great six-syllable mantra ("om mani padme hum")
A specific Buddhist mantra associated with Avalokiteśvara (Kannon). Used in religious contexts.
In Tibetan Buddhism, chanting the great six-syllable mantra is considered important.
真言 is a general term for mantras or dhāraṇī in Buddhism, while 六字大明呪 refers specifically to the six-syllable mantra.
From Chinese 六字大明呪 (liùzì dàmíng zhòu), literally 'six-character great bright spell'. The term refers to the Sanskrit mantra 'oṃ maṇi padme hūṃ'.