Hello, my name is Noah Nichols. I am the founder of Mantrapiece. Mantrapiece is one of my life's greatest passions, which I have devoted much time, effort and dedication, developing and building it to be what it is today. This is the story of how Mantrapiece came to be. How it has affected my life, and what it means to me. Enjoy!
The Beginning of this Story
A couple of years ago, before starting this business, I had a massive panic attack. It left me questioning everything I had ever been told. And it wasn't because I was angry at the world and decided to go rogue or anything like that. It was a lot deeper. To put it more simply, I had a glimpse of something very very familiar. But yet at the same time, I couldn't quite put my finger on what it was. Some people said I had awoken. They said I had become enlightened. I had realized my own true nature. Which was how I was able to instantaneously stop believing everything I had ever been told. But that's another story entirely. You can read it here The Realization of My Own True Nature. It will help you to better understand what I'll be sharing in this blog.
Understanding the Essence of the Buddha's Teachings
As the story goes, not long after experiencing the panic attack, I began to grow quite fond of the messages within ancient Buddhist scriptures. Such as sutras, mantras and various symbolism. For me, they represented within their very nature, the truth. The very same truth in which I had stumbled upon that fateful day. And so whenever I would read any of these texts, whatever thoughts, good or bad, had invaded the space of my mind, would immediately begin to fade away. Revealing to me once again that I am not any of these thoughts. And that I don’t know what I am. But whatever it is, it is prior to everything, and from it comes everything. My ability to discern between that which was false within me and that which was true, became the guiding force in my existence as a human being. And my ability to pretend that I was anything at all, was gone as well. There I was, nothing and everything. It was simply no longer possible to fool myself into believing that I could be an idea. And so just being, without the idea of being anything at all, was the new norm. And these sacred texts (sutras and mantras) allowed me to hone in on this knowing.
The Om Mani Padme Hum Tattoo
And after having indulged myself with these teachings for long enough, I eventually decided to get a tattoo of one of these sacred mantras. It was a large tattoo of the popular Tibetan mantra “Om Mani Padme Hum”. And it was in the traditional Sanskrit Siddham script. The very script that was used for transmitting the ancient Buddhist Tantra texts. And the only language that could preserve the pronunciation and essence of the sacred Buddhist mantras. The beautiful calligraphic-stroked characters went perfectly down my left arm. And It was my very first tattoo which directly reflected the full-scale meaning of what I had realized that fateful day. I had a new tattoo, and it was mantra piece. At least that's how I naturally began to refer to it.
The Formation of Mantrapiece
Soon after that, I bought a tungsten steel ring, which was laser engraved with the same “Om Mani Padme Hum” mantra, but in the Tibetan script. I was now wearing two mantra pieces. One was a tattoo and one was a ring. Next, I bought a silver medallion, which was engraved with the entire Surangama Sutra in the traditional Sanskrit Siddham script on one side. And on the other side, it was engraved with the same sutra, but in the traditional Chinese language. It didn't take long before I found myself in love with these little jewelry pieces, buying a new one almost every month. It was a new found passion and hobby that I absolutely adored, and it brought me great comfort. And then one day, after having accumulated many various types of rings, medallions, Tibetan malas, scroll lockets and etc. I thought to myself, how wonderful it would be to sell these amazing mantra pieces to other people. And allow them the same feeling of admiration. I guess it's true - when you truly love doing something, you want to share it with everyone. And sure enough, as you could guess, this passion had grown into something far more than just a hobby. In 2017 I started a new business. And naturally, I named it Mantrapiece.
My Truth Memorabilia
However, it wasn't just a new found passion or the making of a business at hand either. There was something far greater at work. At the core of this passion, there was a feeling. It was a feeling I hadn't yet found the words to entertain or even describe. But it was there. And it was the driving force behind why I surrounded myself with these jewelry pieces, and is one of the reasons why I eventually expanded my jewelry collection into a business. The truth about it was this. I never wanted to forget what I had realized about my true nature. And it's so easy to forget. In the split of a second, this knowing can be gone just like that. And then you're left trying find it again, when there is nothing to find. I simply never again wanted to become so entirely lost in the ocean of my thoughts. There would always be something there, near by, pointing me towards the ever so present and realizable truth, anchoring me in the sea of chaos that are the illusions of my mind. And that through whatever chaotic situation I may be experiencing, rather physical or mental, these jewelry pieces and what they symbolize may remind me of the greater truth in which I am, and know myself to be. And point me back to the path of enlightenment. Awakening me from the illusion - the dream of being a separate self. Rekindling me with the knowing of my true nature once again. I guess you could say, these jewelry pieces and what they represent, act as a kind of ''Truth Memorabilia'' for me.
My Conclusion, Hopes and Dreams
I've learned from first hand experience, that the world can be a lonely and scary place for someone that is awoken. It's just really easy to feel surrounded by madness. Which is another reason why I opened this business. Because it means the most to me that I can share this experience with others and offer them something that may help them through the confusion of their minds. And help them to find the courage to surrender to adversity, and remain the path of love and compassion. And though it may seem like a long shot, which it is, I believe that Mantrapiece will serve a small but significant purpose to many. And I also believe that one day, humans alike, across all distant lands, will begin to wake up. And just like that, our home, planet earth will rejoice as one. We will for once find abundance among each other, and live as we were meant to - in peace and in harmony as one.
