Pema Wangyal Rinpoche
(Guru Rinpoche’s) mantra is also a gateway to the many different levels of
practice. It can be compared to a code that includes the twelve sections of the
teachings and the different degrees of profundity of the philosophy that they
contain.
Furthermore, it contains all the information that meditators need. That
information is always present within us, but it remains hidden by our
blindness. The diligent practice of this mantra awakens the wealth of knowledge
that lies in the depths of our mind…
Reciting or chanting Padmasambhava’s mantra opens the heart to others’
difficulties, thus becoming a source of healing both for ourselves and others.
It enables us to invoke the enlightened beings and, in particular, Guru
Rinpoche.
Each of these twelve syllables has the power to allay disease and clear
obstacles. Together, these sacred syllables prevent disturbances in the
elements (fire, water, wind, earth, and space), and carving them on rocks can
protect whole regions. This is, in fact, why rocks on the mountains of Tibet
are so frequently decorated with this mantra.
When it is printed on paper or cloth flags flying in the wind, its benefits and
message of peace are spread to all beings. Once the painted or written mantra
has been consecrated, it has the power to liberate and heal those who see it.
When chanted, it calms and liberates those who hear it.
There are masters who have realized the power of this mantra by reciting it
millions and millions of times and who can, by blowing on some water, transfer
to it by alchemical means the power to heal certain diseases generally
considered to be incurable. Those who have mastered this mantra have the
ability to eliminate the possible toxic effects of food and to revitalize it.
One can also post the mantra in places where many unfortunate events have taken
place. The mantra of Guru Rinpoche is, in particular, very beneficial for
families suffering the distress of a suicide, for such events create negative
energy that, if not neutralized, is sometimes passed on to another member of
the family.
Whether written or recited, Padmasambhava’s twelve-syllable mantra dispels this
energy, as well as all recurrent obstacles in general. It also has the virtue
of preventing epidemics and contagious diseases.
Even nowadays, the Tibetan masters who hold this tradition still have unusual
powers enabling them to help beings on many levels. For example, in the sphere
of medicine, my father, Kangyur Rinpoche, was famous for his mastery of this
mantra. In a number of visions, Guru Rinpoche showed him substances capable of
healing certain diseases. Doctors in Tibet traditionally made use of this
mantra, which works on very subtle levels, to enhance their healing powers…
As for the effect of this mantra, the three syllables oṃ āḥ hūṃ have the power
to purify beings of the three main poisons—aversion, attachment, and ignorance.
The syllables vajra guru padma siddhi hūṃ act more specifically on the
afflictive emotions: vajra pacifies the gross emotion of aversion and the
obscurations it produces; guru dispels the gross and subtle obscurations of
pride; padma removes the obscurations and emotions coming from attachment; siddhi
acts on jealousy and envy; and hūṃ purifies ignorance and its resulting subtle
obscurations.
This mantra deals not only with emotional disorders due to the five poisons but
also with their effects on the physical body—imbalances that upset the major
organs… It has great power to protect against external forces liable to disturb the
mind and vital organs. It can repulse and eliminate all kinds of violence if
someone with immense compassion practices it assiduously, or several people
recite it together.
Oṃ āḥ hūṃ prevents armed conflicts due to the three poisons in general.
More specifically, in relation to the five poisons, vajra (or benza) prevents
wars caused by anger; guru, those arising from pride; padma, those
caused by selfish attachment; siddhi, those motivated by jealousy and envy; and
hūng, those sparked by some sudden external influence that tips the balance of
things and, for example, drives national leaders to act irresponsibly.
According to Padmasambhava, the effect, on the subtle level, of chanting this
mantra just once is so great that if it had form, the whole universe would not
be big enough to contain it.
Writing the mantra so that it is seen and reciting it so that beings hear it or
remember it are sources of immense benefits. Chanting it in places where there
have been accidents, natural disasters, or any other difficulties prevents them
from recurring.
If you want to help a dying person or animal, you can place on their body a
consecrated copy of the mantra written in gold ink on blue paper. This will
have a beneficial influence in the intermediate state and lead that being to a
better rebirth.
Chanting the mantra in the car, or any other kind of transport, acts as an
effective protection against accidents.
You can also use it to revitalize food. At breakfast, for example, you recite
the mantra several times, and then blow on the food. Alternatively, as you
recite, you concentrate on mentally gathering the elements’ essence, which then
dissolves into the food. This will regenerate the energy in the food, restoring
balance and transforming it.
This same method can be used to bless remedies that you take yourself or give
to others, so as to increase their therapeutic effects. According to Tibetan
medicine, it is possible to reestablish the balance of the aggregates in the
physical body by using the active principles of specific plants and minerals.
However, this does not suffice to restore balance to the very subtle energy
circulating in the body, or, more especially, to the mind. For this, it is
necessary to resort to concentration and the recitation of certain mantras.
This is why in Tibetan medicine we do not just prepare medicines mechanically.
The pharmaceutical assistant concentrates with a lot of love and compassion and
uses mantras to bless the medicines while preparing them. The doctor does the
same before administering them.
This combines subtle effects with chemical effects, leading to the balancing of
subtle energies and contributing to the success of the treatment. You too can
use this mantra to bless the medicines you take.
In short, the point of practicing this mantra is not only to enable the persons
reciting it to obtain blessings and powers but also to enable them to help
themselves and others in all sorts of different ways.
So make a habit in your everyday life of chanting the mantra when you get up
and go to bed and before beginning a project, task, or journey. When you are
happy, chant it to share your happiness. If you are sad, chant it to soothe the
suffering of the universe. The benefits produced in this way will pour into you
and all beings like an endless river.
