The Origins of Oṃ Maṇipadme Hūṃ: A Study of the Kāraṇḍavyūha Sūtra

The book begins by explaining the religious importance of Oṃ Maṇipadme Hūṃ, especially in Tibetan Buddhist culture, where it appears in recitation, prayer wheels, inscriptions, pilgrimage practices, ritual use, and devotion to Avalokiteśvara. The first chapter introduces the Kāraṇḍavyūha Sūtra, discussing its versions, manuscripts, likely date, provenance, and place in Buddhist literature. The following chapters analyze Purāṇic influence on the sūtra, Avalokiteśvara as a Buddhist Īśvara, the comparison between Oṃ Maṇipadme Hūṃ and the Śaivite formula Namaḥ Śivāya, the relationship between the mantra and Mahāyāna doctrine, and the meaning of the six-syllable formula. The conclusion considers whether Oṃ Maṇipadme Hūṃ was the original six-syllable formula of Avalokiteśvara or a later formulation shaped by Mahāyāna doctrinal synthesis. The appendix provides an annotated précis of the Kāraṇḍavyūha Sūtra.