The Three Buddhist Refuges
Chanting by Amma Thanasanti
…The main point of the entire practice is to recognize our own awareness
and to nurture it. Mingyur
Buddha
Yanidha bhutani samagatani
Bhummani va yani va antalikkhe
Tathagatam deva-manussa-pujitam
Buddham namassama suvatthi hotu.
Whatever beings are here assembled,
whether terrestrial or celestial, we salute
the perfected Buddha, revered by gods
and men.
May there be well-being!
Dhamma
Yanidha bhutani samagatani
Bhummani va yani va antalikkhe
Tathagatam deva-manussa-pujitam
Dhammarn namassama suvatthi hotu
Whatever beings are here assembled,
whether terrestrial or celestial, we salute
the perfected Dhamma, revered by gods
and men.
May there be well-being!
Sangha
Yanidha bhutani samagatani
Bhummani va yani va antalikkhe
Tathagatam deva-manussa-pujitam
Sarigham namassama suvatthi hotu.
Whatever beings are here assembled,
whether terrestrial or celestial, we salute
the perfected Sangha, revered by gods
and men.
OM AH HUNG VAJRA GURU PEMA SIDDHI HUNG
Chanting Mantra: “A…(meditation) technique, used a great deal in Tibetan Buddhism (and also in Sufism, Orthodox Christianity, and Hinduism), is uniting the mind with the sound of a mantra. The definition of mantra is “that which protects the mind.” That which protects the mind from negativity, or that which protects you from your own mind, is called mantra. When you are nervous, disoriented, or emotionally fragile, chanting or reciting a mantra inspiringly can change the state of your mind completely by transforming its energy and atmosphere. How is this possible? Mantra is the essence of sound, and the embodiment of the truth in the form of sound. Each syllable is impregnated with spiritual power, condenses a spiritual truth, and vibrates with the blessing of the speech of the buddhas. It is also said that the mind rides on the subtle energy of the breath, the prana, which moves through and purifies the subtle channels of the body. So when you chant a mantra, you are charging your breath and energy with the energy of the mantra, and so working directly on your mind and subtle body.
The mantra I recommend to my students is OM AH HUM VAJRA GURU PADMA SIDDHI HUM (Tibetans say: Om Ah Hung Benza Guru Péma Siddhi Hung), which is the mantra of Padmasambhava, the mantra of all the buddhas, masters, and realized beings, and so uniquely powerful for peace, for healing, for transformation, and for protection in this violent, chaotic age.7 Recite the mantra quietly, with deep attention, and let your breath, the mantra, and your awareness become slowly one. Or chant it in an inspiring way, and rest in the profound silence that sometimes follows.”
Rinpoche, Sogyal. The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying: The Spiritual Classic & International Bestseller: Revised and Updated Edition (p. 71). HarperCollins. Kindle Edition.
OM AH HUNG purify obscurations arising from the three mental poisons: desire/attachment, aversion, and ignorance
VAJRA purifies obscurations which stem from anger
GURU purifies obscurations which stem from pride
PEMA purifies obscurations which stem from desire/attachment
SIDDHI purifies obscurations which stem from envy/jealousy
HUNG in a general way purifies obscurations which stem from all emotional afflictions
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0_Fc90IV38
Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya
Because of the nature and multiple meanings of Sanskrit words, translations of the Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya mantra vary, but all indicate praise for the infinite and formless. It is, therefore, considered a maha mantra, or “great” mantra. A couple of translations include:
- “Om and salutations to the divine One who dwells in all.”
The meaning of the individual words are as follows:
- Om – the primordial and sacred sound vibration of the universe
- Namo – a word used as a salutation that represents spiritual surrender
- Bhagavate – refers to one who is divine or blessed
- Vasudevay – can mean Krishna, the Hindu god (devaya) of light (vasu), or the infinite and formless
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMxlPS9aK7o
White Tara Mantra
MANTRA LYRICS oṃ tāre tuttāre ture mama āyuḥ-puṇya-jñāna-puṣṭiṃ kuru svāhā
or
Om Tare Tuttare Ture Mama Ayur Puney Gyana Puntin Kuru Soha
MANTRA MEANING
Om – while some say that Om has no actual conceptual meaning, it can also be reflective of an awareness of the surrounding universe. It is used at the start of many mantras.
Tare – this is representative of salvation from suffering and other forms of mundane dangers. Tara is very often depicted as being one who can alleviate suffering from accidents, crime, and natural disasters.
Tuttare is representative of the delivered down the right spiritual path, and the need for protect from dangers to the spirit. Delusion, hatred, and greed are the three primary spiritual dangers that are responsible for suffering in us all.
Ture – this is representative of the deliverance to the true spiritual path of a bodhisattva. With this syllable, Tara is said to liberate us from the suffering we are inflicted with, while helping us to progress along the path that will allow us to have compassion for others.
Mama means “mine” and is indicative of the desire to possess the qualities of wisdom, happiness, long life, and more. These qualities can be asked for someone else, or for the person reciting the mantra.
Ayuh is representative of long life.
Punya is representative of the merit that is earned from living an ethical life and is said to guide one to a life that is happy and long.
Jnana is representative of wisdom, which is something we all seek.
Pushtim is representative of abundance or an increase in wealth.
Kuru is said to be a mythical land located in the northern regions of the Himalayas but can also be taken to mean “make it so.”
Svaha is said to be representative of “allow the meaning of this mantra to take root in my mind.”
For main healing practice, normally the mantra is recited with visualizations of Tara, however singing or chanting is a very beautiful and effective way to receive the blessings.
VERSATILITY OF WHITE TARA MANTRA Healing and helping others is something we all should all wish to accomplish. Aside from the selfish goal of increasing our own merit and good karma, we engage our compassion as humans and Buddhists when we think of others. The White Tara mantra can be modified from a “personal” affirmation to one targeted at someone else. “Mama” in the mantra means “mine”, or “I” or “me” meant for self healing. Simply replacing “Mama” with the name of another person sends Tara’s healing power and blessings to someone else. For instance, if we wanted to practice White Tara for the long life of my teacher or parents, we would substitute Mama: Om Tare Tuttare Ture [person’s name] Ayuh Punya Jnana Pushtim Kuru Svaha
PROPER TARA’S JIDAM On the lotus is a moon-disc, representing all-important bodhicitta, and the wish to achieve enlightenment. The deity sits on both a lotus and moon-disc, indicating Tara has achieved enlightenment through renunciation and bodhicitta. White Tara is shining white, the nature of light, a glowing beacon of healing, vitality and perfection. We wouldn’t think of Tara as flesh and bone, but as glorious, spectacular, awe-inspiring (and at the same time) soothing light.
Tara is visualized uncontaminated and spectacular, we should see Her arrayed in gorgeous silks and shining jewels like stars. Tara, Her name, literally translates as “star.” The beautiful ornaments are not meant to show attachment, but are symbolic of Her transcendence.
We visualize Tara sitting on a thousand-petal white lotus. She is sitting in a position of meditative equipoise in the vajra (full lotus) position. The glorious lotus signifies renunciation, the spontaneous wish to be free from samsara, or cyclic existence. White Tara is the Tara associate with compassion and long life.
The White Tara mantra is very often chanted with an individual in mind, in order to entreat Tara to bless them with the long life and the compassion that they need to overcome obstacles. While Green Tara is pictured as stepping down onto a lotus, which is symbolic of her stepping into offer assistance and guidance, White Tara is typically depicted with both legs folded under her as she meditates. She is shown as having seven eyes, on the palms of her hands, soles of her feet, and on her forehead, as a symbol of the watchfulness that comes from a mind that is compassionate.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sdcs71MioAM
Om Mani Padme Hum
Om mani padme hum is an ancient mantra that is related to the bodhisattva of compassion, Avalokiteshvara, and with therefore the Dalai Lama, who is considered to be an incarnation of Avalokiteshvara.1
…it is almost impossible to give one exact meaning for “om mani padme hum,” since it has been interpreted in many ways. Also, we might say that its meaning as a spiritual sound goes beyond the literal meaning of its syllables.
From Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, Heart Treasure of the Enlightened Ones:
“The mantra Om Mani Päme Hum is easy to say yet quite powerful, because it contains the essence of the entire teaching. When you say the first syllable Om it is blessed to help you achieve perfection in the practice of generosity, Ma helps perfect the practice of pure ethics, and Ni helps achieve perfection in the practice of tolerance and patience. Pä, the fourth syllable, helps to achieve perfection of perseverance, Me helps achieve perfection in the practice of concentration, and the final sixth syllable Hum helps achieve perfection in the practice of wisdom. So in this way recitation of the mantra helps achieve perfection in the six practices from generosity to wisdom. The path of these six perfections is the path walked by all the Buddhas of the three times. What could then be more meaningful than to say the mantra and accomplish the six perfections.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iG_lNuNUVd4&t=1451s
Singing Bowl & Gong Sound Healing Meditation
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zEtjwQY7tAg
Om Namah Shivaya
The chant Om Namah Shivaya is a love song, to ourselves. A love song we sing to our own deepest inner nature. In this song we recognize that we are the source, like a hologram, a piece of god that also represents the whole. In the Siddha yoga lineage (from which this chant comes) it is considered to be the king of all mantras. The intelligent field of conscious energy of which the universe is made, and concentrates into the dense form we know of as matter, is represented by the god Shiva. Shiva is the totality.
(explanation is from https://www.scienceandnonduality.com/conversations/the-energetic-field-of-om-namah-shivaya/)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCOfsMVT2B8
Namo Guan Shi Yin Pusa
Guan Shi Yin is the longer version of the name Guan Yin, it literally means “Listener to the World’s Sounds/Cries”
From the Lotus Sutra: “…, if all the countless hundreds of thousands of millions of living beings tormented by misery and pain hear of Guan Shi Yin Bodhisattva, and with all their hearts invoke the name, Guan Shi Yin Bodhisattva will immediately respond to their prayers and set them free.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6JhSegPjOM