The mantra of the historical Buddha named Siddhartha Gautama is known as the Shakyamuni mantra. The term “Shakyamuni” means the ‘sage of the Shakyan clan’. This is referred to the man who was born in the late Vedic era into the Shakya clan and later came to be known as the Buddha. The mantra stands for the pious heart of the Buddha and so the yogis and practitioners who recite this mantra are believed to absorb the essence of the Buddha’s sacred heart. The mantra has also come to be known as the Heart Mantra of the Great Sage.
The Shakyamuni mantra in Sanskrit is recited as:
https://thestupa.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Shakyamuni-Mantra-blk-300x77.png 300w" alt="" width="750" height="193" />Just like the majority of the Buddhist mantras, the Shakyamuni mantra has different meanings associated with it but it is the literal English translation of each word in the sentence given above that reveals the meaning and essence of this potent mantra and allows for people to better understand it.
Om – While some believe the word ‘Om’ has rather conceptual meaning, it typically reflects upon the awareness of the universe. ‘Om’ is used to start several mantras and can simply be taken as what means opening yourself to embrace the truth of what is coming next, i.e., what follows the recitation of the mantra.
Muni means sage or wise one.
Maha is translated as great or supreme.
Soha is the term that is typically interpreted to mean hail or greetings.
So the phrase in the Shakyamuni Buddha mantra given above can be broadly interpreted in the English language to mean: “Om wise one, wise one, greatly wise one, wise one of the Shakyans, hail!”
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