Oṃ Āḥ Hūṃ Vajra Guru Padma Siddhi Hūṃ
Without diacritics: Om Ah Hum Vajra Guru Padma Siddhi Hum
Padmasambhava was a historical teacher who is said to have converted Tibet to Buddhism. He was a renowned scholar, meditator, and magician, and his mantra suggests his rich and diverse nature.
Om ah hung benza guru pema siddhi hung
In Tibetan Buddhism the mantra is pronounced differently. There it’s Om ah hung benza guru pema siddhi hung. The difference arises solely because Tibetan and Sanskrit are from different language groups, and the sounds of Sanskrit are not easily pronounced by Tibetans. This doesn’t mean that the Tibetan form is wrong; Om ah hung benza guru pema siddhi hung is the official and correct form of the mantra in Tibetan.
The Meaning of the Padmasambhava Mantra
The three syllables Oṃ Āḥ Hūṃ have no conceptual meaning. They’re symbolic, and have symbolic meanings.
Oṃ Āḥ Hūṃ Meaning
Oṃ is often regarded as being the primeval sound, and in fact the sound-symbol of reality itself. It represents the universal principle of enlightenment. You can read about Om in more detail on the page about the Om Shanti mantra.
Āḥ, in traditional explanations, is usually said to be connected with speech (more about that in a moment) but in Sanskrit “ah” is a verb meaning “to express , signify ; to call (by name).” So it suggests evoking, or calling forth, the manifestation of enlightenment.
Hūṃ is often thought of as representing the manifestation of enlightenment in the individual human being. This may be a complete coincidence, but hum is similar to the first person singular “aham,” which means of course “I.”
Often these three syllables are associated with body, speech, and mind respectively (i.e. the whole of one’s being). So there’s a suggestion that we are saluting the qualities that Padmasambhava represents with all of our hearts (and minds, and bodies).
Vajra Guru Padma Siddhi Meaning
Vajra means thunderbolt, and represents the energy of the enlightened mind. It can also mean diamond. The implication is that the diamond/thunderbolt can cut through anything. The diamond is the indestructible object, while the thunderbolt is the unstoppable force. The vajra also stands for compassion. While it may seem odd to have such a “masculine” object representing compassion, this makes sense in esoteric Buddhism because compassion is active, and therefore aligned with this masculine symbol. (The term “masculine” does not of course imply that compassion is limited to males!)
Guru, of course, means a wise teacher. It comes from a root word, garu, which means “weighty.” So you can think of the guru as one who is a weighty teacher. Padmasambhava is so highly regarded in Tibetan Buddhism that he is often referred to as the second Buddha.
Padma means lotus, calling to mind the purity of the enlightened mind, because the lotus flower, although growing in muddy water, is completely stainless. In the same way the enlightened mind is surrounded by the greed, hatred, and delusion that is found in the world, and yet remains untouched by it. The lotus therefore represents wisdom. Again, while westerners would tend to assume that the flower represents compassion, the receptive nature of the flower gives it a “feminine” status in esoteric Buddhism, and to the lotus is aligned with the “feminine” quality of wisdom. And once again, there is no implication that wisdom is in any way limited to those who are female. The words masculine and feminine here are used in a technical sense that’s completely unrelated to biology.
And Siddhi means accomplishment or supernatural powers, suggesting the way in which those who are enlightened can act wisely, but in ways that we can’t necessarily understand. Padmasambhava is a magical figure, and in his biography there are many miracles and tussles with supernatural beings.
The Final Hūṃ
Many Buddhist mantras start with Oṃ and end with Hūṃ.
One way you can think of this is that Oṃ represents the abstract principle of enlightenment, or the potential for awakening that exists in the world and in our minds. Hūṃ on the other hand represents our individual selves (hūṃ may be an ancient and non-standard equivalent of ahaṃ, which is the Pali and Sanskrit word for “I” (the first person singular pronoun). The middle part of the mantra is the invocation that connects us, as individuals, with enlightenment. In other words we’re inviting enlightenment to transform us.
In this case it’s the qualities of Padmasambhava (as “the thunderbolt teacher” and the “lotus realized one”) that are our bridge to enlightenment.
Recording of the Padmasambhava Mantra
To hear the pronunciation of the Padmasambhava mantra, Om Ah Hum Vajra Guru Padma Siddhi Hum, click below to hear a recorded version chanted by Bodhipaksa:
Pronunciation notes for Oṃ Āḥ Hūṃ Vajra Guru Padma Siddhi Hūṃ:
- a is pronounced as u in cut
- aa (ā) is long, as in father
- ṃ in hūṃ is pronounced ng, as in long. In “Oṃ” it’s pronounced as a standard English “m” sound.
- j is hard, like j in judge
- u is short, as in put
- ū is long, as in school
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116 Comments. Leave new
Isn’t Om in this mantra equal to Om in Om Mani Pad-Me Hum?
There it stands for A U M, wich is the inpure body, inpure speech and inpure mind of the practisioner and also the Pure enlightened body, Pure enlightened speech and Pure enlightened mind of the Buddha and has a purifying quality.
According to his holiness the Dalai Lama in Kindness, Clarity and Insight from Jeffrey Hopkins
Yes, the Om in this mantra is the same as the Om in the Avalokiteshvara mantra. I don’t know of any Buddhist text that breaks om down into A-U-M, although that’s done in the post-Buddhist Upanishadic tradition.
I have to say, though, that Tibetans have a mania for making numerical correspondences, so that the six syllables of Om Mani Padme Hum are seen as corresponding to the six realms on the wheel of life, etc. I wouldn’t therefore take the Dalai Lama’s view on Om/Aum too seriously.
When listening to the mantra .. are you sure this is correct?
Americans seem to round off sounds, so vajra sounds like va-jahj-ra – but it should be with and I (as in the word “india”). Va-I-ra.
I have never heard a tibetan or a hindu pronounce vajra with round sounds.
Hi, Jon.
I’m not very sure what you mean by “round sounds,” or exactly what you’re trying to represent with your phonetic representations. I studied Pali, which is not quite the same as Sanskrit, I know, but close enough, for two years at university, so I’m reasonably confident in my pronunciations. Of course I don’t pronounce everything perfectly, and sometimes I slip up.
The “v” in vajra is pronounced about half-way between a standard English “w” and a standard English “v” (I do not do a good job of getting my V’s right).
Both A’s resemble the vowel in the English word “cut.”
The “j” is hard, as in “judge,” although Americans wrongly tend to make it soft, as in French “je.”
Could you be a bit more specific about which bit you think might be wrong?
Desde tu experiencia qué es mejor recitar el mantra en sánscrito o en tibetano
En tibetano sonaría así:
OM AH HUNG BENZA GURU PEMA SIDHI HUNG
Hello everybody! I have been studying Sanskrit for the last 40 years from some widely recognized Indian teachers and I have not noticed any imperfections in the pronunciation of the mantra. See Introduction to Panini.
Hello There
I feel at a bit of a loss at the moment.
I’ve been calling myself a Buddhist for several years, meditating, studying, lived in a buddhist community etc. At the moment I am going through a hard period in my life and am continually being swept away by anger and negativity. I’m trying to go deeper and transform those deep energies by studying Padmasambhava and chanting his mantra, but the feelings of anger, resentment, lack of self worth keep over whelming me. I’m not in good conditions at the moment and won’t be for a while- maybe this is an opportunity, but I feel defeated by life. any words of advice, encouragement?
Metta
Steve
Hi, Steve.
I sympathize.
My best advice would be to develop more self-compassion. You’re suffering during these bouts of anger and negativity, but our usual response to this, when we’re not blaming others, is to feel disappointed in ourselves, to blame ourselves.
Right now, call to mind something you feel resentful about. Be mindful as you let the resentment enter your mind. Now become aware of where the suffering connected with this resentment is located in the body. It may be in the gut, it may be in the heart, it may be elsewhere. Now recognize that suffering is present, and accept it. Allow it to be there. It’s natural to suffer, and it’s not a sign we’ve failed. It’s just a sign we’re alive.
Treat the suffering as if it was a dear friend who was in distress, and who had turned up on your doorstep. What would you ideally do? Cheer him up? Turn him away? Tell him to snap out of it? I suspect the best thing we can do is to mindfully be with the suffering friend until he’s ready to tell us what’s going on. Probably just knowing that he has a friend who is empathetic will reduce his pain by 90%.
Having accepted your suffering, send it lovingkindness. Bear the suffering tenderly in mind as you repeat, “May you be well; may you be happy; may you be free from suffering.” Don’t expect anything to happen. Just empathetically and compassionately accept your pain and wish it well.
Almost every time, doing this allows me to break out of a reactive cycle, and to feel whole again. It often allows me to move on, so that I can turn my compassion outward, toward others.
Hi Metta Steve, perhaps you know when Guru Rinpoche first came to Tibet there was a big problem with getting a monastery built. He used a mantra to turn it all around in a hurry and it seems like maybe this would help your situational circumstances too. Here it is:
A Ka Sa Ma Ra Tsa
Sa Ta Ra Ra Sa
Ma Ra Ya PHAT!!!
It rolls along fairly plainly until you get to PHAt which should be explosively pronounced.
I’d say try this one a few times a day for at least a week or so. Meanwhile keep up with saying his mantra the rest of the day. It is always best to have your Guru pronounce this for you so that you can get the intonation and say it like he does.
Good luck with your circumstances.
Can some one plz comment on Termas ( treasures ) and Tertons.
Tulku Thondup has written a commentary on The Third Dodrupchen’s work on Tertons and Termas. I suggest you get a copy and find the answers there. There are a variety of Termas which are/were hidden treasures of Padmasambhava to be discovered ‘later’ to continue his teachings. A Terton is the one who finds these Treasures which are either mind-transmissions or dakini scripts which he has to translate. It’s a little complicated, so read HIDDEN TEACHINGS OF TIBET: AN EXPLANATION OF THE TERMA TRADITION OF TIBETAN BUDDHISM.
Thank you for the mantra- I was rereading the Tibetan Book of Living and Dying, found Padmasambhava’s picture on P. 70, mantra written on p. 71 – and was strongly moved. Came to google, to see if I could hear the mantra. It is amazing how deeply the picture alone creates energy and hope – will repeat the mantra as I hear it on this site. The author(Sogyal Rinpoche) writes the way Tibetans speak it, but has the sounds given in your mantra on the site. I have enjoyed reading the comments and would like to link up with other people of like mind in Canada.
Hi
I am a singer songwriter and have used a chant in one of my songs “om padme siddhi hum” is this a correct chant ? Or does it matter
Thanks
Ben
It’s not a mantra, but it means something. Perhaps you’ve invented a new mantra!
Singing ‘vajra songs’ is a good thing according to Longchenpa. I suggest you work on incorporating the complete mantra. Why? A new insight for me is this mantra, Om Ah Aum Vajra Guru Padma Siddhi Hum is Manjusri’s Crown. ‘Om Ah Aum’ is like a benediction amisdt the Buddha Families.
Vajra/Akshobya,
Guru/Ratnasambhava,
Padma/Amitabha,Siddhi/Amogasiddhi,
Hum/Vairocana.
This being the Crown of The Crown Prince; Manjusri.
That’s one of my favorite mantras, but I don’t know of it being anywhere online. I might record it myself…
Would you then put the link at the bottom of this conversation please? I am curious!
Will do. This particular mantra is for one of the manifestations of Padmasambhava, called Totreng Tsal, who looks like a cross between Padmasambhava and Vajrapani.
To the person who felt surprised to have her hangover headache removed by reciting Guru Rinpoche´s mantra, at the begining of the messages, it seems quite a message for the rational mind, to have the signs of drunkenness being removed by the great mantra that brings intrinsic awareness to the forefront of our beings… a clear symbolic sign of the workings of this mysterious and otherworldly mantra.
May the light of Guru Rinpoche shines through all and bless us with the nectar of freedom and self liberation
blessings to all
Regarding Michelle’s comment on the mantra clearing her hangover, I would just like to tell you the unexpected but amazing healing I have received through connecting with Padmasambhava.
I have had severe food intolerance/allergies for 25 years, and it’s made my life very difficult – I’ve regularly suffered from severe 5 day migraines and exhaustion for most of my life to do with problems with many foods.
For a few months, I occasionally did a bit of guru yoga or the unifying practice(imagining lights emanating from Guru Rinpoche into myself). One day, I looked at a poster of padmasambhava I have on my bedroom wall – I spontaneously felt energy welling up in my abdomen and through my body. I found myself jumping from the energy. It was quite a shock.
My food intolernace is healed 80% in 3 months after connecting with padmasambhava – I ask him to heal me now, and extend the healing to any one in the universe who would like to recieve it.
As for rational explanations – there is magic in the universe, Padmasambhava has always been regarded as the magician, there is much in the world that our brains cannot explain – I think there is beauty is accpeting this and not having to rationalise it.
Dear Bodhipaksha,
Greetings and many thanks for this wonderful website. :-) I was wondering If I could clear a few doubts with you.
1) Okay so, in your pages you have said that the hum seed syllable has to be pronounced as hung (i.e. the last m sound is pronounced as ‘ng’ sound). I want to ask you if the pronunciation of hum with the ‘m’ sound is incorrect. As far as my knowledge goes, in the Sanskrit language, the correct pronunciation would be with the original m sound…e.g. as in dum, kleem, kreem etc. [However, often in the tantra traditions, we do in fact replace the m sound with the ng sound]. So, would it be incorrect to recite the mantra as Om Ma-ni Pad-me Hum (m sound)?
2) The second question is, it seems that in many mantras, we have an amalgamation of the Original Sanskrit pronunciations mixed up with Tibetan dialectic variations. Is this common for the Vajrayana tradition? For example, the Mantra Om Ah Hum Vajra Guru Padma Siddhi Hum appears in many places as Om ah Hum Vajra [Not Benza] Guru Pema Siddhi Hum.
I have a third question regarding the Bhaisajyaguru Mantra but I will post that in the Bhaisajyaguru Page itself.
Much Love and Metta to you _/|\_,
Ananda :-)
I don’t know where or when I came across the Padmasambhava Mantra, for the past few years I have been saying the mantra silently over and over during those times I would lie awake in the middle of the night. It sometimes feels like minutes, other times an hour or so though that makes no difference. I keep returning my mind to the mantra, eventually I find I am waking up hours later well rested and calm realizing I must have fallen back into blissful sleep. I find a place in me that feels nurtured and loved as this happens and I keep returning to this cycle that has developed in my life.
That’s lovely, Travlinjay. Sadhu!
Thank you for posting. You’ve reminded me that healing is available.
“More and more it becomes clear to me that Buddhism is in fact a holy science of the way things are.” – how beautifully said!
“Buddhism said the same thing many centuries ago that there is no objective world “out there” but only phenomena rising and fading on the stages of different levels of consciousness. Hard to grasp but the only way things ultimately can be.”
Holy shit. best description of ONEness, I’ve read in a very long time.
Bless
“So you can then recite at all times of the day transforming the entire day into ‘Sacred Time’.”
this page is getting so good. HAH!
BLESS
ALSO!
I always wanted to ask this. You think that HEARING mantras has any ummm ‘merit’ as they say. Well… apart from the enjoyment of it, that is. hah!
BLESS ya’ll!
Peter
Anything done with skillful attitudes like mindfulness and reverence has a beneficial effect (or “generates merit” if you prefer that language).
You can also chant the prajna paramita from the diamond sutra. Oh ma hum vaijra guru padma siddhi hum did you know that the tibetan pronunciation is oh ma hum benza guru pema siddhi
i have a question: what was the translation of this mantra? i know that there are the words and their meanings but i want to see the translation…
It’s not a sentence, so it can’t really be translated.
Hi,
Just wanted to share this experience with you. Guru Rinpoche has helped me on many occasions and whenever I am in deep trouble or I feel like there is no way out, I leave everything on him with my deep faith and he has always helped me. So if anyone has a problem ,if you pray to him with pure heart and belief, he will help you for sure “Om Ah Hung Benzar Guru Pema Sithe Hung”. Thank you for your great inputs all…May Guru Rinpoche bless you all.
I am relatively new to buddhism, (predominantly tibetan). I had a teacher for nine months, who relocated to Thailand, so now I study alone. I much appreciate actually hearing mantras. I have learnt seven so far, but never heard them. I have, since hearing it on this site, become attached to the Padmasambhava mantra and say it repeatedly in my head and out loud sometimes too. I have just finished morning meditation in which this mantra was an integral part. After completion, I felt so tranquil. Then on closing my eyes, a most beautiful red rose bush appeared, the colours were startling. This is the first time I have had such an experience.
Very beautiful, thank you very much for posting. I first started practicing the Vajra Guru mantra after going to the Padma Rigdzin Ling Buddhist Temple. The mantra is so wonderful, I am grateful everyday. May all sentient beings swiftly attain enlightenment. OM AH HUNG BENZAR GURU PADMA SIDDHI HUNG.
I stumbled onto this conversation…one thing leading to another, as usual.
Many thoughts came…one stayed. The transformation of the mantras over time, language, gurus, and ears. Like playing the game ‘whisper in the ear”…..what comes out at the other end of the circle is amazingly far from the original.
“Om aham (I am) the vajra (thunderbolt) guru as pure and accomplished as the Padma”. That make sense?
It’s a nice thought, but om ah hum is formed from three separate seed syllables that exist separately and have been combined: i.e. it’s not that aham has been split into two.
I am no language guru and absolutely cannot talk about any language rules etc.
But am thinking: one could certainly split every word in any language to its root syllables, and if one does that with every sanskrit sentence ever spoken the sentence could start to take a different meaning….different life altogether.
In this sentence I see two possibilities: ahum as “I” or ahum as “my”.
The question is: is that ?? H?? a distorted version of ahum? I think yes. A new perspective to consider.
I was also wondering if care is not taken to maintain the originality of the sound spoken, what would become of Sohum?
I guess this also explains why Gita has so many commentaries ?
First, I’m sorry that this site chews up special characters and spits them out as question marks. This happened after a site update, and I haven’t got it sorted out yet.
Sometimes when Sanskrit mantras have been repeated by speakers of another language, they do get a bit garbled. This has happened with the 100-syllable mantra of Vajrasattva, for example, and with a long Shakyamuni mantra I’ve come across. But the three syllables Oṃ, Āḥ, and Hūṃ are all very ancient and have their separate histories. Here they’re combined together. It’s not that the first person singular ahaṃ has been split. (In any event अ and आ sound completely different in Sanskrit. Splitting ahaṃ while also changing a into ā and adding ḥ is a huge series of changes.)
“Sometimes when Sanskrit mantras have been repeated by speakers of another language, they do get a bit garbled. “
I guess that’s what my analytical brain is harping on. Sorry about that. Now a days too many people are having kundalini awakening by just doing anulom vilom 5 times each nostril. I think I am actually irritated about that, and need to calm down with some real meditation ??
Wishing you peace in your search.
But thanks for letting me vent ?
You’re welcome for the opportunity to vent, Rita!
Namaskar ?
I personally was guided and prefer to
chant o? ?? hr?? tra? h?? as this is a gate way to the Vajradhatu mind stream and in essence a combination of the five Tathagatas in harmony.
I must apologize. Since a developer did some work a while back this site has been eating diacritics for breakfast.
So is it bad for someone who has not yet taken their refuge with a lama, to recite Om Ah Hum Benza Guru Padma Siddhi Hum? Can I chant it as a person who hasn’t taken their vows in front of a lama? Is it considered Vajrayana Buddhism?
It’s not bad at all. Chanting that mantra was common before Vajrayana Buddhism emerged.
I’m so confused, I don’t know what’s the correct way since I see many different ones!! which one is the correct way ? is it..
”Om Ah Hum Vajra Guru Padma Siddhi Hum” or is it..
“Om Ah Hung Benza Guru Pema Siddhi Hung” ? someone please help me out with this, Thank You :)
The first version you offer is correct Sanskrit (minus the diacritics).
The second version is how the Sanskrit is pronounced by Tibetans, who find it difficult to pronounce Sanskrit. People who speak European languages also have difficulty pronouncing Sanskrit, but in different ways. In a way it’s hilarious that Westerners try so hard to faithfully reproduce Tibetan mispronunciations of Sanskrit, while also adding their own. I think it makes much more sense for us to actually try to pronounce the Sanskrit as best we can. Of course if you have a Tibetan teacher and chant with Tibetans then it would also make sense to go along with what they do.
When I chant this mantra, I become psychic. I was very confused, I had dreams predicting the future. I would chant it when cooking or just for anything at times and it is always successful. So when I read about the siddhis, I was surprised, yet not surprised. It all made sense why I was having supernatural experiences. I now simply chant and observe.
Greetings, wishing you safety, happiness, and health! I am being taught by Khentrul Thayé Lodro Rinpoche that “om” means purified body, “ah” means purified speech, and “hum” or “hung/huang” means purified heartmind. The Hindu “om” is different, meaning “a sacred syllable representing the primordial sound of creation and the essence of the universe”. That is my takeaway from Rinpoche’s vajrayana teachings.
Yes, I mention the connect with body, speech, and mind in the body of the article, although I don’t give it much prominence. Sometimes when these syllables are chanted the hands are placed, palms together, at the head for om (representing the body), at the throat for ah (speech), and at the heart for hum (mind).
Rayo diamante maestro iluminado gracias por abundante conciencia infinita como un loto que expande en la mañana reflejamos el maestro interior