Six-Syllable Mantra

Six-Syllable Mantra (yi ge drug pa)

• The Six-syllable Mantra (Oṃ Mani Padme Hūṃ) is that of Avalokiteśvara, the bodhisattva of compassion. It is recited in order to generate compassion for and alleviate the sufferings of beings trapped within the six realms of cyclic existence. Each of the six syllables is associated with a distinct class of beings: ie. Oṃ alleviates the sufferings of the gods, Ma alleviates those of the antigods, Ni those of human beings, Pad those of animals, Me those of tormented spirits, and Hūṃ those of the hells. GD (from the Glossary to Tibetan Elemental Divination Paintings)