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- How to Visualize Mantra Sounds
- by Master Samantha Chou
- Translated by Janny Chow
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This year, Purple Lotus Society's annual Lunar New Year Purification,
Blessing, and Bardo Deliverance Ceremony conducted by Vajra Master
Samantha took place on January 28th, 2001 at the Purple Lotus Buddhist
School in Union City, California. Several hundred people attended
the ceremony. Many students who could not physically attend the
ceremony also sent in their names for blessing. Since the Personal
Deity of the ceremony was Kuan Yin Bodhisattva, the monks and nuns
of Purple Lotus Society have set up a beautiful shrine decorated
with crystal lotuses and statues of Kuan Yin (see front cover).
After the ceremony, Master Samantha gave a dharma teaching to the
audience. The following is an excerpt of that talk pertaining to
"how to visualize mantra sounds."
The name of Kuan Yin Bodhisattva literally means "observing
the sounds." Instead of listening to the sounds, one observes
them. Grand Master has taught us before to observe the sounds. How
does one observe the sounds? It is very simple. Earlier, during
the ceremony, we were all chanting Kuan Yin's Heart Mantra of "Om
Mani Padme Hum." We began our ceremony by clapping our hands
and chanting "Om Mani Padme Hum." When we join our palms
and greet each other, we chant "Om Mani Padme Hum." We
also chant this mantra when we pay homage to the Highest Consciousness
of the Universe. Each of the six Sanskrit syllables of Om Mani Padme
Hum is associated with a color. Yet, how many people see the colored
Sanskrit syllables in their mind when they chant the mantra?
Let me ask all of you, is there anyone here who is able to visualize
the Sanskrit syllables and their colors each time he or she chants
the mantra? Raise your hand if you do. I will immediately present
you a Kuan Yin statue from the shrine here. No? If you don't want
to show off by raising your hand now, you can come and tell me in
private. [Master and audience laughter] What I have just described
is "observing the sounds."
Outside, under the big tree at the school's courtyard, we have
on display a banner with the Sanskrit syllables of "Om Mani
Padme Hum" in colors. White, green, yellow, blue, red, and
black. But how many people really engage their whole being to visualize
the syllables? To write them out, to memorize them, and to visualize
them during chanting? For example, when we chant "Om, Ah, Hum"
to invoke the blessing of the three lights from our Guru, how many
of you are really visualizing the Om Sanskrit syllable emitting
white light, the Ah syllable emitting red light, and the Hum syllable
emitting blue light? To be able to do this is to get profoundly
into the practice.
Each time you chant the six syllables of the Kuan Yin's Heart Mantra,
"Om Mani Padme Hum," visualize the colored syllables and
their lights shining on you. This is observing the mantra sounds.
It is tantamount to chanting the mantra in the heart of your heart
--- a secret within the secret. You will no longer engage the practice
at an ordinary level, but rather at its secret level. Naturally,
the magnetic field created this way between Kuan Yin and you will
not be like other people's.
That is why I often urge you to enter into your heart and engage
your whole being in whatever you are doing or learning. By engaging
your mind in a more profound level, you will be able to carry out
the task in a more refined, focused, meticulous, and successful
manner.
"Kuan Yin" is simply to observe the sounds. Bring the
colors and lights and syllables into your heart and fill your whole
body with the spinning rainbow lights of the syllables. This will
purify the body, mind, and speech. "Om Mani Padme Hum"
comes in through the crown chakra, goes down the throat chakra,
the heart chakra, the navel chakra, and the root chakra. While listening
to each sound, visualize its syllable and color. Bringing the seed
syllables into the heart-lotus of your body.
Just doing this Kuan Yin practice can bring you great achievement
in your cultivation. When I learned that this was what "observing
the sounds" meant, my whole body-mind opened up. It is the
same mantra, it depends on how one chants it. While others may only
chant with the lips, you chant with your mind and visualize the
syllables emitting light. Visualize each syllable clearly, then
over time you will naturally find your body to be filled with these
six syllables. They will be spinning inside your body. When you
open your mouth to speak, what comes out will be the lights of "Om
Mani Padme Hum." You may be saying the same thing as someone
else, but your words will be more powerful.
When you engage your mind in the Buddha constantly and have the
Buddha abiding in your heart-lotus all the time, you will transform
yourself into oneness with the Buddha. When that happens, you will
naturally be able to accomplish many things others find impossible.
For example, others have to sleep ten hours each day, you only need
two to three hours of sleep and still have a great deal of energy.
You won't waste all those hours sleeping in bed. This is a very
secret key. After learning this today, go and start chanting "Om
Mani Padme Hum" with your mind instead of just your lips. Learn
to write the syllables and visualize the lights emitted from them.
Let them merge into your body, speech, and mind. When your body,
speech, and mind are constantly being illuminated by these lights
from the syllables, they will naturally become purified.
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