Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Prayer Wheel

Buddhists of Tibet and Nepal use something called a prayer wheel. It is a hollow metal cylinder that is often beautifully crafted. It has a tightly wound scroll usually around it that has the mantra printed on it. Prayer wheels come in many sizes from small hand held sizes to huge ones made for temples. Sometime they are hand-held prayer wheels that are carried by pilgrims and other devotees. It is turned during devotional activates.

According to beliefs it is said that just turning the prayer wheel is just as effective as reading the sacred text out loud. This belief comes from the Buddhist belief in the power of sound. To some it also represents the Wheel of the Law set in motion by the Buddha.




No comments:

Post a Comment