Definition of Mantra Meditation
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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, or mindfulness of breathing meditation. 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.
Comments
Comment from sanjay
Time: April 24, 2008, 2:54 am
excellent
Comment from aldrin
Time: May 4, 2008, 11:23 pm
om triambakam yaja maje shugandem poste vardanam orobar rokome babandanam reteor rokshe yamamrotar om shanti shanti shanti
what does this mantra means. thank you
Comment from Bodhipaksa
Time: May 5, 2008, 7:46 am
Hi Aldrin,
At the risk of seeming ungracious, I wonder why you didn’t just search for this mantra on Google? If you had, you’d have found the same results I did, and would have discovered that this is a corrupted version of:
Om Trayambakam Yajamahe
Sugandhim Pushtivardhanam
Urvarukamiva Bandhanat
Mrityormukshiya Mamritat Om
and which has a translation here.
So it’s a Hindu mantra and not a Buddhist one.
All the best,
Bodhipaksa
Comment from aldrin
Time: May 6, 2008, 5:51 am
thank you brother Bodhipaksa,
I really appreciate the effort you did to help me, i hope this won’t be much of a bother if i ask you again for another definition of a prayer, i’ve searched for it but can’t find the meaning. my father gave me this prayer he said it was a Buddhist prayer.
deva mancha rishi nansha gurum canchana
sanivam bohdibotam trilokesham tamnamame brihas patem.
thank you again for your effort, i understand if you are busy and can’t reply, i just hope you can help me to find the definition of this prayer.
more power,
aldrin
Comment from Bodhipaksa
Time: May 6, 2008, 6:51 am
Actually, I thank you for the opportunity to research this. It was a most interesting experience. The prayer isn’t Buddhist, but is in fact a prayer to the planet/god Jupiter.
Deva-naam cha Rishi Naam cha Gurum kaanchana sannibham,
Buddhi Bhootam Trilokesham Tam Namaami Brihaspatim
My salutations to Jupiter,
Who is teacher of devas and sages,
Who is equal in shine to gold,
Whose soul is intellect,
And who is the lord of all three worlds.
It’s an extract from the Nava Graha Stotram (Hymn of Praise to the Nine Planets). This translation comes from the Vedanta Spiritual Library, and you can hear an absolutely beautiful arrangement of the stotra at another site.
There are unaccompanied audio chants of the individual hymns here.
The word “Buddhi” which may have made your father think this was a Buddhist prayer, actually means “intelligence.”
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