The Meaning of “Om mani padme hum”
Many Buddhist practitioners might be familiar with the Sanskrit mantra of “Om mani padme hum,” as it is the most well-known mantra across many sects in the Mahayana and Vajrayana schools. It is also common within some of the Hinayana or Therevada schools, but apparently (at least to my knowledge), far less common.
However, the meaning is less commonly known to many people. Some might know that it is Avalokitesvara’s (觀世音菩薩) mantra, and that the meaning is often translated as “Hail to the jewel in the lotus”. This is a sufficient exoteric definition; however the mantra does have a deeper meaning. Just as there are six paths in the realm of samsara, there are also six syllables in the mantra, so it also represents purification and breaking the link of karmic rebirth for those six paths. And moreover, each syllable can be said to represent one of the six Paramitas (六波羅蜜) of the Buddhist cultivation practice. Thus, over all, the entire mantra can be said to make the link between the sentient beings in the the Samsaric realm to the teaching of the Buddha in the realm of non-rebirth through transformation of the impure body, speech, and mind into the pure exalted body, speech, and mind of a Buddha.
The first syllable, om, when it is written out in Sanskrit or Tibetan, actually has three sounds to it: a, u, and m. The sound symbolizes the practitioner’s impure body, speech, and mind; they also symbolizes the pure exalted body, speech, and mind of a Buddha.
This following is a summary of the meaning each of the syllables of the mantra:
| Syllable | Cultivates: | Obliterates | Prevents rebirth in: |
| Om | Meditation (禪定) | Pride | Devas (天) |
| Ma | Patience (忍辱) | Jealousy / Lust | Asuras (阿修羅) |
| Ni | Discipline (持戒) | Passion / desire | Humans (人) |
| Pad | Wisdom (智慧) | Stupidity / ignorance | Animals (畜生) |
| Me | Generosity (布施) | Poverty / possessiveness | Pretas (餓鬼) |
| Hum | Diligence (精進) | Aggression / hatred | Naraka (地獄) |
Next, individual words within the mantra have a meaning. Mani, signifies a jewel. On one level, a jewel eliminates poverty, but here there is a spiritual factor. Within the Great Vehicle, it represents the altruistic right intention (niya) of becoming enlightened for the benefit of all sentient beings. The connection between the jewel is that altruistic intention eliminates spiritual poverty of cyclic existence and of solitary peace, just like a real jewel can eliminate economic poverty.
Padme, signifying the lotus-flower represents wisdom and but also is a general symbol of non-karmic rebirth in i.e. the Pure Land (願生西方凈土中, 九品蓮華為父母, 華開見佛悟無生, 不退菩薩為伴侶). However, to achieve such re-birth by meritorious deeds is difficult in the Dharma-declining Age. So, just as a lotus grows forth from mud but is not sullied by the faults of mud, wisdom is capable of putting you in a situation of non-contradiction whereas there would be contradiction if you did not have wisdom. There is wisdom realizing impermanence, and wisdom that realizes the emptiness of duality-that is to say, of difference of entity between subject an object-and wisdom that realizes the emptiness of inherent existence. Though there are many different types of wisdom, the main of all these is the wisdom realizing emptiness.
Finally, the last syllable, Hum abolishes hatred and cultivates compassion. Thus, through recitation of these six syllables, one transforms impurity into purity and seeks wisdom through practice of the six paramitas.
