Mañjuśrī is the Bodhisattva of Wisdom in Mahāyāna Buddhism, revered as the embodiment of prajñā—transcendent insight that cuts through illusion and duality. His name in Sanskrit means “Gentle Glory” or “Beautiful One with Auspiciousness”.

He’s typically depicted as a youthful figure wielding a flaming sword in his right hand, symbolizing the sharpness of wisdom that slices through ignorance. In his left hand, he holds a lotus bearing the Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra—the Perfection of Wisdom text. Sometimes, he rides a lion, representing the fearless nature of enlightened wisdom.

Mañjuśrī appears in many key Mahāyāna texts, including the Lotus Sūtra and Vimalakīrti Sūtra, where he engages in profound dialogues on non-duality and emptiness. His pure land, called Vimala, is said to lie in the East and is considered one of the most sublime realms.
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In East Asia, he’s known as Wenshu (China), Monju (Japan), and Jampelyang (Tibet), and is often invoked by students and scholars seeking clarity of mind and eloquence of speech.

One of the most well-known mantras associated with Mañjuśrī is:
Oṃ A Ra Pa Ca Na Dhīḥ
This mantra is unique because it’s built from syllables of the ancient arapacana syllabary, which appears in several Mahāyāna texts. Each syllable is said to represent a key insight into the nature of reality:
  • A – Realizing that all phenomena are unproduced from the very beginning.
  • Ra – Understanding that all things are free from defilement.
  • Pa – Seeing that all dharmas are ultimately explained in the ultimate sense.
  • Ca – Knowing that the arising and ceasing of things cannot be grasped.
  • Na – Realizing that names and labels do not affect the true nature of things.
  • Dhīḥ – A seed syllable symbolizing deep wisdom and meditative insight.
Chanting this mantra is believed to sharpen the mind, enhance memory, and cultivate clarity—qualities especially valued by students, scholars, and meditators.

​In Tibetan Buddhism, practitioners often visualize Mañjuśrī while reciting the mantra, imagining his flaming sword cutting through the fog of ignorance