The Meaning of the Tibetan Prayer Wheel

I found this interesting post about the prayer wheel and I thought I'd share it on the blog.

(I think I started liking the use of prayer wheels ever since I had observed H.E. Garchen Rinpoche spinning it in such a serene, blissful manner.)

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"It is said that prayer wheels are used to accumulate wisdom and merit or good karma and to purify negativities such as bad karma. The idea of spinning mantras comes from numerous Tantric practices where the Tantric practitioner visualizes mantras revolving around the nadis and especially around the meridian chakras such as the heart and crown.

Therefore Tibetan Prayer Wheels are a visual aid for developing one's capacity for these types of Tantric visualizations. The spiritual method for those practicing with a prayer wheel is very specific (with slight variations according to different Buddhist sects). The practitioner most often spins the wheel clockwise, for the direction the mantras are written is that of the movement of the sun across the sky. However, on rare occasions advanced Tantric practitioners such as Senge Dongma, the Lion-Faced Dakini spin prayer wheels counterclockwise to manifest a more wrathful protective energy.

Green Tara Practice

This is the 40th entry from my fieldwork diary. The original date is 04.11.2010.

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Drupon Sangyas:

"Green Tara practice is beneficial during periods of having obstacles in your life. The Green Tara always helps when you suffer mentally or physically, for she has love and compassion for all sentient beings.

Our health depends on how strong our belief is. If we show strong devotion, we receive strong support. How does it work? It manifests from a pure Bodhicitta mind and from love for all beings, including the beings of the six lower realms.

Unhappiness is rooted in the ego, desire and jealousy. Our suffering is not real - it is an illusion, and so is attachment."

Avalokiteshvara Practice

This is the 39th entry from my fieldwork diary. The original date is 02.11.2010.

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Drupon Sangyas:

"Avalokiteshvara is the heart of Buddha Amitabha. Avalokiteshvara has many manifestations. Even some animals can be manifestations of Avalokiteshvara. He has great compassion for all the beings in the six lower realms. If you want to help them then Avalokiteshvara practice is the one with the most benefit.

How can we increase love and compassion? With a deep devotion in the heart for our practices and meditation. That way it can increase. When we practice we become closer to the Buddha-nature mind. The 37 Practices of a Bodhisattva is a good guide on how to increase your love and compassion.

Great yogis are happy because they are close to Buddha-nature. It isn't always easy to be that way but if we practice a lot we can achieve this, even when there are difficulties.

Chöd

This is the 38th entry from my fieldwork diary. The original date is 31.10.2010.

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Wikipedia:
Chöd is a spiritual practice primarily found in Tibetan Buddhism. Also known as "Cutting Through the Ego", the practice is based on the Prajñāpāramitā sutra. It combines prajñāpāramitā philosophy with specific meditation methods and a tantric ritual.

A form of Chöd was practiced in India by Buddhist mahāsiddhas, prior to the 10th century. However, Chöd as practised today developed from the entwined traditions of the early Indian tantric practices transmitted to Tibet and the Bonpo and Tibetan Buddhist Vajrayāna lineages. Besides the Bonpo, there are two main Tibetan Buddhist Chöd traditions, the "Mother" and "Father" lineages. In Tibetan tradition, Dampa Sangye is known as the Father of Chöd and Machig Labdron, founder of the Mahāmudra Chöd lineages, as the Mother of Chöd. Chöd developed outside the monastic system. It was subsequently adopted by the four main schools of Tibetan Buddhism.