noun
In Buddhism, a sacred syllable, word, or phrase chanted as a spiritual practice. The term is strongly associated with Shingon Buddhism.
真言を唱えることで心が落ち着く。
Chanting a mantra calms the mind.
Abbreviation of 真言宗 (Shingon-shū), a major school of Japanese Buddhism. Used in compound names or when the context is clearly Buddhist.
See also: 真言宗
真言は空海によって日本に伝えられた。
The Shingon sect was brought to Japan by Kūkai.
From Middle Chinese 真言 (tsyin ngjon, 'true words'), a translation of Sanskrit mantra. The term entered Japanese through Buddhist texts.