Om Mani Padme Hum

I've spun and woven for many years with a spiritual mantra, sometimes the Orthodox Jesus Prayer (Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner), sometimes the Ave Maria in English or Latin, sometimes the Lord's Prayer in Spanish, sometimes the words of a favorite spiritual song or hymn. From 1973 until 1976, I meditated with the traditional Buddhist prayer chant, Om mani padme hum. Literally translated, it means "jewel in the lotus," but it is said to contain all the teachings of the Buddha within its syllables, when chanted in prayer. I've recently begun to use the Om mani with my spinning as I treadle and long-draft my fiber. "One, two, three, four," my treadling goes; "Om mani padme hum" my mind says. On the first three words/treads, with my wheel on one of the fastest whorls, I draw out an arm's length of fiber behind me with my right hand, and on hum and the fourth tread, I feed my nicely twisted yarn onto the bobbin. Pretty soon I go into something like a trance, becoming progressively more "one" with Spirit, with the manifestations of God which have presented themselves on earth, with the universe, and--of course--with those I love and with other fiber folks. It's amazing. Try it! When I figure out how to do it, I'll post the mantra in Sanskrit--it's beautiful!

Kathy