Clicking on the link for each mantra below will take you to a page where you can read about that mantra, see the figure associated with the mantra (where applicable), and listen to an audio version of the mantra.
You can chant along to the mantra until you’re confident that you have it fully memorized. There are ten repetitions of each mantra (more or less) to help give you time to learn the mantra and chant along. You can replay the mantra until you think you’ve got it.
Please note that the mantras as written on this site lack some of the diacritic marks that allow for an accurate representation of the pronunciation.
(Diacritics, or accents, are little marks that indicate how a letter should be pronounced. Pali and Sanskrit have many more letters than the Roman alphabet, and these marks allow us to extend the number of characters available to us. Diacritics include the macron — a bar over a vowel that lengthens the vowel sound — overdots, underdots, and tildes. Unfortunately not all fonts possess those diacritic marks, and although some fonts do have the full range of accents not all computers have those fonts installed. There’s therefore no reliable way to represent diacritics on the web. You therefore may sometimes see strange characters or question marks in words.)
It’s best to listen to the audio files in order to get a better appreciation of how they are pronounced (taking into account the fact that I have a Scottish accent). In the heading of each page I’ve represented long vowels with a double vowel (eg. aa) or, where it’s possible to reproduce these in html, with a letter and diacritic mark (e.g. ?).
Note: Tibetans typically pronounce some Sanskrit sounds in a non-Indian way. For example they’ll tend to pronounce “padme” (pa-dmé) as peh-mé, and “svaha” as soha. Those who are familiar with the Tibetan pronunciation will therefore notice differences such as these.
Sabbe satta sukhi hontu
Om shanti shanti shanti
Gate gate paragate parasamgate bodhi svaha
Avalokitesvara: Om Mani Padme Hum
Manjushri/Manjughosa: Om A Ra Pa Ca Na Dhih
Vajrapani: Om Vajrapani Hum
Green Tara: Om Tare Tuttare Ture Svaha
Amitabha: Om Amideva Hrih
White Tara: Om Tare Tuttare Ture Mama Ayuh Punya Jnana Pushtim Kuru Svaha
Shakyamuni: Om Muni Muni Mahamuni Shakyamuni Svaha
Padmasambhava: Om Ah Hum Vajra Guru Padma Siddhi Hum
Bhaisajyaguru (Medicine Buddha): Om Bhaishajye Bhaishajye Mahabhaishajye Bhaishajyaraje Samudgate Svaha
Vajrasattva: 100-Syllable Mantra.
By following the links you can find out the meanings, pronunciations, and benefits of the Buddhist mantras listed above.
View Comments
hi Bodhipaksa you are really doing great
please i will like to know any color associate with each mantra and in what direction or position is the best for mantras and the best time of the day to chant each mantra
thanks
‘Karma-avoiding Mantra’ it is the mantra of Ksitigarbha bodhisatva
from a CD called “Buddhist Chants – Music For Contemplation And Reflection
Mantra of Eliminating Fixed Karma：
à ¥ à ¤ªà ¥Âà ¤°à ¤®à ¤°à ¥Âà ¤¦à ¤¨à ¥‡ à ¤¸à ¥Âà ¤µà ¤¾à ¤¹à ¤¾ - oṃ pra-mardane svāhā
Dear Bodhipaksa, Thanks for your answer about the Heart Sutra Prajna-paramita mantra sometime ago. I'm still with that practice and can't say enough (good!) about it... My question today is what are best possible name mantras for the Lotus Sutra in Sanskrit? I've run across these two: 1. Om Sadharma Pundarika Sutraya Namaha' (14 syllables) and 2. Namas Sadharma Pundarika Sutra (11 syllables). Some who gave up another version of SDP may want to try this (& meditation etc)....I prefer #1. Is that OK? They're "public domain" right, and the buddhas and bodhisattvas in the 10 directions will (if requested) empower without a guru right? Thank you for your response! peace.
Hi, Rick.
Those aren't mantras I've come across, I'm afraid. I could dig around on Google, of course, but then you could do that yourself (and I'm sure you have!). The mantra of a sutra wouldn't require any special "empowerment," though.
Hi Bodhipaksa
I just recently embrace and study Buddhism, and am starting to getting used to meditation.
Is there any mantra while meditating?
and is there any mantra to promote health, happiness and safety to our love one?
Thank you in advance for you reply.
I'm guessing you'd be interested in lovingkindness meditation, Eric.
Chanting of mantras will indeed bring forth bountiful merits by doing it correctly, compassionately, sincerely, with a good motive and transferring of dedication correctly to all sentient beings. You can have it done in Sanskrit, Pali, Tibetan, Mandarin, English, Japanese, Korean......etc. So long the essence is not changed, how it is being pronounced is not a big problem. Buddhism has spread far and wide across many nations and having adopting different cultures enables it to create a sense of closeness to the people. But the doctrine still remains the same. Buddha was and is wise and truly compassionate when he taught Buddhism to his followers. Just like a teacher who uses many methods to teach the same subjects because students come in different brought-ups and mentality. Some learn when they are being pushed. Some learn all by themselves. Some learn by play. Some need serious guidance. But at the end if all of them understand the meaning and are hardworking, they will each achieve becoming great adults. Ofcourse then Mantras all have their specific meaning but they all offer you an opportunity to reach enlightment and to know the truth. It doesn't matter, so long you understand what you are chanting. Once can chant beautifully but not knowing what it means. Another may chant it in English, understanding each word and the essence of the mantra, doing it with body, speech and mind, dedicating it correctly with not a single greed. Now which do you feel you prefer..? Above advice was once taught to me by my Guru because I once was particular about how things must be... following my Guru's teaching, I am now more happier. Even English has many different pronunciation, but does it mean a Tommato is different from a Toomaytoe? Om Ara PatZa Nah Di....didididididididididi
waw very interesting. So buddha of medecine for loosing all of a sudden energy in your back!I call it an empty feeling.Gone try! Or do you think another one!
there are so many buddhist mantras, how do we know which ones we should stick to? I follow nichiren buddhism and i meditate to the white tara. any recommendations?
Hi, Zeniah.
Usually people will feel a resonance with a particular mantra, or more likely with the figure that the mantra represents, and so the choice isn't something one consciously does, but that arises from within.
thank you so much it was very helpful..
My husband passed away last December I m very depressed
He was a follower or Buddha .. plz help me I want to convert into Buddhist
I'm very sorry to hear of your loss, Sapna, and of your depression.
To convert to Buddhism I'd suggest finding a local Buddhist organization where you could officially take refuge in the Three Jewels. It would also make sense to start studying Buddhism, perhaps with an introductory book of some sort.
All the best!
Bodhipaksa
Hi Sapna
Sorry to hear about your husband. I too had a tragedy when my only sister took her life. I found refuge and solace in the Buddhist religion and I even went to Nepal and India.
I would however ask yourself what is the reason you wish to convert ti Buddhism and that you are doing it for the right reason. Grief takes many forms and twisted roads and what you feel now maybe not what you will feel later on.
Much Jetta
Gina