Shakyamuni Mantra

Om muni muni mahamuniye svaha

Shakyamuni Buddha was a king known by the name of Siddhartha Gautham.

He renounced his kingdom to become a sage to help mankind rid of the sufferings and poverty. The name Shakyamuni Buddha signifies the one who belongs to the Shakyan tribe.

The mantra chanted in his name can help to bring mental balance, peace and tranquility to the person who chants.

The mantra of Shakyamuni Buddha is said to be the spirit of the Buddha, the essence of his enlightenment. It is in no way separate from the Buddha himself.

Once Shakyamuni Buddha was teaching his disciples, and a fly came and sat on his forehead. He casually struck it off while talking, without consciousness, mechanically. Suddenly, he stopped talking and to the surprise of his disciples, he closed his eyes and became silent. His face became luminous and he slowly swatted his hand over his forehead as if the fly was still there.

The disciple asked, “What are you doing? The fly has gone!” He replied, “Now I am consciously moving my hand. First time I was too busy talking and therefore was unaware of the movement. One should be conscious of all the moments of life.”

This is what Buddha means when he talks about mindfulness: being present in the moment. To become so alert, that even the small acts, small gestures, small movements become full of awareness. This, in itself, is an act of meditation.

The right mindfulness can be achieved by meditation quite naturally. Once it is awakened, your mind will be peaceful and your awareness more consistent. Then, whatever you do, you are there, present in that particular moment, right there, with awareness.

Here’s the meaning of the mantra ‘Om muni muni mahamuniye svaha’:
Om – aum – represents the infinite consciousness
Muni – learned sage
Maha muni – greatest of the great sages
Svaha – hail/ absorb

In English it means “In this wide universe, oh greatest of the great sages, I hail and absorb you into me”.
When this mantra is chanted in the original Sanskrit language the syllables uttered carry vibrations that can help to bring positivity to the chanting person.

Chanting of this mantra can take you into a path of awakening where your mind is rid of any thoughts or actions. It remains still and this is known as ‘dyana’. Once you withdraw from the world around, you enter into a world of pleasure and peace. This awakening leads to enlightenment/ absolute bliss.

This world is not permanent. There is no point in clinging to it. Material pleasures, family, friends are all meaningless when it comes to attaining immortal bliss. To achieve that (immortal bliss) you need to meditate and reach a stage where you’re in tune with the higher existence that propels you on the path to salvation.

Chanting ‘Om muni muni mahamuniye svaha’ is said to be the essence of Buddha which means enlightenment. Mantras have energy.

The creative sound produced by chanting this mantra can create magic in your life. It transcends this external world and vibrates within your nervous system to produce absolute bliss.