The Origins of Om Mani Padme Hum: Discovering the Kāraṇḍavyūha Sutra
From Bodhicitta
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The Origins of "Om Mani Padme Hum": Discovering the Kāraṇḍavyūha Sutra
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Description
The six-syllable mantra is ubiquitous in the Buddhist world, yet the ancient text that first introduced it remains virtually unknown. Join Bob Miller, research editor at 84000, as he "lifts the lid" on the Kāraṇḍavyūha Sūtra (The Basket's Display), a 4th-century Sanskrit scripture that reveals the compassion of Avalokiteśvara.
Key Highlights:
The Bodhisattva’s Journey: Follow Avalokiteśvara (Chenrezig/Guanyin) through a "cosmic tour of compassion," rescuing beings from the deepest hells, the realms of hungry ghosts, and even insects in a cesspit.
The Mantra Decoded: A deep dive into the meaning of Om Mani Padme Hum—how its syllables symbolize body, speech, and mind, and its power to purify the six root afflictions and close the gates to the six realms of rebirth.
As the Tibetan master Patrul Rinpoche taught, these six syllables are the essence of all mantras.
Explore this profound scripture and dwell in the awakened mind of wisdom and compassion.
Read the full translation at https://84000.co/translation/toh116
Citation
Miller, Bob. "The Origins of 'Om Mani Padme Hum': Discovering the Kāraṇḍavyūha Sutra." Produced by 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha Jun 1, 2026. Video, 10:27. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NVjQhdQ8Kng.
Interconnections
1 Scholarly presentation about
The Basket's Display (Kāraṇḍavyūha) is the source of the most prevalent mantra of Tibetan Buddhism: oṁ maṇipadme hūṁ. It marks a significant stage in the growing importance of Avalokiteśvara within Indian Buddhism in the early centuries of the first millennium. In a series of narratives within narratives, the sūtra describes Avalokiteśvara's activities in various realms and the realms contained within the pores of his skin. It culminates in a description of the extreme rarity of his mantra, which, on the Buddha's instructions, Bodhisattva Sarvanīvaraṇaviṣkambhin obtains from someone in Vārāṇasī who has broken his monastic vows. This sūtra provided a basis and source of quotations for the teachings and practices of the eleventh-century Maṇi Kabum, which itself served as a foundation for the rich tradition of Tibetan Avalokiteśvara practice. (Source: 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha)
