【Description】
The Six-Syllable Mantra is the symbol of Guanyin Bodhisattva’s compassion and her vow to seek out all cries of distress. It contains powerful energy, wisdom and dharma power from the Universe. How should the mantra be chanted so that a quick connection with Guanyin Bodhisattva can be formed, that we may quickly obtain health, mental purity, dharma power and the powerful energy contained in the syllables?
In this teaching, Grandmaster JinBodhi reveals what you should know about chanting the mantra, from sitting position to chanting voice, mentality and visualization. Chant and thereby illuminate yourself and the world with compassion. Through this mantra, bless all sentient beings with health, joy, beauty, kindness and happiness.
【Content】
We chant The Six-Syllable Mantra to connect with Guanyin Bodhisattva. The mantra represents illumination, compassion, energy, merit, virtue and dharma power.
Let us chant the Divine Six-Syllable Mantra. Resonate with that state of compassion. Resonate with the energy of illumination. Receive the blessings of health, purity and dharma power quickly. Transform the world into one that is illuminated and wonderful. May all sentient beings be blessed with health and happiness.
Let’s learn how to chant The Six-Syllable Mantra today. Do you know the 6 syllables? (Yes.) Let’s chant it then. They are Om Ma Ni Pad Me Hum. Chanting The Six-Syllable Mantra’s true intent is to commune with Guanyin Bodhisattva. We will feel its powerful effect if we chant it correctly.
A few days ago, I woke up to the coldest morning ever. I started chanting to see its effect. I wasn’t chanting for the sake of experimenting. I just thought I would chant it for my morning practice. I wasn’t wearing much to keep myself warm. After 10 minutes of chanting, I felt like I was inside a giant ring of fire. The circle of fire was larger than a house. I felt tremendous energy. I was bathed in sweat even though I wasn’t dressed for the cold. This mantra gives a powerful blessing.
Thus, chanting The Six-Syllable Mantra can connect us with Guanyin Bodhisattva quickly. This is the true significance of this mantra. This mantra represents illumination, compassion, energy, merit, virtue and dharma power. This energy will naturally fight off the bad, such as sickness, evil energy, etc. So, it is a great mantra. We can feel its strong power when we are chanting.
We chant at a low pitch, like the heavy bass of a sound system.
Sometimes, the ground shakes when music plays. Bass soundwaves are powerful and transmit farther. By chanting the mantra, we quickly gain health, purity, dharma power and energy. Chanting the mantra also benefits the world greatly. So, use your lowest-pitched voice. You will feel it when we chant later. The resonance of our lowest, deepest voices enables our cells to vibrate along, so that our cells are illuminated, compassionate and filled with energy. When we chant in a sincere, relaxed and reverent manner, we first benefit ourselves, then the world and all around us.
So, I hope your heart and mind reaches that state in which the body resonates with the chanting. Then you will get energy, illumination, purity, dharma power, etc. We will also visualize the mantra traveling on low soundwaves to reach every corner of the world, transforming the world into one that is illuminated and wonderful. May all sentient beings be blessed with health and happiness. It may even reach outer space.
Some may think all this has nothing to do with them and they don’t want to visualize. I want to remind you that it is better if you do. When you give generously to the world, you will discover that your compassionate and greatly illuminated heart has arisen. You become more charming. You quickly recover your health. You will become more magnetic. People who love the world gain stronger appeal. You will have better relationships and a stronger magnetic pull. Being kind to the world is equivalent to being kind to yourself. Don’t resist this teaching.
As students of mine, why do some benefit less than others? Selfishness. As a student of Bodhi Meditation, you need to learn to be unselfish. Be compassionate and tolerant. Wish the world and your friends well, along with yourself. You should have such a compassionate and tolerant heart. Any related questions?
(First, I am so glad you are here. Thank you so much for coming, Master. During the practice, I started crying. I was awestruck. So, it was from a sense of reverence. It feels like when I try to overcome crying, to continue chanting, I lose the connection with the awe. So, I am a little confused. So the question becomes: chanting or crying?)
It is up to you to choose. Good question. Everyone will react as you did once they truly understand that realm. Each of us thinks of selfish things. Everyone thinks, “Gimme, gimme, gimme.” We chant this mantra to resonate with the All-Compassionate Guanyin. We want to feel what she feels and have the same compassionate wish. It is normal to be moved by this state. So, should you cry or continue chanting? You can do both, chant and cry at the same time. Feeling moved by that realm is the most important. The worst is feeling nothing at all. Then, you don’t benefit much from chanting. Chanting for an hour may only give you one minute of benefit. The more sincere you are, the stronger your connection with Guanyin.
Many don’t understand Guanyin Bodhisattva for a variety of reasons. Let me introduce Guanyin Bodhisattva. In Chinese, her name is meaningful. Her full name is “Guan-shi Yin.” Guan means “observing.” Shi means “world or world’s sentient beings.” Yin means “sounds.” The “sounds” refer to the cries for help of the human world. When you are in trouble, helpless and stuck, your heart calls out for help. Those are the sounds Guanyin Bodhisattva seeks and responds to by giving help. So, her name involves observing and listening.
Sutras state that Guanyin Bodhisattva searches out suffering and cries of suffering and offers help. So, Guanyin is also called “Guan-shi Yin Bodhisattva, the Savior, who Listens to the Cries of the World”. She seeks out cries of suffering to help you. The Chinese are very familiar with Guanyin Bodhisattva. Guanyin Bodhisattva is regarded as part of religious belief.
Guanyin Bodhisattva transcends religious belief to be the spirit of compassion. When we use compassion to look upon and listen to all in the world, we become broadminded and bighearted. We will then love the world, all sentient beings and all existence. With such compassion, we will wish joy, health and wealth for all sentient beings in the world. Then, we will slowly transform from annoying to nearly perfect, and from being cold and greedy to compassionate, gentle and all-loving. It can totally transform a person. We are often moved by our personal transformation. It is a transformation of our mental world.
Ordinary people love only themselves. Because you love yourself too much, you hurt others. When your love for the world grows, you give more and more and your selfish love decreases. The compassionate, all-loving me becomes grand. Compassionate mothers are not arrogant toward their babies. They won’t say, “I won’t feed you unless you stop crying.” The baby would starve in 3 days. If you see a mother like that, you would think she must be crazy. Right? Even fierce animals such as tigers and lions care for their cubs.
We can learn to have a compassionate heart. Learning compassion transforms a selfish person into an all-loving one, and a taker into a giver. That is a huge transformation. However, don’t blindly give away everything you have. You still need to survive. I don’t teach people to be extremists. Learn the concept of giving first. That is already a great start. The first thing you give can be a smile or a compliment. For a selfish person, giving signifies a turning point or spiritual elevation. Giving a beggar $10 will begin to transform your character completely. Your compassion will naturally arise. This transformation will trigger changes in your body, mind and spirit. Then, everything is aligned.
When chanting, visualize light rising from within your body. From below your butt, like light from a giant bulb, it slowly grows brighter. It is not a ray of light, but more like a ball of light rising slowly. Every corner of your entire body is illuminated. Slowly, the light reaches toward every corner of the world. The whole world is illuminated, representing illumination, beauty, kindness and happiness. Because of your compassionate visualization, the world slowly grows brighter.
You have all seen the world in darkness. Right? Be like the sun, shining light upon a dark world to brighten it up instantly. Everyone becomes happy and joyful. It will be meaningful to visualize a wonderful world akin to a paradise. It is a special self-cultivation method. In this happy visualization, the world becomes wonderful. Thus, we also feel wonderful.
Whether you believe in Guanyin Bodhisattva or not, when chanting, just visualize yourself and the world becoming illuminated. We will already have benefited greatly. You will face obstacles when you think dogmatically of Guanyin. Even Buddhists may face obstacles, as they can’t relate their visualized light with Guanyin. We don’t need to argue about this. It is enough to visualize as I have taught.
Usually, you chant along with my recording. But when you feel like you no longer want to chant, just relax and listen. As long as you are still in that state, it is OK. You can chant loudly or softly or even take a break when you are out of breath. It is all OK. As long as you stay in that compassionate state, it will be just as effective. Just feel that state of bliss.
Adjust your sitting position so that you’re comfortable. We are not strict on sitting position. Based on my experience, don’t lie down while chanting. Some lazy people, who are not sick, lie down to chant and wake up the next day. He had also snuggled into bed. “How much benefit do I get like this?” he asked. “Maybe 1%,” I said. Why? He chanted for 5 minutes, then fell asleep, waking up the next day. He used chanting as a lullaby to fall asleep. You benefit the most when you sit cross-legged. You benefit 10,000 times more when practicing in a sitting position versus lying down. Given the same practice time, sitting cross-legged benefits you more.
Buddha’s seated meditation position is like a pyramid. It is like an equilateral triangle. This position establishes the strongest resonance with the world. Sit. Don’t kneel. Basic cross-legged sitting is good enough. I am not strict about sitting. You can use a flat or slightly slanted cushion. Either is fine. Just make sure you don’t tip over backward when practicing at home. Sit. Relax your whole body. Be at ease. Be pure and calm.
It is best to also feel reverent. Reverence toward the All-Compassionate Guanyin Bodhisattva and your dharma master. Yes, you must have reverence in your heart. Regardless of human rights or nationality, if you are not respectful, you won’t gain much as your body is rigid. Being reverent helps you attain deeper relaxation and a free-flowing state.
Now, be pure, serene and reverent. Palms together. I am grateful to the All-Compassionate Guanyin Bodhisattva for the chance to learn the treasured Six-Syllable Mantra.