The Six Mantras of Love and Compassion

Helping guide you in all situations to love and compassion.

These six mantras come from the teachings of the book, No Mud, No Lotus, which is a great introduction to mindfulness for anyone who is interested. The book was written by a buddhist monk from Vietnam, named Thich Nhat Hanh.

Hanh was a peace keeper during the Vietnam war, and later was exiled, and canvassed for peace through out the US while in exile. Today he is a Zen master, poet, and teacher, lives in France and operates Plum Village, a mindfulness monastery.

These mantras are great for times you feel troubled or anxious. They help us find compassion and understanding, presence, and acknowledgment. In the beginning of the book, Hanh starts with a meta meditation. The meditation is that of a Lotus flower.

"You can not grow a lotus on granite, you need mud to produce a lotus flower."

Later, he clarifies the metaphor to help guide "the art of suffering". Hanh explains that throughout life, there are times where we can't help but see the mud, smell the mud, sometimes be covered in it, but if we focus on the fact that happiness cannot exist without suffering, light cannot exist without dark, we will soon realize the lotus the mud can produce, and that is the beginning of happiness.

Now that the context is given, let's help you learn the art of suffering... the six mantras are:

1.) I Am Here For You

This mantra is important for yourself as well as others. In order to be there for someone else, you must first learn to be there for yourself. When you are suffering, say to yourself, "Suffering, I see you, and I am here for you." The book uses the metaphor of mother and child. When a baby cries, the mother first said, "I am here for you." and just hear presence alone comforts the babe. Eventually, she diagnoses the root of the baby's cry, but first acknowledges it is there and it is crying. We must do this with ourselves too. "I see you anxiety, and I am here for you."

2.) I Know You Are There, And It Makes Me Happy

This is to say to a loved one or also your emotions. It is to acknowledge that the presence of another is the most sacred, loving, and compassionate gift one could give.

In the case of your emotions, you can be happy to feel an emotions, such as anger, because just that fact alone means you are alive and gaining clarity on what you like and don't like. You can be happy about anger.

In the case of another, they are giving you their time and presence. Time in the physical is non renewable, that being fact, it should make you happy they are gifting their presence to you. Acknowledge it and be happy.

3.) I Know You Suffer, And That Is Why I Am Here For You

This mantra is reserved when a person you love is suffering. In the next instance a loved one or even a stranger admits suffering to you, remember the compassion of the parent and baby. The first step is to acknowledge the baby is crying, "I know you suffer," the next is to make known your presence, "And that is why I am here for you." Or if you are a mother, "Shhhh, I know, there there, mama's here now." This is true love and true compassion for another being. What follows this mantra is the practice of listening.

4.) I Suffer. Please Help

This is a hard mantra to practice, but it is necessary if you are truly ready to release all resentments and be free.

You may go to a person who hurt you and ask this. in other words, you are trying to say, "Please help me understand why you said or did xyz to me. It made me feel hurt, and I do not want to feel those things, especially towards you. Help me understand." When we do this we are trusting the person with our vulnerability rather than building a wall. It is our instinct to play hurt and pretend we do not need the love of that person any longer, but we would not be honest with ourselves if we were to think we do not need love. Reach out with compassion, try and understand, you never know, that person may be wishing they understood why you are hurt as well. They may not even realize what they have done to make you feel this way. Give them an opportunity to explain, and if they choose to take advantage of your vulnerability rather than understand along with you, know that about the person, and thank them for that clarity. You now know what happened when you are vulnerable with that person, and can ask yourself if they are deserving of your presence.

5.) This is a Happy Moment

This is our favorite mantra, because even in a moment of frustration or sadness, you are gaining clarity about your life and situations. In fact, there are so many situations of happiness we can realize right now, it's hard not to recognize all moments as happy.

- I am awake and alive

- My lungs are working

- I am reading this, so my eyes are working

- My Heart is pumping

- I am safe from harm

- I have a device this can be broadcasted on.

These are all small fortunes we can show gratitude for and be happy about. All moments are happy moments.

6.) You Are Partly Right

This is a mantra to use in defense of hateful words or words of praise. When you register hateful words, if can be damaging to our inner peace, and cause suffering. But if you acknowledge the words as partly right, you are acknowledging the opposite of those critisisms as well. Remember the paradoxes of the mud an lotus, the same is with hate and love, or criticism and praise. So when someone says, "You are awful." respond, "You are partly right." Because it also means you are brilliant as well.

It is also important to acknowledge the darker parts of you when you are praised. When someone says, "Wow! you are so productive!" You can say, you are partly right, because there have been days where you were very lazy, and they all helped you make productivity possible. Without the laziness, productivity would cease to exist.

There you have it fam! The Six Mantras of Love And Compassion! If you enjoy these mantras or enjoy mantras in general... we have a weekly mantra email that goes out on Mondays. You can sign up for that here.