Sounds of Truth

The Sounds of Truth...

In Tibetan Buddhist lands the most common prayer found everywhere is Om Mani Peme Hung... the mantra of Chenrezi... the Buddha of compassion. The mantra began in India and as it moved from India into Tibet, the pronunciation changed simply because some of the sounds in the Indian Sanskrit language were hard for Tibetans to pronounce.

Sanskrit pronunciation - OM MANI PADMA HUM - The mantra of Avalokiteshvara
Tibetan pronunciation - OM MANI PEME HUNG - The mantra of Chenrezi

There is an old story speaks about a similar problem. A devoted meditator, after years concentrating on a particular mantra, had attained enough insight to begin teaching. The student's humility was far from perfect, but the teachers at the monastery were not worried. A few years of successful teaching left the meditator with no thoughts about learning from anyone...but after hearing about a famous hermit living nearby...well... the opportunity was too darn good to be passed up. The hermit lived alone on an island right in the middle of a lake. The meditator hired a man with a boat to row across to the island. Once there, the meditator was very respectful of the old man. As they shared tea the meditator asked the hermit about his spiritual practice. The old man said he had no spiritual practice except for a mantra which he repeated all the time to himself. The meditator was extremely pleased for the hermit was using the same mantra. But when the hermit spoke the mantra aloud, the meditator was shocked and horrified!

"What's wrong?" asked the hermit. "I don't know what to say. I'm afraid you've wasted your whole life! You are pronouncing the mantra incorrectly!" exclaimed the visitor. "Oh, my... this is terrible...how should I say it?" asked the old one. The meditator gave the correct pronunciaton and the old hermit was very grateful. He asked to be left alone so he could get started right away.

On the way back across the lake the meditator, now obviously a very accomplished teacher, was pondering the sad fate of the hermit. "It's so fortunate that I came along. At least he will have a little time to practice correctly before he dies." Just then, the meditator noticed that the boatman was looking quite shocked, and turned to see the hermit standing respectfully on the water right next to the boat.

"Excuse me, please." he said. " I hate to bother you, but I've forgotten the correct pronunciation again. Would you please repeat it for me?" The meditator managed to say, "You obviously don't need it." but the old man persisted in his polite request until the meditator relented and told him again. The old hermit was saying the mantra very carefully, slowly, over and over, as he walked across the surface of the water back to the island.