What are the rotating cylinders in monastries, and why are they there?
score:6
These are Tibetan Buddhist prayer wheels and they often have 'Om mani padme hum' engraved on them:
According to Tibetan Buddhist belief, spinning a prayer wheel is just as effective as reciting the sacred texts aloud. This belief derives from the Buddhist belief in the power of sound and the formulas to which deities are subject. For many Buddhists, the prayer wheel also represents the Wheel of the Law (or Dharma) set in motion by the Buddha.
The prayer wheel is also useful for illiterate members of the lay Buddhist community, since they can "read" the prayers by turning the wheel. Prayer wheels come in many sizes: they may be small and attached to a stick, and spun around by hand; medium-sized and set up at monasteries or temples; or very large and continuously spun by a water mill. Prayer wheels at monasteries and temples are located at the gates of the property, and devotees spin the wheels before passing through the gates. Prayer Wheels
Upvote:3
It's called Prayer wheel. These round cylinders are mantras, with thousands of prayers handwritten outside each in Sanskrit and Tibetan letters. Each full clockwise turn of the mantra is said to work the good merit of the prayers.
More post
- π Consciousness, death and reincarnation
- π Do Buddhist believe fortune teller?
- π What is the relationship between Bon and Tibetan Buddhism?
- π The Buddha and the Cycle of Life
- π Can someone point me the Sutra that explains the fall of Human civilization?
- π A question on morality
- π Reborn in heaven and perfect sila/morality
- π How anger is developed?
- π How to do the Koan study?
- π Shouldn't we take Lord Buddha's word above the all others?
- π Importance of the first three Brahmaviharas in Theravadan Buddhism
- π How to find specific lessons in Zen Buddhism?
- π connection between fear and anger(dwesha)
- π Is academic research right livelihood?
- π What does celestial mean in 'celestial bodhisattva'
- π Do Buddhists claim that if there was a self it could not be annihilated?
- π Is the self an illusion or is it *like* an illusion?
- π What's the shortest path to eradicate Mana (self-view)?
- π What is the Noble Eightfold Path?
- π Is there a Buddhist 'noninterference' concept?
- π Ignorant mind and Buddha nature
- π What are signs of the three marks of existence?
- π Can volition be without craving? We love and serve because we intend to?
- π Is suffering dependent on aging & death? If so, how is suffering experienced before & after death?
- π Noumenon and "mind only"
- π Mind as a creator
- π What does "safeguard cognitive process" mean?
- π Hair of the Buddha
- π So many Buddhist schools!
- π Does DN2 and MN36 provide an irrefutable statement on the fact of rebirth?
Source: stackoverflow.com
Search Posts
Related post
- π What are the rotating cylinders in monastries, and why are they there?
- π What are the views considered "false convictions", and why are they false?
- π What are the various Buddhist scriptural designations and to what do they refer?
- π What are the Three Trainings and how are they practical?
- π What are the Five Pungent (Vegetables/Roots/Spices) and when were they first proscribed?
- π How to stop reverberations running in mind? And why they are in the first place?
- π What are the six beads at the end of a mala used for? And what is there meaning if there is one
- π What are the differences between vipassana and mindfulness meditation?
- π What are the differences/similarities in the concept of faith as used in Buddhism and Christianity?
- π What are the other Theravada Councils held between the 4th and 6th
- π What are the differences between "Nirvana" in Buddhism and "Moksha" in Hinduism?
- π Does hosting guests at home with meat and alcohol (because they are fond of it) amount to aiding the guests break their Sila?
- π If there are no past and future lives, why should we practice Buddhism?
- π Is there any mention of child adoption in any Buddhist writings and what is the view on child adoption with regard to Buddhism?
- π What are any and all of the exceptions to eating after noon if you've taken 8 precepts?
- π What are the core Mahayana and Vajrayana Sutras?
- π What are the "Five Daily Recollections" and their benefits?
- π Why are "Fear and Shame" listed among the beautiful cetasikas?
- π In the five paramitas, what is patience and why is it on the list?
- π What are the main differences between the Theravada, Mahayana and Vajrayana branches of Buddhism?
- π What concordances are there for the Pali Canon?
- π In Pure Land Buddhism, what realm do the pure lands belong to? Are they outside of the usual six realms?
- π What are good resources to study the historic evolution and comparative studies of Abhidhamma
- π What is Zen, what are Zen beliefs, and why is it called Buddhism?
- π What are Buddha-fields and Dharma-fields in Buddhism? What roles do they play in various lineages?
- π Who are the Buddhas Yet to Come and what Information do we have about them as per Theravada standpoint?
- π What exactly are the last two of the Arupa Jhanas? How can we transcend them and for what?
- π Can a buddhist enjoy life - what are the limitations and restrictions
- π There is a text where Buddha says that the Dharma he teaches is not a secret doctrine so why are there sects which maintain secrecy?
- π Within TheravΔda tradition, what are the differences in doctrine and practice between schools and sects around the world?
