Om Mani Padme Hum is the best-known mantra of Tibetan Buddhism. Its six syllables are dedicated to the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, Chenrezig in Tibetan, who is revered as the embodiment of compassion. The mantra is often rendered as “Om, jewel in the lotus, Hum”; its precise meaning is disputed among scholars, and tradition ascribes a meaning of its own to each of the six syllables. Throughout the Tibetan cultural world the mantra is ever-present: carved into mani stones by the wayside, printed on prayer flags and on paper scrolls inside prayer wheels, whose turning is traditionally regarded as equivalent to reciting it. This collection brings together mani stones, prayer wheels, tingsha, rings and bangles, ghau pendants and wall hangings bearing the mantra.
