Dechen Shak-Dagsay: Day Tomorrow
Dechen Shak-Dagsay: As every Buddhist, you receive initiations or empowerments to these mantras or prayers. And I also received these initiations for the mantras that I sing.
But, more important, my father always said is how you perform, how you chant these mantras. It is so important that your motivation is correct, and that the motivation is such that you chant them with a strong wish, with a genuine desire that they may help every sentient being to transform their mind from negative to positive.
And so, this is why I think I consider myself as very lucky to have received all these blessings from my father. And whenever I sing and chant the mantras, wherever I go, actually, I feel as if I’m really able to transmit the ancient wisdom of my culture into the world.
Victor Fuhrman: So, in essence, what we’re doing is you’re implying your intention. In addition to the beautiful–your beautiful voice and the beautiful words that are being chanted, you’re applying the intention of loving kindness behind it.
Now, even though there is not a literal translation of the word mantra, the Sanskrit roots are said to include the words “man,” which means thought or mind, and “tra,” which is an instrument or a tool. So combined, they describe an instrument of thought. How would you explain what mantra means to you?
Dechen Shak-Dagsay: A mantra, for us, is that what protects the mind from negative energies. And what we mean with that is it protects our mind from our own negative emotions.
So, Buddha has said that there are 84 negative mental afflictions. And breaking them down, we have three main roots; poisons of mind, we call them. It’s hatred, greed, and mind. So, chanting a mantra is helping us to protect our own mind from these very, very negative poisons.
Victor Fuhrman: Hmm, I never thought of it that way. Now, to many people, one of the most beautiful mantras is the Om mani Padme Hum, the mantra of the Bodhisattva of Compassion: Avalokite?vara. So, please share with us your feelings about the concept of the Bodhisattva and also this beautiful mantra.
