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Press release from PR Newswire
Northern Oil and Gas, Inc. Provides Fourth Quarter 2012 Production and Operations Update
Monday, February 11, 2013
Northern Oil and Gas, Inc. Provides Fourth Quarter 2012 Production and Operations Update16:30 EST Monday, February 11, 2013WAYZATA, Minn., Feb. 11, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Northern Oil and Gas, Inc. ("Northern") (NYSE MKT: NOG) is providing a production and operations update for the quarter ended December 31, 2012.PRODUCTION AND OPERATIONS UPDATENorthern expects fourth quarter 2012 production to average approximately 10,800 barrels of oil equivalent per day, an increase of 55% over the fourth quarter of 2011 and a decline of approximately 4% compared to the third quarter of 2012. Fourth quarter production was impacted by fewer net well additions in the month of November, primarily due to weather, and a lower average working interest in wells completed during the quarter. During the fourth quarter of 2012, Northern completed and placed into production approximately 123 gross (7.7 net) wells with an average 6% working interest. Activity subsequently accelerated in December and as of December 31, 2012, Northern was participating in 157 gross (12.4 net) wells that were drilling, completing or awaiting completion, resulting in an average working interest of approximately 8%, which is more consistent with Northern's historical average working interest. As of December 31, 2012, Northern was producing from a total of 1,227 gross (106.2 net) wells.Production was also affected in the fourth quarter as Northern elected to high grade capital expenditures through the non-consent process. During the second half of 2012, Northern elected to non-consent 29 gross (1.86 net) wells as part of this strategic capital efficiency effort. Based on internal analysis, these wells were likely to produce an internal rate of return below acceptable thresholds, due primarily to high estimated drilling and completion costs. As drilling and completion costs decline, Northern expects to non-consent fewer wells.LIQUIDITY UPDATEAn enhanced liquidity position is the result of Northern's strategic capital efficiency effort in the second half of 2012. Northern ended the year with $124 million drawn on its revolving credit facility which has a total borrowing capacity of $350 million. Northern also ended the quarter with $13 million in cash, resulting in liquidity of approximately $240 million. DIFFERENTIAL AND OPERATING EXPENSE UPDATENorthern expects oil differentials to average between $2.00 and $2.50 per barrel for the fourth quarter of 2012, compared to approximately $10 in the third quarter of 2012.Lease operating expense (LOE) is expected to be approximately $10.00 per barrel of oil equivalent for the fourth quarter of 2012, driven by an increase in production enhancing workover activity and water disposal costs.HEDGING UPDATENorthern hedges portions of its expected production volumes to increase the predictability of its cash flow and to help maintain a strong financial position. The following table summarizes Northern's oil derivative contracts as of December 31, 2012, by fiscal quarter:COSTLESS COLLARSSWAPSContract PeriodVolume (Bbls)Weighted AverageFloor/Ceiling Price(per Bbl)Volume (Bbls)Weighted Average Price(per Bbl)2013:Q1565,550$89.65 - $103.94180,000$91.58Q2526,481$89.74 - $104.02225,000$91.17Q3543,374$90.29 - $104.35255,000$92.48Q4517,864$90.38 - $104.41300,000$92.032014:Q160,000$90.00 - $99.05600,000$92.25Q260,000$90.00 - $99.05660,000$92.00Q360,000$90.00 - $99.05435,000$90.98Q460,000$90.00 - $99.05435,000$90.98 2013 GUIDANCE2013 production and capital budget guidance will be released in conjunction with Northern's 2012 year-end earnings release after 3 pm central on February 28th. A conference call will follow on Friday, March 1st at 9 am central. MANAGEMENT COMMENT"Although production was relatively flat sequentially due to November weather and completion activity, drilling activity reaccelerated into the end of the year," commented Northern's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Michael Reger. "In addition, our liquidity position was enhanced by our strategic capital efficiency efforts. As a result of our liquidity position, an increase in drilling activity and working interest percentages, we are well positioned to execute our business plan and resume sequential quarterly growth in 2013."ABOUT NORTHERN OIL AND GASNorthern Oil and Gas, Inc. is an exploration and production company with a core area of focus in the Williston Basin Bakken and Three Forks play in North Dakota and Montana. More information about Northern Oil and Gas, Inc. can be found at www.NorthernOil.com.SAFE HARBORThis press release contains forward-looking statements regarding future events and our future results that are subject to the safe harbors created under the Securities Act of 1933 (the "Securities Act") and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the "Exchange Act"). All statements other than statements of historical facts included in this report regarding our financial position, business strategy, plans and objectives of management for future operations, industry conditions, and indebtedness covenant compliance are forward-looking statements. When used in this report, forward-looking statements are generally accompanied by terms or phrases such as "estimate," "project," "predict," "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "target," "plan," "intend," "seek," "goal," "will," "should," "may" or other words and similar expressions that convey the uncertainty of future events or outcomes. Items contemplating or making assumptions about, actual or potential future sales, market size, collaborations, and trends or operating results also constitute such forward-looking statements.Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties, and important factors (many of which are beyond our company's control) that could cause actual results to differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements, including the following: oil and gas prices, general economic or industry conditions, nationally and/or in the communities in which our company conducts business, changes in the interest rate environment, legislation or regulatory requirements, conditions of the securities markets, our access to capital, changes in accounting principles, policies or guidelines, financial or political instability, acts of war or terrorism, and other economic, competitive, governmental, regulatory and technical factors affecting our company's operations, products, services and prices. We have based these forward-looking statements on our current expectations and assumptions about future events. While our management considers these expectations and assumptions to be reasonable, they are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, regulatory and other risks, contingencies and uncertainties, most of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond our control. INVESTOR RELATIONS CONTACT:Brandon ElliottEVP, Corporate Development and email@example.com NerhusVP, Business firstname.lastname@example.com Northern Oil and Gas, Inc.


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Oxygen saturation refers to the amount of oxygen being carried in the red blood cells, which load up with oxygen in the lungs and then transport it to the rest of the body. People who have medical conditions, such as lung disease, may not have enough oxygen in their red blood cells.
Oxygen saturation can be measured by a device called an oximeter. Oxygen saturation of less than 90% is a sign that the lungs and heart are not working well.
|Healthwise Staff
|Primary Medical Reviewer
|Anne C. Poinier, MD - Internal Medicine
|Specialist Medical Reviewer
|Mark A. Rasmus, MD - Pulmonology, Critical Care Medicine, Sleep Medicine
|Current as of
|June 25, 2013
WebMD Medical Reference from Healthwise

subset: commoncrawl


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- 17
- people in the U.S. have this name View Diane Woodin on Whitepages
Meaning & Origins
(French) form of Diana, now also widely used in the English-speaking world. It was especially popular among the Renaissance aristocracy, who loved hunting and were therefore proud to name their daughters after the classical goddess of the chase.
|76th in the U.S.
English: variant of Wooding.
|16,092nd in the U.S.
Nicknames & variations
Diana, Dianne, Dianna, Diann, Dian, Diania, Dianah, Diannia, Diannah, Diani
Wood, Woods, Woodard, Woodward, Woodruff, Woodson, Woody, Woodall, Woodworth, Woodbury


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Results 11 to 11 of 11
Registered Member
- Join Date
- Aug 2009
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Posted On:
5/08/2012 5:04pm
Style: Boxing, Rowing Fu--
That was terrible. It'd have been great if the old dude had gotten into the gym, trained properly and then won, but he clearly hadn't.
The young guy looked woefully inexperienced. As far as vids you don't want to see too much of as an MMA fan, this is up there with Sudo-Yarborough.


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So, according to The Hollywood Reporter, Jennifer Lawrence is "in the final stages of negotiations" to get a big fat raise for The Hunger Games sequel, Catching Fire. Whereas she got $500,000 plus bonuses from the first flick, she'll be getting something like $10 million total for number two. And you know what? We think she totally deserves it. We've been catching snippets of the DVD extras before its August 18 release, and they go a long way to showing that she's the real heart of the movie (well, that and Suzanne Collins' story, of course). Take this latest exclusive clip on Vulture today, all about how director Gary Ross and visual effects supervisor Sheena Duggal decided on the way to create Katniss and Peeta's flaming arena costumes.
I hope you don't take away my HG fangirl badge for saying this, but the Girl on Fire scene was basically my least favorite of the whole movie. The effects fell way short of my imagination, and they just seemed rather cheesy to me. Not that I could tell you how it would look better, mind you. My point is, even though the effects very occasionally reminded you that you were watching a fictional movie, Lawrence's stark performance consistently brought me back into the story. I'm sure a whole lot of the three hours of behind-the-scenes footage the DVD contains is going to show more of the same. Here she is learning how to climb trees — but of course, we never care how well she climbs the trees in the end, it's all about the look on her face once she's up there, watching the Careers plot her demise.
Agree? Disagree? Let me know in the comments below!


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Buddhist Mantras
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. ā).
Note: Tibetans typically pronounce some Sanskrit sounds in a non-standard 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.
Buddhist Mantras not associated with figures
Sabbe satta sukhi hontu
Om shanti shanti shanti
Gate gate paragate parasamgate bodhi svaha
Mantras associated with Buddhist figures
Green Tara
White Tara
Bhaisajyaguru (Medicine Buddha)
(For other images of Buddhist figures we recommend visiting the site of this Tibetan thangka painting school).
Comment from alex flamm
Time: November 19, 2007, 6:01 pm
my wife is a nurse and she wanted to know if ther were and healing mantras or a mantra related to her feild of work.
Comment from Bodhipaksa
Time: November 19, 2007, 7:07 pm
The White Tara mantra is said to promote long life, so that's one candidate. The other, though, is a mantra that we don't yet have on this site, and it's the Medicine Buddha (Bhaishajyaguru) mantra. If you Google it you're bound to turn something up.
Comment from Kashka
Time: December 3, 2007, 10:19 pm
I attend the Five Buddha Shrine in LAs Vegas, I know that they would be more than happy to help you out with healing mantras such as one for diabetes and for the kidneys. They're amazing people & have helped me tremendously. Here is their info. Dari Rulai Lohan Temple – Five Buddha Shrine Vajrayana Buddhism 3043 Garnet Court Las Vegas, NV 89121 (702) 641-0522 Ask for Paul, JEN T, or David or find them on the web. Hope that helps.
By the way – This is my favorite informative/spiritual site – currently on the web- Thank you.
Comment from Laura Landy
Time: May 22, 2008, 11:30 am
Is there a way to download the fonts needed to see the diacritic marks?
Comment from Bodhipaksa
Time: May 22, 2008, 12:52 pm
Hi Laura,
Good to hear from you. To see the diacritics you'd need (1) to have a Unicode font installed on your computer. And (2) your browser (Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari, etc) will need to be set up to actually use that font. Unicode is not itself a font — it's a type of font that, to the best of my understanding, includes a wide range of characters that are non-standard in English, as well as the usual characters you're used to. "Arial Unicode MS", for example, is a commonly used Unicode font.
There are some instructions here that explain how to get a Unicode font onto your computer and (lower down the page) how to get your browser to use that font.
I hope that's helpful. This is all a bit technical and out of my area of expertise.
All the best,
Comment from James
Time: May 28, 2008, 8:55 pm
I would say the best mantra to be used in the health field is that of the blue buddha know simply as Medicine Buddha. His Mantra is…
Teyata, Om Bekanze Bekanze, Maha Bekanze, Randza Samudgate Soha
Comment from Bodhipaksa
Time: May 29, 2008, 8:46 am
Hi Paul,
We still don't have a page on the Medicine Buddha mantra, but we do plan to add one.
You might be interested to know that the correct Sanskrit form of the short mantra is (tadyathā) oṃ bhaiṣajye bhaiṣajye mahābhaiṣajye bhaiṣajye rāja samudgate svāhā (although your version has one bhaiṣajye fewer and may be an alternative short version).
This mantra seems more than most to be mangled in Tibetan pronunciation. This doesn't mean the Tibetan mantra is wrong. Tibetans have been doing it that way for a long time, of course, so they way you've rendered the mantra is therefore the proper way to pronounce the mantra in the Tibetan tradition, and if you're part of that Tradition then you really have to chant it that way or you won't be able to join in with their rituals, but I think it's also good to know what the original Sanskrit is.
This is perhaps especially important since the English rendering is itself an approximation of the Tibetan approximation of how the Sanskrit would be pronounced. Thus you also find the Tibetan rendered in roman characters as:
Tadyatha Om Bhekhaze Bhekhaze Maha Bhekhaze Raza Samungate Svaha
Tadyatha Om bekaja bekaja Maha bekaja bekaja raja samudgate ya Svaha.
You can't really make sense of all this variation without looking at the Sanskrit.
All the best,
Comment from Angela
Time: June 16, 2008, 2:17 pm
Please will someone record the 100-syllable Vajrasattva mantra (and then the 500-syllable mantra). The only recording I can find is by Tibetan monks; it sounds indescribably beautiful but Sanskrit with a Tibetan accent is SO difficult to follow.
Thank you.
Comment from Bodhipaksa
Time: June 17, 2008, 10:23 am
Hi Angela,
It's on my famously long list of things to do — but I do promise I'll get that done.
All the best,
Comment from pema delma
Time: June 20, 2008, 7:47 am
Actually i really am hurt and sad for i losed my love. We are depart forever but still i love him and i want to get him back. We have a daughter to but coz of his family he hate me now. We are at the moment of last justice in court so please let me know the mantras to get him back and give me the remedies too. I will be really greatful to you and will never forget it at all. But please send me the reply as soon as possible. With many love and thanx (Pema.)
Comment from Bodhipaksa
Time: June 20, 2008, 10:26 am
Hi Pema,
I'm sorry to hear about the painful situation you're in. I don't think that there are any mantras that can "make" things happen, but a mantra of peace like the Avalokiteshvara (Chenrezig) mantra will help you develop compassion for yourself and for the other people involved. Even if you don't get the outcome you would like you'd feel more at peace.
But although it's hard to do it's very important that you let go of any craving for a particular outcome (like getting your lover back) — that kind of craving just causes suffering for everyone concerned. If you let go you're more likely to be at peace and also more likely to get what you want.
With metta,
Comment from Kristen
Time: June 26, 2008, 9:50 pm
Hi. I've read that 'infinite potential' is an important theme in Buddhism, and I was wondering if there were any Buddhist mantras or phrases that address this theme?
Comment from Bodhipaksa
Time: June 29, 2008, 2:15 pm
Hi Kristen,
In a way all of the mantras address the theme of our infinite potential, since they're ways of connecting with our own Buddha nature. But as far as an explicit recognition of our infinite potential goes, the mantra that springs to mind is OM SVABHAVA SHUDDHA SARVA DHARMA SVABHAVA SHUDDHO HAM. This says something to the effect of "OM: All things are inherently pure by nature; I too am inherently pure by nature."
This mantra points directly towards our own Buddha Nature, which is our unlimited potential for compassion and wisdom. I hope this is helpful.
All the best,
Comment from Kelvin Ooi
Time: July 19, 2008, 10:30 pm
Dear Respectable Bodhipaksa,
You are doing a great job for every bodhi heart finding their way to buddhism.
May the Blessing of the Triple Gems be with you and all living beings.
Sadhu, Sadhu, Sadhu.
Kelvin Ooi
Comment from Kelvin Ooi
Time: July 19, 2008, 11:33 pm
Dear Respectable Bodhipaksa,
Just to share.
These Buddhists mantras are great, and could be practised anytime of the day and place.
It is great to put aside 30mins each evening to recite a few of the mantras, for example ;
1. Om Ah Hum, Jetsun Guru Padma Siddhi Hum x21times ( Purifying the mind )
2. Om Mani Padme Hum or x10 ( Universal Mantra for Alleviating any emergency, danger )
3. Om Arapacana Dhih " ( Manjusri Mantra for development of wisdom )
4. Om Vajrapani Hum " ( Vajrapani Mantra for development of courage )
5. Om Tare, Tuttare, Ture Svaha ( Green Tara Mantra for arousing compassion )
6. Om Tare, Tuttare, Ture Mama Ayuh " ( White Tara Mantra for Longevity, and Good Health )
Punya Jhana Pustim Kuru Svaha overcome life's obstacles
7. Om Amideva Hrih " ( Amitabha Mantra for development of happiness )
8. Om Muni Muni, Maha Muni, Sakyamuni Svaha " ( Sakyamuni Mantra for development of faith )
9. Gate Gate, Paragate, Parasangate, Bodhi Svaha " ( Prajnaparamita Mantra fo development of )
10. Om Santih, Santih, Santih ( Mantra for Peace )
May the Blessing of the Triple Gems be with all.
Kelvin Ooi
Comment from Peace
Time: August 20, 2008, 5:15 am
Are there any mantras to ward away evil and mantras for protection?
Comment from Bodhipaksa
Time: August 20, 2008, 8:22 am
In essence all mantras are protective and help ward off evil. Vajrapani, however, is noted as a protector and appears in an early Buddhist text as a protector of the Buddha.
Tara also protects from dangers.
There are also many Pali chants called paritta (I'd suggest Googling the term) that have a protective function. Here's a particularly nice translation of a paritta that I found on Wikipedia:
"O Buddha, the Hero, thou art wholly free from all evil. My adoration to thee. I have fallen into distress. Be thou my refuge."
Lastly, can I suggest one of my guided meditations, which encourages the visualization of a protective aura. This is something I used to do when I was feeling stressed. The aura I visualized gave me a strong sense of being calmly protected within a bubble.
Comment from Peace
Time: August 21, 2008, 2:36 am
Ah, thank you very much for answering my question.
I would like to ask another question, if it's not a bother to you.
Is it alright to read suttas and mantras in English? Or would it be better to read them in Pali?
Comment from Bodhipaksa
Time: August 21, 2008, 8:06 am
Chanting mantras in the original language is pretty much standard practice. They generally don't have a lot of conceptual context and since they're generally short it's not too hard to get a sense of what, if anything, the words mean.
But studying Buddhist suttas or sutras in the original is a massive undertaking. I studied Pali at university for two years and I still have to pick my way through a text with a dictionary and a grammar manual on hand. For all but scholars (amateur or professional) it's much better to read those in translation.
Comment from Peace
Time: August 22, 2008, 9:27 pm
Thank you very much for answering my questions and sharing your knowledge.
I am most grateful
Comment from Jayarava
Time: August 23, 2008, 5:18 am
I get a lot out of picking over a text with dictionary and grammar in hand. I usually learn more, sometimes I memorise the text, and I get a more detailed understanding. Of course one covers less ground, but it's more satisfying in the long run to know one text in detail, than a dozen superficially.
Comment from Bodhipaksa
Time: August 23, 2008, 6:17 am
Me too, Jayarava. Especially when I'm teaching from a text (we were studying the Dhammapada in my prison class a while back, for example) I like to look at the original. And Ratnaguna's going to be doing a weekend on parts of the Sutta Nipata and I wouldn't dream of going without checking out the Pali.
But I'd classify us more as amateur scholars. For the vast majority of people who are just starting out it's likely going to be a better use of their time and energy just to understand the teachings in their native tongue.
Comment from Diane
Time: October 5, 2008, 9:28 pm
I have only just started investigating Mantras and chanting .. have been listening to 'Karma-avoiding Mantra' and it seems to 'speak' to me .. what is the chanting about and what they are actually chanting (phonetically)? Not knowing what the actual words/sounds are I get too caught up trying to figure that out rather than just concentrating on the sounds themselves.
Comment from Bodhipaksa
Time: October 5, 2008, 10:10 pm
Hi Diane: I'm afraid I've never heard of that mantra.
Comment from Diane
Time: October 5, 2008, 10:37 pm
Thanks for such a quick reply ..
This is a link to it if you would like to listen ..
Comment from Bodhipaksa
Time: October 6, 2008, 12:34 pm
Well it begins with an Om and ends with a soha/svaha, but because it's a far-eastern version of a mantra I can't even guess what the middle part is. If you really like this mantra it's from a CD called "Buddhist Chants – Music For Contemplation And Reflection" and it's possible that the liner notes would tell you what the "lyrics" are.
Comment from Diane
Time: October 6, 2008, 7:12 pm
.. you have worked out exactly the same bits I had :) .. The Om and the soha .. I will try the liner notes as you suggest ..
Thanks again
Comment from Trish
Time: October 19, 2008, 12:24 pm
Dear Bodhipaksa,
Thank you for the lovely mantras you have on this site. Do you know of a CD with the mantras that are used by the FWBO – Free Buddhist Audio does not seem to have one. Do you have any suggestions?
With Metta,
Comment from Bodhipaksa
Time: October 19, 2008, 8:33 pm
Hi Trish,
Sadly, I don't know of any such CD. Sunada and I have been talking about doing something along those lines, but we've both been busy with various projects and if it happens it'll be some way off in the future.
Comment from Kelvin Ooi
Time: October 21, 2008, 1:14 pm
Hi Trish,
I wonder if my suggestion meet your wish list…
Go online to locate 'Imee Ooi '…she has produced beautiful CDs
like Green Tara….Om mani Padme Hum…
Best to you.
Kelvin Ooi
Comment from Trish
Time: October 22, 2008, 3:08 pm
Thank you for your suggestion, Kelvin – I'll certainly follow it up!
Comment from bhavya
Time: November 6, 2008, 4:06 pm
i want to knw the buddhist mantras for overall well being like getting positive energy ,having good aura around you,ward off
evil energy around me and being peaceful please hel;p me as i im in need of it desperately ,will look forward for your respo
Comment from Kelvin Ooi
Time: November 7, 2008, 9:52 am
Hi Bhavya,
You might like to try this mantra.
Cundi Dharani
namah saptānām , samyak-sambuddha kotinam ..
tad-yathā …om …. cale cule cundi svāhā
( repeat as many times at each prayer time – reap good benefits )
Best wishes.
Comment from Bodhipaksa
Time: November 7, 2008, 9:57 am
Any mantra, recited with full attention, will protect the mind and give you positive energy.
Comment from Bodhipaksa
Time: November 7, 2008, 10:28 am
Also found as: namo saptanam samyaksambuddha kotinam tadyatha: om, cale, cule, cundi svaha.
The actual root mantra is the bit that follows "tadyatha," which means "thus." (All the C's are pronounced like the CH in the English word "church," but you can hear an audio version of the mantra here.) [Link removed March 20, 2015, since the site had been hacked and contaminated with malware .]
It's not a mantra I'm familiar with and it seems to be a rather late one. There's a little bit about it on Visible Mantra, the sutra it's from is found here [old e-sangha.com link removed since the page is now infected with malware], and you can see the script here, although the image is lifted from another site.
Comment from Shahid Ahsan
Time: November 15, 2008, 3:04 am
I am trying for a year to get texts of Budhist mantra and sacred holy books to read. I like to read them, for example from first line to the last. Like I can read the whole Bible or the whole Bhagavad Gita. But all I get is no mantra and no sacred and holy budhist book but zillions of web links that lead me to other Budhist web sites which show zillion more web links but no sign of any budhist sacred or holly book or mantra for me to read. Can you show me a web site where I can read an entire Budhist sacred book and mantra.
Comment from Bodhipaksa
Time: November 15, 2008, 11:41 am
Hi Shahid,
There are so many Buddhist canonical texts, but no single source as with the Bible or Koran, which may be part of your problem. What's regarded as a genuine Buddhist text varies from tradition to tradition as well.
In the Theravadin tradition the "holy" texts form what is known as the Pali Canon, and this forms a body of work many times larger than the Bible. Some of this is available online at Access to Insight and that's a good place to start your researches. A text like the Dhammapada is a good one to start with.
There are also many later Mahayana texts, including the Heart Sutra, Diamond Sutra, White Lotus Sutra, Vimalakirti Nirdesha, etc, but I'd suggest that it's generally best to start with the Pali texts since they represent the earliest teachings and they're generally more straightforward.
Comment from annie
Time: November 16, 2008, 3:25 pm
Dear Souls,
If you do not mind a recommendation, there is a very special book available called "The Mantra Book" by Lillian Too. It contains many mantras, their meaning, translations and explanations.
I have found it worthwhile maybe you will too.
Comment from Kelvin Ooi
Time: November 17, 2008, 9:49 pm
Dear Souls,
Annie's recommendation is good; Lillian writes from Malaysia and she has guru from Tibet and she's good author
in several of her Feng-Shui books.
Best regards.
Comment from Jordana
Time: November 19, 2008, 7:07 am
Could somebody explainme the leaning of the following mantra: OM AMOKA VAIROSHANA MAHA MUDRA MANI PADMA SHUBARA PRABA RATAYA HUM
Thank you!
Comment from Bodhipaksa
Time: November 19, 2008, 8:49 am
Hi Jordana,
Yikes! That's horribly mangled, so I'm not surprised you couldn't figure out what it was. It's a garbled form of the Vairocana mantra, which seems more usually to be found as:
Oṃ Amogha vairocana, mahā-mudrā, maṇi-padma, jvala pravartaya hūṃ
That would be something like
Om unfailing Illuminator, the great symbol, the jewel-lotus-flame set-in-motion hūm.
But you seem to have found a variant form:
Oṃ Amogha vairocana, mahā-mudrā, maṇi-padma, śubhra pravartaya hūṃ
śubhra means white, pure, shining, or immaculate, but given that Vairocana is the illuminator the primary sense is probably of radiance, like the light of a fire (śubhra, or radiance, having been substititued for jvala, or flame).
The shorter form of Vairocana's mantra is:
oṃ vairocana hūṃ
Comment from Dharma
Time: November 19, 2008, 2:16 pm
Hello all-
I am seeking the perfect mantra for inscription on a wedding ring. I have looked everywhere for someone to do
Sanskrit calligriphic translation of the phrase "we attribute this union to a higher source".
Is anyone able to help or make suggestions?
Comment from Bodhipaksa
Time: November 19, 2008, 4:05 pm
Hi Dharma,
You probably need two things:
1. A Sanskrit scholar who can reliably translate those words for you (and possibly another to check the translation), and
2. Someone to do the calligraphy.
There isn't really a Sanskrit script as such — Sanskrit is written in a variety of scripts and you'd have to choose which you wanted.
Jayarava at visiblemantra.org might be able to do the calligraphy, but I'd hesitate to recommend a Sanskritist — perhaps you should check out universities.
Comment from mad buddhist
Time: November 25, 2008, 7:19 am
what type of mantra is "ohm manay paymay hum?", i use it all the time and i've heard that if you whisper it to a hyper animal or an animal that doesn't feel safe in your hands, it will calm down, is this true? if not what does it do? please answer as i love this mantra and would like to know the complexities of it.
Comment from Bodhipaksa
Time: November 25, 2008, 8:29 am
Hi Mad,
That's the Avalokiteshvara mantra, which is Om Mane Padme Hum (although in Tibetan pronunciation Padme becomes Pémé). My opinion would be that it's the tone of voice you use in speaking to an animal that makes a difference rather than the words you use. I don't think the mantra has any special powers. I'm sure some Buddhists would disagree, of course! Anyway, hopefully that link will answer your questions.
Comment from bhavya
Time: November 25, 2008, 9:02 am
hi bodhipaksa,
please can you help me how tp pronounce this i do not wan to make mistakes,namah saptānām , samyak-sambuddha kotinam ..
tad-yathā …om …. cale cule cundi svāhā
,would love to hear form as soon as posible…
thank you
Comment from Bodhipaksa
Time: November 25, 2008, 9:24 am
As a quick guide, pronounce all short A's (no bar over them) like the "u" in Elgish "cut" and all long A's (ā) as in English "father"; all C's are like the "ch" in English "church."
The M at the end of saptānām and kotinam is like the "ng" in English "long."
The "th" in yathā is not like the "th" in English "the" or "thin" but like the "t-h" combination in "hot ham."
Comment from Kelvin Ooi
Time: November 25, 2008, 9:44 am
Hi there,
Om Mani Padme Hum mantra is popularly known as "The Jewel in the Lotus "
The meaning of Om Mani Padme Hum is " Om , salutations to the Jewel of consciousness ( the Mind )
which has reached the Heart's lotus.
Each time we say Om Mani Padme Hum, we invoke the Devine Powers of Avalokitshvara, who has infinite
compassion and who out of his infinite compassion made a noble pledge to Buddha Amitabah that he will
liberate all sentinel beings from six realms of sufferings.
6 realms of suffering ;
1. OM liberates/purifies us from emotions of bliss and pride in the samsaric realm of the Gods.
2. Ma " " " " " " jealousy and lust fro entertainment in the samsaric realm of Demi-Gods
3. Ni " " " " " " passion and desire in the samsaric realm of Humans
4. Pad ' " " " " " stupidity and prejudice in the samsaric realm of animals
5. Me " " " " " " poverty and possessiveness in the samsaric realm of hungry ghosts
6. Hum " " " " " " aggression and hatred in the samsaric realm of hell.
The mantra Om Mani Padme Hum purifies us at 3 levels, Mind, Speech and Body.
Make effort to overcome the 6 relams of sufferings.
Comment from s
Time: January 26, 2009, 5:59 pm
Hi was going thru your site sp the comments section and was so happy to see you enthusiastic interaction which iam sure means a lot to someone who is seeking answers and ofcourse your knowledge is deep. great!! i was surfing for B chants and found one but unfortunately there is no album detail to help get the chants. if it is not too much trouble could i requeast u to visit the link an dlet me know ? think u might know for sure, thanks and all the very very best. take care
Comment from Bodhipaksa
Time: January 27, 2009, 9:44 am
Hi S:
I'm afraid that none of the mantras we have here are available in CD form at present. I've been talking to Sunada for a long time now about putting together a CD, and hopefully that'll happen before too long.
Comment from s
Time: January 29, 2009, 8:00 am
thanks B . also do let me know when it goes on CD or online download if that is not to much trouble.
take care
Comment from Bodhipaksa
Time: January 29, 2009, 8:36 am
Hi S.
I'd suggest that you sign up for our monthly newsletter since I'm likely to forget to let you know. You can sign up using the form on our home page. I hope we won't keep you waiting too long.
All the best,
Comment from rajjeev
Time: August 4, 2009, 6:11 am
Dear Sir
Which is the most powerful mantra or prayer in Buddhism
I'm aware of Om namu myo ho renge kyo
and Om mani padme hum
Comment from Bodhipaksa
Time: August 4, 2009, 9:16 am
Hi Rajjeev,
I don't think in terms of there being mantras that are less or more powerful. In Buddhist practice it's the quality of attention that you bring to a practice that makes it effective. If you do any mantra with as much mindfulness, faith, and concentration as possible, then that mantra will be a powerful one.
It helps if you pick a mantra you're attracted to — and in some cases that means picking a mantra that's associated with a Buddha or bodhisattva that you're attracted to. The interest and faith that you have in the deity will help you commit yourself to the mantra.
All the best,
Comment from Nigel
Time: October 26, 2009, 11:59 am
In the Chinese transliterated version of the Cundi mantra, after
'Om Cale, Cule, Cunde Svaha', the Chinese version has a closing phrase; "Om Bu lin".
Do you have any idea what the original Sanskrit may have been and what it means? Thank you!
Comment from Bodhipaksa
Time: October 26, 2009, 12:33 pm
I'm afraid I couldn't begin to guess. Anyone else?
Comment from Nigel
Time: October 30, 2009, 12:12 am
I dug around and found that the 'Bu Lin' is representing Sanskrit 'Bruhm'. I looked around more for 'Bruhm', and it appears to be related to 'Brahm' (maybe?).
So, Om Bruhm/Om Brahm being used to close a mantra recitation, might be an invocation of the divine spirit in creation? That is my current theory.
Comment from Jayarava
Time: October 30, 2009, 11:00 am
The original Sanskrit syllable is bhrūṃ भ्रूं (pronounced boron in Japanese, and bu lin in Chinese). Bruhm is just a spelling mistake I think.
In Shingon bhrūṃ is associated with Ekākṣara-uṣṇīṣa-cakra (Ichiji kinrin) – Wheel of the Crown of a Single Syllable. Also with the Karaṇḍa-mudrā dhāraṇī. For more on Uṣṇiṣa in Japanese Buddhism you could try Grotenhuis Japanese Mandalas.
Other Uṣṇiṣa deities are found in Buddhism as well.
A Tibetan version of the syllable can be seen here.
My Siddhaṃ calligraphy is here.
Another aspect of this bīja is that the strokes include elements of all the 13 main Shingon Deities and so is said to represent them all in one bīja.
bhrūṃ is not obviously related to brahm. It could be bhrū meaning 'brow' (they are actually cognate) – bhrūmaṇḍala is the arc of the eyebrow for instance. It may hark back to the verbal root bhṛ (to bear) which gives us bhrūṇ (to hope, fear etc) and bhrūṇa (an embryo). None of these are particularly connected with the ideas above – but that is mantra for you.
Bhrūṃ is being used here as a bīja for Cundī. Nothing to do with divine spirits or creation or Brahma.
See also here where they also suggest bhrum rather than bruhm in relation to Cundī
Comment from Nigel
Time: November 1, 2009, 7:29 pm
Thank you immensely!!! For sharing your scholarship and insight with me! I am grateful to benefit. It would otherwise have taken me much longer to find this information.
Yes, the syllable was referred to as the Great Wheel One Syllable Mantra, and so I'm fairly certain that your interpretation is correct. Thank you again!
Comment from Arthur
Time: January 26, 2010, 5:46 am
Hi there,
I have a question regarding the importance of pronunciation of mantras. Currently I am chanting the 100 syllable Vajrasattva Mantra and I am aware of the different ways as to how the mantra is pronunced (i.e. Sanskrit, Tibetan, which differs quite a lot). I am thus quite confused as to whether it is really important to get the pronunciation perfect (like the Brahmins who insisted on absolutely correct pronunciation). I've read websites that said the attitude behind the chanting of mantra is more important than mere pronunciation – and this sounds like a very comforting advise.
What do you guys think?
Comment from Jayarava
Time: January 26, 2010, 1:13 pm
Hi Arthur
You can find my thoughts on this on my blog: A Pronouncement on Pronunciation.
Comment from Arthur
Time: January 27, 2010, 1:18 am
Thanks Jayarava. It was very comprehensive and I like what you said about getting as close to the original pronunciation (Sanskrit) as possible. Of course, this doesn't mean the Tibetan way of saying the mantra is bad or wrong. I guess it bears down to personal conviction, at the end of the day.
I also heard the mp3 of the Vajrasattva Mantra you put up and am using it for my mantra chanting – personally, I would like to be as close to the original language as possible.
Thanks again, Jayarava.
Comment from Bodhipaksa
Time: January 27, 2010, 10:34 am
To quote from jayarava's excellent (but long) article:
So do we need to pronounce mantras correctly? I think we should make an effort on aesthetic grounds, it is more beautiful; and also on the basis that we all like our names to be pronounced correctly. I find it is a useful mindfulness practice, and most people need to be more mindful! But outside of the tantric tradition it is not vital, and, sadly, even within that tradition it seems to be many centuries since there was any real effort to maintain Sanskrit pronunciation.
Comment from Celine
Time: April 22, 2010, 10:25 pm
I love animals a lot, this includes the stray. Which mantra should i recite to bless all animals? Thank you.
Comment from Arthur
Time: April 23, 2010, 8:04 am
Hi Celine
I love animals too. I've got 5 dogs and 2 cats at home. =)
My Rinpoche told me I could chant the Green Tara mantra for all animals. I also read from one of the websites that we could chant the Medicine Buddha mantra for animals and that any animals that hear the Medicine Buddha mantra will be reborn into a higher realm of beings in their next life.
Hope this helps.
Comment from Kelvin Ooi
Time: April 25, 2010, 9:16 pm
Dear All,
I once read about reciting Medicine Buddha mantra for dead animals, and that can inculde
reciting it for the meat of animals sold in shops, supermarkets etc etc..
These poor animals had gone through 'killing' , reciting Medicine Buddha mantra helps to
overcome suffering.
Medicine Buddha mantra
A shorter version from Tibet ( Medicine Buddha mantra )
Om Bekandze Bekandze
Maha Bekandze
Radza Samudgate Soha
The mantra means:
May the many sentient beings
who are sick,
quickly be freed from sickness.
And may all the sicknesses of beings
Never arise again.
A Story of Karmic Theory
A glamorous fashion consultant was once diagnosed with cancer. This is how she attempted to alleviate her suffering:
She sent a message through a friend of hers, a student at the Vajrapani institute in California, to ask for advice about healing practices. She was advised to buy animals that were in danger of being killed and to then free them in a safe place, thus enabling them to live longer.
This charming woman saved many animals from places where they were going to be killed. She actually freed two or three thousand animals, mostly chickens, fish, and worms. She had the chickens taken care of on a farm, and she freed the fish in open water. She also bought two thousand worms because they were cheap and readily available, and released them in the garden outside her home.
Liberating worms was believed to be a particularly good idea as they go straight under the ground when they are released. Since they have some protection there from predators, they have a chance to live longer.
It was less certain that animals freed in forests, lakes, or the ocean would have lived longer because they have natural enemies in those places.
It is said that when she returned to the hospital for a checkup after doing these practices, the doctors could not find any trace of the cancer.True or not, this story should not come as a surprise to those subscribing to the karmic theory.
My true story
My dear friend's mom met with an accident on November 7, 2008 ( in Shanghai )
She was in coma with serious head injury and several doctors were attending to her.
All I did was to recite Medicine Buddha mantra for her, and I liberated over 500 birds
sparrows. From the market I bought small live fish ( fish for cooking soup )
and I probably liberated over 200-300 fish in a pond. The cost one kilo fish is about
She came out of her coma in the 4th week, and got better through continuing medical treatment until she
was discharged 8 months later. She is doing very well now, her memory is about 30%
imparied, but she could walk again, eat by herself and handle simple conversation.
She could remember me, an old friend.
We thank Lord Medicine Buddha for helping when it was most crucial, it was a
matter of life and death.
With warm regards.
Comment from Travis Bond
Time: June 12, 2010, 2:09 am
I am new to the teachings of Buddha. I have recently acquired some new Tibetan Mala Meditation beads to move into the next step of my desire for inner peace and success in my life and career.
What would be a good mantra for me to start with and how long should i use this Mantra(i.e weeks, months) Peace and wisdom to you.
Comment from Bodhipaksa
Time: June 13, 2010, 11:32 pm
Hi Travis,
My experience has been that mantras are a very personal thing. People experience a number of mantras and begin to learn about the Buddhas or Bodhisattvas (if any) that they represent. At some point something "clicks" and a fascination develops that's a bit like falling in love. And for years — perhaps the rest of your life — you find yourself turning to that mantra. For me, it was Padmasambhava. For you — well, you'll have to find that out!
All the best,
Comment from Aníbal
Time: July 9, 2010, 4:11 pm
Hello, friends!
It's been a long I'm looking for a sanskrit original dharaṇi, without any chance to find it out. It's name is The Marvelously Beneficial Disaster Preventing Dharaṇi, but this is the translation of the tittle in japanese. All translations of this powerful dharaṇi I could find are in korean, or chinese or japanese, but I cannot find out the original sanskrit dharaṇi. I only could find out in a text a couple of lines:
Om! Khya khya khyahi khyahi, Hum hum!
Jvala jvala prajvala prajvala!
But I cannot find out the complete dharaṇi in sanskrit. Can someone help me? Thank you very much!
Comment from Bodhipaksa
Time: July 9, 2010, 4:33 pm
The short answer is I don't know where you would find this dharani in Sanskrit. It's always possible that the original has been lost, or even that there was no Sanskrit original.
Comment from Aníbal
Time: July 9, 2010, 6:03 pm
I have already found it!!!!
Namaḥ samanta buddhānāṁ
Apratihata śāsanānāṁ
Tadyathā Oṁ kha kha
Khāhi khāhi hūṁ hūṁ
Jvala jvala prajvala prajvala
Tiṣṭha tiṣṭha ṣṭri ṣṭri
Sphuṭ sphuṭ
śāntika śrīye svāhā!
Thank you, anyway!
Comment from Aníbal
Time: July 9, 2010, 6:33 pm
I find it in a french site:
To find out other texts in sanskrit original, this site is very useful:
See you!
Comment from K. Ooi
Time: July 9, 2010, 11:13 pm
Dear Bodhipaksa,
Read about this dharani posted by Anibal, described as 'Powerful Dharani'.
Please help to fill in the 'blank' boxes as I do not know the missing alphabet letters.
Marvelously Beneficial Disaster Preventing Dharani is directed for what purpsoe or use, specifically
as it is titled 'Disaster'. In other words, what benefits can be bring for chanting, and is this a popular
Thanks & brgds
Namaḥ samanta buddhānāṁ
Apratihata śāsanānāṁ
Tadyathā Oṁ kha kha
Khāhi khāhi hūṁ hūṁ
Jvala jvala prajvala prajvala
Tiṣṭha tiṣṭha ṣṭri ṣṭri
Sphuṭ sphuṭ
śāntika śrīye svāhā!
Comment from Bodhipaksa
Time: July 9, 2010, 11:57 pm
The site Aníbal linked to says, "As the name suggests, the recitation of this Dharani is intended to avoid the calamities of all kinds" and also that the dharani is recited daily in Sōtō monasteries. So it seems to be common.
Comment from K. Ooi
Time: July 11, 2010, 10:18 pm
Hi Anibal,
Would you know the missing alpabet letters ( blank boxes ) in the dharani?
Thank you.
Namaḥ samanta buddhānāṁ
Apratihata śāsanānāṁ
Tadyathā Oṁ kha kha
Khāhi khāhi hūṁ hūṁ
Jvala jvala prajvala prajvala
Tiṣṭha tiṣṭha ṣṭri ṣṭri
Sphuṭ sphuṭ
śāntika śrīye svāhā!
Comment from Bodhipaksa
Time: July 11, 2010, 11:11 pm
Hi K.
There are no blank letters — it's just that you don't have a unicode font installed in your browser. Here's the mantra in a Harvard-Kyoto transliteration (I hope I got this right):
namaH samanta buddhAnAM
apratihata zAsanAnAM
tadyathA OM kha kha
khAhi khAhi hUM hUM
jvala jvala prajvala prajvala
tiSTha tiSTha STri STri
SphuT sphuT
zAntika SrIye svAhA!
Comment from Aníbal
Time: July 12, 2010, 10:52 am
Well, only in the case of the mantra Sphuṭ, the correct Harvard-Kyoto transliteration is sphuT:
namaH samanta buddhAnAM
apratihata zAsanAnAM
tadyathA OM kha kha
khAhi khAhi hUM hUM
jvala jvala prajvala prajvala
tiSTha tiSTha STri STri
sphuT sphuT
zAntika SrIye svAhA!
Comment from Bodhipaksa
Time: July 12, 2010, 12:51 pm
Thanks for spotting that. I knew I'd miss something…
Comment from Paul C Kloppenburg
Time: September 18, 2010, 5:16 pm
dear mantra master :
Om Ye Dharma Hetu Prabhava Hetu ……….?
is a mantra to be found on Tsa-Tsa's , miniature conical shaped clay 'stupa's , this mantra is maybe like an 'essence-mantra'? what is the complete mantra ?, and would be it's transliteration ? thanks ! Paul
Comment from Bodhipaksa
Time: September 18, 2010, 10:56 pm
Hi Paul,
I'm no "mantra master," or Sanskrit scholar, but this appears to be a Sanskrit phrase that's been turned into a mantra and Tibetanized: [OM ] Ye dharma hetu prabhava, hetun teshan Tathagato hyavada, Teshan cha yo nirodha, evam vadi Maha Shramanah [ye svaha]. This would seem to mean "All things proceed from a cause; this cause has been declared by the Tathagata; all things will cease to exist; this is what is declared by the Maha Samana." In other words it's a statement of pratitya-samutpada, or conditioned co-production (also known as dependent arising).
Comment from Bodhipaksa
Time: September 18, 2010, 10:58 pm
By the way, I found the "mantra" here: http://www.tsatsastudio.org/practice.htm.
And I found a translation in Google Books' "Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland, Volume 16″ (http://books.google.com/books?id=rvkAAAAAYAAJ).
Pingback from Today's Contemplative Practice Moment: The Jesus Prayer « Enlightenment or Salvation?
Time: October 29, 2010, 1:44 pm
[…] yoga" would develop from its rich monastic tradition. As with certain Hindu, Sufi and Tibetan Buddhist practices, the Orthodox commitment to the Jesus Prayer seeks to connect the practitioner directly […]
Comment from Indu-kumuda
Time: January 15, 2011, 9:03 am
Respected sir,
I would be greatly privileged if u write the homage mantra to Ashtamahabodhisattvas. And have got any knowledge about the meaning of the following verses from the homage song to five jina Buddhas, as i have been performing classical dance on this for long, and yet some words are out of my forte,:
second verse: varada tripta nara lokesham
aha mokchhya wangchhita manasa
swami charana ratnashri.
last verse: watsara shri nepalikum
aha geet granthita kusuma mala
namami shri dharmadhatu sharanum
and isn't dharmadhatu another name for avalokiteshvara or is it the bodhitatwa that he holds. tell me its literal meaning n meaning of above mentioned verse.
Comment from Bodhipaksa
Time: January 15, 2011, 12:26 pm
Hi, Indukumuda.
Thanks for sharing this. The Sanskrit seems rather garbled, and I'm not a Sanskrit scholar by any means and would have difficulty working out what it says.
I can tell you, though, that dharmadhatu is a term meaning Reality, or the way things are in their inherent emptiness. Dharmadhatu isn't a name for Avalokiteshvara, although his nature (along with all things) is Dharmadhatu.
I'll ask my friend Jayarava to take a look at the Sanskrit.
All the best,
Comment from Jayarava
Time: January 15, 2011, 3:30 pm
Indukumuda – do you have it in देवनागरी or another Indian script. My Sanskrit has got pretty rusty, but without the proper spellings it is a hopeless case.
The last line might be something like:
नमामि श्रीधर्मधातु शारणं
"I call the glorious Dharmadhatu my refuge"
Best Wishes
Comment from indukumuda
Time: February 3, 2011, 5:46 am
nawayz my sanskrit teacher anwered me to some extends.
b sides i wonder if u know any long homage mantra to tara . if u do plz answer n wat 'bout mantra for 8 bodhisattva?
p.s:(i'm a tenth grade student from nepal)
Comment from Bodhipaksa
Time: February 3, 2011, 10:50 am
Hi Indukumuda.
I'm not sure whether you're addressing your question to me or Jayarava, but I don't know any long mantra to Tara, nor any mantra for the eight bodhisattvas.
If you do manage to get an accurate version of the homage mantra you originally asked about, could you please post it here?
Many thanks,
Comment from indukumuda
Time: February 7, 2011, 7:51 am
dear bodhipaksa,
well i hav managed to get both mantras in my new bought Daily Practice mantra Book from swayambhunath stupa but its in tibetan… is it ok?
well wishes,
Comment from indukumuda
Time: February 7, 2011, 8:08 am
n i suppose u should involve the seven linear prayer to guru rimpoche(padmasiddhi) too. trust me its really owesome!!
Comment from Bodhipaksa
Time: February 7, 2011, 9:49 am
I'm familiar with and love the seven-line prayer to Padmasambhava. I've never thought to include it here, although perhaps I should.
Comment from Bodhipaksa
Time: February 7, 2011, 9:56 am
I don't think it makes much difference what language the mantra is in if we don't understand the literal meaning of the mantra (assuming it has one). If a mantra has a literal meaning then presumably it's better to understand that since the mantra is then working on more levels (that is, in addition to the mantra being a pleasant sound that we're mindful of, and the chanting being a devotional act, it's also a source of meaning). But if we don't understand the literal meaning of the mantra (which is the case, for example, when I chant anything in Tibetan) the mantra is still effective as a practice of devotion and mindfulness. It doesn't seem to me to make much difference whether the sounds we're chanting (and don't understand) are in Sanskrit, Tibetan, or some mangled form of one of these languages — which is often the case :)
Comment from Jayarava
Time: February 7, 2011, 11:37 am
Hi Bodhipakṣa,
Some thoughts on this discussion, which probably won't be new to you, but perhaps to others.
It used to matter to Buddhists that pronunciation was correct. Kūkai mentions this matter in his writings on several occasions and one of the main reason that Siddhaṃ writing survives in Japan 1200 years after being introduced by Kūkai is for the phonetically accurate transcription of mantras. That said almost no one, not even Indians, pronounce Sanskrit as it was pronounced in Medieval times when mantras were composed. Tibetan has very wide variations in pronunciation in Tibet let alone in the West.
Not withstanding any of this, Buddhists never seem to have bothered much with what a mantra means. What a mantra does – the magic it performs – has always been the primary thing. There is no traditional text that I know of which goes into what mantras mean in the semantic sense – though I know of several which explore associations not related to the words, but to individual syllables, or even parts of syllables. Mantras occur in texts to accompany and 'empower' specific actions usually, or to invoke particular deities.
So I agree with you that mantra is effective in devotional and mindfulness practices, and in these contexts pronunciation is less of an issue if the intention is clear. Though I would argue that pronunciation has aesthetic value even here.
BTW I have an accurate version of the 7 line prayer in Unicode Tibetan and Roman if you want (i need to update visiblemantra because it has errors) – checked by a friend who speaks Tibetan.
Best Wishes
Comment from Indu_kumud
Time: February 8, 2011, 4:58 am
To both venerable,
Then i guess i should insert both of the mantras (of tara and auspicious mantra of 8 Bodhisattva) with their accurate meanings. yet i apologies, for it can be done only after a month. since i am to appear for school leaving board exam from an army boarding school, its impossible to contact you till then.
with wishes,
(p.s.: i'm to learn tibetan right after this exam in my three months vacation)
Comment from Bodhipaksa
Time: February 9, 2011, 4:16 pm
Thanks for your contribution, Jayarava. I think a lot of modern practitioners in the west are interested in the literal meanings of mantras, beyond associations with the syllables. It's interesting that that's a new phenomenon.
Comment from Jayarava
Time: February 10, 2011, 4:55 am
Hi Bodhipakṣa
Yes. I've tried to provide literal meanings on my website where I can find them out.
I suppose there is a fundamentally different world view behind mantras that it is hard for us to experience them as intended by their composers. Foucault talks about the kinds of changes that the European Enlightenment brought in his book 'The Order of Things' – knowledge coming primarily through resemblance and association was replaced by knowledge through difference and distinctiveness.
The associative link ups based on number – 5 syllables, 5 wisdoms, 5 poisons etc; 6 syllables, 6 elements, 6 realms, etc – don't make sense to us in the way they made sense in medieval India.
Also Saussure brought in the idea that syllables have only an arbitrary connection to what we mean when we speak, which pervades modern scientific linguistics. This precludes the syllable making *any* sense on it's own. There is some research which undermines this view, but it is difficult to get published. Margaret Magnus's book Gods of the Word presents her PhD work to a general readership. I think eventually it will tie in with the philosophical work of Mark Johnson and George Lakoff who are exploring the way that physical interactions with the world structure metaphor and other abstract modes of thought.
The parts of the brain which control hand and mouth motor neurons are both near the language centres of the brain. So I think modern science may be drawing us back to an understanding of the symbolic richness of spoken sounds. Not there yet though.
Of course there are lot of Romantics and other EE dissenters around who are happy to just chant. Sometimes I enjoy just chanting too without knowing or needing to know why I enjoy it. Especially in big groups.
Comment from ray
Time: February 23, 2011, 2:18 pm
I am very intrested in buddism, but my only problem is i live in leeds, west yorkshire, UK. There isnt anywhere that i can borrow books from, i have looked in libuarys but none have any i can not afford to buy them as i am on a very low income ( social security) im also disabled. I was wondering if there is anywhere that i can get or rercieve them from free. I do have my Malla and only mantra i know is Om mani padme hum and would like to know more mantras. I hope that you can help me. thankyou ray
Comment from Aníbal
Time: February 25, 2011, 3:03 am
Hi Ray:
Probably you can go to any Buddhist Centre in Leeds and they can help you. Remember, practice and readings must go together:
Jamyang Buddhist Meditation Centre
Leeds Buddhist Centre
If you prefer Zen Buddhism:
International Zen Association UK – Leeds Zen Group
If you prefer Tibetan:
Sakya and Karma Kagyu Tibetan Buddhist Centre – Kagyu Buddhist Group Leeds:
I hope this can help you!!
Comment from ray
Time: February 25, 2011, 3:49 pm
Thankyou Anibal
for your help i have e-mailed them to see how much it will cost and with me being disabled on crutchs no right kneecap and due to have my left one removed so i cant kneel so im hopeing that they will help i would love to learn buddhism as i have my owm malla prayer beads and only mantra i know like i said is Om mani padme hum and would love to learn more mantras and prayers and be a buddist not monk as i cant but thankyou for your help again Ray
Comment from indukumud
Time: April 4, 2011, 8:19 am
namo tassa bhagawato arahate sammasam buddhasa…………
anyone wid its possible meaning???
Comment from Bodhipaksa
Time: April 4, 2011, 9:43 am
Hi. Yes, it's namo tassa bhagavato arahato sammasambuddhassa, and it means veneration (namo) to him (tassa) the blessed one (bhagavato) the worthy one (arahato) the fully and perfectly awakened one (sammasambuddhassa). It's not a mantra, but a common salutation to the Buddha.
Comment from Indu-kumuda
Time: April 17, 2011, 7:29 am
Greetings Bodhipaksa,
I though to put this here as for the good of it's readers.
Mild description-praise to twenty-one Tara:
(Om tare Tuttare ture swaha)
:OM, obeisance to Tara, revered and exalted
Homage to Tara, swift and courageous
Who dispels all fear with mantra 'Tuttare'
Who liberates by giving all benefits by 'Ture'
With the syllable Swaha I bow to you.
Twenty-one salutations:
1* Homage to the saviouress, swift and courageous,
Whose gaze is quick as a flash of lightening,
Who on a tear from the face of Chinrezig
Sprang forth from a billion-fold lotus pistil
2* Homage to her whose face is like
The accumulation of a hundred full moons of autumn,
Who like a cluster of thousand stars
Radiates light that clarifies everything.
3* Homage to her who is golden blue-green,
Whose hand is adorned with the water born lotus
Charity, endeavor, austerity and peace,
Patience and Samadhi are the field of her action
4* Homage to her, the crown jewel of Tathagatas,
She who enjoys the most infinite victory,
Whoever obtains all the transcendent virtues,
Those heirs of the Conqueror take her support.
5* Homage to her who by 'hung' and 'Tuttare' mantra
Fills all space, directions and realms of desire,
Pressing the seven worlds under her feet
She brings all and everything into her power
6* Homage to her whom Indra, Agni and Brahma
Vayu, Ishvara and all the gods worship,
Elements, Gandarvas and zombie-like demons,
All malevolent spirits give praise before her.
7* Homage to her who by 'trat' and 'fet'
Destroys evil forces conjured by magic,
Right leg folded, left extended pressing down,
She consumes them completely with her raising blaze of
8* Homage to her, the swift fearsome one,
She who obliterates the most tenacious of devils,
With her lotus face wrinkled in wrath,
She annihilates all enemies without exception.
9* Homage to her who displays the mudra of three precious
With their fingers perfectly ornamenting her her heart,
Who quakes all directions without exception
By the effulgence of light from the wheel in her hand.
10* Homage to her who spreads sublime joy
From the glittering garland of lights on her crown,
From great peals of laughter from 'tuttare' mantra
She brings demons and universe under her power.
11* Homage to her, the assembly of protectors of earth
She has the power to summon them forth,
By 'hung' and the movement of her furious grimace
She completely delivers all destitute beings.
12* Homage to her whose crescent moon diadem,
All bejeweled, glows dazzlingly,
Who from Amitabha atop her vast flow of hair
Streams forth continuous rays of white light
13* Homage to her amidst a fire like kalpa's end
She sits at the center of garland of flame
With her right leg extended and left indrawn, those
who are joyful when the Dharma wheel turns
She completely subdues their numerous foes.
14* Homage to her who slaps the earth with her palms
And tramples it under her feet,
Who by 'Hung' and her wrathful expression
Dominates the beings of seven netherworlds.
15* Homage to her, mother of bliss, mother of virtue,
mother of peace,
She who herself is the peace beyond suffering,
By her root mantra with 'swaha' and 'om'
She overcomes even the heaviest of defilements.
16* Homage to her, those who feel great joy at the turn of
the wheel,
She annihilates the very bodies of their enemies,
By the arrangement of ten syllable awareness mantra
Surrounding 'hung', she is the mother who liberates.
17* Homage to her, swiftly stamping her feet
She is the manifest form of syllable 'hung'.
Meru, Mandara and Vindya mountauns
And even the three worlds she causes to tremble.
18* Homage to her, rounded like a heavenly lake
Is the hare-marked moon she holds in her hand,
By repeating 'phet' with the second Tara mantra
She clears away every last trace of poison.
19* Homage to her served by the king of assembled deities,
By the gods and other muse-like divinities,
With the sheer brilliance of her armour of joy
She dispels all in auspicious dreams and quarrels.
20* Homage to her, opened like suns or full moons
Her two eyes shine forth bright light,
By reciting 'hara' with the second 'tutara'
She eradicates the most violent epidemics.
21* Homage to her whose array of three syllables of
Has the power to perfectly pacify everything,
The hosts of demonic, malignant and zombie-like
Spirits are vanquished by 'Ture', the unsurpassable
{This fulfils the twenty-one salutation to the exalted Tara}
thank you!
Comment from Indu-kumuda
Time: May 4, 2011, 11:20 pm
hi ray,
In my opinion, I would be of great benefits if u learn more upon the exalted Tara and her mandala. And her mantra, benfits, bodhisattva dharani and worship. This would bestow great bliss to you.
thank you!
Comment from +Nick
Time: July 27, 2011, 8:53 pm
I would like to know a saying to read or chant to someone in a coma.
Comment from Bodhipaksa
Time: July 27, 2011, 10:48 pm
I would think the best thing would be something that is meaningful to them. If this person is or was a Buddhist, then their favorite Buddhist text. If they were not Buddhist, then perhaps a novel by their favorite author. If there's some residual consciousness present, would it not be best to present it with what it itself would find interesting and stimulating?
Comment from Kelvin
Time: July 27, 2011, 11:03 pm
Dear Nick,
Ten years ago, my wife went into coma. There is very slim hope in her case after her operation. I recited the Medicine Buddha sutra, though she didn't get well, but she did open her eyes and gripped my hand and that was the last look she got. She passed away half an hour later.
Best to you and May the blessing of the Triple Gems be with this person and you and all loved ones.
Comment from Lalitha
Time: October 27, 2011, 6:18 am
I began spending half hr listening to the chant Om Mani Padme Hu for a few days…just over a week or so now…and the innumerable changes it has brought about already is Amazing. I listen to it on my way to work and the way back and some mornings too to keep my perpetual anger at my employees at bay…and wonders of wonders…suddenly I find myself listening to my own calm and peace…and especially the beauty of silence when surrounded by utter chaos…It all comes down to Belief I think…I went about searching for something related to the Buddha to make me accept my anger and move forward to peace and calm…found the chant in ur site and here I am….learning my baby steps to a peaceful calm mind. Thank you very much for being around…deep inside this vast world of the web…yet so close…Thank you. Peace!
Comment from heeral
Time: November 29, 2011, 9:13 am
Respected Bodhipaksa,
i really appreciate the way you have been helping people out of their pain.
I m a doctor … and its just a diagnostic branch i am in. Patients do tell me at times… that just by my touch their pain was relieved. Even one of the senior surgeon had told me — i have a healing touch!' Things are good in most part of life.
But, i lost my father when i was in school. later i got separated frm my husband. And i made a friend last year… and we promised we will be best friends forever. But somehow .. he is now gone for no reasons. I just wonder , the people i adored the most left me. and i was deprived of love & care most of the times.. even thou i gave my best to them.
Can you suggest me some divine way / chant .. so that i can regain the friendship !
It appears silly. But for me … it is a very painful thing to realize that without any reason .. my friend suddenly dosent even feel like talking to me!
Comment from Bodhipaksa
Time: December 2, 2011, 11:14 am
Hello, Heeral.
Thanks for your kind words. It's good to know that what we do here is seen and appreciated.
I'm pleased to hear that you have a healing touch. I'd guess that you're a kind person, and that you express this in your physical contact with your patients.
I'm afraid I don't have any faith in mantras as "magical" instruments. I think they can give us confidence, and that they can make us calmer, and that they can help us to be kinder and more compassionate. And I believe that all these qualities can make us more attractive to other people. But I don't believe that they can directly attract people to us.
Sometimes when we say, as you did, that something happens "for no reason" we know we're not really speaking accurately. When someone acts, they act for a reason. And if this friend is not in your life, he has his reasons. So what I wonder is, can you find out what these reasons are? And if you can, can you work to get closer to him again (if his reasons allow), and can find acceptance if his reasons for not being with you are insurmountable?
This is where mantras can be helpful. They can help you find the courage to ask questions and to make contact. They can help you have the kindness not to impose on the other person if your contact is unwanted. They can help you have the patience to accept what can't be changed. But you also have to act, and to communicate.
Comment from Chan
Time: December 13, 2011, 11:05 pm
Hello everyone
HI I JUST WANT to ask that is there a way to stop this MANtra? because my sister said that she has a mantra and she's talking to herself everyday and said that he can talk to people thru her minds and sometimes she cant sleep because of talking to the voices that she hears. pls someone who have a mantra to can explain what happen to my sister because it looks like she is crazy.
pls help me
Comment from Bodhipaksa
Time: December 13, 2011, 11:09 pm
Hi Chan.
I'm sorry to hear about this. Your sister needs urgent psychiatric help. This isn't a question about mantras, or how to stop mantras. If someone is imagining that their toaster is sending them messages you don't go to a toaster repair shop to ask them how to stop the messages. You take the person to a shrink.
I wish you and your sister well. She's seriously ill, but she can probably be helped, at least a little, with medication and therapy.
Pingback from Where Shikantanza is bench pressing Mantras are pushups « Zen@330
Time: December 26, 2011, 8:17 pm
[…] start over, not a big deal. It's kinda like meditation lite. Here are some common mantras http://www.wildmind.org/mantras/figures. Some people put some (what I have found to be frivolous) importance on which mantras you do, how […]
Comment from sapna
Time: January 27, 2012, 8:51 pm
My father is missing from last 7 days. Please help me if is there any mantra which can help me find him back or any news of him? Please I need help…its so painful!
Comment from Bodhipaksa
Time: January 29, 2012, 4:52 pm
I'm sorry to hear that your father is missing. I don't think Buddhist mantras work in the way that you're hoping they do, but they can help to calm your mind and take the edge off of your anxiety. I'd recommend the Avalokiteshvara mantra to relax you. and the Vajrapani mantra for courage.
Comment from Kelvin
Time: January 29, 2012, 7:12 pm
Dear Sapna,
Try reciting Avalokiteshvara mantra, it would be helpful.
Best to you.
Comment from Genspa
Time: January 30, 2012, 6:14 am
have been searching for an MP3 version of the Short Mandala Offering "Sa zhi po kyi jug shing me tog tram ……… zhing la cho pa shog" and the Taking Refuge and generating Bodhicitta "Sang guya chho dang ….. gya drub par shog". Is there somewhere I can locate these two for download?
Comment from Bodhipaksa
Time: January 30, 2012, 9:18 am
Someone else might, Genspa, but Tibetan mantras and chants are way outside my sphere of knowledge.
Comment from Windsong
Time: July 29, 2012, 1:32 pm
Hi, I am relatively new to the mantras and I would love to know if someone could assist me in the breakdown of some mantras' meanings?
For eg, the specific meaning of the Black Tara mantra…
Om Tare Tutare Ture (this much I do know the meaning of) bade ? berthagg ? waran ? Naya ? Jo ? Soha( this meaning I do know)
Orange Tara
Om Tare Tutare Ture basi ? dari ? soha
Red Tara mantra
Om Tare, Tutare, washem ? kuru soha
I would so appreciate any help in understanding the specific meanings of the words followed by a question mark.
In fact, I have been googling for hours now in hopes of finding the sanskrit meaning of the word. This understanding would so enhance my using of the mantra.
Thank you for assisting me in this quest, sort of driving quest to find out what I am saying in the mantra prayers.
Comment from Carolyn
Time: September 10, 2012, 8:16 am
What is the meaning of the mantras chanted by tibetan monks at the ceremony that happens before they start to make a sand painting? During this time they gather around the place where they will make the sand painting.
Comment from Bodhipaksa
Time: September 10, 2012, 9:37 am
I don't know, I'm afraid. The mantras are probably specific to each particular mandala, and the chanting probably includes a lot more than mantras.
Comment from craig
Time: October 1, 2012, 5:29 pm
Hi Bodhipaksa
I am really happy to come across this website and read the knowledge you share.
I want to propose to my girlfriend and am looking for a buddhist mantra to inscribe onto something that will bless the marriage, remind us to be compassionate towards each other, and ultimately use our marriage for the benefit of all other sentient beings.
Will GuanYins Om mani padme hum be appropriate in asking for compassion on ourselves and towards all others? Perhaps you know of another more appropriate mantra?
Thank you so much for any thoughts you can share. I only have 24 hours so very much hope for your reply.
Thank you!!!
Comment from Windsong
Time: October 6, 2012, 5:29 pm
Hi, I just wanted to pass along an idea for a mala. I made one to honor the Taras. I chose the Grean, Red, White, Blue, Yellow and Orange. I then strung beads of nine of each color divided by a brown bead between each. This way, I can address Them when I have only a short time to do a mala. I placed a dzi bead at the beginning and a Quan Yin jade below that. It is my way to use the colors as a guide. I also have done a 20 day Practice for the first time and had extraordinary results. So, now I am doing a 39 day Practice and having even more extraordinary results in my life….so many that I am compiling a "Gratitude List" everyday.
One gratitude on the list is having found this site….for real!!!
Comment from Bodhipaksa
Time: October 9, 2012, 1:56 pm
The best mantra is probably "Sorry, I have to study" whenever anyone asks you to do something else, or whenever you feel like getting distracted by Facebook :)
But additionally, the Manjushri mantra is traditionally associated with intelligence, the arts and sciences. Did you know that research has shown that people perform better on tests if they think of a professor figure beforehand? I'd imagine thinking of a wise Bodhisattva like Manjushri would have the same effect. Good luck with your exams!
Comment from Steph
Time: October 10, 2012, 3:10 am
It is alright if the mantra is repeated in my head, instead of saying it aloud?
Comment from Bodhipaksa
Time: October 10, 2012, 3:13 pm
Yes, indeed. This is very commonly done, especially as part of a visualization practice.
Comment from Bodhipaksa
Time: November 21, 2012, 8:33 am
I'm sure some people regard mantras as being like magic spells that can make our wishes come true. But I don't think that's a very helpful attitude.There's the question of whether our wishes are kusala (not based on greed, hatred, or delusion) or akusala (based on greed, hatred, or delusion); the idea of using a spiritual practice to fulfill a grasping or hateful desire is bizarre.
Mantras should help us let go of unskillful attitudes. But if our desires are skillful — like a natural wish to be free from suffering or to become more compassionate, mindful, wise, and to benefit others — then, yes, mantras can help bring about those wishes.
Comment from Kiran
Time: December 16, 2012, 12:02 pm
My son was in drugs. He got out of it and now he is sinking back in. Is there any mantra that can help him. Please advice
Comment from Bodhipaksa
Time: December 16, 2012, 3:16 pm
Hello, Kiran.
My heart goes out to you and your son. The big questions are: does he want to get off of drugs, and is he trying to get off drugs? If both those things are the case, then a mantra (any mantra) would help him keep him mind clear of thoughts of addiction, but that of course can't be enough in itself. In terms of meditation, undertaking a course in vipassana may be more helpful in giving him a greater ability to work with his desires…
All the best,
Comment from Gina
Time: February 16, 2013, 8:33 am
Hi Bodhipaksa,
I am new to Buddhist practice. I realy know nothing at this stage. I do know that it feels right for me, I have a lot to learn. How to meditate, who the Buddhas are. I live in Ireland and there are not many Buddhist organisations here. I would love to get some feedeback from you if possible. Sadly my sister Clare committed suicide last April 2012, my only sibling and my parents are gone too, please tell me if her karma is still in turmoil and what happens to a suicide person. Any advice on how I can live a good fulfilling life and help others? Are you on FaceBook? thanks and I love this site very much. Gina (Galway, West of Ireland).
Comment from Bodhipaksa
Time: February 17, 2013, 8:49 pm
Hi, Gina.
I'm sorry to hear about your losses. What a painful thing to experience.
Unfortunately there are no easy answers to your question. A traditional Buddhist answer would be that suicide is not an escape from pain, and that the person who kills themselves will be reborn. We cause ourselves much of our own suffering, unfortunately, and we each have to learn to live more skillfully so that we can experience peace. No one can know where your sister is now, but if she is somewhere then Buddhist teachings would say that she'll have further opportunities to learn and to find peace.
But for you, I'd suggest that Buddhism encourages us to be open to the discomfort of uncertainty. The Buddha seemed to suggest that some things are unknowable, and that we find our own peace by living with, and being comfortable with, that not-knowing.
I can imagine there aren't too many Buddhists in Galway. I hope that our site can offer you some guidance in meditation. Under the "meditation guides" link above you'll find several different meditation practices. I'd suggest starting with mindfulness of breathing and lovingkindness meditation.
Comment from Aniboul
Time: February 17, 2013, 10:40 pm
Hi Gina!
I've looked around and I've found a buddhist centre in Galway that belongs to the Zen school, Sôtô lineage, I hope you will find out the guidance and the peace you need.
Galway Zen Dojo
Bridge Mills O'Connell Street, Galway, Ireland
Tel: 35 (0) 91 529484
Tradition: Soto Zen
Comment from Gina
Time: February 23, 2013, 8:53 am
Hi Bodhipaksa,
Thank you for your reply. For someone starting off like me which mantra should I try? and how do you pronounce it? I have heard of different types of Buddhas and mantras and it is a bit confusing. I would need mantras for health, work, peaceful state of mind.. so not sure where to start. Thanks for all your advice. Gina
Comment from Gina
Time: February 25, 2013, 10:32 am
Hi Aniboul,
Thank you for the info. Appreciate that. Another question, do you know if there is a book like the'bible' that the original Buddha would have written with all the guidelines and help? Sorry I dont know where to start. There are so many different streams and a bit confusing. Would like to learn the right thing to do. Gina
Comment from Bodhipaksa
Time: February 25, 2013, 11:05 am
Hi, Gina.
The Buddha didn't actually write anything. He passed on teachings by word of mouth, and those teachings were passed on down the generations for several hundred years before they were written down. When they were written down, the result was a body of writing something like seven times larger than the bible. Some of it isn't very readable, and it's not organized in a way that makes it very accessible. For example it doesn't start with the easy teachings and then work its way to the more difficult ones. If you want to read the original teachings along with some commentary, I'd suggest Bhikkhu Bodhi's In the Words of the Buddha, which is really excellent. But you might want to start with a good introductory book to Buddhism, like Sangharakshita's Guide to the Buddhist Path, or Buddhism for Beginners by Thubten Chodron.
Comment from Aniboul
Time: February 25, 2013, 11:28 am
Hi Gina,
I recommend to start with "One Dharma. The Emerging Western Buddhism" by Joseph Goldstein. Its a perfect book for beginners. Goldstein goes straight to clarify the essential points of Buddhist Teaching, using the approach of different Buddhist lineages and schools.
The Buddha himself didn't write anything. Now, Buddhist Scriptures (like the Bible) were written originally in Pali Language by the monks, following the Buddha's passing. It is called "Tipitaka", or "The Three Baskets" and are divided into three main books: The Discourses Basket (Suttanta Pitaka), it means, the discourses given by the Buddha; the Discipline Basket (Vinaya Pitaka), which the Monastic Codes for the monks and nouns; and the Trascendental Teachings Basket (Abhidhamma Pitaka), which is a compendium of the Buddha's Teachings. The length of the Tipitaka is equivalent to 15 Bibles, and takes many years of study and guide. This Tipitaka belongs to the Theravada school. Mahayana school also has a Tipitaka, but was written in sanskrit and then translated to Chinese, Tibetan, Japanese, and other languages, and includes another Discourses given by the Buddha, not recognized by the Theravada Lineage. Apart from that scriptures, there are Commentaries, Treatises, etc, that makes Buddhism to have an enormous literary production. Due to this situation, I specially recommend the book written by Joseph Goldstein. in Amazon you can find it only for EUR 11,56.
Comment from Gina
Time: March 4, 2013, 5:51 am
Hi Bodhipaksa,
I want to say thank you for all your help. I have so many things to learn and obviously cannot ask you everything. It will take time. I was wodering one thing, if we start now in this life time to learn what we can to achieve enlightenment and we do very well or even better than we were living before, what happens when we start a new life in rebirth? do we have to start all over again to learn Buddhism and hoping that we become enlightened in the next life? in other workds will our subconscious be aware of our previous practice and move us in the right direction? cause it would seem an awful waste to work hard in this life and then to have to do it all over again from scratch?? Is this a stupid question.. I love this site and thank you so much for being here to help and guide every one.. With peace.
Comment from Bodhipaksa
Time: March 4, 2013, 8:23 am
Traditionally, it's said that any "merit" (positive qualities) we've developed in this life will be carried into the next, but there's no guarantee we'll hold onto them. But if you have a kind of spiritual curiosity that leads you to reflection and meditation in this life that's likely what will happen in the next. However, it's only when we've attained the first level of enlightenment (Stream Entry) that we're guaranteed not to slip back. That's definitely doable in this lifetime. Lots of people get there, although it can take a couple of decades of practice.
Comment from Gina
Time: March 4, 2013, 9:00 am
Thanks for that. So what is Stream Entry? how do I do this now in this lifetime in order not to slp back when reborn again? sorry but you are very helpfull and I appreciate your time in responding. Thank you. Gina
Comment from Bodhipaksa
Time: March 4, 2013, 9:48 am
Hi, Gina.
I wrote a couple of articles that touch on this:
I have another post I've been working on as well. I must get back to that.
But for now, in terms of practice, I'd suggest just working on mindfulness of breathing, lovingkindness practice, and being mindful and kind in daily life. All of this takes us in the direction of Stream Entry.
Comment from Gina
Time: March 24, 2013, 7:22 am
Hi Bodhipaksa,
Just wondering if we create our own problems with our mind and how we think, hoe does it work for animals.. do they creat their own suffering (cancers, depression?) as I am involved with animals I was curious to know if they are able to create with thought too.
I am feeling very unsettled and my mind is not stable and calm, I have a lot of stresses and tension, and I get very irritated easily do you have any mantra or suggestion for an easy calming balm that I can use to give peace and not to go down the road of anger and our of control language etc… Thanks once again. Gina
Comment from Bodhipaksa
Time: March 24, 2013, 1:48 pm
Hi, Gina.
We certainly create some of our problems with our own minds, which is why one situation might be a pleasure for one person and yet intensely stressful for another. And to some extent that's true for animals as well. You'll know very well that different animals have their own personalities, and some are more fearful or confident than others. As far as I'm aware, though, animals don't have much (or any) capacity for managing their emotions. You or I can experience fear and make a decision to overcome that fear, for example by reassuring ourselves. I'm not sure an animal can do that.
For a mantra, I'd suggest some words from Saint Julian of Norwich: "All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well." I find it very reassuring… I bet you didn't think you'd be given a Catholic mantra by a Buddhist teacher :)
All the best,
Comment from Gina
Time: April 30, 2013, 10:29 am
Hi Bodhipaksa, How do I stop being angry? I live with an ex-boyfirend which is soon to change but until then I have to share my home. He makes me so angry and I do lose control and I hate it. I feel so bad that I do this. Any advice? also I just bought a lovely lady Buddha statue and wanted to know a good name for her? any lady Buddha's that were inspiring that I could use their name?? Many thanks Gina
Comment from Bodhipaksa
Time: May 1, 2013, 12:01 pm
Hi, Gina.
"Stopping being angry" is a rather lofty goal, and it might be better to think in terms of being more patient, or being less angry. Lovingkindness practice helps a lot. So does mindfulness practice, which helps you to become more aware of the mind's tendency to drift off into angry thinking, so that we can let go of our angry thoughts. When you do let go of an angry thought, you'll probably notice that you're experiencing an uncomfortable sensation somewhere in the body — usually around the solar plexus. Notice the pain, and send it your love…
Comment from Bodhipaksa
Time: May 1, 2013, 12:03 pm
Oh, the female Buddha will already have a name :) It may be Tara (a good Irish name for you!) or Prajnaparamita, or Guan Yin. If you can point me to a photo of her I can probably tell you who she is.
Comment from Gina
Time: May 2, 2013, 7:06 am
Hi Bodhipaksa,
Thanks again for your words. My statue is the Buddha of friendship. She is holding her hands in a prayer with a smile and it says this is called Namaste. It says the namastle Buddha symbolises warmth and goodwill to all you enter the home. A dot shows the third eye and the earlobes are elongated to symbolise the Buddha is all hearing to your needs. Do you know her? and a name I could put to her?
Finding things very hard at the moment, I feel that I have lost everything, from my sister's death to relationship failure and now I have to move house to downsize.. I am trying so hard to get peace but my mind is agitated.. I feel at rock bottom and want to move forward. Thanks again for your help. Gina
Comment from Bodhipaksa
Time: May 2, 2013, 11:20 am
Hi, Gina.
I'd really have to see a picture to be able to say.
I'm sorry, as well, to hear about the pain you're experiencing. One thing that can be very helpful is to put our situation in perspective, because of course we never lose "everything," and to value and feel gratitude for all the things that we do have. So I have some gratitude reflections that might help you feel more even-minded in the face of the painful changes you're experiencing, and in fact here's a whole bunch of articles on the topic…
Comment from gina
Time: September 22, 2013, 6:07 am
Hi Bodhipaksa,
I have been learning a lot about Buddhism since I last was in contact with you. Things have improved a bit since last time we connected. But my problem is how to stay calm and react when someone outs you down, taunts you, and I did get upset when I asked for 20 euro help for food as my first payday is next week and I was a little short. I helped this man before many many times, she I found out the money I gave him went to his ex wife. So when he didn't help me with that 20 euro I found out he gave 100 to his ex wife for his kids. That does hurt, now I will struggle to eat next week trying to do my job and he is jobless and living n my house. He was my ex, and I can't seem to get any peace, he interferes in everything. Please help me find a way NOT to react hen he puts me down etc. As you know my sister took her own life and this man has not given me the chance to grieve as I am dealing with him all the time. I want to be on my own. I want peace.
I am going to Nepal next year on a pilgrimage and can't wait. Please reply to me. Thank you. Gina
Comment from Bodhipaksa
Time: September 23, 2013, 10:01 am
Hi, Gina.
I'm sorry to hear that you've been having a hard time.
It's not easy to comment on the kind of situation you describe, especially since I don't quite understand the situation you describe. But in general I'd suggest that it's best to accept that it's painful to be in the situation where you expect help from someone but don't get it. Let go of the story and just notice your pain — with mindfulness. Take an interest in the pain. Let go of any thinking that arises around it. Give the pain loving attention, like you would give loving attention to a child who was in pain. Responding this way can help you deal with what's going on inside you.
But then there's how you deal with what's going on outside you. There's the issue of communicating how you feel. And then if you want to be on your own then that's something you can follow through on, if that seems appropriate. But all of this is in the realms either of advice from friends or from a therapist, and so it's not something I can provide.
All the best,
Comment from franklin
Time: November 28, 2013, 2:36 am
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
Comment from Bharath
Time: June 17, 2014, 2:07 am
'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:
ॐ प्रमर्दने स्वाहा – oṃ pra-mardane svāhā
Comment from Rick
Time: July 29, 2014, 6:53 pm
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.
Comment from Bodhipaksa
Time: July 31, 2014, 10:18 pm
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.
Comment from Eric
Time: August 6, 2014, 10:00 pm
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.
Comment from Bodhipaksa
Time: August 25, 2014, 7:18 pm
I'm guessing you'd be interested in lovingkindness meditation, Eric.
Comment from Rinchen Lhamo of Nyingma Dharma House
Time: January 5, 2015, 12:05 am
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
Comment from Dolma
Time: May 7, 2015, 5:41 am
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!
Comment from zeniah
Time: July 1, 2015, 2:15 am
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?
Comment from Bodhipaksa
Time: July 2, 2015, 10:10 pm
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.


text:
Michael Jackson: After Life
June 25th
The Last Days of Michael Jackson: Part 1
After last rehearsal, star tells concert promoter: "I'll take it from here."
The Last Days of Michael Jackson: Part 2
What happened inside the Jackson home on the night before his death?
The Last Days of Michael Jackson: Part 3
Jackson's doctor, Dr. Conrad Murray, comes under scrutiny after star's death.
Michael Jackson's Dollars and Cents
How Jackson made and spent a mountain of money - and how he felt about it.
Michael Jackson: Legacy
Usher, Justin Bieber and other stars talk about influence Jackson had on them.
More Michael Jackson
Decades of Working With Star Gave Three Stylist Friends Unique Insight Into the Real Michael Jackson
Teen star on King of Pop: "He was an all-around entertainer... He did it all."
"Thriller" insiders reminisce about moment King of Pop ascended to his throne.
Behind the Death of Michael Jackson
MJ Attorney: FBI Files Are 'Almost Vindication' Lawyer: Jackson family 'shocked' by scope of FBI file on late Michael Jackson.
Jackson Doc Murray Again Treating Patients Murray, focus of Michael Jackson death investigation, reopens medical practice.
Raids Not First Law Run In for Jackson's Doc Dr. Conrad Murray, arrested in '94, continues to be focus of manslaughter probe.
Celebrity Coroner: Jackson's Death Latest in High-Profile History From Jackson to Marilyn Monroe, it's a stopover between glamour and grave.
Propofol: Jackson's 'Milk of Amnesia'? The anesthetic propofol was a "contributing factor" to the pop star's death.
Like Father, Like Son? Conrad Murray's Dad Once Cited for Medical Misconduct Revelation comes after raids that sought to tie murray to crime of manslaughter.
MJ's Doc a Focus of Manslaughter Probe Warrants show cops sought evidence tying Conrad Murray to manslaughter.
Watch: Jackson's Doctor's Texas Office Raided L.A. police raid Dr. Murray's clinic, the doctor who was with M.J. when he died.
Watch: Jermaine Jackson: Leave Him Alone
Michael Jackson's brother says he is sick of the media's portrayal of M.J.
Jermaine: No 'Abnormal Behavior' From MJ
Michael Jackson's brother sounds off on the media's portrayal of the pop king.
Deal Close on Jackson Concert Video
Sources say Sony may pay up to $50 million for rights to final footage.
Jackson Doc Denies Death Probe
Arnold Klein, Michael Jackson's dermatologist, says he is cooperating with cops.
M.J. Friend: Fire Didn't Cause Addiction
Friend and dancer recall horrifying day when Michael Jackson's hair caught fire.
Watch: '84 Accident: M.J.'s Head Ignites in Flames
Jackson said the incident triggered his addiction to prescription drugs.
Photos Show Jackson's 'Unusual' Punctures
Expert tells ABC News puncture marks on Jackson's leg are "very unusual."
Jackson Docs Turn Over Medical Records
As cops probe doctors, family says Jackson was addicted to prescription drugs.
Jackson Patriarch Fears 'Foul Play'
Joe Jackson tells ABC News that he 'couldn't believe' son's death.
Jackson Given 'Clean Bill of Health' to Perform
Michael Jackson was "always negotiating and renegotiating."
Federal Drug Agents Asked to Join Michael Jackson Death Probe
DEA division investigates pill mills, regulates prescription drug authority.
Did Michael Jackson Get His Diprivan?
A nurse says the pop star demanded the risky anesthetic in his last days.
Jackson Was in 'Fantastic Shape,' Trainer Says
Michael Jackson's trainer said the singer was energetic and ready to tour.
Could Better CPR Have Saved Michael Jackson?
More details on the emergency treatment of the pop star come to light.
TRANSCRIPT: Doctor in Room When 911 Call Made
'Is there a witness?' 911 operator asks.


text:
Flexible e-paper mass production imminent; color version soon after?
We could soon be seeing broad commercial availability of both flexible e-paper and color e-paper displays, if rumors regarding manufacturer Prime View International (PVI) pan out. Industry sources are suggesting that PVI are preparing to mass produce flexible electrophoretic displays (EPDs), which use a TFT backplane with an electrophoretic frontplane based on E Ink technology, and will follow that up with color displays using the same processes.