March 08, 2006
Om Mani Padme Hum & Four Armed Chenrezig
Ki to Revitalization
Six Beat Mantra Powered Visualization
Twenty Minutes to Samadhi through
Mantra Chanting & Mandala Visualization.
Chanting Meditation
Metta-Karuna or Jihi Cultivation
Brahma Vihara
The object of contemplation for this Chanting Meditation was possibly originally a popular form of the esoteirc 6 armed Cinta-mani Ava-loki-tesvara. In Tibet, his name is Chen-Re-Zi(g). The mantra is Om Mani Padma Hum. Avalokitesvara, the Bodhisattva of Great Compassion, is important in most, if not all, Buddhist traditions, as well as eclectic New Age movements. Kuan Yin {short for Kuan Shin Yin Pu Sa}, is the most common Mandarin Chinese name. Avalokita means 'gazing down' and isvara means 'lord' in Sanskrit. According to the Lotus Sutra, Avalokitesvara can appear in many different forms, male or female, and many postures. In Tibetan Buddhism, Chenrezig or Avalokitesvara is always male, with forms of Tara being either his Tantric consort or popular female form.
The Four Armed Chenrezig Mandala
If you gaze at the Four Armed Chenrezig, you can see he is seated in the Double Lotus Posture called Padmasana. In his left hand (your right) is the Padma, the blue/purple Lotus. In the right hand {on your left}, the Buddhist Rosary, Japamala or Ojuzu. The hand holding the Lotus signifies the Wisdom of Excellent Observation; while the one holding the Rosary signifies the Wisdom of Mirror Clarity. His other hands are in the Gassho-Lotus or Cupped-Prayer (Namaskara-Padma, Anjali) Mudra. They cup the Cinta-Mani, the Priceless Gem Of Perfect Wisdom.
sounds: ........... OmMani.wma ... OMM.ram ...
The Om Mani Mantra:
This link will take you to the first place I chanted using on line media aids. The Dharma links previously hosted by kagyu-medialab.org have been moved to dharma-media.org.: MANTRA OF UNIVERSAL COMPASSION Link
Om = Universal Harmony
Padma/Padme = Padma, the Blue/Purple Lotus
Mani = The Priceless Jewel (Cintâmani or Nyoihôshu)
Hum/Hung = Waves of Jihi, or Mercy; Metta & Karuna
The Prayer:
One purpose of this mantra is to cultivate the four immeasurable or limitless thoughts. These are the practical application of the Four Divine Attributes or "Palaces of Brahma".
Four Limitless Thoughts:
May all sentient beings, boundless as the space, have happiness and the causes of happiness.
May they be liberated from suffering and the causes of suffering.
May they never be separated from the happiness which is free from sorrow.
May they rest in equanimity, free from attachment and aversion.
The Meditation
One can sit cross legged, kneeling, or in chair. If this is done for longer stretches, it should be mixed with walking meditation. Twenty minutes is a normal sitting session. The hands start in Gassho, but can be dropped into the Dhyana Mudra. Press your palms together, slightly cupped, fingers joined, in front of your heart. Focus on intoning the Mantra for at least 20 minutes -- Om Ma Ni Pad Ma Hum. Feel the waves of Jihi (Metta & Karuna) spiral up from your heart, rippling outward, rotating like the prayer wheel, in a clockwise direction, eventually filling up the Universe.
Variation: Visualize Om = Brow, Ma = Throat, Ni = Heart, Pad = Left Shoulder, Me = Right Shoulder, and Hung = Gut. This ceates two axes on which the energy waves rotates in a clockwise direction; from left to right.
Mantra Driven Chakra Visualization.
Next, try something different with this meditation. The clockwise rotation is the same. But now; Om is the Crown/Third Eye Chakra. Ma is the Throat and Ni the Heart. Pad the Gut and Me the reproductive glands. Hum is the legs, feet, and grounding to the Earth. Feel the Six Beat Mantra pulsate down through these Chakras, awakening hidden energies. Our body IS the Prayer Wheel.
While we are chanting, each beat of a six beat mantra corresponds to one of six physical chakras:
6. The Brow - Om = Universal Harmony
5. The Throat - Ma
4. The Heart - Ni = Mani; The Priceless Jewel Cintâmani or Nyoihôshu
3. The Solar Plexus - Pad
2. The reproductive organs. - Ma(Me)= Padma; the Blue/Purple Lotus
1: The Root - Hum (Hung) = Waves of Jihi, or Metta & Karuna
Purification of the Senses; More
The 6 beats also correspond to the 6 tusks of Samantabhadra {Universal Virtue} Boddhivattva's Elephant. {See the Meditation Sutra} These symbolize the 6 sensory organs, the six {6} paramitas, and the six {6} dharma realms (of Samsara).
The six sensory organs are the eye, ear, nose, tongue, body and mind.
The six paramita (haramitta) are generosity [or charity], self-discipline {Ethics, Morality}, patience [or forbearnce], effort [orenergy], meditation [or concentration/mindfulness/insight] and wisdom.
There are Six Creatures that represent the Six Perfections. These are:
1) The lion: wsdom {prajna}
2) The elephant, concentration (samadhi)
3) The dwarf, effort (virya)
4) The makara, forbearence (kshanti)
5) The naga, ethics (sila)
6) The garuda, generosity (dana)
The 6 Dharma Realms:
Om purifies pride or conceit {mana}- the divine realm, heaven
Ma purifies envy & jealousy {irsya}- the realm of demi-gods, asura
Ni purifies lust {kama} - the human realm
Pad purifies stupidity or delusion {moha}- the animal realm
Ma transforms greed {lobha} - the realm of hungry ghosts, preta
Hum transforms hatred and anger {dvesa} - the hellish realm.
More Paintings {Click Thumbnail image to enlarge}:
More Sample Sound Files
Kwan Shih Yin Art Members Only ksyart: ... 729 KB .wma 6word00.wma ... 92 KB Wave 6word1 ... 98 KB .mp3 6word2 ... 18 KB .ra 6word3.ra ... 1 KB .ram 6word4.ram ... 1 KB .ram 6word4.ram ... 1 KB .ram 6word6 ... 62 KB .wma 00.23 6word7.wma ... 141 KB .wma 00:54 6word8.wma
I started doing this chant because I was troubled by suppressed negative emotions; such as enmity, nursing grudges, envy, and even religious bigotry. So it seemed like cultivating the Four Immeasurables -- of Loving Kindness, Healing Compassion, Generosity of Spirit, and Equanimity --in my own heart ---, was a good approach. As a Soka Gakkai member and Nichiren Buddhist, I called it my "remedial practice."
I was not praying to any Bodhisattva or God(dess) outside of my being. I had a general thought that "shoten zenjin", or Tutelary Buddhist Deities, in the form of the laws of nature, tended to protect those who live in harmony with the Dharma. But I also saw belief in the existence of supernatural beings {who are said to dwell in the Desire, Form, & Formless Heavens, and even the ethereal Nether Realms} as Mythical Symbolic Imagery at best; or vitality draining superstitious nonsense, in its more common manifestation.
My direct experience, which I have been able to replicate, has opened my mind/heart a little. Perhaps these ascended beings do exist? Perhaps they are almost omniscient, at least compared to me? But still, they are simply other beings dedicated to the Dharma. I do not see them as "G-ds" to fear or entreat. I prefer to think of them as influential, respect worthy, venerable Dharma Friends. "I got friends in high places?"
Nichiren Perspective
nichirenpix · Nichiren Buddhist Art & Culture
The Cinta-Mani is also important in the Life of Nichiren Daishonin. He mentions receiving this same Mani (Jewel) from Bodhisattva Kokuzo, while he was a student at Seichoji Temple. He states that this is what enabled him to master Buddhism:
"I Nichiren, was a resident of [Sei-cho-ji on] Mount Kiyosumi in Tojo Village in the province of Awa. From the time I was a small child, I prayed to Bodhisattva Space Treasury, asking that I might become the wisest person in all Japan. The bodhisattva transformed himself into a venerable priest before my very eyes and bestowed upon me a ***jewel of wisdom as bright as the morning star***. No doubt as a result, I was able to gain a general mastery of the principal teachings of the eight older schools of Buddhism in Japan, as well as of those of the Zen and Nembutsu schools."
The Padma Lotus also plays a role, as one of three omens coinciding with Nichiren's birth:
"When Nichiren was born, three mysterious phenomena occurred. A spring welled up from the garden and the water was used for his first bath(Tanjosui). At the same time, blue padma lotus flowers bloomed on the beach (Renge ga fuchi), and many sea bream (tai) surfaced in the bay (Tainoura)."
Posted by rbeck at March 8, 2006 12:43 AMBill,
I've heard (read) you say something similar to this before which really opened my mind up to the possibility of Buddhist Gods and Goddesses being "real". But until I read this I didn't extend the concept to include the big Christian God. I love Thich Nhat Hanh but his references to God have always given me heartburn. I'm going to ponder what you said and see if I can relax about the whole Christian God thing. I don't really understand the part about facilitating the flow of energy back to humanity. I mean, what's wrong with leaving it the way it is?
VW
Posted by: VW at March 8, 2006 06:05 PM
Yes,
r
Posted by: robin at September 2, 2005 12:26 PM
I started chanting Om Mani Padme Hum about a year ago after the chant popped into my head one morning and the next day I met a practitioner of this practice. It opened me up to alot of new ideas. Sometimes I chant it in my head, sometimes I chant it combined with Nam Myoho Renge Kyo as 12 syllable chant, sometimes I chant it to my gohonzon.
I too had to deal with the very foriegn idea (to me) that beings such as Chenrizig could possibly actually exist. I still don't know how to deal with this thought but I've managed to synthesize the possible existence of these higher form beings with my previous conception of them as "Mythical Symbolic Imagery at best; or vitality draining superstitious nonsense, in its more common manifestation."
The way that I think about it now which helps me deal with the dissonance, is to imagine all the spiritual power which people have given to these concepts through their prayers and hopes and dreams. This is real power, real energy and just because people place these powers and functions of the buddha outside themselves does not mean that the powers and functions cease to exist. I concieve of these beings/symbols as the repositories of these energies.
Instead of focusing on the weaknesses of humans manifested by their yearning to be saved by these beings, I try to focus on the beauty of the deep desires that humans have as manifested by the personification of them in these beings. I then pray to open my life so that I can become a conduit for the energy stored by us in these symbols to flow back to me and all that I'm connected to, to be used by us to manifest the power and functions of these symbols in our lives.
This way of viewing things has totally changed the way that I deal with religious symbols and concepts of god, no matter how they are expressed.
Anyway I no longer ridicule christians or any other religion. I feel it's incumbent upon me to facilitate the flow back to humanity of the spiritual energy stored in all religious symbols.
Does this make sense to you?
Bill
Posted by: Bill Anker at September 2, 2005 09:44 AM
VW - you were looking to be convinced? Sorry, I misunderstood.
Convincing must come from personal experience, as part of our own individual path of self-discovery...
Rev. Greg
Posted by: Rev.Greg at March 12, 2006 08:16 PMRev. Greg,
You've not really convinced me. Om Mani Padma Hum is a mantra and it's chanted but it's chanted to various melodies. I think if we were to lok at the world's religions we could find lots of chants that are not monotone. I think repeating the six syllables of Om Mani Padma Hum over and over is definitely a chant not a song no matter what melody you put it to. If you are trying to argue that chanting Nam Myoho Renge Kyo with some kind of melody makes it less meaningful or less likely to result in universal harmony, you're going to have to provide me with more information to support your position.
VW
One can chant however one wants, however Nam Myoho Renge Kyo is a mantra, not music or singing. I really believe in re-inventing too far we may obscur the meaning of what we're trying to do, which is obtain harmony with the universal whole, at least on some level.
Rev. Greg
Posted by: Rev. Greg at March 9, 2006 01:01 PM"is there a reason that Nam Myoho Renge Kyo has to be chanted in a monotone?"
I really do not know. Anyone?
-r
I enjoyed listening to these sound files. Still my favorite recorded Om Mani Padme Hum is from the CD 'Love is Space' by Deva Premal. If you've not heard this CD you should go to Amazon.com and listen to the samples. I have a question for you Robin. It seems they can set Om Mani Padme Hum to any number of different melodies, is there a reason that Nam Myoho Renge Kyo has to be chanted in a monotone?
VW