Lama Zopa Rinpoche

Practice Series
Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition

The Ārya Wisdom Mantra of Six Syllables

In the language of India: Ārya ṣaḍakṣara vidyā

In the language of Tibet: phag pa yi ge drug päi rig ngag
In English: The Ārya Wisdom Mantra of Six Syllables

Homage to all the buddhas and bodhisattvas.

Thus have I heard at one time. At the time when the Destroyer
Qualified Gone-Beyond One1 was staying in Śrāvastī, the Destroyer
Qualified Gone-Beyond One said to the Venerable Ānanda:

“Ānanda, the wisdom mantra of six syllables was set forth by the
six fully perfected buddhas, the four world protectors, and the
twenty-eight great yakṣa leaders. Ānanda, hold2 this queen of
wisdom mantras of six syllables. Keep it,3 recite it, and understand
the meaning of it completely.

TADYATHĀ / DANTILE / KANTILE / DAṆḌIMATI / MADHUMATI /

MARAṆḌI / KORAṆḌE / DRĀVITI / KOŚĀRI / CHAṬAJE /
DUDUMANI / KETUMATI / CUDUNDHE / KAUṬADANATE /
TAHURURE / ENANIGE / HUTAVAHUNI /

“This, Ānanda, is the wisdom mantra of six syllables.

“The wisdom mantra of six syllables protects, completely saves,

completely protects, and completely guards from being stricken
by diseases of the brain, diseases of the eyes, diseases of the ears,
diseases of the teeth, diseases of the nose, diseases of the tongue,
diseases of the heart, diseases of the stomach, diseases of the
back, diseases of the ribs, diseases of the urinary system, diseases
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of the calves, diseases of the feet, diseases of the limbs, diseases

of the secondary limbs,4 indigestion, swelling, obstructions of the
womb; sicknesses that arise from wind, that arise from bile, that
arise from phlegm, and those that arise from a combination of
these;5 extremely serious contagious diseases; contagious diseases
of one day, two days, three days, and four days; momentary con-
tagious diseases; contagious diseases of the day, and contagious
diseases of the night. It pacifies and brings about happiness and
wellness. It frees from punishment, frees from weapons, and neu-
tralizes poison. Ānanda, I do not see any beings—devas, māras,
Brahmā, those training-in-virtue,6 and brahmins or anyone in the
world of gods, humans, and asuras—whose heads will not be
cracked into seven pieces like the petals of the arjaka flower by
the sprinkling with water or binding with thread7 if they transgress
this.

TADYATHĀ / AṆḌARE / PAṆḌARE / KARETE / KEYŪRE /

BHŪTAṂGAME / BHUTAGRAHE / BHUTAPRAKṢITE /
BHUTAYASMARAYANI / PRIYĀVANITE / JAVATI / YAŚOVATI /
GIRIṆINI / ŚARĪṆINI / May happiness and wellness arise for me in
the face of all danger and harm SVĀHĀ

When the Destroyer Qualified Gone-Beyond One proclaimed this,

the One with a Meaningful Life,8 Ānanda, and the whole world
with its gods, humans, asuras, and gandharvas rejoiced and highly
praised what the Destroyed Qualified Gone-Beyond One had
taught.

The wisdom mantra called Ārya Six Syllables is complete.

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Colophon:
Translated from the Tibetan by Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Kachoe Dechen Ling,
Aptos, in November, 2005. Scribed by Ven. Holly Ansett. Edited by Joona
Repo and Ven. Tenzin Tsomo, FPMT Education Services, 2021, based on Ārya
ṣaḍakṣara vidyā, 'phags pa yi ge drug pa'i rig sngags, in bka' 'gyur dpe bsdur
ma, vol. 90, BDRC W1PD96682, Beijing: krung go'i bod rig pa dpe skrun khang,
2008, 642–645. Final copy edited by Ven. Tenzin Tsomo and Doris Low, FPMT
Education Services, November 2021.

Notes
1 Tib. bcom ldan 'das, Skt. Bhagavān.
2 Tib. gzungs. This refers to memorizing the mantra.
3 Tib. chongs. This refers to keeping the mantra on the body.
4 Tib. nying lag. The minor parts of the body, such as fingers and toes.
5 Tib. 'dus pa las gyur pa.
6 Tib. dge sbyong, Skt. śramaṇa, i.e. monks and nuns.
7 The water and thread in this instance would have been blown on with the
breath after reciting the Six Syllables mantra. Blessed in this way, the water
can also be sipped each day, while the thread can be worn on the body as a
protection.
8 Tib. tshe dang ldan pa, Skt. Āyuṣmat. This is a title of respect that is roughly
equivalent to “Venerable.”