7. Wisdom

A manifestation of another quality of an enlightened being, wisdom, is known in Tibetan as Jetsun Jampelyang (in Sanskrit, Manjushri; in English, The Glorious Gentle Voice). Compassion, the wish to benefit others, is the point – but, as His Holiness often says, “Compassion is not enough; we need wisdom.” The Tibetans have a saying: “Like a bird we need two wings: wisdom and compassion.” Depicted in the bodhisattva aspect, Manjushri has an orange light body, and with a sword held aloft in his right hand he cuts through ignorance. He is the embodiment of clear awareness, unencumbered by ego, which enables him to see perfectly the minds of all beings and thus to know exactly how to benefit them. Wisdom is the sword that uproots all the delusions, such as attachment, anger, and finally, the fundamental misconception of reality. Reciting the mantra of Manjushri increases our wisdom. We become more clear, more in touch with what’s happening in our own mind, more wise in our day-to-day dealings with other people, more emotionally intelligent. And it helps our speech become more appropriate, more accurate, and more beneficial.

Artist Credits His Holiness the Dalai Lama — Voice Abraham Kunin — Guitar, Keyboards, SFX Programming Russell McNaughton — Upright Bass Scott Thomas — Flute, Saxophones