Mahayana Mantras

[ChangYuan]

Are there any mantras that people use regularly in the Mahayana traditions besides the Amitabha's name, and the daimoku in Nichiren? I personally find chanting practice to be very focusing, and am always interested in what others do for that type of practice.

[Malcolm]

Are there any mantras that people use regularly in the Mahayana traditions besides the Amitabha's name, and the daimoku in Nichiren? I personally find chanting practice to be very focusing, and am always interested in what others do for that type of practice.

Om mani padme hum -- Avalokiteshavara
Om tāre tuttāre ture svāhā -- Tārā
Om a ra pa cha na dhiḥ -- Manjushri
Om muni muni mahāmuni śākyamuni svāhā -- Buddha
Tadyatha gate gate paragate parasamgate bodhi svāhā -- Prajñāparamita.
Tadyatha om bhaisajya bhaisajya mahābhaisajya rājā samudgate svāhā -- Medicien Buddha

[ChangYuan]

Are there any mantras that people use regularly in the Mahayana traditions besides the Amitabha's name, and the daimoku in Nichiren? I personally find chanting practice to be very focusing, and am always interested in what others do for that type of practice.

Om mani padme hum -- Avalokiteshavara
Om tāre tuttāre ture svāhā -- Tārā
Om a ra pa cha na dhiḥ -- Manjushri
Om muni muni mahāmuni śākyamuni svāhā -- Buddha
Tadyatha gate gate paragate parasamgate bodhi svāhā -- Prajñāparamita.
Tadyatha om bhaisajya bhaisajya mahābhaisajya rājā samudgate svāhā -- Medicien Buddha

Aren't the Manjushri, Medicine Buddha and Prajñāparamita mantras that require empowerments?

[pemachophel]

There's also the Ganapati-Ganeshwara mantra in the Ganapati-Ganeshwara sutra just to name one more.

[Malcolm]

Are there any mantras that people use regularly in the Mahayana traditions besides the Amitabha's name, and the daimoku in Nichiren? I personally find chanting practice to be very focusing, and am always interested in what others do for that type of practice.

Om mani padme hum -- Avalokiteshavara
Om tāre tuttāre ture svāhā -- Tārā
Om a ra pa cha na dhiḥ -- Manjushri
Om muni muni mahāmuni śākyamuni svāhā -- Buddha
Tadyatha gate gate paragate parasamgate bodhi svāhā -- Prajñāparamita.
Tadyatha om bhaisajya bhaisajya mahābhaisajya rājā samudgate svāhā -- Medicien Buddha

Aren't the Manjushri, Medicine Buddha and Prajñāparamita mantras that require empowerments?

Nope.

[ChangYuan]

Nope.

Great! Would you happen to know of a good site to get the english translations of these, as well as a pronunciation guide?

[Malcolm]

Nope.

Great! Would you happen to know of a good site to get the english translations of these, as well as a pronunciation guide?

They are pretty much pronounced as they are spelled.

All 'a' sounds in Sanskrit sound as in "fall", only difference is in length ā is twice as long as a. 'I' sounds like "ee" as in "he" again, if there is a macron i.e. ī, double the length.

"ai' sounds like a cross between "bye" and "bay", it is kind of in between those two depending on region.

When reciting mantras sutra style, sing them out loud melodiously.

[Astus]

Mantra sources:

http://www.sutrasmantras.info/mantra0.html
http://www.visiblemantra.org/

[catmoon]

Also see wildmind.org for mantras, recordings, and background.

[Astus]

The Ten Small Mantras used commonly in Chinese Buddhism.

[denice]

Are there any mantras that people use regularly in the Mahayana traditions besides the Amitabha's name, and the daimoku in Nichiren? I personally find chanting practice to be very focusing, and am always interested in what others do for that type of practice.

Om mani padme hum -- Avalokiteshavara
Om tāre tuttāre ture svāhā -- Tārā
Om a ra pa cha na dhiḥ -- Manjushri
Om muni muni mahāmuni śākyamuni svāhā -- Buddha
Tadyatha gate gate paragate parasamgate bodhi svāhā -- Prajñāparamita.
Tadyatha om bhaisajya bhaisajya mahābhaisajya rājā samudgate svāhā -- Medicien Buddha

i do the above mentioned mantras daily

[Jinzang]

Khenpo Tsultrim Tenzin taught that mantras start with "tadhyatha" as an indication that they were taken from sutras. Examples are the mantras of Prajnaparamita, Medicine Buddha, and 1000 Armed Avalokitishvara.