Om Mani Padme Hum mantra practice

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Arupajhana7
Posts: 65
Joined: Fri Aug 24, 2018 1:31 pm

Om Mani Padme Hum mantra practice

Post by Arupajhana7 »

Hello folks. I am wondering what ways of practicing with the Om Mani Padme Hum mantra you find to be most helpful.

I have so far learned of 3 different ways of practicing with it.

1. The Dalai Lama has a several page explanation of a very elaborate contempletion one can do while reciting the mantra that covers every major point of the Mahayana teachings

2. I was taught a simple contemplation once of just contemplating the suffering of others while I say the mantra and

3. Once I asked a Rinpoche from the Nyingma tradition about how to practice with the mantra and he said rather than contemplating that I could try to just "feel" compassion through the sound of the mantra.

All of these practices are quite different for the same mantra!

So I am wondering how other people practice with it and what you find useful. Usually I start off with something like #2 and drop the contemplation if I start to feel compassion. If my mind wanders to other Dharmic topics I will just allow that.

Sometimes I just recite it and don't try to do anything mentally at all though I am not sure if that approach is ok. Sometimes I do this while driving to and from work.
jet.urgyen
Posts: 2755
Joined: Sun Jan 01, 2017 12:29 am

Re: Om Mani Padme Hum mantra practice

Post by jet.urgyen »

Arupajhana7 wrote: Tue Jan 08, 2019 1:32 pm Hello folks. I am wondering what ways of practicing with the Om Mani Padme Hum mantra you find to be most helpful.

I have so far learned of 3 different ways of practicing with it.

1. The Dalai Lama has a several page explanation of a very elaborate contempletion one can do while reciting the mantra that covers every major point of the Mahayana teachings

2. I was taught a simple contemplation once of just contemplating the suffering of others while I say the mantra and

3. Once I asked a Rinpoche from the Nyingma tradition about how to practice with the mantra and he said rather than contemplating that I could try to just "feel" compassion through the sound of the mantra.

All of these practices are quite different for the same mantra!

So I am wondering how other people practice with it and what you find useful. Usually I start off with something like #2 and drop the contemplation if I start to feel compassion. If my mind wanders to other Dharmic topics I will just allow that.

Sometimes I just recite it and don't try to do anything mentally at all though I am not sure if that approach is ok. Sometimes I do this while driving to and from work.
That depends on the source of the mantra.

Imo, If you can handle your imagination/mind and have emptiness concrete experience, maybe you would want to look out for initiation and instructions on an Avalokiteshvara's method. Then you must study a bit and apply according.

Btw, there are different Avalokite methods, from the most simple to the most fantastic. And they are all perfect.
true dharma is inexpressible.

The bodhisattva nourishes from bodhicitta, through whatever method the Buddha has given him. Oh joy.
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lelopa
Posts: 909
Joined: Sat Feb 04, 2012 5:03 pm

Re: Om Mani Padme Hum mantra practice

Post by lelopa »

Arupajhana7 wrote: Tue Jan 08, 2019 1:32 pm Hello folks. I am wondering what ways of practicing with the Om Mani Padme Hum mantra you find to be most helpful.

I have so far learned of 3 different ways of practicing with it.

1. The Dalai Lama has a several page explanation of a very elaborate contempletion one can do while reciting the mantra that covers every major point of the Mahayana teachings

2. I was taught a simple contemplation once of just contemplating the suffering of others while I say the mantra and

3. Once I asked a Rinpoche from the Nyingma tradition about how to practice with the mantra and he said rather than contemplating that I could try to just "feel" compassion through the sound of the mantra.

All of these practices are quite different for the same mantra!

So I am wondering how other people practice with it and what you find useful. Usually I start off with something like #2 and drop the contemplation if I start to feel compassion. If my mind wanders to other Dharmic topics I will just allow that.

Sometimes I just recite it and don't try to do anything mentally at all though I am not sure if that approach is ok. Sometimes I do this while driving to and from work.

I would use 2. as kind of preliminaries a while - later 3.!

1. only if I'm interested in elaborate Sessions and have enough time to do that
Lost In Transmission
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