Prayer Wheels and Prayer Wheels

Prayer wheels are devices used by religious followers of the Buddha for preading spiritual blessings and good will. Rolls of thin paper, imprinted with a mantra (a sacred text or invocation), are placed in a protective container usually made of brass or bronze, though more precious metals may be used, sometimes enhanced with mother of pearl, coral, or turquoise. Turning a prayer wheel symbolizes
"turning the doctrine," referring to the first teachings of the Buddha, when he set the Wheel of the Law in motion, and accumulates virtues for the well being of mankind.

There are many types of prayer wheels, although hand-held wheels are the most common. A person
using the wheel sets it in motion by turning it in a clockwise direction. Each turn is the equivalent of
reading the prayers within. Wheels may also be placed where they can be spun by the wind or by flowing water.

Prayer flags are colorful panels or rectangular cloth often found strung along mountain ridges and peaks high in the Himalayas to bless the surrounding countryside or for other purposes. Unknown in other branches of Buddhism, prayer flags are believed to have originated with B�n, which predated Buddhism in Tibet. Traditionally they are woodblock-printed with texts and images.

Bhutanese people believe that when the wind passes through these flags, it arries the prayers along with it, to bless every person and object they touch.

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