Mantra
Mantras (Skt.; Tib. སྔགས་, ngak, Wyl. sngags) are sacred syllables used in Vajrayana practice to protect the minds of practitioners from negativity and ordinary impure perceptions (the root Sanskrit terms are manas meaning 'mind', and trai meaning 'protect'). They also serve to invoke the yidam deities and their retinues.
Subdivisions
In general, mantras may be divided into:
- knowledge (Skt. vidya) mantras
- dharani mantras
- secret mantras
The Accomplishment of Wisdom Tantra says:
- The mantra, you should understand,
- Is subdivided into three.
- The vidya-mantras are, by nature, skillful means; Dharani-mantras are, by nature, wisdom;
- Secret mantras are the nondual primal wisdom.[1]
Further reference can be found in Jamgön Kongtrul, Light of Wisdom Vol. 1, page 59 & 244.
References
- ↑ Treasury of Precious Qualities: Book Two, in Longchen Yeshe Dorje, Kangyur Rinpoche and Jigme Lingpa (Shambhala, 2013), page 100.
Teachings Given to the Rigpa Sangha
- Sogyal Rinpoche, Lerab Ling, 21 July 2011
Further Reading
- Sogyal Rinpoche, The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying, revised and updated edition (Harper San Francisco, 2002)