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Mantras
Stormer
Explorer
I have decided that I might further my Buddhist practice by quietly chanting a mantra to myself while I meditate. Any thoughts/comments/advice?
0
Comments
What made you think of mantras?
@lobster: To be honest, I don't know a whole lot about it. I thought I'd just use the 'generic' sounding one which is 'Om Mani Padme Hum'
http://www.wildmind.org/mantras
Mantra gives the advantages of breathing, meditation and voice improvement, health etc etc.
Om Mani Padme Hum is one of the favourite
and the 'National Mantra' of Tibet.
It is associated with compassion
http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/history/guanyin.htm
It is a complete practice
http://chenrezigpuja.org/
however . . . just adding chanting as many as comfortable on an outbreath . . .
gives the distracted mind another focus and alignment . . .
OM MANI PEME HUM
Just for trivia's sake, Ajahn Chah (and perhaps other Thai Forest or Theravadan teachers) recommend "Buddho" as a mantra, with the 1st syllable on the in-breath, the 2nd on the out-breath.
Om Mane Peme Hum is one. Look for some chanting on of this on youtube because it can be really beautifully intoned, not just dry words (don't know how to explain this).
Another is:
May the hearts awareness waken in the unawakened
Where it has begun to stir may it never fade
And may it awaken fully
That is a mantra to arouse bodhicitta. Bodhicitta could be the wish to awaken your heart for all concerned to benefit.
Another is:
Namo Gurubia (if you have a guru)
Namo Buddhaya
Namo Dharmaya
Namo Sanghaya
repeat
This is refuge
Another is
We go to refuge to the Buddha
Until all sentient beings realize Buddhahood
x3 (or more)
This is another refuge mantra
The ego is just a passing thoughts. If you don't identify with these passing thoughts they just blow through and cannot 'stick'.
Nobody knows why anything happens
Nobody knows why anything happens
Nobody knows why anything happens
I know that one should just be able to sit and meditate, but i like the ritual aspect of chanting and it helps me to dig deeper sometimes.
I like to chant the Green/White mantras.
My Metta meditation (may i be happy, may i be at peace, may i be safe, etc) even turns into a mantra that i use while I go out for a run.
And i add some Kundalini mantras. Throwing in a little Sita Ram is nice too.
The words don't really matter, just the intent.
It's off to work I go
But it is not enough to merly repeat-think any statement, the statement must be expressed in the primordial sylabyles (Da, Ta, Na, Am, Om...); it needs to connect with the underlaying reality.
Much of the First Mantra teachings have been censored from traditional buddhist doictrine, though we do find its re-emergence, for example with the complex Daimoku ("Na Ma Re Ge").
It is also worth noting that insight meditation is a skill distinct from the recetation of Mantra, this is a fact that can distract experinced meditatiors who learn of the power of mantra.
Na Ma Sa Ye
I was wondering if I might add a question? Sorry @stormer I'm not trying to hijack your thread and I apologise if that appears to be the case.
I usually chant Om Mani Padme Hum. I have at times chanted the Tara chant but does anyone know of a chant that I can use to help with anger and self pity? I find I have moments of total self indulgent self pity that I wish to work through and thought if there were a chant to help that would be great.
Thanks and in metta,
Raven
I'd suggest doing some insight meditation to discover where these feelings are coming from. Mantra are great, but they're especially helpful when we know the origin of specific problems.
If you really want a mantra that might help, prajnaparamita mantra (along with study of the heart sutra) could be of use.
From a Vajrayana viewpoint some mantras need an empowerment from a qualified teacher in order to be effective..otherwise they are like an electric fan or heater that is not plugged in.
But others like ' Buddho' are universal.
One of the most centred mantra users I know uses 'kyrie eleison.'
In metta,
Raven
My teacher says that it is like waves. There are waves emitting from the center and the bounce off of the perimeter and cause a patttern.
So we have our own intentions and cares. So like you want to be nice to be around. But there are still all of these waves from maybe attachment to life and security. In the end we all lose our security, but you have lost yours earlier. In reality death can be around any corner. That's not said to make us tense in fear but rather with these waves in mind we can see that some of the inertia is to be protective. That's all well and good I mean we want to feel good.
I think you will see this protectiveness rebound again and again and be filled with emotion. This is something everybody is going to deal with. My step mother just almost died! But that doesn't *cut away the value* of your wish to be nice to be around. That is a wish from your heart. I think that you need to open to this wish and think about why you wish it. I have no idea, but it could be very profound in relation to your wish to be safe and alive. It could be the wish to be free from worry and at peace with our loved ones in solidarity.
So my prescription would be to keep reinforcing and finding the genuine value of your wish to be nice to be around. It might be a stormy emotion but I hope you get to the bottom of it and it rings like a bell. And then the other waves, the waves of preservation and frustration and anger keep rolling outward you can just let them be there. If we let them be there then they play out their story and are no longer fed.
Metta _/\_
While I cannot imagine what you're going through, maybe I can provide a resource. That way you can find something that fits your needs.
Tsem Tulku Rinpoche has posted very many practices on his site. I hope you can find one that helps.
http://resources.tsemtulku.com/prayers/mantra-list.html
http://blog.tsemtulku.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/prayers-and-sadhanas/sadhana-prayers.html
These two links are a list of mantras and practices that don't require initiation.
Thank you both very much
In metta,
Raven
Is this to say that one might use a different mantra for a different reason? For example, Manjushri's mantra for one specific reason, Green Tara's for another reason. Or does one develop an affinity for a deity, buddha or bodhisattva (not necessarily as a yidam for empowerment and visualization) and stick with that mantra? For example, it's my desire to cultivate compassion and wisdom... could I alternate chanting OM MANI PEME HUNG and OM AH RA BA TSA NA DHI at different times?
In Hinduism it's taught that one picks the mantra, if uninitiated and the mantra is not given by the guru, and uses it exclusively. For example, someone drawn to Ganesha would chant Om Gam Ganapataye namaha or Om Sri Ganeshaya namaha exclusively (either with a mala or not), and not use any other mantra for any other deity. I use Om namo Narayanaya for Vishnu, to connect with God. But since this site is not Hinduism, I'm curious if the same recommendation applies.
I've been to other sanghas (Kagyu and Sakya) and they require that you be initiated before you receive Tara transmission and Tara mantra practice. In my area, there aren't many sitting lamas associated with these groups, so it's kind of more a communal thing. Lamas come to visit once or twice a year for workshops, where you can receive further transmissions and direction for personal practice.
If after doing that mantra you get a sense of connection to the practice of Chenrezig/Avalokiteshvara try the sadhana. Lobsters recommendation is good.
Here's one used in the Kagyu lineage, specifically Thrangu Rinpoche's sangha:
http://s151421314.onlinehome.us/nbp/docs/PDF/16. Chenrezig for Website.pdf
It includes the Tibetan, phonetic Tibetan and English. The Tibetan version of this sadhana is usually sung to a specific melody. Here's an mp3 to the sadhana being sung:
http://s151421314.onlinehome.us/nbp/docs/MP3/48. Chenrezig with Lama Kathy.mp3
I'm Kagyu and I've been taught that you don't need any sort of transmission to do Tara or any other Kriya Yoga practice. Just get a sadhana and do the practice. I used to do a regular Green Tara practice with a Sakya lama and she'd allow anyone to attend practice.
The is a lung (reading transmission) one can receive that is said to increase the blessing associated with such practices and in some cases you can take an abhisheka for more advanced versions of the practice, but for the simpler Kriya Yogas no transmission, permission or "initiation" is required. Why do you suppose you can buy or download the sadhanas for these practice? if the were restricted, you wouldn't be allowed to see the text let alone use it.
You can download White Tara, Chenrezig, Medicine Buddha and others on Thrangu Rinpoche's Site and you can buy traditional versions in pecha format on a number of sites, including the Namse Bangdzo site. No permission needed. Get the sadhana and practice it.
http://www.dechenfoundation.org/activities.html
They have a section about required initiations in the text. They did have a monthly Green Tara practice, which was just for the initiated, but it looks like they are not offering that anymore. The members are super nice, but I was hoping to receive more instruction.
I have yet to find a Kagyu or Sakya group that teaches any form of kriyas. I am in Los Angeles and you'd think there should be many, but there aren't.
Thank you for the suggestion to download from Thrangu Rinpoche's and Namse Bangdzo's sites. I am definately going to check it out as it is time for me to adjust my sadhana practice.
It sounds like the Dechen folks are referring to the more advanced yogas when they talk about "initiation". Definitely. Try it and see how you like it. If you want, you can seek out a reading transmission for those practices, but it's really not necessary.
One reason I feel drawn to him is that he is the remover of obstacles and guardian of portals. Even now, I still like to keep statues of Ganesha but since becoming Buddhist I had been thinking that I should take these down and was relieved to learn that in some places Buddhism and Hinduism are mixed together.
Also, what would a Hindu think if they walked into the home of a Westerner and saw images of Ganesh on display (in a respectful manner). Would they think that person was crazy?
I hope that helps and doesn't offend anyone.