Can we gain Enlightenment just by reciting Mantras?

[ratanasutra]

i don't think we can gain enlightenment by just only reciting mantra but it definitely bring us a good result. Therefore for those children who too young to understand and do the practice and those people who too old to do the practice we only can teach them to recite mantra because it only thing they are able to do in order for them to collect some merit.
 
But for those who are not too young and too old, we study and practice dharma, hold vows, do meditation, make offering, do prayer ect as there are more things required to do in order for us to gain more merit and have realization to gain enlightenment.

If only recite mantra we can gain enlightenment then the world won't be generated as today because everyone already gain enlightenment.     

[biggyboy]

Reciting mantras definitely have power.  There are holy words of the Buddha but it will not ensure us of Enlightenment by just reciting them.  Wow! How I wish we can just recite mantras and be enlightened that easy.  To reach enlightenment one has to have achieved true selflessness and compassion and realised all things around us are non true existence.  With what we have now in this present time of age and strong attachment on top of non consistent in re habituating our mind, how can we be enlightened with just reciting mantras? Reciting mantras definitely helps to bless our mindstream and its sounds have power to heal our mind too.

[Klein]

I don't think we can gain Enlightenment just by reciting Mantras. We need to realise perfect compassion and perfect wisdom in order to gain Enlightenment. So other practices are required to achieve the latter.

Reciting mantras will generate merits. Different mantras will focus on different objectives. For example, reciting manjushri mantras will help the person increase memory and improve one's speech. Some mantras can help overcome specific obstacles such as spirit disturbances and illnesses.

[Reena Searl]

I do not think through chanting Mantra will get enlightenment.

Mantras definitely provide us with the power to attain our goals and lift ourselves from the ordinary to the higher level of consciousness. They give us the power to cure diseases; ward off evils; gain wealth; acquire supernatural powers; worship a deity for exalted communion .

A Mantra chanted correctly or incorrectly, knowingly or unknowingly, carefully or carelessly, is sure to bear the desired result for physical and mental well being. It is also believed by many that the glory of Mantra chanting cannot be established through reasoning and intellect. It can be experienced or realized only through devotion, faith and constant repetition of the Mantra."

[goldengirl]

Yes we can. Mantra is very power.   May 2006 - In the holy land of Padmasambhava, Bhutan, a blind accomplished master know his time of his death in advance and sat in crossed vajra posture while passing into parinivana. This accomplished adept attained his realization and liberation through the recitation of Vajra Guru Mantra. Due to his blindness day or night was no difference to him, he solely rely on this practice and began to recite the mantra diligently day and night, eventually he went on to achieve an astounding level of realization. A True Account of An Accomplished Practitioner of the Vajra Guru Mantra in Recent Time . source: http://bodhiactivity.wordpress.com/2009/09/18/hello-world/   

[Positive Change]

Interesting story albeit kindergarten-ish... kinda reminds me of fables or tales told to children in order for them to do or believe in something.

However don't get me wrong, any method to instill that in a person surely helps but as much as I know Tibetan Buddhists believe that saying any mantra (prayer), for example, Om Mani Padme Hum, out loud or silently to oneself, invokes the powerful benevolent attention and blessings of Chenrezig, the embodiment of compassion.

Viewing the written form of the mantra is said to have the same effect -- it is often carved into stones, like the one pictured above, and placed where people can see them.

Spinning the written form of the mantra around in a Mani wheel (or prayer wheel) is also believed to give the same benefit as saying the mantra, and Mani wheels, small hand wheels and large wheels with millions of copies of the mantra inside, are found everywhere in the lands influenced by Tibetan Buddhism.

I also came across this interesting story. It shows that the motivation behind one's recitation:

An old story speaks about a similar problem. A devoted meditator, after years concentrating on a particular mantra, had attained enough insight to begin teaching. The student's humility was far from perfect, but the teachers at the monastery were not worried.

A few years of successful teaching left the meditator with no thoughts about learning from anyone; but upon hearing about a famous hermit living nearby, the opportunity was too exciting to be passed up.

The hermit lived alone on an island at the middle of a lake, so the meditator hired a man with a boat to row across to the island. The meditator was very respectful of the old hermit. As they shared some tea made with herbs the meditator asked him about his spiritual practice. The old man said he had no spiritual practice, except for a mantra which he repeated all the time to himself. The meditator was pleased: the hermit was using the same mantra he used himself -- but when the hermit spoke the mantra aloud, the meditator was horrified!

"What's wrong?" asked the hermit.

"I don't know what to say. I'm afraid you've wasted your whole life! You are pronouncing the mantra incorrectly!"

"Oh, Dear! That is terrible. How should I say it?"

The meditator gave the correct pronunciation, and the old hermit was very grateful, asking to be left alone so he could get started right away. On the way back across the lake the meditator, now confirmed as an accomplished teacher, was pondering the sad fate of the hermit.

"It's so fortunate that I came along. At least he will have a little time to practice correctly before he dies." Just then, the meditator noticed that the boatman was looking quite shocked, and turned to see the hermit standing respectfully on the water, next to the boat.

"Excuse me, please. I hate to bother you, but I've forgotten the correct pronunciation again. Would you please repeat it for me?"

"You obviously don't need it," stammered the meditator; but the old man persisted in his polite request until the meditator relented and told him again the way he thought the mantra should be pronounced.

The old hermit was saying the mantra very carefully, slowly, over and over, as he walked across the surface of the water back to the island.

[tsangpakarpo]

I believe we can get enlightened just by reciting Mantras but it highly depends on our karma.

Let's say we have been very evil in our lives...and at the same time we recite Mantras every day..the mantras  will definitely not bring us to enlightenment!

But if our actions are pure and our motivation is to gain bodhicitta and realization of emptiness..then yes definitely by reciting mantras we can be enlightened.

We are all planted with seeds of enlightenment. It is just a matter of time for the seed to open and ripen. For it to open, an action is required. That action could be recitation of mantras for example. The Buddha once said there will be a time where all sentient beings are enlightened, so I believe this is one way for us to gain enlightenment.

[ilikeshugden]

I believe mantras are very powerful, but I do not believe that solely reciting mantras will bring us to enlightenment.  If we can gain Enlightenment just by recitation alone, parrots can gain Enlightenment. But, this story is quite light hearted and uplifting, very good to tell to young children so that their mind will be able to understand more Dharma and/or be motivated by this story. Mantras also mean nothing without any wisdom. If you truly want to be Enlightened, do what your guru says then you will gain Enlightenment one day but it is faster than just reciting mantras deluding yourself into thinking that Enlightenment is super easy to attain.

[RedLantern]

Mantra is made up of one or two syllables and almost any syllable can be used as a mantra.Dzigar Kongtrol Rinpoche quote "A mantra is like meeting the Buddha or Bodhisattva himself"It is powerful,effacacious and deserves respect.A mantra is "mind protection like a fence protect a plot of land.However,by chanting mantra alone doesn't bring us to enlightenment.It is only part of the parcel.We must practise compassion,true understanding and wisdom,which is the essense of Buddhism.By following our Guru's advice and teachings,as he is one with the Buddha.

[vajratruth]

I would imagine that whether we gain enlightenment or not depends on a combination of factors that arises out of our practice. And reciting mantras and our sadhanas are definitely important parts of the practice. It is just my gut feel but if a mantra is chanted perfectly and with the right concentration I believe it will give us tremendous realizations.

Mantras are said to be holy words and their very sounds embody the attributes of the  various Buddhas. I remember reading somewhere that when chanted properly the Mantra is believed to contain the same power as the entire version of some prayers. Personally I don't think the sound itself has the power but i can see how the sound of the syllables of the mantra, combined with proper concentration and good motivation can serve to invoke the power of the Buddhas, and this makes mantras powerful

The thing with Mantras is that when we chant it correctly we feel it resonate in our chest area and I was told that it can also have the power to move our winds. For me, reciting mantras never fail to help me concentrate and calm my mind when I am feeling anxious.

[bambi]

I personally think that by reciting the mantras alone, one can gain Enlightenment but probably in a longer period. Mantras are definitely one of the most powerful method for our mind. The effects are just fantastic! In time, we can see and feel the mind transformation getting better. This is when we apply the transformation for higher practices. We should be more compassionate, loving, kinder, forgiving, understanding, patient, etc. With the combination of mantras and practices, it will also lead to higher realizations.

[Tenzin Malgyur]

In my opinion, I don't think we can gain enlightenment just by reciting mantras. I think the story is actually encouraging us to recite mantra always and in whatever situations that arise. Even hearing the sound of some coins jingling would trigger the old mother to say her mantra. It is one of his skillful way to help remind his mother to say her mantra because he knows he can't be with her always,even after she died and went to hell,she still remember to say the mantra because it has become an automatic response.

[Positive Change]

As meritorious as chanting mantras may be, I do not think that is THE way to gain enlightenment and is a quick "ticket" out of samsara... if it were possible to achieve enlightenment merely by relying on chanting alone with no transformation, a criminal charged for murder and jailed for life, chanting mantras all day and night in his/her cell could be enlightened too no?

Sure mantras has its benefits AND does play a role in purifying, blessing and even assisting us in our spiritual growth and journey but it cannot be the only method to gaining enlightenment.

[Aurore]

Thank you all for shedding your thoughts and opinions on this story. There are definitely benefits to reciting mantras but reciting mantras alone and still being a selfish, horrible person is definitely not going to bring anyone to Enlightenment.

There are also some mantras which can lower blood pressure. I guess it's got to do with the wind channels. If such mantras can prolonge our lives, while protector mantra can clear outer and inner obstacle to gear us towards spiritual path, mantras to increase memory and hence absorb dharma with better understanding. With all these benefits, if one translate proper mantra recitation into practice and one can eventually gain enlightenment.

What mantras do you guys do and what benefits have you experienced from it?

[Dondrup Shugden]

Whether we can gain Enlightenment just by reciting Mantras?  It is my humble opinion that it is not that easy to gain Enlightenment by just reciting a Mantra.  However at the moment of death if we are not grasping onto our attachments and concentrate on a Mantra (which are very powerful) it releases our mind to a better rebirth.  With the better rebirth, maybe we will have the opportunity to practice the Dharma with more knowledge and better conditions. These are good imprints to have at moment of our mind leaving the physical body.

Also place in our minds that the Mantra recitation is the least form of practise and it is possible that when alive and we are always reciting the Mantra, there is a high possibility of blessings from the Buddhas for a form of mind transformation which is the ultimate form towards enlightenment.

These are my humble opinions and shall appreciate your comments.  Simple context to this post but high enticement to deeper practice of Dharma. Om Mani Pe Me Hum.