Detailed Introduction
"Amitabha" as a greeting, "Amitabha" blurted out after a fright, and the Taoist priest in every film who ends with a cry of "Execute forthwith as decreed" -- these sounds long ago worked their way into everyday Taiwanese life. Mantras and scriptures, whether the Buddhist chanting of mantras and the Buddha's name, the Taoist recitation of scripture and prayer, or the incantations of folk religion, all carry thousands of years of religious wisdom, and remain a core daily practice for countless believers.
Namo Amitabha Buddha
"Namo Amitabha Buddha" (Namo Amitabhaya Buddhaya) is probably the most universally known Buddha-name in Taiwan -- almost everyone can chant it. "Namo" means to take refuge in, to pay homage; "Amitabha" means Infinite Light and Infinite Life. Pure Land Buddhism holds that by whole-heartedly reciting this six-syllable name, one will be met and guided by Amitabha Buddha at the moment of death to rebirth in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. In Taiwan the phrase has long slipped its religious frame: said in greeting it's a blessing, said after a scare it's a plea for peace, and said often enough it becomes a simple figure of speech.
The Great Compassion Mantra (Dabeizhou)
The Great Compassion Mantra -- in full, "The Great Compassion Heart Dharani of the Thousand-Handed and Thousand-Eyed Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva" -- runs to 84 lines and is the long mantra Taiwanese Buddhists recite most. Spoken by Avalokitesvara (Guanyin), its recitation brings the bodhisattva's blessing and protection, easing sickness, warding off disaster, and deepening wisdom. Many Buddhists make it a daily practice, chanting it seven or twenty-one times, and temples recite it in their morning and evening services. Even "Great Compassion Water" -- water blessed with the mantra -- is believed to hold a marvelous power to heal and dispel calamity.
The Heart Sutra (Bore Boluomiduo Xinjing)
The Heart Sutra, at just 260 characters, is regarded as the distilled essence of the entire 600-volume Great Prajna Sutra, and is the scripture Taiwanese Buddhists know best. Its core -- "Form is not different from emptiness, emptiness is not different from form; form is emptiness, emptiness is form" -- voices the Buddhist wisdom of "emptiness" (sunyata), while its closing line, "Gate gate paragate parasamgate bodhi svaha," is the summation mantra of the whole sutra. The Heart Sutra is widely copied ("sutra-copying" is a common practice among Taiwanese Buddhists), memorized, and chanted, and is a favorite subject for calligraphers.
The Rebirth Mantra (Wangsheng Zhou)
The Rebirth Mantra -- in full, "The Dharani for Pulling Out the Root of All Karmic Obstacles and Gaining Rebirth in the Pure Land" -- is one of the most familiar sounds in Taiwanese funeral custom. At memorial services, dharma assemblies, and in private practice, it is recited for the departed, praying that their karmic obstacles dissolve and they are reborn in the Western Pure Land. Many Taiwanese, even those who aren't devout Buddhists, will chant a passage of it after a loved one passes, as an offering of remembrance.
The Six-Syllable Mantra (Om Mani Padme Hum)
Om Mani Padme Hum is the heart mantra of Avalokitesvara, also known as the "Six-Syllable Great Bright Mantra." Each syllable stands for one of the bodhisattva's compassionate vows, and to recite it is to receive Avalokitesvara's protection. In Taiwan many Buddhists chant it while turning a prayer wheel or telling mala beads -- a practice for anytime, anywhere.
Execute Forthwith as Decreed by Taishang Laojun
This is the most common closing formula in Taoist rites, appearing at the end of nearly every talismanic command and incantation. "Taishang Laojun" is one of the highest deities in Taoism (identified with Laozi), and "ji ji ru lu ling" means "execute at once, as by force of law." To utter it is for the priest to issue orders on Taishang Laojun's authority, commanding ghosts and spirits to obey. In folk culture the line is all but synonymous with Taoism, and the Taoist characters of film and television are forever delivering it.
The Mouth- and Body-Purifying Incantations
Before performing a rite or reciting scripture, a Taoist practitioner first recites the "Mouth-Purifying Incantation" and "Body-Purifying Incantation" to cleanse body and mind. The first keeps the mouth clean, so that impure speech-karma won't rob the recitation of its power; the second cleanses the whole energy field, so one faces the deities in the purest state. These two are basic daily practice for a priest and an essential preparation before opening the altar.
The Medicine Buddha Mantra
The Medicine Buddha Mantra -- in full, "The Consecration Mantra of the Medicine Master of Lapis Lazuli Light Tathagata" -- is recited to pray for health and to cure illness. In Taiwan many worshippers chant it when they or their loved ones fall ill, then light a "Medicine Buddha Lamp" before the Medicine Buddha to pray for recovery. Some temples regularly hold a "Medicine Buddha Dharma Assembly" to chant the Medicine Buddha's sutra and mantra together.
Common Folk Prayer Formulas
Beyond the formal mantras and scriptures, folk religion also keeps many prayer formulas handed down over generations. The most basic is the self-introduction you use when worshipping at a temple: "Your disciple [name], living at [address], born on the [lunar date], comes today with a sincere heart to pray for [request], hoping that [desired outcome]..." Reporting yourself clearly is the basic courtesy of making yourself known to the deity. "Spirits of heaven, spirits of earth" is a common opening line in fright-calming, while "Execute forthwith as decreed -- dismissed!" is a simplified version of the Taoist formula, widely used among ordinary folk.