What does om mani padme hum mean and do buddhists chant it alot?
Good evening Leonie. The most commonly used mantra is OM MANI PADME HUM (pronounced HUNG in Tibetan) and, yes, it is chanted a lot. The most frequent explanation is the “literal” meaning of the mantra; “Behold the jewel in the lotus.” There are, however, more subtle aspects to the mantra. The six colors of the letters (traditionally white, green, yellow, blue, red, and deep blue or black) typically seen in depictions of the mantra represent the various realms of existence. His Holiness the Dalai Lama explains the meaning of this mantra as follows. “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. The first, Om is composed of three letters, A, U, and M. These symbolize the practitioner’s impure body, speech, and mind; they also symbolize the pure exalted body, speech, and mind of a Buddha. “Can impure body, speech, and mind be transformed into pure body, spee
