Teachings on the Six Syllables, their meaning and benefits
"Essence of the five states and five wisdoms, lotus-jewel, please protect the six kinds of beings from suffering!"

"In today's world, we tend to say: "This is my parents, this is my land, this is my property, etc." From the dharma viewpoint, we look at all beings and deeply wish that they become free from suffering and attain Buddhahood. If we create bodhichitta in this way, we are practicing benefitting others. This idea is absolutely essential not only for dharma activity, but for any activity in our lives.
If we keep the idea of bringing benefit to others and say the mantra OM MANI PEME HUNG just once, then it will help to liberate them from suffering and help them develop Buddhahood."

-- Teachings given by the 16th Karmapa during a public lecture at the University of Colorado in 1980

Literal meaning of the mantra:
The Six Syllables is a mantra containing the name of the Exalted One:
OM symbolizes the five Buddha wisdoms of the five Buddha states,
MANI means "jewel".
PEME means "lotus" (MANI PEME is the name of Chenrezig. "With jewel and lotus")
HUNG represents the enlightened activity that protects the six kinds of beings from suffering.
The meaning of the mantra is thus:
"Essence of the five states and five wisdoms, jewel with lotus, please protect the six kinds of beings from suffering."

The benefit of reciting the six-syllable mantra
The benefits of having performed the meditation and recitation of the mantra of the noble Chenrezig are endless. Here are just a few highlights.
First, there is the benefit of meditating on the enlightened body and recalling its form in the mind. In the Padamajalamulatantra it says, "The only enlightened form encompasses all Buddhas - Chenrezig. If we meditate on Chenrezig, the protector, and make him present in the mind, we purify negative actions with immediate result."

The Karandavyasutra says, "The six syllables are the perfect essence of the master Chenrezig. The merits of those who master this great vidyamantra and recite it continuously will be immeasurable: in reciting the mantra, as many Buddhas as there are grains of sand at the bottom of the Ganges multiplied by ninety-nine, and as many bodhisattvas as there are atoms, will gather. The recitation of the mantra also includes the practice of the six paramitas."

The wisdom of the tathagatas makes it possible to count all the atoms, all the grains of sand at the bottom of the oceans, all the drops of water in all the rivers of the four continents, all the grains, all the hairs of all sentient beings, all the leaves on all the trees, and even all the raindrops that would fall to earth in a twelve-year rain. But no one can count the benefits of even a single recitation of the Six Syllables. The praises of this mantra from many sutras and tantras has been collected by the dharma king Songtsen Gampo in his comprehensive work. His advice on the Chenrezig practice cycles is almost exclusively about the Six Syllables. It is said that of all the various mantras we can recite, none is equal in benefit to the Six Syllables, the supreme enlightened speech. Therefore, we should constantly devote ourselves to the recitation of this mantra.

 

Detailed explanation of the Six Syllable Mantra

Chenrezig himself is the unified wisdom of all Buddhas, and the Six-Syllable Mantra is the concentrated and extracted power and capacity of his compassion and activity.

The white syllable OM unifies the enlightened qualities that naturally arise from the five kinds of Buddha wisdom. It is the essence of the paramita of meditation stability. It purifies pride, its cause, and the general effects that this disturbing emotion brings. In particular, it purifies the suffering experienced by the gods when they fall into lower realms. It is inseparable from the enlightened form and activity of the sage of the gods, Indra Kaushika, and is the embodiment of the natural radiance of balancing wisdom. It leads six classes of beings to the southern pure land of Srimat and allows them to attain the body of Buddha Ratnasambhava.

The green MA is the syllable of enlightened activity. It arises from the natural expression of the immeasurable love and compassion of the Exalted One for all beings. It is the essence of the paramita of patience. It purifies jealousy, its cause and the general effects that this disturbing emotion causes. Specifically, it purifies the suffering from the quarrels and conflicts of the demigods. It is inseparable from the enlightened form and activity of the sage of the demigods, Vemachitra, and is the embodiment of the natural radiance of all-pervading wisdom. It leads six classes of beings to the northern pure land of perfect activity and allows them to attain the body of Buddha Amoghasiddhi.

Yellow NI arises from the great, natural, and immeasurable compassion of the Noble One. It is vajra wisdom, the union of enlightened body, speech, mind and activity. It is the syllable that spontaneously transforms cyclic existence into the vast expanse of nirvana. It is the essence of the páramita of meaningful action. It purifies the veil of ignorance (dualistic clinging), its cause and the general effects it creates. In particular, it purifies the four great rivers of human suffering - birth, old age, sickness and death. It is inseparable from the enlightened form and activity of Shakyamuni, the sage of men. She is the form embodying the spontaneously emerging primordial wisdom. It leads six classes of beings to Akanishta, the pure land of dharmadhatu, and enables them to attain the body of Dorje Chang, the sixth Buddha.

The bright blue PE is the syllable of the enlightened body. It arises from the natural expression of the Noble One's impartial compassion, immeasurable equanimity. Its essence is parramita of effort. It purifies ignorance, its cause and the consequences that this disturbing emotion generally brings. Specifically, it purifies the suffering of animals associated with being ignorant, having a limited capacity
of communication, and being used by others. It is inseparable from the enlightened form and activity of the animal sage Dhruvasinha, the Indomitable Lion. He is the embodiment of the natural radiance of the wisdom of dharmadhatu. He guides six classes of beings to the central pure land of Ghanavyuha and enables them to attain the body of Buddha Vairocana.

Red ME is the syllable of enlightened speech. It arises from the natural expression of immeasurable joy, the compassion of the Exalted One for all without distinction. It is the essence of the paramita of generosity. It generally purifies the cause of attachment and greed and their consequences. It especially purifies the sufferings of hunger and thirst of hungry spirits. It is inseparable from the enlightened body and activity of the sage of the hungry ghosts, Jvalamukha, the Flaming Mouth, and is the embodiment of the natural radiance of discriminative wisdom. It guides six classes of beings to the western pure land of the great joy of Dewachen and enables them to attain the body of Buddha Amitabha.

Black HUNG is the syllable of the enlightened mind. It appears from the natural expression of immeasurable compassion - the compassion of the Exalted One who looks upon all beings as his own children. It is the essence of the wisdom paramita. It purifies the cause and general effects of dualistic clinging and aversion. In particular, it purifies the suffering of extreme heat and cold experienced by beings in the infernal realms. It is inseparable from the enlightened form and activity of the sage of the hell realms, Dharmaraja, the king of dharma, and is the embodiment of the natural radiance of mirror-like wisdom. It guides the six classes of beings to the eastern pure land of true joy of Abhirati and enables
them to attain the body of Buddha Akshobhya. Thus the Six Syllables, the king of mantras, brings together all the strength and power of infinite enlightened activity, which completely liberates the six classes of beings from the depths of cyclic existence. The recitation of this mantra brings us infinite benefits and blessings. Therefore, we should recite it intensely and without interruption, like the flow of a great river. We should do so continuously, either during or between sessions, in the four kinds of daily activities.

"One aspect unites all the Winners - Chenrezig
One mantra unites all important mantras - Six syllables
One dharma contains all the stages of building and completion - bodhichitta
Knowing that knowledge of one liberates all, recite the Six Syllables!"

text from the book Buddha of Compassion by Sherab Gyaltsen Rinpoche