What is a Mantra?
Compilation of Definitions of mantra from the Web

A sacred syllable or sequence of syllables (sometimes a name, a word, or a phrase) that is used in meditation (as in dhyana yoga), usually assigned by one's guru, and believed to tune one into the divine ground of existence. One of the most well known is the sacred sound Om (or Aum).
www.aar-site.org/syllabus/syllabi/c/cannon/r201glos.htm

A syllable, word or verse which has been revealed to a seer in meditation, embodiment in sound of a deity; spell or incantation.
www.sinc.sunysb.edu/Clubs/buddhism/glossary.html

Sacred words or sounds used as an object of meditation. In Hinduism and esoteric Buddhism, they are said to have transformative powers that aid the meditator.
www.yogajournal.com/meditation/142_1.cfm

A sacred syllable or series of syllables which manifests certain cosmic forces and aspects. Recitation of mantras is a form of meditative practice in many schools of Buddhism.
www.konchogrinchen.com/Glossery.htm

A word or phrase that is to be chanted repetitively in an effort to empty the mind and attain "cosmic con-sciousness" (oneness with God and the universe).
logosresourcepages.org/na-dict.html

A series of syllables, considered sacred (and sometimes magical), used in meditation and rituals.
www.well.com/user/jct/sageglo.htm

spiritual or sacred syllables or sounds which contain in their essence divine cosmic power
hinduism.about.com/library/weekly/extra/bl-glossary-m.htm

(Skt) Sacred word or formula repeated often of only one or two syllables, used in certain Buddhist rituals.
www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/history/glossary_lr.htm

sacred syllable, name or mystic formula; the intuitive and inspired rhythmic utterance; any of the verses of the Veda, revealed verses of power not of an ordinary but of a divine inspiration and source.
www.miraura.org/lit/skgl/skgl-13.html

sacred word or phrase used in Hindu and Buddhist prayer or meditation; repetition of the mantra is believed to have the power to cause the mystic principle being evoked by the word into existence
www.northern.edu/hastingw/indiaglos.html

Sacred words or sounds invested with the power to transform and protect the one who repeats them; God in the form of sound. Mantras are the condensed essence of the reality from which they spring. Power in the form of sound.
www.hardlight.org/articles/glossary.html

The divine name; a potent vibration that resonates with the universal Truth and can reveal the same to those who meditate on it constantly. See the mantra page for more details.
www.agasthiar.org/glossary.htm

Sacred word by which a spiritual teacher initiates his disciple; Vedic Hymn; sacred word in general.
www.vedanta-newyork.org/glos.htm

sacred words or sounds invested with the power to transform and protect the one who repeats them; God in the form of sound.
www.symca.org/glossary.htm

Literally, 'mind protection'. Mantra protects the mind from ordinary appearances and conceptions. See Guide to Dakini Land and Tantric Grounds and Paths.
www.vajralama.org/glossary.htm

A word or phrase which when repeated activates certain spiritual powers or states of consciousness, and is used in conjuction with meditation. An empowerment is required to make it effective.
www.monasticreiki.info/glossary.htm

Repetition of a letter, word or group of words. Chanting a mantra differs from chanting (repeating) The Lord's Name (Namjapa). When chanting a mantra, rituals, rules and regulations, initiation from a Guru, correct pronunciation, need to keep a count, importance of time and place, and possibility of harm due to incorrect pronunciation are present. In contrast, chanting The Lord's Name can be done anywhere and anytime, with no restrictions.
www.sanatan.org/en/glossary/m.htm

(Skt.; = Tib. ngak). Ritual formula used in Vajrayana practice (see SADHANA) to evoke a particular deity.
pages.cthome.net/tibetanbuddhism/glossary.htm

Sometimes translated as a chant, it is the repeating of phrases or words to help one concentrate and achieve focus.
www.siamese-dream.com/reference/buddhist_glossary.html

Holy Sanskrit text; also (with capital M) one of the two main sections of the Vedas, which describes the hymns used in the sacrifices.
sanatan.intnet.mu/upanishads/glossary.htm

A short scripture, similar to a dharani, which is chanted to aid concentration, or to express the essence of a sutra.
www.maximumbliss.com/zen%20dictionary.asp

A spell, a word or phrase that is to be chanted repetitively in an effort to attain mental peace, empty the mind and raise one's consciousness toward the Self or God; often called "names of God." Mantra is a sound or set of sounds which are believed to have the unique power to restore us to a state of pristine harmony. Mantra Yoga is traditionally regarded as a complete and perfect yoga path.
www.aznewage.com/dictionary%20m-n.htm

A mantra is a word that is supposed to contain mystical capabilities. In my art, I often use a set of repeated words, which are usually isolated from the rest of the imagery. The words are meant to add another level of commentary to the feelings and situations that lead me to do the drawing in the first place.
www.fliar.com/dictionary/dictionary_m.htm

The Sanskrit word is Dharani, i.e. esoteric incantation. It is a treatise with mystical meaning, and is regarded as every word and deed of a Bodhisattva. It is one of the most popular method of cultivation in Buddhism, especially in Shingon or "True Word" sect.
www.buddhistdoor.com/passissue/9604/sources/glossary.htm

power-laden syllable or series of syllables that manifest certain cosmic forces or aspects of a buddha.
www.io.com/~snewton/zen/zen-term.html

a commonly repeated word or phrase; "she repeated `So pleased with how its going' at intervals like a mantra"

www.cogsci.princeton.edu/cgi-bin/webwn

(Sanskrit) literally a `sacred utterance' in Vedism; one of a collection of orally transmitted poetic hymns
www.cogsci.princeton.edu/cgi-bin/webwn

What is a mantra?

A Buddhist Perspective

A mantra is a powerful word or phrase that may or may not have meaning in the same way as a sentence. Compare spells, incantations and prayer formulas in other spiritual traditions.

The Indian metaphysical tradition explains that the body is composed of the combination of five elements (Skt. pancha mahabhuta). They are: ether, air, fire, water and earth. These contribute to the tanmatras or subtle properties: shabda (sound), sparsha (touch), rupa (form or seeing), rasa (taste), and gandha (smell). Notice that the first one is sound.

Mantra is a characteristic element of the complex of religions known today as Hinduism (Sanatana Dharma,) which uses Sanskrit as its holy language. Buddhism emerged from the Hindu context, and mantra is a characteristic, even an essential, part of it, too. The word comes from the Sanskrit mantram (from two roots meaning protection and mind.)

It is powerful, efficacious and deserving of respect. "A mantra is like meeting the Buddha or Bodhisattva himself." ~ Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche

Some may think that the practice of recitation of mantras was not an aspect of the dharma system that Buddha Shakyamuni taught, since it is rarely mentioned in the Sutras. Others may consider that the Heart Sutra mantra -- OM, Gate, gate, paragate, parasumgate, bodhi, Swaha -- is sufficient proof, but that condensed essence of the Prajanaparamita teaching is judged to be quite a late adjunct by scholars of historical Buddhism.

When the Young Panthaka (in Patisambhida) had difficulty memorizing even a short verse -- and there we see that the pronouncing of words was an essential teaching method -- the Buddha's personal instruction to him was to sweep or to launder while continuously reciting the phrase, "Dirt be gone!"

It is also written that, for the protection of those who were forest hermits or who lived in isolated places, the Buddha taught the use of protective dharanis or charms. Thus we find that in iconography, mantra is symbolized not only by the mala (beads) that a deity or bodhisattva may be holding, but also by small fence-like designs that appear as decorative elements.

In the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, or any Vajrayana lineage -- indeed, in the Mahayana generally, there is the conviction that the sutras and especially the Pali canon only provide part of the information that we have concerning the methods taught by the Buddha.

The Paramadibuddha, the basic Kalachakra Tantra, says of Buddha Shakyamuni that "He showed the way of actualizing highest perfect enlightenment underneath the bodhi tree at Bodh Gaya in India, at early dawn on the full moon of April/May."

Then, "For one year he taught the general Paramitayana. In particular, at Mount Vulture Heap he turned the Dharma Wheel of the Perfection of Wisdom, the chief, ultimate Dharma Wheel of the Paramita system of the Mahayana." And,

"On the full moon of March/April, the twelfth month counted from the time he obtained buddhahood, the Buddha was teaching the Paramitayana at Mount Vulture Heap."

While there on Vulture Peak, as the Teacher demonstrated the dharma, teaching the Mahayana according to the Perfection of Wisdom system, "At the same time he manifested another form inside the great stupa near Shri Parvata called Shri Dhanyakataka, in South India where he taught the Mantrayana."

There ... "in the mandala of the sphere of phenomena. He dwelt in the house of universal vajra, in space, immaterial and very lucid, un-partitioned and radiant. He taught the tantra in the beautiful sphere of phenomena, for the merit and wisdom of human beings."

Therefore we know that, though mantra may originate in ancient Indian cultural tradition, it forms a genuine part of the Buddhist tradition.
A.M. Butters: Mantra in Buddhism at Columbia U., 1992.

Seed Syllable

A mantra is made up of one or more syllables, and almost any syllable can be used as a mantra. However, the most usual mantras are associated with a particular deity and appear as part of the ritual of worship of that deity -- a formula of praise/ invocation.

Certain individual sounds known as bijas, referred to as 'seed-syllables,' are thought to contain the essence of a mantra and, by association, the essence of the deity. For example, the Sanskrit (or the Tibetan) letter A (see red image below) is considered to stand for the essence of the Prajnaparamita (Heart Sutra) formula.

In the higher yoga tantras, the seed syllable plays an important role in the profound meditative process known as "taking the three kayas as a path," which is a technique to transform death, bardo and rebirth. Out of Space, we visualize the deity's seed syllable, the Samboghakaya (Enjoyment Body) understood as the mind of a Buddha, and this purifies the bardo state. The seed grows into the Nirmanakaya form of the deity, the actual manifestation which is understood to purify rebirth.

This ancient technique that uses the emergent and growing bija is a brilliant invention -- a multi-layered process in which the visual sign of a sound creates a kind of sensory synthesis. As it grows and transforms, we have an actual example of creation as in a "Word made Flesh" (New Testament, 'Gospel of John.') However, this ability is not to be thought of as the exclusive activity of omnipotent beings.

As we participate in this process of symbolizing symbols in which we draw out of Emptiness a name or label which then is made to grow into a form or object, in this case the actual form of a buddha, we are in immediate touch not only with the deity but with our own nature. We experience in an objective fashion, the basis and process by which all phenomena, including buddhas, arise.

Here is a link to the Kalachakra emblem which consists primarily of the interlinked 10 letters that comprise the bija.

Related to mantra is dharani [Skt. hold as one, or concentrate] so a dharani is an incantation acting as a charm. [ link is to the Great Dharani, a late Mahayana Buddhist scripture describing the virtues of devotion to Avalokiteshvara.}

OM
The most famous mantra, a bhija that also functions as a dharani is Om or more accurately, Aum. Hindu explanation sometimes relates its 3 letters to Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. The three letters and their sounds are also believed to operate on the chakras or energy centers of the body.

The Hindu scripture, the Mandukya Upanishad, calls OM " ... this imperishable Word. OM is the universe, and this is the manifestation OM. The past, present and the future, all that was, all that is, all that will be is OM. Likewise all else that may exist beyond the bounds of time, that, too, is OM."

Also, the letters can be considered to stand for states of consciousness, such as A= alert, U = dreaming, M= asleep, and the throat's stop just before the "a," and the silence after the humming is gone, stand for Emptiness, or in a different system, the Absolute.

The 18 volumes of Indian myth in verse called the Puranas say that Aum or as we more usually write it, Om was the sound of the act of Creation, itself -- the grunt of The Mother giving birth.

And in fact, for Tibetan Buddhists, it is the sound that embodies the source of all manifestations of enlightening activity; that is, the Dharmakaya.

Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche (KTD) explains that the sound, Om, is not as unconditioned as is the sound of Ah.

AH is often marked on the backs of tangkas and bronze images.

Mantrayana

In Buddhism, the saying of mantras is considered in itself a complete way to enlightenment. For an individual to "accomplish the practice" of any deity means to have said 100 000 repetitions of each syllable of the deity's mantra. Therefore, in the case of Chenresik, 600 000 is the requirement (Ven. Bardor Tulku. A Teaching on the Tashi Prayer.)

The mounting total of mantras that are chanted, muttered and murmured is reckoned by means of the mala [Tibetan tenwa,] or string of prayer beads.

The bodhisattva of compassion, Avalokiteshvara who is called in Tibetan, Chenresi [often spelled Chenresig or Chenresik] is said to have given a special mantra to Nagarjuna who left it to Lion-face Dakini to transmit to Padmasambhava whose activity confirmed Buddhism as the predominant religion in Tibet.

This is the 'Six Syllable - ' or the 'Mani Mantra' Om Mani Padme Hum.

In Tibetan: pron. Om Mahni Peh-meh HoonG

It can be found painted, carved and inscribed on every type of surface. In fact, in that mountainous part of the world one of the only uses found for the marvelous machine that is the wheel is to spin out the mantra by means of a hand-held device -- the prayer wheel. Thus we can see that to many people mantras do not even have to be sounded to be effective; their power may reside in their written form, even if the writing is not displayed.

Thin cotton small flags and also large banners that are activated by the wind, also are believed capable of sending out mantras and prayers.

Each one of the 6 syllables is directed at one of the six realms of existence. Saying the mantra is like praying for and helping individuals in all possible situations. When you say this mantra, you are behaving as a bodhisattva, with the mindful intention of working towards the enlightenment of all sentient beings, without exception.

Each syllable is considered to purify a specific human failing or "obscuration"

"It was not long after Godan [heir to Genghis Khan] was initiated into Mantrayana that a change was noted in Mongolian policy. For example, Tibetan histories report that Godan ceased the practice of throwing Chinese into rivers en masse (for purposes of ‘population control’) in response to [the] Sakya Pandita’s teachings on Buddhist ethics."

~ Albion Butters in Mongolian-Tibetan Relations

Origin of the 6-syllable Mantra

Once, when Buddha Shakyamuni was staying with his entourage at Anatapindika, in Jeta's Grove near Shravasti, he introduced the Six-Syllable Mantra to the assembly. Sarva.nivarana.vishkambhin, the high bodhisattva, made a request to the Exalted One. He paid homage and cried, "For the benefits of the beings in the six realms, please advise me how I may obtain this Great Mantra that is the wisdom of all the Buddhas, which will cut the roots of the samsara. May Buddha please bestow me this teaching. I offer the whole universe as Mandala. To whoever who wishes to write this Six-syllable Mantra, I offer my blood as ink, my bones as pen and my skin as paper. Please, Lord Buddha, grant me this teaching of the Six-syllable Mantra."

Buddha Shakyamuni then gave the teaching, "This is the most beneficial mantra. Even I made this aspiration to all the million Buddhas and subsequently received this teaching from Buddha Amitabha."

Benefits of the Six-Syllable Mantra

It is said that the merits of Om mani padme hum, the Six-Syllable mantra, are innumerable and cannot be fully described even by the Buddhas of the three times. Some of them are:

The body of those who keep this mantra will transform into a vajra body, the bones will transform into relics of the Buddha and ordinary mind will transform into the wisdom of the Buddhas.

Whoever recites the mantra even once will obtain immeasurable wisdom. He or she will eventually develop compassion and be able to perfect the Six Paramitas (virtues.) He or she will be born as a universal monarch. She or he will achieve the irreversible stage of a bodhisattva and finally attain Enlightenment.

If this mantra is carved onto rocks and mountains, and a human or non-human being comes into contact and sees it, he or she will develop the conditions to be a bodhisattva in the next life, and thereby relieve suffering.

It is said that the sands of the Ganges and drops of water in the ocean can be counted but not the merits resulting from the recitation of this mantra.

The Mantra is the speech manifestation and the wisdom energy of all buddhas. It purifies our impure perception of sound. It is a means of protecting our mind from delusions. It eliminates ignorance and opens the way to wisdom. It amplifies blessings and by it, tranquility can be obtained. It can save and alleviate beings from hundreds and thousands of miseries.

The aspiration of the deity, Avalokiteshvara, whose mantra this is, is likened to a hook with which he can liberate beings. When we have confidence in him, the mantra is said to be a "solid and unbroken ring." so that the hook can catch, and we can be fished from the ocean of suffering that is samsara.

Studholme on the Karandavyuha Sutra and the relation of
Buddhist mantra to Hindu (Shivaite) practice.

The Lama on Mantras

Venerable Kalu Rinpoche from Secret Buddhism: Vajrayana Practices:

In Tibet, the Buddhist tradition is ancient, the result being that everyone acknowledges reciting mantras has beneficial effects. As for Westerners, they often see the mantras only as words, just an activity of speech, and do not understand their effect. They do not clearly see how these words can act on the mind. ... .

The importance words play in our studies is known; they are an indispensable vehicle. A Tibetan saying well emphasizes the power of speech: "Words are neither sharp nor cutting, but they can cut the heart of a human being."

Some Westerners, as previously stated, think that mantras are nothing but sounds without meaning, that reciting them is only wasting time, and that it is much better to meditate.

In a way, meditation should arouse even more doubts than mantras. One does nothing while meditating! Reticence concerning the recitation of mantras comes from two factors.
1. ignorance of the function and benefit of the mantras described by the Buddha
2. lack of reflection on the precious human existence, death and impermanence, law of karma and on the unsatisfactory nature of samsara [cyclic existence.]

Even if one has some knowledge of the Dharma [Buddhist teachings], but is lazy, reciting a mantra seems a difficult exercise.

~ Khyabje Kalu Rinpoche [d. 1989] at Samye Ling, March 1983

Bardor Tulku, on Mantra

Forgive her; she doesn't know what she's saying!

There is a teaching story about an educated practitioner who was worried about his mother who was not too bright, was illiterate and knew nothing of the Buddha's teaching. He was worried that when she died, she would go to hell and suffer many lifetimes there, since she did not know how to pray.

He taught her that whenever she heard any kind of bell, she should immediately respond:

Om Ma-Ni Peh-Meh Hoong! [Tibetan pronunciation].

They would make a kind of game of it; he would ring the bell at the door; she would say the mantra; they would laugh.

He jingled a few coins; at that metallic sound, she said the mantra. They both got a kick out of it.

It got so that even when he was not there, like when she heard the collar bells of yaks and dris, she automatically responded: Om Mani Pemeh Hoong! .

Now it came to pass, that the good mother died. Due to her karma, she was whisked away to one of the hot hells where she found herself in a huge iron cauldron being stirred by a terrible demon with a great metal spoon.

But.
Inevitably, the spoon struck the rim with a resounding CLANGGGG!!!

The woman responded without even thinking, just as she had been taught:

Om Mani Pemeh Hooong

and zzzziiip -

There she was - in the Pure Land of Dewachen, the heaven of Buddha Amitabha where eventually, like everyone there, she became one of the Enlightened Ones.

Foxglove writing to the kagyu email list said that:

[You] "can never say enough Om Mani Pedme Hungs. They all count towards practice even if [you were] not given a particular goal. My friend was given a million to do and has been living alone in a house by the stupa in order to do so, but he's not talking of moving on after to a 'next' level. He says he will probably just do it all again. "

=========================================================

Mantras are not to be taken lightly. Nagarjuna in his Root (text on) Wisdom, Mulamadhyamaka, compares their use to snake-handling:

If one misconceives Emptiness,
Persons with little wisdom will be ruined.
Just as a person who mishandles a snake
Or is unskillful with mantras will suffer.

During a teaching on Chenrezi, with reference to a possibility that the Buddhist doctrine of Emptiness could be misunderstood if improperly explained, Geshe Palden Dakpo also described what could happen when:

" ... one practices the so-called Sword Mantra, the practitioner places a sword in front of himself and starts reciting mantras. Now, when the sword starts moving through the power of the mantras, if the practitioner is able to hold it properly by the handle when the movement is moderate, he can travel wherever he wishes, but if instead he fails to hold it, there is a great danger of the sword swinging towards him and cutting off his head."

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Buddhism / Mantra

A mantra is a syllable or phrase that is repeated over and over again and which has spiritual significance. The use of mantras derives from Hinduism, the word itself deriving from the Sanskrit word 'man' which means 'to think'. Although mantras often has devotional significance, they are also used as a meditative tool for developing concentration or one-pointedness. Sometimes the word 'Buddha' can be used as a simple mantra to ward off distracting thoughts and to keep the mind concentrated. It is more usual - particularly in the Tibetan tradition - for more complex formulas to be used. One of the most widely known mantras is om mani padme hum, which can be loosely translated as meaning 'Hail to the Jewel of the Lotus'.

Definition of Mantra Meditation

The word mantra is said to come from a root meaning "that which protects the mind".

In Buddhist meditation, many things can be used as objects of concentration -- as "mind protectors". The breath is used in anapanasati (mindfulness of breathing), the sensations of walking are used in walking meditation, the emotions are used as a focus in metta bhavana (development of lovingkindness), and visual images are used in visualization. Mantras are sounds -- words or phrases --that are used as an object of concentration.

The sounds may be chanted out loud, or may be heard internally. Mantras can be associated with particular historical or archetypal figures, or may have no such associations. For example, there are mantras associated with the historical Buddha (Om muni muni maha muni Shakyamuni svaha), and the mythical figure Avalokiteshvara (Om mani padme hum). The Prajnaparamita mantra (Gate gate paragate parasamgate bodhi svaha) is associated not with an enlightened figure, but with a body of texts known as the Perfection of Wisdom (Prajnaparamita) sutras. The mantra Om shanti shanti shanti (Om peace peace peace) is not, as far as I'm aware, associated with any figure, and the Pali phrase Sabbe Satta Sukhi Hontu (May All Beings Be Happy) is chanted as a mantra, again without being associated with any particular figure.

From: http://www.wildmind.org/meditation/mantra/definition.htm

For more Informatio visit:
~ Quiet Mountain web site
~ - http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Parthenon/7534/mantras.html

~ http://www.wildmind.org/meditation/mantra/figures.html