The meaning of Oṃ Maṇi Padme Hūṃ

Six syllables, endlessly repeated across the Himalayas — carved into roadside stone, printed on prayer flags, rolled inside prayer wheels, and counted on mala beads. It may be the most widely spoken phrase in the Tibetan world. Here is what it means, and how it is used.

The mantra of compassion

Oṃ Maṇi Padme Hūṃ is the mantra of Avalokiteśvara — in Tibetan, Chenrezig — the bodhisattva of compassion. It is often glossed as “the jewel in the lotus,” but its meaning is layered: each syllable is traditionally associated with a quality to be cultivated and an obstacle to be released.

It is not a wish for luck, but a training of the heart toward compassion.

How it is used

The mantra is recited aloud or silently, often counted on a 108-bead mala; it is set in motion in a prayer wheel, where a paper scroll of the mantra turns with the drum; and it is left to move on the wind through printed flags. In every form the intention is the same — attention and compassion, repeated until they become familiar.

We describe traditional meaning and use only, and make no claim that a mantra or object produces a guaranteed result. All Tibetan text on this site is reviewed with native readers before publishing.