About Nīlakaṇṭha Dhāraṇī

The Nīlakaṇṭha Dhāraṇī engraved on a stele at Fo Ding Shan Chao Sheng Temple in Sanyi Township, Taiwan
The Nīlakaṇṭha Dhāraṇī, also known as the Mahākaruṇā(-citta) Dhāraṇī, Mahākaruṇika Dhāraṇī or Great Compassion Dhāraṇī,, is a Mahayana Buddhist dhāraṇī associated with the bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara. Different versions of this dhāraṇī, of varying length, exist; the shorter version as transliterated into Chinese characters by Indian monk Bhagavaddharma in the 7th century enjoys a high degree of popularity in East Asian Mahayana Buddhism - especially in Chinese Buddhism - comparable to that of the six-syllable mantra Oṃ maṇi padme hūṃ, which is also synonymous with Avalokiteśvara. It is often used for protection or purification.
1000-armed Avalokiteśvara dated 13th - 15th century AD at Saspol cave (Gon-Nila-Phuk Cave Temples and Fort) in Ladakh

Avalokiteśvara – The embodiment of compassion

8
Aug
2022
Avalokiteśvara, Bodhisattvas, Mahāyāna, Vajrayāna
Avalokitasvara is the bodhisattva who embodies the compassion of all Buddhas. In Sanskrit, is also referred to as Lokeśvara ("Lord of the World"). In Tibetan, Avalokiteśvara is Chenrézig and is said to emanate as the , the and other high lamas. An etymology of the Tibetan name Chenrézik gives the meaning of one who always looks upon all beings with the eye of compassion. One prominent Buddhist story tells of Avalokiteśvara vowing .
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Buddhist tantras – Manipulation of the subtle body

5
Aug
2022
Mahāyāna, Tantrism, Vajrayāna
The Buddhist Tantras are a varied group of Indian and Tibetan texts which outline unique views and practices of the Buddhist tantra religious systems. Buddhist Tantric texts began appearing in the Gupta Empire period though there are texts with elements associated with Tantra that can be seen as early as the third century. By the eighth century, Tantra was a dominant force in North India and the number of texts increased with numerous Tantric pandits writing .
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Om mani padme hum on the Gangpori (photo 1938–1939 German expedition to Tibet.

The most well-known Buddhist mantras

29
May
2022
Mantras
A mantra is a sacred utterance, a numinous sound, a syllable, word or phonemes, or group of words in Sanskrit, Pali and other spiritual languages. Some have a syntactic structure and literal meaning, while others do not. One of the most ancient Buddhist mantras is the , also known as the dependent origination dhāraṇī. This phrase is said to encapsulate the meaning of the Buddha's Dharma. It was a popular Buddhist mantra .
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