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Most people who have been to Tibet know that there is a mantra in Tibetan Buddhism - the six-syllable mantra, and you will also see its symbols and graphics in many places. The six-syllable mantra, namely Om (ōng), Ma (mā), Ni (nī), Ba (bēi), Mi (mēi), Hum (hòng), is also called the six-syllable mantra. It comes from Sanskrit and is the name of Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, symbolizing the blessing and compassion of all Bodhisattvas.
Mani means wish-fulfilling jewel, referring to the compassion of Avalokitesvara, which makes all wishes come true; Padme means lotus, referring to the purity and wisdom of Avalokitesvara. Reciting the six-syllable mantra can relieve the suffering of sentient beings in the six realms of reincarnation with the power and blessing of Avalokitesvara. Reciting "Om" can relieve the suffering of sentient beings in the heavens; reciting "Ma" can relieve the suffering of sentient beings in the Asura realm; reciting "Ni" can relieve the suffering and misfortune of the human world; reciting "Pa" can relieve the five kinds of suffering of animals, namely, harming each other, hunger and thirst, cold and heat, stupidity and ignorance, and being forced to work; reciting "Mi" can relieve the suffering of sentient beings in the hungry ghost realm; reciting "Hum" can reduce the suffering of sentient beings in the hell realm. Reciting the six-syllable mantra has endless and vast benefits for all lives, and has a compassionate heart for all lives. In Tibet, many people recite this mantra day and night.
The Tibetans are a nation of religious believers.
They put their hope for a happy life in the future
Even your own afterlife
All are placed in this rotating prayer wheel.
For many centuries,
The prayer wheel is always accompanied by the magical six-word mantra.
Among those devout believers
The fingers that exude the fragrance of ghee move the strings.
Tirelessly spinning and dancing,
It conveys the wonderful communication between them and the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.
Once you set foot on the land of Tibet,
You can see it from the roadside and in the temple.
Tibetans are shaking prayer wheels of various colors.
Most of them wore colorful Tibetan robes.
Holding the prayer wheel in the right hand,
Turn it gently clockwise.
A grand religious festival,
Tibetans will come from far away.
Gather together,
The prayer wheel in my hand keeps turning.
In the sunshine,
Emitting thousands of dazzling rays of light,
The scene is spectacular!
The prayer wheel is also called the "Mani" prayer wheel or the prayer barrel. It is related to the Eight-Character Mantra and the Six-Character Mantra (Six-Character Great Bright Mantra). Inside it is a piece of scripture written in Tibetan. Because most Tibetans were illiterate during the slavery era, they put the scripture in the prayer wheel. Each turn is equivalent to reciting the scripture once.
The prayer wheel has a rotating shaft, and every time it rotates a certain number of times, it must be replaced, so that Tibetans can know how many times they have recited the scriptures. Tibetan Buddhism believes that the more mantras are chanted, the more pious they are to the Buddha, and they can escape the suffering of reincarnation.
Prayer wheels are generally divided into two categories: one is hand-cranked, and the other is fixed on a wheel frame in the temple.
Hand-cranked prayer wheel
The hand-cranked prayer wheel is also called the hand-cranked Mani wheel. It is made of gold, silver, copper, etc. and is divided into large, medium and small sizes. The main body is cylindrical with an axis in the middle for rotation. Not only is the six-syllable mantra of Tibetan Buddhism engraved on the cylinder, but the middle of the cylinder is also filled with scriptures and mantras.
In addition to their original meaning, the scriptures and some bird and animal patterns engraved on the prayer wheels are also decorated with lacquer and colors, like handicrafts. Some prayer wheels are also inlaid with corals, gems, etc., which adds to their value beyond religious function.
There are ear holes next to the hand-cranked prayer wheel, and a small pendant is tied to it. When the handle under the cylinder is turned, the small pendant moves with it, and the rotation of the prayer wheel is accelerated by inertia. As the prayer wheel rotates rapidly, the person turning the prayer wheel believes that his merits are also accumulating rapidly.
Although the small prayer wheel rotates very fast, people who believe in Tibetan Buddhism believe that it cannot be compared with the large prayer wheel, because the large prayer wheel has many more scriptures and mantras engraved on it and contained inside it than the small prayer wheel, and the trajectory drawn by one rotation is much larger than that of the small prayer wheel. Therefore, the merit accumulated by turning a large prayer wheel is much higher than that of a small prayer wheel.
As a result, in addition to being keen on turning hand-cranked prayer wheels anytime and anywhere, people also set aside fixed time to turn larger prayer wheels.
Large prayer wheels are usually concentrated around temples, with special prayer corridors. Rows of prayer wheels that are difficult to count are neatly arranged and fixed on wooden shafts, which are both spectacular and mysterious at first glance.
Prayer wheels under the Potala Palace
There are all kinds of large prayer wheels in Tibetan temples. For example, there is a row of prayer wheels outside the west wall of the Potala Palace. Tibetans turn them clockwise with their right hands and mutter the six-character mantra: yǎn ma ne bā mie mōu.
On the left side of the main entrance of Jokhang Temple, there are two huge prayer wheels, which are quite heavy. A tall lama in scarlet robes is turning them vigorously. There is a circle of prayer wheels around the Jokhang Temple. Tibetans who come here to worship must walk in a clockwise direction and turn them with their hands to make them rotate along with the recitation of the six-syllable mantra.
In addition to the two types of prayer wheels mentioned above, there are of course prayer wheels that cannot be turned even by pushing them by hand. This type of prayer wheel is very large, with a height of several meters and a diameter of up to two meters. The entire Tripitaka can be accommodated in the wheel. In order to turn it, everyone must work together.
The big prayer wheel on the top of Shangri-La Mountain is the largest and tallest prayer wheel in the world. It is 21 meters high and weighs 60 tons. The body of the wheel is made of pure copper and gold-plated. The four great bodhisattvas, Manjusri, Samantabhadra, Guanyin and Ksitigarbha, are carved in high relief on the wall. The lower layer is the eight treasures of Buddhism: conch, Dharma wheel, treasure umbrella, hundred covers, lotus, treasure bottle, goldfish, and panchang. The wheel contains 1.24 million mantras, six-syllable mantras and 16 tons of various Buddhist treasures. The prayer wheel can grasp the big ring and push or pull it to rotate the prayer wheel clockwise. It is said that it takes six strong men to rotate it, and each rotation is equivalent to chanting the Buddha's name 1.24 million times.
How to use the prayer wheel
The use of prayer wheels is very particular. If you travel to Tibetan areas, you must master the correct way to turn the prayer wheels. This is both common sense and the minimum respect for faith!
Holding posture: When holding a hand-cranked prayer wheel, the thumb must be placed flat and held together with the other four fingers. The thumb must not be raised to hold the handle. Using this posture to turn the prayer wheel is like pointing at the Buddha with your feet!
The speed should be slow: When turning the prayer wheel, it should be turned slowly and steadily. Do not turn it too quickly or hastily. People who are too impatient are prone to hatred. If the electric prayer wheel makes a noise, it is not a big deal. However, the hand-cranked prayer wheel should not make any sound. If it makes a sound, it is very bad.
Avoid turning it counterclockwise: The most taboo thing about turning the prayer wheel is turning it in the opposite direction. One rotation clockwise is equivalent to reciting the scripture once, while turning it counterclockwise is going backwards, so it cannot be reversed.
Placement: Although Buddhism emphasizes substance and the heart, the prayer wheel is a sacred artifact of Tibetan Buddhism after all. If you buy it as a souvenir, remember to place it in a quiet place.
The effect of chanting sutras
Tibetans believe that turning the sutra is equivalent to chanting sutras, and is the best way to repent for past mistakes, avoid disasters, and accumulate merits. The meaning of turning the sutras in different numbers and by different people is also very different:
One rotation is equivalent to reciting the Tripitaka once.
Rotating it twice is equivalent to reciting all the Buddhist scriptures.
If you rotate it three times, you can eliminate the sins of body, speech, and mind.
If one rotates it ten times, one can eliminate the sins and obstacles as great as Mount Sumeru.
If one rotates it 100 times, his merits will be equal to those of Yama King.
If one rotates it a thousand times, both oneself and others can attain the Dharmakaya.
If the sound is turned 10,000 times, it can liberate oneself and all other sentient beings.
If one rotates 100,000 times, he can reach the vast assembly of saints of Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva.
If it rotates a million times, all sentient beings in the six realms of existence can be blessed with peace and happiness.
By rotating the sound for thousands of times, all sentient beings in the six realms of reincarnation can be freed from the sea of suffering.
Those who rotate it billions of times will have the same merit as Guanyin Bodhisattva.
If you turn the prayer wheel on the top of a mountain, the area around you will be blessed with good fortune and happiness.
If a yogi turns the prayer wheel, his work of benefiting himself and others can be accomplished spontaneously.
If a pure ascetic turns the prayer wheel, he can purify the sin of breaking his vows.
If the mantra master turns the prayer wheel, he can eliminate the karmic obstacles and see the deity;
If a doctor turns the prayer wheel, the plague will be eliminated in the area where he lives and everyone will become a Buddha.
If the king turns the prayer wheel, his subjects and relatives can eliminate their karma;
If officers and soldiers turn the prayer wheel, they can purify their karma, eliminate obstacles, and increase their merits.
If the princess turns the prayer wheel, she will obtain perfect merit and the country will prosper;
If an officer turns the prayer wheel, his troops and their families can eliminate their karma;
If a soldier turns the prayer wheel, it protects his life and eliminates his karma;
If a businessman turns the prayer wheel, his business will prosper and his wishes will come true.
If an ordinary man turns the prayer wheel, he will obtain the fruit of human and heavenly realms;
If a poor girl turns the prayer wheel, she will be able to obtain a special and pure male body in the next life;
If a poor person turns the prayer wheel, he can eliminate his karma and turn poverty into wealth.
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