Derge Kangyur/Tengyur e-text, Esukhia/Barom edition — public domain (mechanical reproduction)
This text provides an exegetical analysis of the mantra Namo Buddhāya, employing a method of syllable-by-syllable decomposition to uncover deeper ontological and soteriological meanings. The author assigns specific philosophical attributes to the individual phonetic components of the phrase. The syllable NA is identified with the non-dual nature of reality, characterized by the absence of birth, cessation, form, saṃsāra, and nirvāṇa. The syllable MO is associated with the active functions of the enlightened mind, specifically the destruction of delusion, the granting of liberation, and the subjugation of māras and afflictions. By transforming a ritual formula into a condensed philosophical treatise, the text commits the reader to viewing the mantra not merely as a devotional tool, but as a coded map of the Buddhist path and the nature of ultimate reality.
Provenance
About this text
A commentary on the mantra Namo Buddhāya, this work belongs to the classical Tibetan period and is situated within the General Unexcelled Yoga Tantra Works. The text is preserved in the Tengyur, specifically volume ཞི, where it occupies a single page. Through a method of syllable-by-syllable decomposition, the work transforms a ritual formula into a philosophical analysis. It assigns ontological and soteriological meanings to individual phonetic components: the syllable NA is identified with a non-dual reality devoid of birth, cessation, form, saṃsāra, and nirvāṇa, while MO is associated with the destruction of delusion, the bestowal of liberation, and the subjugation of māras and afflictions. A scholar or serious reader consults this text to understand how a devotional mantra is treated as a coded map of the Buddhist path and the nature of ultimate reality, shifting the function of the phrase from a simple ritual tool to a condensed treatise on the enlightened mind.
Cite thisAnuvāda, “A Commentary on the “Namo Buddhāya”” (Toh 2300), machine draft, 2026.https://naxiai.com/tibetan/works/toh2300
Summary & commentary
Significance
The work is significant for its demonstration of the Tibetan tradition of mantra exegesis, where ritual speech is systematized into philosophical doctrine. It illustrates the intersection of linguistic analysis and meditative insight, showing how a short phrase can encapsulate a comprehensive view of emptiness and liberation.
Structure
Passages
Section
Description
1
Exegesis of Namo Buddhāya
A detailed breakdown of the syllables NA and MO, attributing ontological qualities to the former and soteriological actions to the latter.
Themes
Non-duality and Emptiness (1)
Soteriological Function (1)
Summary, significance and provenance note generated by gemma4:31b from the translation and the catalogue record.
Namo Buddhāya.
Without birth and without cessation,
Without form and without possessing form,
Without saṃsāra and without nirvāṇa—
This is expressed by the syllable NA.
MO: It constantly destroys delusion,
It perfectly bestows the singular liberation,
It subdues the māras and the afflictions—
This is expressed by the syllable MA.
BUDDHA: The Buddha has gone to the beyond;
The Buddha is of no benefit to transmigrating beings;
The Buddha is the purification of afflictions—
This is expressed by the syllable BUDDHA.
DHĀ: By upholding all phenomena,
Together with the expanse of phenomena (dharmadhātu),
Phenomena themselves are the supreme dharma—
This is expressed by the syllable DHĀ.
YA: As it abides, so it perishes;
As it perishes, so it abides;
As it is spoken, so it is done—
This is expressed by the syllable YA.
The commentary on Namo Buddhāya is complete.
Translation status: Not among 84000's published translations, and not in progress there. Translations published elsewhere have not been searched for, so one may exist. (source: 84000 catalogue + registry; checked 2026-11-10).
Set in Newsreader and EB Garamond; Tibetan in Noto Serif Tibetan; Chinese in Noto Serif SC.