I always think that Taoist ceremonial rituals are at least
25% influenced by Hindu rituals; well, at least many of the deities are the
same. Let’s set aside the similarities of deities, and look into the mantras
used in invocation of deities for now.
There are many Sanskrit mantras embedded inside standard
Taoist rituals, for example:
净坛咒 (Mantra
for purification of altar)：
唵覽，唵覽，净法界娑訶。
(Ǎn lǎn, ǎn lǎn, jìng fǎjiè suō hē.)
(Om.lum.om.lum.suci-dharmadatu.svaha)
净空神咒 (Mantra for purification
of space)：
唵，斡资囉，哑葛释, 哑哄娑訶。
(Ǎn, wò zī luō, yǎ gé shì, yǎ hōng suō hē.)
(Om.vajra.angkasa.ah.hum.svaha)
宝座咒 (Mantra for offering seat)：
唵，斡资囉，呵萨那，哄。
(Ǎn, wò zī
luō, ā sà nà, hōng.)
(Om Vajra.asana.hum)
As to the question how to pronounce it, as you can see both
of the Chinese and Sanskrit pronunciations are very different. Having said so,
deep from the bottom of my heart, I do wonder if a Chinese deity will come or a
Hindu deity will present by reciting the above mantras. That should be
interesting to find out though.
It is a question if the ancient Taoist who get this Mantra from their Hindu
ReplyDeleteteachers had success. Actually as you wrote above their is a specific intent behind each Mantra you wrote. So a practitioner would have this intention in mind when doing the Mantra. You actually know that the tibetian "Om Mani Pedme Hung" and the Hindu "Om Mani Padme Hum"
follow such rules. It is as long the force that is called recocnize it.
I have the impression that the more one hit the energetic of the mantra by word and breath the greater are the effects else only the mental and the act of doing the mantra doing its job beside of the spirtual power and the
esoteric teaching one received and the lineage one belongs to which can grant one rights to use them, as one teacher can introduce to the forces the lineages called and have made successful contact with. At times some Mantra are nailed or locked and have to be unlocked first.
One do know from the daily name that if one call someone by their pet names they do know they are called but this is between friends. If you call them by their official name they would be more serious as they behaves arcording the aspects behind their name and the next thing is about who is calling the name which comes to authority and to relationship.
The question is not if a Chinese deity comes or a Hindu deity but in which form it comes when it is the same deity as I believe its conciousness and energy and free choice of form. I do think they have to put their right costume on and behave so to be recognized by the one who calls- else the person who used the mantra would ask "Who are you?"
as make few know that Kali and Maiden of Nine Heavens.
Same comes for Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara as Mahakala is the expression of the more demonlike and male looking with many arms and skulls.
Also it is possible something else comes who pretend to be the being....
Very interesting...
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