Om Manipadme Hum, perhaps the most well-known of all Buddhist mantras, lies at the heart of the Tibetan system and is cherished by both layman and lama alike. This book documents the origins of the mantra, and presents a new interpretation of the meaning of Om Manipadme Hum, and includes a detailed, annotated precis of the Karandavyuha Sutra, opening up this important Mahayana Buddhist work to a wider audience.

The Karandavyuha-- the earliest textual source for Om Manipadme Hum--which describes both the compassionate activity of Avalokitesvara, the bodhisattva whose power the mantra...