5200 x 3457 px | 44 x 29,3 cm | 17,3 x 11,5 inches | 300dpi
Aufnahmedatum:
2004
Ort:
Lhasa Tibet Autonomous Region. People’s Republic of China
Weitere Informationen:
A prayer wheel or ‘khor in Tibetan language is a wheel on a spindle which can be made from metal, wood, leather or even coarse cotton. Inside or decorated on the wheels are prayers and mantras. Evidence of prayer wheels was first recorded around 400 A.D. by a Chinese pilgrim in Ladakh. Turning the wheel represents the turning of the wheel of Dharma which in itself describes the way Buddha taught. According to Tibetan Buddhist practice, spinning these wheels has the same effect as orally reciting the prayers. Rules vary between regions, but typically the practitioner spins the wheel clockwise, in the direction the mantras were written, making sure they repeat the mantra before and after each spin, or no merit will be incurred. Others believe that turning alone still has merits. Wheels should not be spun frantically, but held straight if hand held and turned smoothly with bodhichitta (the noble mind that aspires to full enlightenment for the benefit of all beings.) Hopefully the spinning will help the practitioner gain bodhichitta and compassion. Following a session of meditation it is customary to ask both Buddhas and bodhisattvas to dedicate ones accumulated merits to all sentient beings. Simply touching a prayer wheel is said to bring purification to negative karmas. The Mani Wheel is a hand held prayer wheel with cylindrical body mounted on a wooden or metal handle. The cylinder containing a mantra is usually weighted down with a cord or chain which allows it to be spun with a slight rotation of the wrist. The most commonly used mantra in prayer wheels is that of Chenrezig, “Om Mani Padme Hum”, loosely translated as ‘the jewel is in the lotus or praise to the jewel in the lotus.’ It invites the embodiment of compassion.
