Om Mani Padme Hum

Most of us know the hymn “Om Mani Padme Hum” (Sanskrit: ॐ मणि पद्मे हूँ, Tibetan: ཨོཾ་མཎི་པདྨེ་ཧཱུྃ) and also its direct translation. But what does it mean? Not all of us can answer this question. In this article, I am trying to explain the meaning of this beautiful hymn as per my own understanding. As the words in this hymn is created using Sanskrit language, I have been able to understand a fraction about its real meaning (since being in a habit of learning Sanskrit hymns). And I am sharing it to you through the help of this blog. The explanation given here is not found anywhere else.

Om Mani Padme Hum

"Om Mani Padme Hum" is the most significant hymn in Buddhism that is meant to make us realize our true nature, i.e. we are the eternal, pure and divine Soul being enveloped by a physical body full of desires, impurities, bondage, anger and illusions. This illiteracy and attachment is what causes the soul to bind with the body and be the subject of rebirth in this mortal world. If this illiteracy could be removed through the understanding of the nature of Soul, we at once get liberation or enlightenment, and we never have to born in this world again or be the victim of birth, disease, old age and death.

Translation of the hymn:

Om: Remembrance of the sacred syllable (or the primeval sound by which the Universe has been created)
Mani: Jewel, signifying beauty (or individual Consciousness)
Padme: Padma or Lotus, signifying One Supreme (or Cosmic Consciousness)
Hum: I am

Meaning:

I am a Jewel in the Lotus.
or, I am the art of the Supreme.
or, I am a part of the Cosmos.
or, in other words, I am a wave in the Ocean (where Ocean represents the One Truth).

As a jewel, placed in the middle of the fully bloomed lotus, increases the beauty of itself-attractive lotus, so do us (individual soul) provides beauty to the pre-beautiful Cosmos (or Pure Energy, or Godhood). We are beautiful, as we are the art of the Supreme God. We are pure, as we are a part of the Cosmos (or Supreme God).

But that true nature of ours has been enveloped by a body which is full of desires and impurities, although the body itself has come from the Supreme as nothing in the Universe is distinct from Him. If we could direct our mind on realizing that beauty, which is present inside us in the form of a Soul, through dispassion and one-pointedness, then we are able to realize our true nature which the wise call "enlightenment". Enlightenment is gaining nothing new, but realizing what we already possess. Learning and realizing are different terms.

If we imagine this concept in the form of ocean, then we are a single drop (of water) of the wave at a particular time. A ocean is peaceful and beautiful by itself, but the wave arising from it as well as water droplets flying in the air provides even more attractiveness to the scene of the ocean. A wave is just a temporary state (having some shape) as it has emerged from the same ocean, and it will again merge into the same ocean (and be a indistinguishable part of it). Our Soul is of the same nature. We have come from the Supreme (for certain period), have appeared to be different from Him (in our perception), and we will again merge into the Supreme when the time comes. Our life (life with physical body) is only a temporary state just like the wave; nonexistent, but appears to exist at certain point in time.

We can also imagine this concept in the form of vessel filled with pure water. Our soul is the pure water whereas the vessel having different shape, material and color is the body. The vessel is only a means (tool) in order to hold (or rest) the water; it is not that values the most. It can be broken, repainted or recycled. It is not permanent, and it doesn’t quench the thirst. The thing that matters is water inside it. The Soul is even more than just the water. It’s even purer than the purest water. Water can be diluted or chemically transformed into another form. But nothing can be done to the Soul. It is ever constant, pure, eternal and indestructible. It is not in our control.

A popular Sanskrit hymn declares:

.नैनं छिन्दन्ति शस्त्राणि नैनं दहति पावकः । न चैनं क्लेदयन्त्यापो न शोषयति मारुतः ॥
A Soul can’t be cut by weapons, nor burnt by fire, neither wet by water, nor dried by air.

A Soul can’t be seen or explained. What we see among each other is the body - the tool that holds the Soul for certain period, just like the vessel that is meant to hold the water for certain period. The beauty we see on ourselves is just the body - the material by which the vessel is created. The color by which we discriminate each other is just the body - the color by which the vessel is painted. The shape we see on each other is just the body - the shape which is given to the vessel to make it look attractive. The deformity that happens to us is just the body - the crack that occurs in the vessel. The impurities or diseases that degrades our mind or health is just the body - the vessel whose surface is covered by algae and rust. And the death that occurs to us is just the body - the vessel which can’t hold water anymore and needs to be replaced. No matter how attractive the vessel is, no matter how strong it is, it has to be destroyed one day, and the water needs to be poured into another vessel. Similarly, however beautiful our body looks, or however strong it is, it has to end one day. The remaining Soul, now, has to move into another life (body) depending upon the Karma made by its previous body. The body is only an illusion to bind us in this world. But it doesn’t mean that it has got zero significance.

A Soul cannot liberate or free itself from the bondage of Karma. And the body is only an illusion. One may think why the Supreme put this pure Soul into a body full of impurities and desires! The reason is, it is only through a body that a soul (consciousness, in this case) gets chance to balance its Karma, and it is only through human birth can one be able to free the Soul from bondage (bondage of action and reaction). A Soul may be constant, but a body (and consciousness) is meant to change. A body is like a medium to fulfil Soul's destiny. Only the human mind is capable of realizing the Soul inside it (which is the Only True Destiny of human life). And it can only be achieved through years of right association and right knowledge. Because it is only through right association can one develop the feeling of dispassion and detachment to the material things and conquer his desire and the senses, thus finding himself in the state of Supreme Bliss, and it is only through that state where he can realize Brahman (Oneness with the Supreme).

By the recitation of the above hymn, we flow specific vibrations in our mind and the body. We all know that sound is a form of energy, and energy is a form of vibration of atoms. So, the vibration that is produced through this particular syllable will have some effect in the cosmos. Words have power on them. Therefore, it is always advised by the wise to speak only what is true and pleasant to hear. What we give to the nature is what will return to us. By continuous repetition of this hymn through pure heart and one-pointedness of mind, we are flowing vibrations into the cosmos - the vibration of sacred words containing sacred meanings (because Mantra or hymn is not like a phrase; it contains deeper meanings than we can imagine) where we repeat the positive affirmations describing our divinity, as we are not distinct from Him (God) but a part of Him. These positive vibrations arising from the beautiful holy words will spread out into the cosmos, and bring to us the result of what we have spoken, or thought of. As this keeps on continuing, we start losing our attachment towards worldly objects, and start enjoying within. We will begin to understand our true nature (i.e. we are the ever pure blissful Soul, but not the collection of bones and muscles). We will start identifying ourselves as the Soul, and not as the body knowing that it is not the truth but illusion (just like a dream which appears to be real until we wake up). Slowly, we start knowing ourselves deeper and deeper, and when the time comes, we will understand everything like in the time of a flash - that knowledge which we eternally knew, but have forgotten (for a while) due to the veil of illusion because of the birth in this physical world and in a physical body. This state of mind is called enlightenment. Once the mind is purified by this knowledge (through direct perception), all the bondage and evil effects of past Karma are reduced to zero, and the body and the senses no more gets attached with the material things and material pleasures, but gets constantly absorbed (satisfied) in the Self. The purified Soul (consciousness) of such person, after the death of the body, merges with the One Supreme and doesn't partake again in rebirth (i.e. doesn't enter the womb again) to enjoy or suffer the reaction of its past Karma. This is the highest goal (success) that can be achieved in human life. Worldly success is only a temporary success which ends once the body ends.

Important teaching in Buddhism:

"As you sow, so you reap"
Therefore, if you sow good, good will come to you; if you sow bad, bad will come to you.

Composed On: February 13, 2019