Mantra and Miracles

In the Buddhist system of thought all sounds are said to originate from "a" -- which is pronounced like the short a sound in father. For esoteric Buddhism "a" has a special function because it is associated with Shunyata or the idea that no thing exists in its own right, but is contingent upon causes and conditions.

Tibetan Buddhists believe that saying the mantra (prayer), Om Mani Padme Hum, out loud or silently to oneself, invokes the powerful benevolent attention and blessings of Chenrezig, the embodiment of compassion. The Dalai Lama is an incarnation of Chenrezig. Viewing the written form of the mantra is said to have the same effect. Mantras often carved into stones especially in Tibet, see the one pictured on the stone above, and are placed where people can see them.

Tibetans also write the mantras on paper and enclose the mantra in a prayer wheel. Spinning the written form of the mantra around in a prayer wheel is also believed to give the same benefit as saying the mantra. Prayer wheels are found everywhere in the lands influenced by Tibetan Buddhism.

A gift suggestion for your Buddhist loved one is the hum or hung syllable.

Another tool the Buddhists use in conjunction with mantra is a necklace known as a mala. Learn all you ever wanted to know about the symbolism and how to use a mala.

EXAMPLES OF BUDDHIST MANTRAS

From wikipedia

· Om wagishwari hum This is the mantra of the Mahabodhisattva Manjusri, Tibetan: Jampelyang (Wylie "'jam dpal dbyangs")... The Buddha in his wisdom aspect.

· Om mani padme hum The mantra of Chenrezig, Mahabodhisattva, the Buddha in his compassion aspect.

· Om vajrapani hum The mantra of the Buddha as Protector of the Secret Teachings. ie: as the Mahabodhisattva Channa Dorje (Vajrapani).

· om vajrasattva hum The short mantra for Vajrasattva, there is also a full 100-syllable mantra for Vajrasattva.

· Om ah hum vajra guru padma siddhi hum The mantra of the Vajraguru Guru Padma Sambhava who established Mahayana Buddhism and Tantra in Tibet.

· Om tare tuttare ture svaha The mantra of Jetsun Dolma or Tara, the Mother of the Buddhas.

· Om tare tuttare ture mama ayurjnana punye pushting svaha The mantra of Dölkar or White Tara, the emanation of Tara representing long life and health.

To learn more mantras of Tibetan dakini's or goddesses.

The practice of writing mantras, and copying texts as a spiritual practice, became very refined in Japan, and the writing in the Siddham script in which the Sanskrit of many Buddhist Sutras were written is only really seen in Japan nowadays.

In the Hindu tantra the universe is sound. The supreme brings forth existence through the Word (Shabda). Creation consists of vibrations at various frequencies and amplitudes giving rise to the phenomena of the world. The purest vibrations are the var.na, the imperishable letters which are revealed to us, imperfectly as the audible sounds and visible forms.

Here is a Hindu mantra to remove obstacles:

Om Gum Ganapatayei Namaha

Which translates - salutations to the Lord of the Hosts within and without, who removes obstancles from our life.

The name of Lord Rama sung by devotees. The name is chanted as Om Sri Ram Jai Ram Jai Jai Ram. The Hindus have developed a chanting form called Kirtan. You can see more on Kirtan below.

The mantra was often used by Mahatma Gandhi.

Khanna (2003: p.21) links mantras and yantras to thoughtforms:

Mantras, the Sanskrit syllables inscribed on yantras, are essentially 'thought forms' representing divinities or cosmic powers, which exert their influence by means of sound-vibrations.

With the transition from ritualistic Vedic religion to mystical and egalitarian Hindu schools of Yoga, Vedanta, Tantra and Bhakti, the orthodox attitude of the elite nature of mantra knowledge gave way to spiritual interpretations of mantras as a translation of the human will or desire into a form of action, with some features in common with spells in general.[2] For the authors of the Hindu scriptures of the Upanishads, the syllable Aum, itself constituting a mantra, represents Brahman, the godhead, as well as the whole of creation. KBkai suggests that all sounds are the voice of the Dharmakaya Buddha - i.e. as in Hindu Upanishadic and Yogic thought, these sounds are manifestations of ultimate reality, in the sense of sound symbolism postulating that the vocal sounds of the mantra have inherent meaning independent of the understanding of the person uttering them. Nevertheless, such understanding of what a mantra may symbolise or how it may function differs throughout the various traditions and also depends on the context in which it is written or sounded. In some instances there are multiple layers of symbolism associated with each sound, many of which are specific to particular schools of thought. For an example of such see the syllable: Aum which is central to both Hindu and Buddhist traditions.

Please note: If you purchase something from this site you will be making a donation to Food for Everyone

The following is quoted from an article in the May 2009 Yoga Journal by Christopher D. Wallis a Sanskrit scholar at the University of California, Berkeley:

"So'ham is perhaps the simplest of all mantras, but these two syllables are immensely sacred and powerful. They mean "I am That," with "That" referring to the Divine foundation of all reality. So'ham is a simple breath mantra. Mentally repeat "so" on the outbreath, and then "hum" on the inbreath. When you begin, with each outbreath you may be conscious of the act of giving and letting go. With each inbreath you may be aware of receiving, of honoring the Self in this moment. Eventually, all intentions dissolve into the simple pulsation of the mantra's sonic qualities, bringing a stillness and peace within the rhythm that is like serene ocean waves."

The Five Wisdoms and the kayas are resprsented in the seed syllable OM. Here is how they break down:

A - dharmakaya - wisdom of emptiness

Naro - sambhogakaya - mirror-like wisdom

Crescent moon - nirmanakaya - discriminating wisdom

Tigle - essential kaya - wisdom of equanimity

a chung - embodiment of bodhicitta - all-accomplishing wisdom

You can order your own pendant for a necklace or get a gemstone and terra-cotta bead bracelet here.

Earth Day Challenge to you, please visit the link and add your own HHDL quote regarding the environment then follow that link and vote for On Earth Day What the Dalai Lama Might Say.

Chakra Mantras:
Liberate Your Spiritual Genius Through Chanting

"Well written and well researched, Chakra Mantras provides a useful and important text for all those interesting in the subject. This book includes scholarly information from the Hindu and Tibetan Buddhist traditions, captivating stories which illuminate the various topics and practical approaches to the uses of mantras in relationship to chakras for healing and transformation." by Johnathan Goldman

In Catholicism there are the prayers such as the Our Father (Pater noster) and Hail Mary, (Ave Maria) especially when prayed as the Rosary, which might be considered mantras in essence.

The rosary is used in a similar fashion to a mala, or prayer beads to count how many of the prayer you have recited. See the sections below to purchase a mala, or to learn much more about choosing and using your mala and the symbolism of the mala go to http://www.geocities.com/rdtibet/mala.htm

Chants, or mantras, of shamans, which are power songs, have been passed down through the generations. Their rhythms and melodies empower the shaman to reach an altered state of conscious and summon his power animal or guardian spirit.

Pagans and Neo-pagans, also known as Druids, also use goddess chants to invoke power. A specific example would be The Charge of the Goddess.

Quote:

"Among the most ancient principles of Yoga is ritualized, rhythmic speech. Through the repetition of certain sounds, the practitioner creates vibratory rhythms within the body that energize the brain and the nervous system. The sequence of syllables or sound frequencies used is called a mantra. The mantra of a specific goddess or god is equivalent to the energy of the deity itself. To repeat a mantra ritually is to invoke and enter into the consciousness of the goddess. Hindu mantras, often chanted to the rhythms of a drum, have been passed from student to teacher for thousands of years."

From When The Drummers were Women - a Spiritual History of Rhythm by Layne Redmond

Believe is an uplifting blend of essential oils that has a steadying, balancing effect on emotions, helping you to overcome feelings of despair and move beyond them to a higher level of awareness. It helps release the unlimited potential everyone possesses, making it possible to experience health, happiness, and vitality more fully. Believe can also provide feelings of strength and faith.

How to Order Oils and Other Products:

Click here and you will need to have this sponsor/enroller number to place an order: 322979. Once on the page choose your country from the drop down such as England, US, Japan etc. Once you create your membership record it along with password etc. for future reference for next time you order.

Note: Take advantage of the opportunity to distribute these oils,
Contact me at 303 755-2669 or email me marshasoils@yahoo.com for details.


Check out these Beautiful Diffusers

With eight amazing colors, a new curved design, and great new features, iPod nano rocks like never before. The Genius Playlist feature finds the songs in your music library that go great together and makes a playlist for you. With its built-in accelerometer, iPod nano is made to move. Give it a shake, and it shuffles to a different song in your library. Turn it on its side to flip through your album art in Cover Flow. And tilt, move, and play accelerometer-inspired games (games available separately). Watching movies, TV shows, and video is even more fun on the sharp 2-inch screen. And your photos (up to 7,000 of them) look great in portrait or landscape view. Available in 8 GB and 16 GB models, the 8 GB iPod nano puts up to 2,000 songs or 8 hours of video in your pocket.

Apple iPod nano 8 GB Black
(4th Generation) NEWEST MODEL

The "Dharma Group" at Squidoo is home to many lenses that are Dharma related - click on the Buddhist logo (left) to visit this group and it's lenses or to join the group. If you have a lens that is about Dharma (either Hindu or Buddhist), we would be thrilled to welcome it to this group.

If you are not a member of Squidoo and would like to know more about creating your own lenses, CLICK HERE to join Squidoo and start today. It's absolutely free, I promise.

Not sure what to make a lens about? How about YOU! A short biography of yourself is always a good way to start as a lensmaster. Or your dharma work would make a great topic. That should take about 5 minutes to begin, but you can come back to it and add to it over and over again.