There is a mantra I come back to often—in joy, in grief, in the hush before teaching a class or the blur of scan results. A mantra that has carried me gently through moments of clarity and moments of collapse. It is short, direct, and profoundly powerful:
Om Ah Hung
Three syllables. Three gateways. A lifetime of practice.
A History Rooted in Lineage and Light
Om Ah Hung comes to us from the heart of Tibetan Vajrayana Buddhism, woven into many traditions and sadhanas, and deeply tied to the teachings of Padmasambhava (Guru Rinpoche), the 8th-century master who brought tantric Buddhism to Tibet. These syllables are not arbitrary. They are “seed syllables” (Sanskrit: bija) — vibrational codes that purify and align body, speech, and mind.
- Om resonates with the body, calling us into sacred embodiment.
- Ah resonates with speech, awakening truth, clarity, and expression.
- Hung resonates with the mind, anchoring us in stillness, awareness, and compassion.
Each syllable corresponds to one of the three kayas (bodies of enlightenment):
- Om → Nirmanakaya (Form)
- Ah → Sambhogakaya (Speech)
- Hung → Dharmakaya (Mind)
Together, they are a bridge between the absolute and the everyday.
This mantra is also found in many longer forms, most famously in Om Ah Hung Vajra Guru Pema Siddhi Hung, a powerful invocation of Padmasambhava himself. But even in its most distilled form, it remains a complete path.
How It Is Used in Monastic Life
In monasteries, Om Ah Hung is recited daily. It is chanted during Ngöndro (preliminary practices), during rituals involving blessings, consecrations, and offerings, and as part of visualisation practices where these syllables are placed on the forehead, throat, and heart of the visualised deity — or of oneself.
The sound carries intention, and the visualisation transforms that intention into inner change.
Over time, monks and lay practitioners alike discover that even the silent holding of these syllables in awareness can offer a felt sense of calm and alignment.
How You Can Use It at Home
You do not need a monastery to meet this mantra. You need only your breath, your voice, and a little willingness.
Here are a few ways to begin:
1. Recitation
Sit comfortably. Let the breath settle. Then, recite slowly:
Om (on the inhale)
Ah (on the pause)
Hung (on the exhale)
Allow your voice to vibrate softly through your chest. Let it be a balm to your nervous system.
2. Visualisation
Imagine the syllables glowing in their respective homes:
Om in white light at the crown of the head
Ah in red light at the throat
Hung in deep blue light at the heart
With each breath, let them brighten and settle.
3. Reading and Reflection
Write the mantra slowly in your journal. One line for body. One for speech. One for mind. Reflect: where am I today in each of these layers?
You might notice that one feels neglected. Another feels alive. This awareness is the beginning of integration.
The Subtle Benefits
This isn’t magic. It’s attention. And attention — over time — changes everything.
Om Ah Hung helps:
- Purify old tensions and stuck energy in the body
- Calm habitual speech or mental chatter
- Return us to the present moment
- Align intention and action
- Soften grief, especially when words no longer suffice
I have used this mantra silently while hooked up to IVs. I have whispered it into the kitchen sink while washing up. I have taught it in small, flickering Zoom boxes to people facing divorce, chemo, job loss, insomnia, and ordinary overwhelm. And I have seen it work.
It does not change the outer situation. It changes your relationship to it.
A Sound Offering
Here is a gentle version of this mantra, to listen to at your own pace
Her voice carries the devotion of thousands of hours of practice, distilled into song. Let it accompany you on walks, in stillness, or before bed.
A Visual Anchor
Here is a visual diagram to help you remember where each syllable resides:
In Closing
I once read that if you pick one mantra and delve deeply into it for a lifetime, it will reveal the nature of the mind.
Om Ah Hung might seem simple. But if you stay with it — sincerely, steadily, and gently — it will take you home. Not to some distant land, but right here: to your own wise, breathing, compassionate heart.
And from there, everything becomes workable.
With you in this practice, always,
Claire