The most universal and effective prayer you can recite in this situation is the mantra of the Buddha of Compassion, Chenrezig (Avalokiteshvara): ཨོཾ་མ་ཎི་པ་དྨེ་ཧཱུྃ། OM MANI PADME HUM.
𝙒𝙝𝙮 𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙈𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙧𝙖 𝙞𝙨 𝙋𝙚𝙧𝙛𝙚𝙘𝙩:
• Universality: It is the most well-known and recited mantra in Tibetan Buddhism, suitable for all beings and all situations, especially those involving suffering.
• Compassion: Chenrezig embodies the compassion of all Buddhas. Reciting this mantra surrounds the deceased and all involved with the energy of compassion, helping to pacify fear and suffering.
• Benefit for the Deceased: It is believed that hearing this mantra (even unconsciously) plants positive karmic seeds and can help guide the consciousness of the deceased (namshe) toward a favorable rebirth and ultimately toward liberation.
𝙃𝙤𝙬 𝙩𝙤 𝙍𝙚𝙘𝙞𝙩𝙚 𝙄𝙩:
You don’t need to know complex rituals. The intention in your heart is the most important thing.
1. Set Your Intention: As you see the vehicle, calmly and respectfully bring your mind to the present moment. Generate a sincere wish: “May this prayer benefit the person who has died. May they be free from suffering and find peace and liberation.”
2. Recite the Mantra: Silently or quietly under your breath, recite OM MANI PADME HUM as many times as you can until the vehicle has passed. There is no required number.
3. Dedicate the Merit: Afterward, it is crucial to dedicate the positive energy (merit) generated by your prayer. You can say or think:
• “By the merit of this practice, may the deceased person be liberated from the lower realms and achieve the enlightened state of Buddha. May all their suffering be pacified.”
• Or more simply: “I dedicate the merit of this prayer for the benefit of the one who has died.”
𝘼𝙡𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙣𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚/𝘼𝙙𝙙𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙋𝙧𝙖𝙮𝙚𝙧𝙨
If you are familiar with other practices, these are also highly recommended:
1. The Mantra of Buddha Shakyamuni: ཏདྱ་ཐཱ། ཨོཾ་མུ་ནེ་མུ་ནེ་མ་ཧཱ་མུ་ན་ཡེ་སྭཱ་ཧཱ།
teyata om muné muné maha munayé soha
This mantra calls upon the historical Buddha, who taught extensively on the nature of death and impermanence. It is powerful for purifying negativity.
2. The Mantra of the Buddha of Pure Land (Amitabha): ཨོཾ་ཨ་མི་དྷེ་ཝ་ཧྲཱིཿ
om amidhewa hrih
Amitabha Buddha is associated with the Western Pure Land, a realm conducive to enlightenment. This mantra is recited to pray for the deceased to be reborn in such a blissful realm.
3. The Short Prayer for the Dead (Phowa Prayer): If you have been formally taught the practice of phowa (transference of consciousness), you can recite the essential line:
• “HIK” - Visualize the consciousness of the deceased as a light at their heart, ascending through the crown of their head and dissolving into the heart of a Buddha (like Amitabha or Chenrezig) in the space above.
• Note: While the full visualization is a formal practice, even just reciting the syllable with a wish for their good rebirth is beneficial if you know it.
𝙄𝙣 𝙖 𝙣𝙪𝙩𝙨𝙝𝙚𝙡𝙡 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙍𝙚𝙢𝙚𝙢𝙗𝙚𝙧:
• Respectful Attitude: The most important element is your mindset of respect, compassion, and a sincere wish to help.
• Intention over Perfection: Do not worry about pronunciation being perfect. Your heartfelt intention is what carries the power.
• A Mindful Pause: Simply stopping what you are doing, standing quietly if appropriate, and offering a moment of mindful compassion is in itself a profound practice.
By reciting ཨོཾ་མ་ཎི་པ་དྨེ་ཧཱུྃ། (OM MANI PADME HUM with a compassionate heart, you are performing a beautiful and powerful act of kindness for a stranger at a critical moment in their journey.
Phub Dorji Wang
“Tashi Delek”
“As Bodhicitta is so precious,
May those without it now create it.
May those who have it not destroy it,
And may it ever grow and flourish.”
Image courtesy: Kuensel
