The Om Mantra
The Meaning of Om Mani Padme Hum

The Om mantra - om mani padme hum - is a widely revered and popular mantra. H.H. the Dalai Lama says, "It is very good to recite the mantra Om mani padme hum, but while you are doing it, you should be thinking on its meaning, for the meaning of the six syllables is great and vast."

So what is the meaning of Om?

Om, represented in writing through the letters A-U-M, symbolizes respectively the meditator's impure body, speech, and mind. The letters also symbolize the pure qualities of a Buddha's body, speech, and mind.

The difference between impure and pure represents the extreme difference between a human being's potential for negative emotions, personal hell, downfall, and pure evil, and a person's potential for positive emotions and achieving purity – love, compassion, absolute happiness, and Buddhahood.

Om thus represents human duality and acknowledges the human effort necessary to consistently practice making the right choices.

Mani means jewel and symbolizes the path, which in essence is the powerful practice of compassion - which builds the strongest and richest qualities of the mind. Just as a jewel can remove poverty, so is the enlightened mind capable of removing emotional poverty and difficulties of existence and impermanence.

Padme means lotus and symbolizes wisdom. Lotus' roots are anchored in mud. A lotus's lily pads float on the water and its blossoms rise above the water. A lucid, wise mind is similarly capable of remaining above water even though it exists in an environment exhibiting different and contradictory qualities.

A wise human being further acknowledges that the origin of its body and mind is inextricably linked to the Earth, and that its continued existence above water depends on its roots, still firmly planted in mud.

Hum represents interaction between method and wisdom. Method and wisdom are one, yet interacting with each other through practice and repetition. Method and wisdom can be seen as respectively what/how you do things and why. Method watches over wisdom and wisdom watches over method.

But what is wisdom? Knowledge is potential power. Knowledge in action becomes wisdom, which equals unleashing the power of knowledge through practice.

The wise human being remains powerful in the midst of all external influences, amidst living in a different and ever-changing environment. The mind remains wise within a body that ages, changes, and eventually dies.

"Hum is the seed syllable of Akshobhya, the immovable, the unfluctuating, that which cannot be disturbed by anything," says the Dalai Lama.

The meaning of Om mani padme hum involves making choices, regularly practicing your path/method, and through interaction - consistent practice and growing wisdom - you can transform your body, speech, and mind into a pure and powerful Buddha.

Final Thoughts

Keep in mind that Buddha's potential is already within you, in your roots and past growth (genes and experiences), and in your current environment. You cannot see your mind or internal environment, but always seek love, compassion, and purity within yourself.

When you consistently interact - behave, speak, and think - out of compassion for yourself and others you learn to see and appreciate your environment as a necessary breeding ground for more love and compassion.

Wisdom and method, mind-brain-body, one entity interacting through immovable love and compassion, is the key to absolute happiness and the path to Buddhahood. That is the essence of the Om mantra.

Until recently I didn't know the meaning of the Om mantra. I looked it up for this Web site and became familiar with H.H. the Dalai Lama's explanation. His words instantly inspired and gave birth to my interpretation because the meaning certainly is great and vast.

I hope it did justice to Om mani padme hum. The following link takes you to what I believe is the original explanation of the Om mantra by H.H. the Dalai Lama.

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