Tibetan Traditions – Prayer Wheel and Circumambulation

In Tibet, you can see people do circumambulation everywhere because Tibetans think circumambulation is equal to chanting Buddhism scripture. In Tibetan traditions, circumambulation is the best way to confess past things, drive off evil spirits and accumulate merits. In order to fully use this best way, various pagodas with prayer wheels were built in Tibet. Many Tibetans even take prayer wheel with them all the time, and spin it at break.

Tibetan Traditions – Prayer Wheel

There are big and small prayer wheels in Tibet. The small prayer wheels can be held by hand. The prayer wheel which can be spun in hand is also named "Mani Wheel". The texture of this kind includes gold, silver and copper and so on. This kind of prayer wheel is cylindrical, with axis in the middle. Except the Six Truest Words of Tibetan Buddhism carved on the surface of the prayer wheel, there is Buddhism scriptures put in the middle of the cylinder. The prayer wheels almost are delicately made. Except for the patterns of scripture and animals, it is also decorated by colorful paintings. Some prayer wheels are also decorated by coral and jewelry and so on. There are two holes on the sides of the prayer wheel which are used to tie small plummets. When spin the prayer wheel, the plummets will move together. Tibetan Buddhism believers think that their merits are increasing with spinning the prayer wheel.

Although the small pray wheels can spin fast, many Tibetan Buddhism believers still would like to spin the large prayer wheel which carved with much more Buddhism scriptures. Consequently, many people will choose a permanent time to spin the larger prayer wheels. The large prayer wheels are almost around monasteries, with specific prayer wheel passage. Rows of prayer wheels fixed on the wooden axis in order give people a kind of grand and holy feeling. In general, the large prayer wheel will move for slight push.

Tibetan Traditions – Circumambulation

In Tibetan traditions, the Tibetan Buddhism believers circumambulate holy mountains, holy lakes, holy cities, monasteries, pagodas, Mani Stone Mounds and so on. In conclusion, the places where Tibetan Buddhism believers often do circumambulation distribute everywhere in Tibet. The Tibetan Buddhism believers complete their life with the way of circumambulation.