prayer wheel

/prair/

a wheel or cylinder inscribed with or containing prayers, used chiefly by Buddhists of Tibet.

[1805-15]

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In Tibetan Buddhism, a mechanical device used as an equivalent to the recitation of a mantra.

The prayer wheel consists of a hollow metal cylinder, often beautifully embossed, mounted on a rod and containing a consecrated paper bearing a mantra. Each turn of the wheel by hand is considered equivalent to orally reciting the prayer. Variants to the handheld prayer wheel are large cylinders that can be set in motion by hand or attached to windmills or waterwheels and thus kept in continuous motion.

Tibetan prayer wheel, gilt silver, 18th–19th century; in the Seattle (Washington) Art Museum.

By courtesy of the Seattle Art Museum, Washington, Eugene Fuller Memorial Collection

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Tibetan  mani chos 'khor 

      in Tibetan Buddhism, a mechanical device the use of which is equivalent to the recitation of a mantra (sacred syllable or verse). The prayer wheel consists of a hollow metal cylinder, often beautifully embossed, mounted on a rod handle and containing a tightly wound scroll printed with a mantra. Each turning of the wheel by hand is equivalent in efficacy to the prayer's oral recitation multiplied by the number of times the mantra is printed on the scroll.

      Variants to the hand-held prayer wheel are large cylinders that can be attached to windmills or waterwheels and thus kept in continuous motion. The mantra on a prayer flag is similarly activated by the blowing of the wind.

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