The Bodhisattva Mañjushrî

Mañjushrî is an ancient Buddha who vowed to emanate throughout the universe as the always youthful, princely Bodhisattva of Transcendent Wisdom. His special purpose is to lead the audiences of the Buddha in the inquiry into the self, to discover the true nature of reality. He is usually depicted holding the text of the Transcendent Wisdom (Prajnaparamita) Sutra in his left hand and the double-edged sword of analytic discrimination, which cuts through all delusions, in his right.

Mañjushrî raises his hands in front of his heart in the teaching gesture. He sits comfortable in the pose of ease atop an ornate lotus pedestal whose base is decorated with winding vines and cavorting lions, probably a reference to the lion mount he sometimes rides.

Mañjushrî carries with his right hand the double edged sword able to cut through illusion and with his left hand a blooming lotus that supports a volume of the Prajnaparamita Sutra. He is depicted as a youth of sixteen years in order to convey the Buddhist insight that wisdom is not a matter of mere experience or years, but results from the cultivation of intellectual genius, which can penetrate directly to the bedrock of reality.

Wisdom is considered the most honoured virtue in Buddhism, called the Mother of all Buddhas, since only wisdom makes possible the great bliss of total freedom from all suffering that is the goal all living beings. Thus, Mañjushrî is one of the most important of all Buddhist deities.

Manjushri's mantra:
Om A Ra Pa Ca Na Dhih

This mantra has absolutely no conceptual meaning. The syllables are the first syllables of each line of the Avatamsaka Sutra, which is a text concerned with the Perfection of Wisdom (Prajñaparamita).

Pronunciation notes:
a is pronounced as u in cut
c is like ch in church
ii is like ee in bee
The final h in dhiih has the effect of producing an echo sound. So the syllable is pronounced dhii-hii.

The Heart Sutra

Prajnaparamita, the Goddess of Perfect Wisdom, and Mother of the Buddhas

The Heart Sutra

"The Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, while meditating on Prajnaparamita, shed light on the five skandhas (i.e., components of ego) and found them equally empty. After this penetration, he overcame all pain.

"Listen, Shariputra (a disciple of the Buddha), form is emptiness, emptiness is form; form does not differ from emptiness, emptiness does not differ from form. The same is true with feeling, perception, intention and consciousness.

"Hear, Shariputra, all dharmas (teachings) are marked with emptiness; they are neither produced nor destroyed, neither defiled nor immaculate, neither increasing nor decreasing. Therefore, in emptiness there is no form, feeling, intention, or consciousness; no eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, or mind; no forms, sounds, smell, tastes, touches, or mental objects; nor is there the realm of the eyes, up to and including the realm of mind consciousness. There is no ignorance or ending of ignorance; up to and including no decay and death or ending of decay and death. There is no suffering, no origination of suffering, no extinction of suffering, and no path; no knowledge and also no attainment.

"Because there is no attainment, the bodhisattvas, supported by the Prajnaparamita, find no obstacles for their minds. Having no obstacles, they overcome fear, liberating themselves forever from illusion and realising perfect Nirvana. All Buddhas in the past, present, and future, through reliance upon Prajnaparamita, arrive at full, right, and universal Enlightenment.

"Therefore, one should know that Prajnaparamita is a great spiritual mantra, a great wisdom mantra, a supreme mantra, an unequalled mantra. It destroys all suffering because it is the incorruptible truth. A mantra of Prajnaparamita should therefore be proclaimed. This is the mantra:

"GATE GATE PARAGATE PARASAMGATE BODHISVAHA."
pronounced as:
"gah-teh gah-teh, pah-ra-gah-teh, pah-ra-sum-gah-teh, boo-di so-ha"