What is the meaning of the mantra of Amitabha Buddha?
Introduction
Om Ami Dewa Hrih is the sacred mantra of Amitabha (Amitayus) Buddha, who protects you from obstacles and dangers and overcomes all hindrances to your success.
This chant is also known as “Dharani for pulling out karmic obstructions by the roots and obtaining birth in the Pure Land” or ”Rebirth Mantra.”
In Tibetan Vajrayana Buddhism, Buddha Amitabha, also known as Amitayus or Amida, is considered one of the five Dhyani Buddhas (together with Amoghasiddhi, Akshobhya, Vairocana, and Ratnasambhava) or the Five Wisdom Buddhas who is associated with the western direction and the skandha of saṃjna, the aggregate of distinguishing and the deep awareness of individualities.
His name translates as “Limitless Light” or “Infinite Light,” so He is also called “The Buddha of Immeasurable Life and Light”.
Amitayus Buddha is the head of the Lotus family. This family includes some of the most famous Bodhisattvas and Buddhas, including Padmasambhava, Avalokiteshvara, Tara, and Shakyamuni Buddha.
As head of the Lotus family, He works for the enlightenment of all beings, and manifests boundless compassion, defending and welcoming all into His Pure land, the Western Paradise, from where the attainment of Enlightenment is certain.
His most important enlightenment technique is the visualization of the surrounding world as a paradise.
Who sees his creation as a paradise, awakens his enlightenment energy.
In Shingon Buddhism, Amida Buddha is seen as one of the thirteen Buddhas to whom practitioners can pay homage.
Shingon (one of the major schools of Buddhism in Japan), like Tibetan Buddhism, also uses special mantras for Amitayus Buddha, though the mantras used differ.
In addition, He is also one of the Buddhas featured in the Womb Realm (the metaphysical space inhabited by the Wisdom Kings) Mandala used in Shingon spiritual practices and sits to the west, which is where the Pure Land of Amitābha is said to dwell.
In Vajrayana Buddhism, He is known for his longevity attribute, the aggregate of discernment, magnetizing red fire element, pure perception, and the deep awareness of emptiness (sunyata) of phenomena.
In Chinese, his name is given as Amituo Fo, where Amituo is the Chinese representation of the first 3 syllables of either Amitayus or Amitabha, and Fo is Chinese for Buddha.
Origin
According to the Larger Sutra of Immeasurable Life, Buddha Amitayus was a monk named Dharmakara.
In some versions of the sutra, he is described as a former king who, having come into contact with the Buddhist teachings through the Buddha Lokesvararaja (the 53rd Buddha in the history of existence), renounced his throne.
Dharmakara then resolved to become a Buddha, and so to come into possession of a buddha-field of many perfections.
These resolutions were expressed in his 48 vows, which set out the category of Buddha-field Dharmakara aspired to create, the conditions under which sentient beings might be born into that world, and what kind of sentient beings they would be when reborn there.
“If upon the attainment of Buddhahood all sentient beings in the ten quarters who aspire in sincerity and faith to be reborn in my land, recite my name up to 10 times and fail to be born there, then may I not attain the Perfect Enlightenment.” – Buddha Amitabha
Iconography
Amida Buddha is said to display 84,000 distinguishing and auspicious marks reflecting his many virtues. When standing,
He is usually depicted with the left arm bare and extended downward with thumb and forefinger touching, with the right hand facing outward also with thumb and forefinger touching.
When He is seated, Amitabha Buddha displays the meditation mudra. He can also be portrayed holding a lotus in his hands while displaying the meditation mudra.
Note
It can be difficult to distinguish Shakyamuni from Amitabha (and any Buddhas in general) as both are depicted as possessing all the characteristics of a Buddha but with no distinguishing marks.
”We take refuge in the Tathagata Amitabha. Be it thus: that Immortality has become, that Immortality has perfectly become, that Immortality has progressed, that Immortality is progressing, going forward in the glorious Transcendental Way – Swaha!”
Buddha Amitabha (Amitayus) short mantra:
” Om Ami Dewa Hrih.”
Meaning:
Om represents the enlightened body, speech, and mind;
Ami represents Buddha Amitabha;
Dewa represents the deva realms, 6 desire realms, and Brahma realms;
Hrih represents the seed syllable of compassion.
Chanting Om Ami Dewa Hrih mantra benefits:
Reciting this mantra enhances your compassion, purifies the veils of negative karma, and increases your love, thereby destroying self-grasping. Similar to the 6 syllables, Chenrezig mantra, the 6 syllable Amitabha mantra, stands for the 6 Paramitas, the antidote to the 6 afflictive emotions.
Chanting the Om Ami Dewa Hrih mantra helps us clear away mental clutter so that we can focus on what truly matters in life. It helps us gain clarity on our goals and intentions so that we can take action to achieve them more effectively.
Moreover, chanting this mantra with a sincere heart 300,000 times ensures that Amida Buddha will sit atop the crown of your head and guard and protect you day and night.
This mantra is also used as a preparation requirement for another, even more, powerful practice – Phowa (also known as the transference of consciousness at the time of death or the practice of conscious dying) – a conscious dying practice when we send our consciousness into the heart of red Buddha, feeling what exactly does happen at the moment of death.
