Glossary: Maitreya dharani

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Maitreya dharani

An Esoteric mantra calling on the Maitreya, a future Buddha, from the Taishō Tripiṭaka. Transliterated from Sanskrit as:


Namo ratna-trayaya, nama aryavalokitesvaraya bodhi-sattvaya mahasatvaya mahakarunikaya tad-yatha,
om, maitre maitre maitra-manasi maitra-sambhave maitra-udbhave mahasamaye svaha

In Japanese:

ナウボウ・アラタンナウ・トラヤヤ・ナウマク・アリヤ・バロキティ・ジンバラヤ・ボウジサトバヤ・マカサトバヤ・マカキャロニキャヤ・タニャタ
オン・マイタレイ・マイタレイ・マイタラ・マナウセン・マイタラ・サンバンベイ・マイタロ・ドバンベイ・マカサンマヤ・ソワカ

Transliterated from Japanese:

Naubou aratannau torayaya naumaku ariya barokitei jinbaraya boujisatobaya makasatobaya makakyaronikaya tanyata
On maitarei maitarei maitara manausen maitara sanbanbei maitaro dobanbei akasanmaya sowaka

The first verse is similar to the Dharani of Great Compassion:

"Hail to the Three Jewels! Hail to the noble Avalokiteśvara! Mahasattva. Great Compassionate One!"

The second verse is a devotion to Maitreya, whose name is from the Sanskrit word maitrī, "loving-kindness".