The Origins of Oṃ Maṇipadme Hūṃ: A Study of the Kāraṇḍavyūha SūtraOṃ Maṇipadme Hūṃ, perhaps the most well-known of all Buddhist mantras, lies at the heart of the Tibetan system and is cherished by both layman and lama alike. This book documents the origins of the mantra, and presents a new interpretation of the meaning of Oṃ Maṇipadme Hūṃ, and includes a detailed, annotated precis of the Kāraṇḍavyūha Sūtra, opening up this important Mahayana Buddhist work to a wider audience. The Kāraṇḍavyūha— the earliest textual source for Oṃ Maṇipadme Hūṃ—which describes both the compassionate activity of Avalokiteśvara, the bodhisattva whose power the mantra invokes, and the mythical tale of the search for and discovery of the mantra. Through a detailed analysis of this sutra, Studholme explores the historical and doctrinal forces behind the appearance of Oṃ Maṇipadme Hūṃ in India at around the middle of the first millennium C.E. He argues that the Kāraṇḍavyūha has close affinities to non-Buddhist puranic literature, and that the conception of Avalokiteśvara and his six-syllable mantra is informed by the conception of the Hindu deity Śiva and his five-syllable mantra Namaḥ Śivāya. The sutra reflects an historical situation in which the Buddhist monastic establishment was coming into contact with Buddhist tantric practitioners, themselves influenced by Saivite practitioners. |
Contents
1 | |
1 Background to the Karandavyuha Sutra | 9 |
2 Puranic Influence on the Karandavyuha Sutra | 19 |
3 Avalokitesvara as the Buddhist Isvara | 37 |
4 Om Manipadme Hum and Namah Sivaya | 61 |
5 Om Manipadme Hum and the Mahayana | 77 |
6 The Meaning of Om Manipadme Hum | 105 |
The Original SixSyllable Formula? | 119 |
Annotated Précis of the Karandavyuha Sutra | 121 |
NOTES | 155 |
205 | |
215 | |
221 | |
Other editions - View all
The Origins of Oṃ Maṇipadme Hūṃ: A Study of the Kāraṇḍavyūha Sūtra Alexander Studholme Limited preview - 2002 |
The Origins of Om Manipadme Hum: A Study of the Karandavyuha Sutra Alexander Studholme No preview available - 2002 |
Common terms and phrases
A˚†asåhasrikå Amitåbha amount of merit appears asks asuras Avalokiteßvara Bali Bali’s Bhagavadgita Bhagavata Purana bodhisattva Brahmå bringing to mind Buddha Buddhist ƒßvara Chandra chapter Chinese Conze deity described Dharma dharmabhanaka doctrine five-syllable gods Gonda hair pores hundred Íaivite Íåkyamuni Ibid Íiva Íiva Purå¶a Íivåya Indian instance Jetavana jewel Kåra¶Âavy£ha S£tra king kinnaras Kuan-shih-yin li©ga lord lotus lotus pools lotuses ma¶Âala ma¶i Mahåyåna Mahåyåna s£tras Maheßvara mantra means merit accrued mind the name monastic Monier-Williams non-Buddhist Oµ Ma¶ipadme H£µ padme Padmottama Peking Perfection of Wisdom pra¶ava practice Prajñåpåramitå pratyekabuddha preceptor purå¶ic pure land puru˚a råk˚asƒs realm rebirth in Sukhåvatƒ recitation refers Régamey religious Rocher Saddharmapu¶Âarƒka S£tra Sakyamuni samådhis Samantabhadra Sanskrit Sarvanƒvara¶avi˚kambhin Sarvanivaranaviskambhin Satra says saµsåra seen Siva Purana six perfections six syllables six-syllable formula Siµhala Skanda Purå¶a story Sukhavati sutra tantric tathågata teaching thousand Tibetan translation Vai˚¶avite Vaidya våmana-avatåra Vårå¶asƒ verse vidyådhara vision yak˚as yogin