Detailed Introduction
The Cundi Dharani comes from the Cundi Dharani Sutra and is the core mantra of Cundi Buddha Mother (Cundi). She is honored as the "Mother of Seven Koti (70 Million) Buddhas," a station of the highest rank. In Chinese Buddhism the Cundi Dharani is counted among the "Ten Short Mantras" and is an important part of the daily liturgy; in Taiwan a good number of practice centers take the Cundi method as their main cultivation, and its followers are many.
Full Text of the Mantra
"Namah saptanam samyaksambuddha kotinam. Tadyatha: Om Cale Cule Cundi Svaha."
Meaning: "Homage to the seven million perfectly enlightened Buddhas. Thus: Om, Action, Purification, Cundi, Accomplishment!"
About Cundi Buddha Mother
Cundi Buddha Mother usually appears with eighteen arms, each hand grasping a different ritual implement (sword, mala beads, lotus, precious vase, vajra, and so on), a sign of the infinite skillful means by which she saves sentient beings. Her face is compassionate and dignified, and three eyes gaze wide open (one on her forehead), able to see clear across past, present, and future. What sets Cundi apart is her openness: she draws no line between monastic and lay, nor between states of ritual purity and impurity. Even a lay practitioner, and even someone in a state counted ritually impure (during menstruation, for instance), may recite the Cundi Dharani. Among Buddhist mantras that kind of accessibility is extremely rare.
Key Points of Practice
Cundi practice turns on reciting the mantra, though the complete method has several parts:
- Dharmadhatu Purification Mantra: "Om Lam" -- recited a few times to purify the space of practice.
- Body Protection Mantra: "Om Chiling" -- recited a few times, like drawing on vajra armor to guard yourself.
- Six-Syllable Mantra: "Om Mani Padme Hum" -- recited a few times to rouse the mind of compassion.
- Main Cundi Dharani: recite "Namah saptanam..." a set number of times, with 108, 500, or 1,000 being common daily counts.
- Dedication: dedicate the merit of the practice to all sentient beings of the dharma realm.
For a simplified daily practice, just reciting the core mantra is enough, without any fixed form.
Benefits and Merits
The sutras record the benefits of the mantra in roughly these kinds:
- Sin elimination: erasing the ten evil deeds, the five heinous crimes, and all grave transgressions.
- Blessing increase: blessings and wisdom growing day by day.
- Wish fulfillment: every kind of worldly wish satisfied.
- Rebirth: at the moment of death, seeing Amitabha Buddha and the assembly of sages.
- Specific benefits: seeking children, recovering from illness, winning a legal dispute, passing examinations, and other worldly aspirations.
This is why the Cundi Dharani is called the "Wish-Fulfilling Mantra," renowned in Taiwanese folk religion for being effective for all prayers.
Transmission in Taiwan
The deepest mark on Taiwan's Cundi lineage was left by the lay scholar Nan Huai-jin. In his writings he strongly recommended the Cundi Dharani, calling it "the most suitable mantra for practice in the Dharma-Ending Age," and drew a great many Taiwanese Buddhists into the Cundi method. Today several practice centers and group cultivation communities across the island take the Cundi method as their main practice, regularly holding Cundi dharma assemblies, Cundi fire offerings (a tantric ritual that uses fire to purify karmic obstacles), and intensive group retreats.