Chenrezig shares the story of OM MANI PADME HUM with children, guiding them to uncover their inner compassion and wisdom. A perfect bedtime story filled with peace, warmth, and unity.
Long ago, in a beautiful land where the mountains touched the sky and rivers flowed like silver ribbons, there lived a wise and compassionate teacher named Chenrezig. He had a twinkle in his eye, as if he knew a great secret, and his heart was so full of love that just being near him made people feel lighter. But Chenrezig knew that many beings in the world carried an invisible burden—an illness of the mind, one that made them forget who they truly were.
This illness, Chenrezig explained, was a kind of forgetting. “We have all mistaken ourselves for something we are not,” he said gently. “Like a dreamer who believes the dream is real, we have forgotten our true nature—the vast, boundless love and wisdom that live in our hearts. Instead, we believe we are small and separate, like waves forgetting they belong to the ocean.”
Chenrezig often told stories to children, knowing that their hearts could understand what adults often forgot. One evening, as the stars glimmered softly above, Chenrezig gathered a group of children around a fire. They looked up at him with curious eyes, waiting for one of his famous stories.
“Tonight,” Chenrezig said, “I will tell you a story about a great medicine—a medicine for the heart and mind. It is the mantra OM MANI PADME HUM. This mantra is like the most powerful medicine a doctor could ever give, one that can heal the illness of separation and help us remember our true nature.”
He paused, watching the children lean in closer, eager to hear more. “But first,” he continued, “you need to understand something important. Imagine that you are wearing many layers of clothing—so many layers that you forget what you look like underneath. Each layer is like a thought or feeling you tell yourself: I’m not good enough. I need to be better.
These layers are like cobwebs in the mind, making it hard to see clearly. And because we believe in these stories, we feel small and alone, like a candle separated from the flame. But the truth is, we are not the stories we tell ourselves. Beneath all the layers, beneath all the cobwebs, we are already whole, already perfect—just like a lotus flower, waiting to bloom.”
The children sat very still, imagining themselves wrapped in layers of thoughts, feelings, and stories. “How do we take off the layers?” one of them whispered.
Chenrezig smiled. “That is where the mantra comes in,” he said softly. “OM MANI PADME HUM is the medicine that clears away the layers, like a soft breeze sweeping away cobwebs. Each time you say the mantra, you peel back another layer. OM MANI PADME HUM… and the layers fall away. OM MANI PADME HUM… and your heart shines a little brighter. OM MANI PADME HUM… and with each breath, you get closer to your true self—your Buddha nature, the part of you that is pure love and compassion.
He began to explain the meaning of the mantra, his voice gentle and full of care. “The first syllable, OM, is the sound of the universe waking up. It reminds us that we are connected to everything—to the stars, the rivers, the animals, and each other. OM is the sound of coming home to our true nature.”
The children closed their eyes, listening to the sound of OM as if it were rising from the earth, the sky, and their own hearts all at once.
“The next two words,” Chenrezig continued, “are Mani Padme—the jewel in the lotus. This means that inside each of us is a precious jewel—the light of wisdom and love. But just like a lotus flower that grows in muddy water, this jewel can be hidden by layers of thoughts and beliefs. Each time we chant Mani Padme, we open the lotus a little more, revealing the jewel inside.”
The children imagined a lotus flower blooming in their hearts, each petal unfolding slowly, with a bright jewel glowing at its center.
“And finally,” Chenrezig said, “we have Hum. This is the sound of unity—the sound that brings everything together. It is the moment when we remember that we were never separate, not from others, not from love, and not from our true nature. Hum is the sound of the Buddha mind awakening within you, shining with pure compassion.”
The children whispered the mantra softly: OM MANI PADME HUM… OM MANI PADME HUM… Each repetition felt like a breeze clearing away the cobwebs in their minds, helping them feel lighter and brighter.
“Now,” Chenrezig continued, “let me tell you one more secret. The mantra doesn’t just help you remember who you are—it helps others too. Every time you chant OM MANI PADME HUM, you are planting seeds of compassion, not just in your own heart, but in the hearts of all beings. These seeds will bloom in ways you may never see, bringing kindness and peace into the world.”
He placed a hand over his heart. “It’s like sharing a gift that never runs out. Each time you say the mantra, you are offering love to the whole universe.”
The children sat quietly for a moment, feeling the beauty of the mantra settling into their hearts, like a gentle rain nourishing the earth. “So the mantra is like a magic medicine?” one child asked softly.
Chenrezig smiled. “Yes,” he said. “It is a medicine for the heart, a way of peeling back the layers until only love and wisdom remain. It helps us remember that we are not small or separate—we are like the ocean, vast and full of life. And each time we chant the mantra, we bring a little more light into the world.”
As the fire crackled softly, casting warm orange light on their faces, Chenrezig leaned closer to the children. “Now, as you drift off to sleep tonight, you can let the mantra carry you, like a boat floating gently down a river. Whisper it in your heart: OM MANI PADME HUM… OM MANI PADME HUM… Let it peel back the layers of your mind, revealing the jewel of compassion that has always been there.”
He kissed each child on the forehead and offered a final blessing:
OM MANI PADME HUM . . .
“With each breath, may you awaken to your true nature.”
“With each dream, may your heart bloom in kindness.”
“May all beings remember their light, and may the world be filled with peace.”
The mantra hummed softly in their hearts: OM MANI PADME HUM, OM MANI PADME HUM… clearing away the cobwebs, layer by layer, revealing the truth that they were never separate, but always part of the great ocean of love.
May your hearts always shine with the light of compassion, and may OM MANI PADME HUM guide you, now and always. Sleep well, children. The jewel in the lotus is already blooming within you.
As the children drifted into a peaceful sleep, the mantra whispered in their hearts… OM MANI PADME HUM… until their dreams were filled with rivers of kindness, endless skies of compassion, and the light of love.
Goodnight, little one. ❤️
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If you’d like to explore more bedtime stories for children, including tales that nurture compassion and mindfulness, you can find our collection here.
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