddha, the essence of the Five Buddhas, and the essence of the secret holders.
Each word is a pith instruction, the source of the qualities of all the Tathagatas, the root of all goodness and siddhis, the great path to higher realms and complete freedom.
To recite this supreme among all mantras, the six syllables, the heart of all the teaching, just once can put you onto a spiritual path of no-turning-back, and you can become a great liberator of other sentient beings.
Even a small insect, if it were to hear the sounds of the mantra just before dying, would be liberated from that body and be born in the pure land of Amitabha.
Just to think of it is like the sun shining on a snow mountain so brightly that bad karmic obscurations and defilements are eliminated, and one can be born in the pure land of Amitabha Buddha.
Just touching the mantra OM MANI PEME HUNG is receiving empowerment from many Buddhas and bodhisattvas.
Meditating on it once equals the practices of listening, contemplating, and meditating combined together.
In this way the entire experience of phenomena can be transformed into dharmakaya experience, and great treasure gates of activity can be opened to benefit sentient beings.
