The White-robed Guanyin Mantra
白衣大士神咒
The White-robed Guanyin mantra is a popular chant in Chinese Buddhist practice. It is a short ritual text designed to revere Guanyin, and ask her help in daily troubles. As a folk-religious practice, the aim of this mantra is not necessarily the far-away goal of Awakening and becoming a Buddha, but the everyday concerns of healing, safety, and security.
This mantra first became popular in China during the Tang dynasty, when general interest in mantras and similar esoteric Buddhist practices became mainstream. Today this practice is a staple of Buddhist temples and home altars, especially among the devotees of Guanyin. It is believed that the mantra was taught by the White-robed Guanyin — a manifestation of the Bodhisattva, whose pure white robes represent the purity of mind, which is the aim of all Buddhist practice.
Normally the mantra is chanted in front of an image or statue of Guanyin, after lighting an incense stick, and bowing three times as a sign of reverence.
The mantra’s central part comes from India, and so it is preserved in a Chinese transliteration of Sanskrit. As with most mantras, this makes no sense in Chinese, the characters are only meant to represent the sounds. This is because when we say a mantra, we shouldn’t focus on the meaning. Instead, focus your mind on your intention, and mindfully imbue each syllable with it.
The Sanskrit mantra part is surrounded by Chinese. As an English-speaking practitioner, you have a choice here to either observe the tradition of chanting these parts in Chinese as well, or just saying their English translations. What matters is a sincerity of mind, not the strict adherence to tradition.
The ritual of chanting the White-robed Guanyin Mantra
1. Lighting incense
Light incense, hold it in front of you, and bow with it three times. Place it in the incense holder.
2. Initial Salutation
Salute the Bodhisattva by bowing and saying this line, three times:
南無 大慈 大悲 救苦 救難 廣大 靈感 觀世音 菩薩。
Námó dàcí dàbēi jiùkǔ jiùnàn guǎngdà línggǎn Guānshìyīn púsà。
Namo Guanyin Bodhisattva — loving, compassionate and powerful, delivering sentient beings from unhappiness and hardship!
3. Saluting the Three Treasures
Continue by saluting the Three Treasures: the Buddha, the Dharma (his teaching), and the Sangha (the community of practitioners). Bow once for each. (Please note, that in the translation, we add a “-ya” at the end of the words — “Buddha” becomes “Buddhaya”. This is because “Buddha”, “Dharma” and “Sangha” are Sanskrit words, and it felt better to keep it grammatically correct.)
南無佛。南無法。南無僧。
Námó Fó。 Námó Fǎ。 Námó Sēng。
Namo Buddhaya! Namo Dharmaya! Namo Sanghaya!
4. Saluting the Bodhisattva
After the Three Treasures, we salute the Bodhisattva again, with a bow.
南無 救苦 救難 觀世音 菩薩。
Námó jiùkǔ jiùnàn Guānshìyīn púsà。
Namo Guanyin Bodhisattva — delivering sentient beings from unhappiness and hardship!
5. Chanting the mantra
This is the part when we chant the Chinese-transliterated Sanskrit mantra. Focus your mind on your intention, and chant the mantra placing your full trust in Guanyin. The meaning of the Sanskrit original is roughly to transform and eliminate suffering, worries, and addictions.
怛垤哆。唵。
DA ZHI DUO。 ONG。
伽囉伐哆。伽囉伐哆。
QIE LA FA DUO。QIE LA FA DUO。
伽訶佛哆。
QIE HE FA DUO。
囉伽佛哆。 囉伽佛哆。
LA QIE FA DUO。LA QIE FA DUO。
娑婆訶。
SA PO HE。
Although the normal practice is to chant using the Chinese transliteration, if you are so inclined, you can opt to chant the mantra in its original Sanskrit:
Tadyatha om,
khara varta, khara varta,
gaha varta,
raga varta, raga varta,
Svaha!
6. Prayer to the Bodhisattva
In this part, we supplement the Sanskrit mantra with expressing our wish for help in Chinese (or English). This is a rhyming verse in the original, so I also made a rhyming translation.
天羅神。地羅神。
Tiān luó shén。 Dì luó shén。
人離難。難離身。
Rén lí nán。Nán lí shēn。
一切 災殃 化 為塵。
Yīqiè zāiyāng huà wéichén。
By powers of sky and earth,
I implore with firm resolve,
All hardship leave us behind,
Into dust they shall dissolve.
7. Saluting Prajnaparamita
The last sentence of the chant is honouring Prajnaparamita — the concept of Insight into the nature of reality and our mind in Buddhism. In the Mahayana Buddhist teaching, liberation of the mind is achieved by Insight and Compassion — which are seen as two sides of the same coin. This is a reminder, that ultimately all unhappiness can be transcended if we train our minds in wisdom.
南無 摩訶 般若波羅蜜。
Námó Móhē Bōrěbōluómì。
Namo Maha Prajnaparamita!
(Note: “Maha” means “great” in Sanskrit.)
We can finish the chanting by bowing three times.
