overview
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Tibetan Buddhists believe that saying this
mantra, out
loud
or silently to oneself, invokes the powerful benevolent attention and
blessings
of Chenrezig, the embodiment of compassion.
Traditionally wheels were not used at all in
Tibet except
for spiritual purposes -- carts and similar wheeled devices were known
from other cultures, but their use was intentionally avoided. Mani
wheels are found all over Tibet and in areas influenced by Tibetan
culture.
There are many types of Mani
wheels, but small hand-held wheels, like the one shown here, are the
most
common by far. Tibetan people carry them around for hours, and even on
long pilgrimages, spinning them any time they have a hand free.
They can be found mounted in rows next to
pathways, to
be spun by people entering a shrine, or along the route which people
use
as they walk slowly around and around a sacred site -- a form of
spiritual
practice called circumambulation.
Tibetan Buddhist Mani wheels are always spun clockwise, as viewed from above, for any or all of several reasons: It rotates the syllables of the mantra so that they would pass a viewer in the order that they would be read, it follows the direction of the sun, and it matches the clockwise circumambulation of stupas. Practitioners of Bon, the pre Buddhist spiritual tradition of Tibet, spin their prayer wheels counter-clockwise, the same direction they use in circumambulation. Much of Tibetan culture has now had to take refuge outside its homeland. In Tibet under Chinese rule, mechanical wheels are everywhere, on trucks and busses and cars and tanks, but spiritual training and practice, and even learning the Tibetan language, are severely restricted. With the introduction of Tibetan Buddhism into the West, new types of Mani wheels have come into being. His Holiness the Dalai Lama has said that having the mantra on your computer works the same as a traditional prayer wheel. Since a computer's hard disk spins hundreds of thousands of times per hour, and can contain many copies of the mantra, anyone who wants to can turn their computer into a prayer wheel.
These pages offer information on how to purchase traditional mechanical prayer wheels, on how to install several types of digital prayer wheels on your computer, and on the mantra Om Mani Padme Hum and what it means to Tibetan Buddhists. We also point out resources in books and on the Web, on Chenrezig and his mantra, and on the concept of compassion in Tibetan Buddhism, as well as one excellent new book devoted to the subject of prayer wheels. top of page |
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These two versions of the mantra Om Mani Padme Hum are found in mani wheels: ![]()
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Hand held wheels, the most common type, are
made to be
spun with one hand. They are generally made of a cylindrical body of
metal
(sometimes of wood), This particular image shows the wheel leaning on a wooden rest, and shows the mantra roll removed from the protective case. In the case of a small hand-held wheel like this one the scroll can be a 20 or more yards (meters) in length. Links to on-line stores that offer hand spun
prayer wheels
are given below. Some of them also offer table-top prayer wheels like
the
one shown:
A Note on Buying Prayer Wheels: The cases for prayer wheels are often made separately from the mantra rolls, which are inserted in the case before the wheel is sold. Occasionally the cases are sold without the mantra rolls. If you buy a prayer wheel in a store, you can take off the top (or ask the shopkeeper to do it) and look to see the mantras inside. If there is no mantra roll, you can ask if they can get you one. If you buy a wheel from the Internet or by mail, and find that there are no prayers inside, you can ask the vendor to supply them for you. If you already own a wheel that has no prayers, one of the Tibetan stores or Internet vendors can probably get a mantra roll for you if you tell them the size of your wheel case (height and diameter of cylinder). More Images of Prayer Wheels on the Web prayer wheels at Land of Medicine Buddha
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The Thardo Khorlo is said to provide much more benefit than a Mani wheel, because it contains a much more complete representation of the Buddha Dharma. This electric version turns slowly, playing whichever one of four dharma songs you chose (Mani, Amitabha, and two others). You can raise or lower the volume of the music, or chose silence, if you like. The link above will take you to a Web site where you can learn more about electric Thardo Khorlo, and buy one if you like. Except for problems with noise from the drive mechanism in the early models, people who experience them agree that they are truely wonderful. Some feel they are very beneficial for health problems. top of page |
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books ![]() Web Resources
Books
![]() This book offers a clear description of prayer wheel practice, its meaning and benefits, and its role as an essential ritual and symbol of Mahayana Buddhism. It contains a general introduction to the prayer wheel, photographs and illustrations, six commentaries by Tibetan lamas, and instructions for both prayer wheel construction and proper use." For books on the centrality of compassion in Tibetan Buddhism, on Chenrezig and on the Bodhisattva Path, please look at the "Books" section of our page Chenrezig: The Embodiment of Compassion. top of page |
We're grateful to the copyright holders of these images for permission to use them on this page: Tibetan Buddhist Nun in Himalayas of Nepal
turning a large
prayer Water-driven prayer wheel (Introduction)
Hand-wheel and table-wheel images --
(Traditional Wheels) top of page |
![]() ![]() Dream Flag Your Comments and Suggestions Revised on December 3, 2004 ![]() Copyright © 2004 Dharma Haven top of page |