Praying for Peace

The Om Shanti Mantra

Om shaanti shaanti shaanti


Like many mantras, this one begins with "Om". Om has no meaning, and its origins are lost in the mists of time. Om is considered to be the primeval sound, the sound of the universe, the sound from which all other sounds are formed. You could regard it as being the equivalent of white light, in which all of the colors of the rainbow can be found. One Sanskrit-English dictionary says the following:

"A word of solemn affirmation and respectful assent , sometimes translated by 'yes , verily , so be it' (and in this sense compared with Amen ; it is placed at the commencement of most Hindu works , and as a sacred exclamation may be uttered at the beginning and end of a reading of the Vedas or previously to any prayer ; it is also regarded as a particle of auspicious salutation [Hail!] ; Om appears first in the Upanishads as a mystic monosyllable , and is there set forth as the object of profound religious meditation , the highest spiritual efficacy being attributed not only to the whole word but also to the three sounds A, U, M, of which it consists. "

Shanti simply means "peace". It's a beautiful meaning and also a very beautiful sound. The shanti is repeated three times, as are many chants in Buddhism. You could interpret this as meaning peace in body, speech, and mind (i.e. in the entirety of one's being), or as a wish for peace individually, collectively, and universally.

Hindu teachings typically end with the words Om shanti shanti shanti as an invocation of peace, and the mantra is also used to conclude some Buddhist devotional ceremonies.

Pronunciation notes:

o is pronounced like o in ore
aa is pronounced as a in father
i in speech is pronounced like i in mill, but in chanting is pronounced like ee in bee

from http://www.wildmind.org/meditation/mantra/shanti.html