Om Mani Padme Hum

Rooting around in the garden today, I came across this stone, carved with the Sanskrit mantra Om Mani Padme Hum. Used by some Buddhists, including Tibetans, it literally means the Jewel in the Lotus. Although it has 6 syllables, it might be considered to be two compound words, rather than the way I've written it. Some say it is the sounding of the syllables that is important, rather than the meaning, though there are many views and associations on this. But the Dalai Lama says to meditate on the meaning. The only bit I remember is that padme means lotus and represents Wisdom. Some meditator, huh!

Each syllable has its associated colour, though any colour on mine has long since been worn away by the weather. Om is white, ma is green, ni is yellow, pad is blue, me is red and hum is black.

I picked this up as a touristy thing in some long ago far place, I forget where, but the importance for me is that those people had almost nothing and selling their inscribed stones helped put food in their bellies.