Need help from Buddhists

Since we have some here who would like to chat, I'm hoping they can help me. What is the literal translation of "Om Mane Padme Hung" (excuse if I've spelled it wrong)? I've heard it is something about the heart being the jewel of the lotus, but I'm not sure that is correct.

Also, what is the deeper meaning of the phrase?

In one of the Dances of Universal Peace, 8 dancers become a Tibetan prayer wheel, chanting this phrase again and again. Once I had the privledge of doing this Dance with lamas from Dahrmasala, who were visiting this country, and it was quite powerful. But the lamas didn't speak English, and I was too blissed out to ask--I think in that moment, I knew the meaning, anyway.

Thank you in advance for your help.

I noticed today that someone had put a question she needed people to answer in her sig, with a link to the thread she had started on it (which is in a forum I've never visited before). I followed the link, and it looks as though a lot of people saw her sig and went and answered her question.

Maybe you could put this question and link in your sig, so that as you post around other forums, the Buddhists and language people may see it and come here to answer it?

Wish I could be more help.

-wildflower

This is a wonderful site, and fits right in with my spiritual teaching. The explanations are ones upon which I need to meditate to get the full flavor. The story of the hermit mispronouncing the sacred phrase, but literally being able to perform miracles because his heart was in Unity is a familiar one that is often told as a Sufi story.

As His Holiness said, "In Buddhism, nothing is. In Sufism, everything is. Same thing, no difference."

exist..
but it really isn't out there looking back at you.. the Heart Sutra explains that very beautifully.