Mantras
Mantra
Kokūzō – Space Treasury
Kokūzō is regarded as one of the great Bodhisattvas of Japanese Esoteric Buddhism – Mikkyo. He is associated with the sky in Buddhist mythology, and he is known as the guardian of the purity of infinite space. His name can be translated as “Boundless Space Treasury” as his wisdom is said to be as boundless as space itself.
In the Womb World Mandala (Taizōkai), Kokūzō appears as the central deity in the Court of Space wearing a crown of five gems, with right hand holding a sword and left a lotus topped with a jewel. The sword represents the sharpness of insight that cuts through ignorance and duality.The jewel in the lotus represents the clarity of mind arising from the dark into the clear light of consciousness.
Kokūzō represents the great wisdom of the Buddha that exists throughout the entire universe. He has the virtue of enabling those who chant his mantra to obtain the illuminated wisdom of the Buddha. His mantra is sung here in Japanese:
Nôbô akyasha kyarabaya
On arikya mari
Bori sowaka
Hail to the great Space-bearer
Wearing a garland of flowers and a crown
Oh! Awakening
‘Bori sowaka’ is the Japanese pronunciation for the Sanskrit ‘Bodhi Swaha’.
Bodhi literally means awakening.
‘Swaha‘ is derived from the Sanskrit root words ‘Swah’ and ‘Aha’. ‘
‘Swah’ represents the heavens, while ‘Aha’ means to accept or receive. Therefore, ‘Swaha’ is an offering to the divine, an act of surrendering to the higher energies.
Mantra
Jizō – Heart of Gold
Mantra for Jizō
Om Ka Ka Ka Bi San Ma E Sowa Ka
Translation: O wondrous one! svāhā!
Sowaka’ is the Japanese pronunciation for the Sanskrit ‘Svaha’.
Svaha is derived from the Sanskrit root words ‘Svah’ and ‘Aha’.
an offering to the divine, an act of surrendering to the higher energies.
The Jizō mantra “Om Ka Ka Kabi San Ma E Sowa Ka” invokes Jizō’s presence and can help to dispel distressing thoughts or energy and offer well-being and protection.
Jizō is said to be profoundly optimistic, courageous, and gentle offering their presence to any place, situation, or being in need of help. Jizō offers support and protection for all beings, those that are well, those that are vulnerable, those in transition between life and death as well as those in the hell realms. Jizō is said to carry a light that banishes all fear.
The Jizō mantra is said to help practitioners heal their minds and hearts during times of grief and loss.
The archetypal qualities that Jizō embodies — fearlessness, protection, and fierce love — are the very same qualities we call forth in ourselves whenever we turn fully toward the complexity of our grief.
Some say that chanting the mantra while visualizing Jizō engaged in various activities can be particularly beneficial. For example, one might visualize Jizō leading rescuers to the injured, or soothing those who are troubled by trauma.
Jizō Bodhisattva encourages us to turn fearlessly toward what is difficult and painful, to staying open, to holding the complexity of it all.
Jizō is one of the most popular and beloved Bodhisattvas in Mahayana Buddhism. This is because his great vow to save all beings from suffering resonates with so many people. When we chant or sing his mantra we are reminded of our own potential to make a difference in the world and to help those who are suffering.
Mantra
Bhaisajyaguru – Medicine Buddha
Tayatha
Om Bekandze Bekandze
Maha Bekandze
Randza Samungate Soha
May the many sentient beings who are suffering be freed of all pain. May this suffering never arise again.
Medicine Buddha Vows
The Medicine Buddha is the name of a Bodhisattva: one who has pledged to remain with Earth until all beings are liberated.
- I vow that my body shall shine as beams of brilliant light on this world and that my teachings shall remove all ignorance.
- I vow that my body be like crystal, radiating rays of light to every corner and bringing wisdom to all beings. May all beings strengthen their spiritual power and physical energy to fulfill their dreams and purposes in life.
I vow that I shall grant through boundless wisdom all the things that beings require, and relieve them from pain and guilt resulting from materialistic desires. All shall be generously shared so that all live harmoniously together.
Mantra
Om Mani Padme Hum
Om Mani Padme Hum is the most popular Buddhist mantra. It is a tribute to the lotus flower’s beauty, and can be translated as “Praise to the Jewel in Heart of the Lotus”.
Some monks chant Om Mani Padme Hum for their entire lives. It is also commonly carved into rocks, painted on hillsides, or written on prayer flags and prayer wheels.
Om is a special sound and symbol relating to ultimate reality.
Mani means Jewel
Padme means Lotus
Hum is another special sound, for enlightenment and higher consciousness.
The lotus flower begins its journey as a seed in the cold mud at the dark bottom of the pond, and sends out shoots that rise through the water towards the surface, slowly emerging towards the light, opening out of the water in unblemished perfection. As such it is a symbol for our own journey from darkness to light
Om Mani Padme Hum is easy to say yet powerful, as it contains the essence of the Buddha’s teaching. Recitation of the mantra helps achieve perfection in the six practices of compassion, patience, courage, concentration, ethics and wisdom.
Compassion and understanding are born from suffering. Without mud you cannot have a lotus flower. The lotus is a poignant reminder that we can flourish in spite of, or maybe even because of, darkness and struggle. Just like the lotus, we too have the ability to rise from the mud, to bloom out of the darkness and radiate into the world.”
Thich Nhat Hanh – Vietnamese monk and Nobel Peace laureate
Mantra
Vasudevaya – Thousand Petals
It is known as a mukti (liberation) mantra, and a spiritual formula for attaining freedom.
It is also known as the Dvadasakshari Mantra, which means the “twelve-syllable” mantra.
The mantra is said to be a beacon of spiritual light and a path to discovering the vastness of the spirit and the universe
Chanting the Vasudevaya mantra is believed to help people realise their true nature, overcome negative tendencies, and develop devotional and love.
The new lyrics for this fresh setting of the mantra present imagery of Krishna and his Universal Divine Light interwoven with images of flowing water and blossoming lotus flowers – the one thousand Petals from which the album takes its name.
Om Namoh Bhagavate Vasudevaya
Translation:
Om, I bow to Lord Vāsudeva (Krishna)
Bowing to Vāsudeva symbolizes letting go of ego and embracing the universal soul, leading to spiritual enlightenment and inner peace.
The mantra originates from the ancient texts of the Puranas.
Mantra
Gayatri – Source of Love
Oṃ bhūr bhuvaḥ svaḥ
Tatsavitur vareṇyaṃ
Bhargo devasya dhīmahi
Dhiyo yo naḥ prachodayāt
General Translation:
We meditate on the Sun who illumines all realms – physical, mental and spiritual. The Creator who we adore, and whose divine light illuminates our awareness.
Word meaning:
Om: The primeval sound
Bhur: the physical realm
Bhuvah: the mental realm
Suvah: the spiritual realm
Tat: That (God);
Savitur: the Sun, source of all life
Vareñyam: adore
Bhargo: divine light
Devasya: supreme Creator
Dheemahi: meditate
Dhiyo: awareness
Yo: May this light
Nah: our
Prachodayāt: illuminate
The Gayatri Mantra is dedicated to Gayatri, the Vedic Sun Goddess.
The mantra is a prayer that asks the divine to clarify our consciousness and awaken it.
Gayatri Mantra was first recorded in the Rig Veda, which is one of the oldest texts in India and is thought to date back to around 1500 BCE.
Mantra
Oxum Tara – White Moon
Tara Mantra
Om Tare Tuttare Ture Soha
Translation: I prostrate to the Liberator, Mother of all the Victorious Ones.
The Bodhisattva Tara was born from the tears of Avalokiteshvara as he looked down on the sorrows of the world. Her name comes from the Sanskrit word Tāra and means literally: carrying across, a saviour, protector; a star, shining.
Her right hand is in the mudra of giving, and her left hand the mudra of fearlessness through going for refuge to the three jewels. Her left leg is tucked up in the meditation posture and her right leg is stepping down into the world. The left leg symbolises her meditation, while the right symbolises her compassionate activity in the world.
Tara is considered as the “Mother of all Buddhas”. She has many forms, This mantra is chanted or sing to salute all forms of Tara.
- Samayatara: Green Tara of compassion and protection
- Sitatara: White Tara of long life and serenity.
- Pravira: Tara Swift and Heroic
- Candrakanti: Tara White as Autumn Moon
- Kankavarna: Golden Colored Tara
- Vadipramardani: Black Tara Crushing Adversaries
- Humsvaranadini: Tara Proclaiming the Sound of HUM
- Sokavinodana: Tara Dispeller of Misery
- Jagadakarsana: Tara Summoner of Beings
- Mahasanti: Tara the Greatly Peaceful
- Sanganasani: Tara the Destroyer of Attachment
- Duhkadahana: Tara Burner of Suffering
- Sukhasiddhi: Tara, the Accomplisher of Bliss
Mantra
Heart Sutra Prajnaparamita
Gate, Gate, Paragate
Parasamgate
Bodhi Svaha!
“Gone, gone, gone beyond
Gone beyond the ripples of the further shore.”
The Heart Sutra is a Buddhist scripture that conveys the idea that reality is empty and impermanent. All forms, feelings, perceptions, sensations and happenings are described as arising and returning to emptiness, while the awareness of this truth can lead to wisdom and compassion.
The Heart Sutra is a distillation of the Prajnaparamita (“Perfection of Wisdom”) writings, which were first written down in the first Century AD.
It’s a very short text, which been hugely influential in Buddhist teachings, especially Zen Buddhism.
The teachings are expressed as the words of Avalokiteshvara – the Supreme Bodhisattva – who is the embodiment of loving kindness and compassion.
Towards the end of the of the Heart Sutra, Avolekitshevara says:
“The Insight that Brings Us to the Other Shore is a Great Mantra, the most illuminating mantra, the highest mantra, a mantra beyond compare, the True Wisdom that has the power to put an end to all kinds of suffering. Therefore let us proclaim a mantra to praise the Insight that Brings Us to the Other Shore.Gate, Gate, Paragate, Parasamgate, Bodhi Svaha!”
This is where the mantra in the song comes from.
Mantra
Temple Shakuhachi Mantra
Tayatha
Om Bekandze Bekandze
Maha Bekandze
Randza Samungate Soha
May the many sentient beings who are suffering be freed of all pain. May this suffering never arise again.
This mantra is said to help with healing, protect from disease, and help people attain enlightenment. It is also believed to be particularly powerful for those who are sick, whether in body, mind or spirit.
The Medicine Buddha is known as Bhaisajyaguru, Master of Healing, Supreme Physician. He is described as a doctor who cures suffering using the medicine of his teachings.
The word “bekandze” means “the elimination of suffering” and is repeated three times for the removal of suffering on the physical, emotional and spiritual levels. The three repetitions can also be viewed as eliminating the three poisons of ignorance, hatred, and attachment.
Medicine Buddha Vows
The Medicine Buddha is the name of a Bodhisattva: one who has pledged to remain with Earth until all beings are liberated.
- I vow that my body shall shine as beams of brilliant light on this world and that my teachings shall remove all ignorance.
- I vow that my body be like crystal, radiating rays of light to every corner and bringing wisdom to all beings. May all beings strengthen their spiritual power and physical energy to fulfill their dreams and purposes in life.
- I vow that I shall grant through boundless wisdom all the things that beings require, and relieve them from pain and guilt resulting from materialistic desires. All shall be generously shared so that all live harmoniously together.