Material: 925 silver. Hanging rope. Pendant

Size: Height 3cm (approximate size)

Narrative:

The prayer wheel (Tibetan: འཕོ་བའི་འཁོར་ལོ་, Sanskrit: Jangama Chakra) is one of the important instruments of Tibetan Buddhism. It carries profound religious beliefs and spiritual significance, and is believed to have the power to accumulate merits and eliminate karma.

**The Origin of the Prayer Wheel**

The prayer wheel originated in Indian Buddhism and was later introduced to Tibet along with Tantric Buddhism, becoming an important practice tool of Tibetan Buddhism. According to legend, Sakyamuni Buddha once taught his disciples: "If you can write, recite or rotate Buddhist scriptures, you can accumulate merit and purify your sins." The prayer wheel was born under this concept. It puts the scriptures into a cylinder so that when the practitioner turns the prayer wheel, it is equivalent to reciting the mantras and scriptures inside the wheel.

**The symbolism and function of the prayer wheel**

Prayer wheels are often engraved with the six-syllable mantra ("Om Mani Padme Hum") or other Buddhist scriptures, symbolizing the merits of reciting Buddhist teachings. When you spin the prayer wheel, you believe that:

- **Accumulate blessings**: Turning it once is equivalent to reciting the scriptures tens of millions of times.

- **Eliminate karma**: It is said that reciting the sutra sincerely can reduce the karma of oneself and others and make destiny more auspicious.

- **Pray for the liberation of all beings**: By turning the prayer wheel, practitioners not only accumulate merit for themselves, but also pray for all beings to be free from suffering and attain happiness.

**The legend of the prayer wheel**

According to legend, the great Tibetan Buddhist master Padmasambhava once used prayer wheels to preach and taught his disciples how to accumulate merits by turning prayer wheels. Some practitioners believe that turning the prayer wheel can resonate with the energy of Buddhism and make the practice more profound. In addition, there are stories and legends among the Tibetan folk that believe that the prayer wheel was created by Buddha and Bodhisattva, which can make spiritual practice easier and enable anyone to accumulate merit.

**Types of prayer wheels**

- **Handheld prayer wheel**: Small, easy to carry, suitable for daily practice.

- **Large temple prayer wheels**: Placed in Buddhist temples for believers to turn together to accumulate collective merit.

- **Wind-turned prayer wheels, water-turned prayer wheels**: Use wind power or water flow to rotate, so that the Dharma spreads between heaven and earth, naturally accumulating merit.

The prayer wheel is not only a tool for spiritual practice, but also a symbol of the compassion and wisdom of Buddhism.