Reflecting on Om Mani Padme Hum

Reflecting on OM MANI PADME HUM

OM MANI PADME HUM


Evening came, the day sort of winded down; I sat down chanting quietly to myself the mantra of OM MANI PADME HUM whilst trying to still my tsunami mind, as I began to calm I suddenly remembered an image I once saw of our Divine Mother Kuan Yin Pusa. She was dressed in a Robe the Color of Moonlight, her face in a total expression of peace absorbed in meditative calmness and seated in the lotus position with her hands in a mudra of meditation while cradling a Pristine Wish-Fulfilling Jewel.

I started to reflect on how Om Mani Padme Hum relates in any way to an image of a lovely lady seated in meditation cradling a Gem? I first reflected on the qualities of Mother Kuan Yin, Gentle, Loving, Kind, Nurturing and Protecting. While holding the Wish Fulfilling Jewel symbolizes that she can fulfill all our virtuous wishes, prayers and aspirations, I then realized that the TRUE Wish fulfilling Jewel was not the pearl or gem in her hand, but HER qualities, for if we all are embodied with her qualities a huge portion of our sufferings would be automatically eliminated and the rest would be really much easier to pacify and quell.

While contemplating on Om Mani Padme Hum, it occurred to me a small part of what Mother Kuan is trying to impart upon us. The sound of OM, if I remember correctly from many years ago, during one of the teachings in KYCO when it was still located in Jln. 225, we were advised to be mindful when we chanted the OM at the beginning of a session because OM is the sound of Heaven, OM is the sound of purification and most of all within OM itself contains the energy of the creation, sustenance and destruction of the whole Universe! Therefore, I thought to myself, OM must be the embodiment of our Divine Mother, her power to create happiness for us, her loving care to sustain us till we reach our goal of Kuan Yin-hood and her tireless efforts to destroy all that brings us harm. Such is the loving personal attention Kuan Yin Mother gives to each and everyone who will call upon her.

While OM is the sound of Heaven being the 1st syllable of the mantra, I thought HUM must be the sound of Earth. I pictured OM MANI PADME HUM like a life-line of light to the heavens extended by Kuan Yin to rescue us from suffering, where HUM is the anchor-hook for us to hold on to while she rescues us. HUM I believe is also the sound of peace at the end of a bell. HUM is the sound of silence from where we hear the sound of quietude. An in HUM is when we hear the sound of Kuan Yin mother and feel her blessings in our hearts. HUM is therefore the sound of Kuan Yin’s Stainless Wisdom. So when we are able to develop Wisdom, we can follow that life-line and be rescued from suffering.

When I looked into the syllables MA and NI, MA came to my heart as Mother and NI as Father, for it is through the kindness of our parents that we even exist! From the combination of Ma and Ni, MANI arises, and MANI means Jewel. Each child is regarded as a most precious Jewel to every parent, which is why even within Kuan Yin’s mantra, she reminds us to always remember the kindness of the Mother and Father. It is therefore in each parent’s wishes that their children will grow up to be as valuable as a Wish fulfilling jewel… the very BEST that they can be. From that thought, I understood that Kuan Yin who is our Spiritual Mother AND Father also wants the same for us, that eventually we will ALL arise as Wish-fulfilling jewels to others, by removing the sufferings of others and bringing them happiness. She nurtures and develops us to a point where we eventually do not look for hope and love from others, but that we BE the giver of that Hope, and a source of that Love and Comfort for others.

With her wishes, Kuan Yin mother also shows us the method to achieve the state of being a Wish-fulfilling Jewel for others. She opens up the method to us in PADME. PAD is to develop selfless love for all beings, ME is to strive for the Light of Mindfulness to attain wisdom. In PAD I believe, Kuan Yin is telling us to; “go be kind, go be caring and go be helpful!!!” In PAD she gently encourages our practice with activities of Loving Service, and in ME she reminds us to reflect upon the pain of others, to help us make a resolution to be even more adamant in helping others out of pain and suffering, in short to develop the mind of Devotional Love. PADME also means Lotus which I think is also an indication apart from just activities of the body; we have to also sit on our lotus cushions and start to tame our minds and develop our inner Higher Qualities through meditation to match the outer activities, so that like the lotus flower, we will victoriously rise above the mud and grime of our own negativities, and be a source of Love and Light, just like Kuan Yin Mother herself.

So as I see it, OM MANI PADME HUM is a way of Kuan Yin Mother reassuring us that while we are still spinning helplessly around samsara between Heaven (OM) and Earth (HUM) her blessings and rescue efforts will never stop. Between Heaven and Earth is where she will envelop us all in her Precious Love, (MANI), to give us a chance to practice the blessed path of Love and Light while seated in the stillness of Contemplation and Meditation (PADME) to ultimately develop the mind of enlightenment.