Hello bonpo,
This mantra is one of the chief mantras of the Bon religion of Tibet.
I have found information about it on the web site of the Ligmincha
Institute, which was founded in 1992 to preserve the Tibetan Bon
culture: http://www.ligmincha.org/
A detailed discussion of the meaning of each syllable is available at
http://www.ligmincha.org/html/body_om_ma_tri.html The same web page
also has sound files of two ways in which the mantra is chanted. Here
is a summary of the salient points:
This mantra is one of the three heart mantras of Bon. It consists of
eight seed syllables, and its totality represent the the Sambhogakaya,
one of the three kayas or bodies of the Buddha (see further
definitions below). Links to the other two heart mantras are
available at http://www.ligmincha.org/html/3mantras.html
The eight syllables are:
OM stands for Tonpa Shenrab, the founder of Bon. The written symbol
consists of five components, which are drawn each in a different
color, representing one of the five elements. This differs from the
OM in Buddhism and Hinduism, which is not drawn with all five
components nor in different colors. The colors are white, yellow,
red, green and blue. Each of these colors represents a different type
of wisdom, these being: wisdom of emptiness, mirror-like wisdom,
discriminating wisdom, wisdom of equanimity, all-accomplishing wisdom,
respectively. Each color also stands for a different embodiment, these
being: embodiment of the dharmakaya, embodiment of the sambhogakaya,
embodiment of the nirmanakaya, essential embodiment, ultimate
embodiment, respectively.
(Definitions for the above:
Dharmakaya is “Truth Body of a BUDDHA, the pure, omniscient MIND of a
Buddha, result of the transformation of the ordinary MIND.”
Sambhogakaya is “Enjoyment/bliss Body of a BUDDHA. The physical
(psychic) form of BUDDHA's WISDOM. The transformation result of
speech, communication and LUNG. In TANTRA known as the VAJRA of speech
or the Buddha's voice.”
Nirmanakaya is “Emanation Body of a BUDDHA. The result of
transformation of the ordinary body and experience of self. It is the
transformation of the SAMBHOGAKAYA into ordinary physical form. (The
Nirmanakaya is visible to those with pure KARMA, others will just see
an ordinary being).”
From http://buddhism.kalachakranet.org/glossaz.html (Glossary of
Tibetan Buddhism, by Rudy Harderwijk) )
MA represents the loving mother goddess, Sherap Chamma (or Sherab
Jamma), the counterpart of Tonpa Shenrab. MA interacts with OM, so
that MA can also represent clarity while OM represents emptiness, or
wisdom while OM represents method. These two give rise to the other
six syllables, which represent the guiding Buddhas of the six realms
of existence.
(Information on Tonpa Shenrab is available at
http://www.ligmincha.org/html/tonpa_shenrab.html )
TRI represents Mucho Demdrug, who offers unconditional love in order
to counteract the experience of the realm of hell or rebirth, which
comes as a result of anger or causing harm to others.
MU represents Sangva Nangring, who offers generosity to counteract the
the experience of the realm of the hungry ghosts (beings of endless,
unfulfilled desire), which arises from greed or a lack of generosity.
YE represents Tisang Rangzhi, who offers wisdom to counteract the
experience of the animal realm, which arises from ignorance.
SA represents Dagin Donpung, who offers complete openness to
counteract the experience of the human realm, which arises from
jealousy.
LE represents Chegyal Parti, who offers peacefulness to counteract the
experience of the war-ridden realm of the demi-gods, which arises from
pride.
DU represents Yeshen Tshugphud, who offers compassion to counteract
the experience of the realm of the gods, which is at war with the
demi-gods, and which also arises from pride.
Reciting the mantra will invoke all six guides, and the two beings
from which they derive. It is seen as helping all the inhabitants of
each realm. The effect on the reciter is to remove negative emotions
and replace them with positive qualities.
I have also compiled some more-general information about Bon:
Bon is claimed to be the original pre-Buddhist religion of Tibet. It
is both similar to, and different from, Buddhism. It often defined as
including also the elements of the ancient shamanistic tradition of
Tibet, as in this 1989 article by Vajranatha (John Myrdhin Reynolds)
of the Vidyadhara Institute, Berkeley, California
http://www.jcrows.com/reynoldsshaman.html (web site of J. Crow
Company)
Per Kvaerne, professor of the History of Religions and Tibetology at
the University of Oslo, Norway wrote a study of Bon: “The Bon Religion
of Tibet” which was first published in1995 by Shambhala Publications
of Boston and reprinted in 2001. It is available from Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1570621861/qid=1049543939/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_1/104-6673306-1874369?v=glance&s=books&n=507846
A short summary of his study, written in 1998, is available at
http://www.hinduismtoday.com/1998/4/1998-4-13.html (Hinduism Today web
site):
Kvaerne maintains that the elements of Bon doctrine closely resemble
that of Buddhism
“The view of the world as suffering, belief in the law of moral
causality (the law of karma) and the corresponding concept of rebirth
in the six states of existence, and the ideal of enlightenment and
Buddhahood, are basic doctrinal elements not only of Buddhism, but
also of Bon. Bonpos follow the same path of virtue and have recourse
to the same meditational practices as Buddhist Tibetans.”
However, there is a difference in ritual practice, and also in the
specific deities of the two traditions.
“Traditionally, all Tibetans assiduously follow the same methods of
accumulating religious merit… practices include turning prayer wheels…
circumambulating sacred places… hoisting prayer flags; and chanting
sacred formulas or engraving them on stones or cliffs. It is only when
these practices are scrutinized more closely that differences appear;
the ritual movement [in the Bon tradition] is always counter-clockwise
and the sacred mantra is not the Buddhist "Om mani padme hum," but "Om
matri muye sale du." … the deities are, in fact, different (although
belonging to the same range of divine categories) with regard to their
names, mythological origins, characteristic colors and objects held in
their hands or adorning their bodies.”
Bon is said to have been introduced into Tibet many centuries before
Buddhism, which has been seen by bonpos as a false religion that
fought against Bon. It is said to have prospered in the land of
Zhangzhung, which Kvaerne places in western Tibet, around Mount
Kailash. However, the original source is said to be a semi-mythical or
mythical land called Tazik or Wolmo Lungring (Olmo Lung Ring), which
has not been identified with any geographical entity. This was the
home of Tonpa Shenrap, whom the bonpos see as the true Buddha of the
present age. It was Tonpa Shenrap, who originated the rituals used in
Bon.
Scholars initially considered Bon to have taken all its ideas from
Buddhism. However, they are now coming to the view that it has its
own tradition. While some Bon texts have been influenced by Buddhism,
so have some Tibetan Buddhist texts been influenced by Bon.
An article entitled The Bonpo’s Tradition on the web site of the
Office of Tibet, the official agency of the Dalai Lama
(http://www.tibet.com/Buddhism/bon.html ) gives further details.
Tonpa Shenrap is said to be one of 18 enlightened teachers who will
appear in this aeon, and he is the one for the current age. He is
believed to have studied the elements of Bon in heaven, after which he
promised to guide the people of this world. Bon practically
disappeared in Tibet between the 8th and 10th centuries, but was
passed on through sufficient followers to allow its reappearance in
the 11th century. More than 300 monasteries were established in Tibet.
Following the Chinese occupation of Tibet, monasteries have been
established in India and Nepal, of which the Menri Monastery in exile
is the most important. Monks are taught philosophy, monastic
discipline, ritual, religious dance, grammar, medicine, astrology and
poetry, as well as a modern educational curriculum.
Further references:
Shamanism In The Native Bon Tradition Of Tibet By Tenzin Wangyal
Rinpoche http://www.sacredhoop.demon.co.uk/HOOP-07/BON.html (Web site
of the Sacred Hoop Magazine)
Mount Kailash: sacred mountain in the Bon religion, Buddhism, Hinduism
and Jainism http://www.sacredsites.com/final40/352.html (Sacred Sites
web site)
Web site of the Menri Monastery in exile: http://www.tibetanbon.com/
Web site of the Jamma Foundation, an organization which supports bonpo
nuns in Nepal http://www.jammafoundation.org/ :
Search strategy: initial search was on “Om matri”. This retrieved
some web pages which indicated that the mantra was from the Bon
religion of Tibet and provided general information, but not the answer
to this question. I then searched on: bonpo mantra to find the
analysis of the mantra. A further search on dharmakaya retrieved the
Tibetan Buddhist glossary. |
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