When you are a curious traveller and want to dig deep into the significance of what you see around you, there is a lot to learn. The gigantic Buddhist prayer wheel at Enchey Monastery Gangtok made us look for answers we didn’t have.
After taking a few steps into the monastery, we saw a symmetric architecture with a line of prayer wheels atop the alcoves on two sides.
While we have seen prayer wheels before, this monastery adds an aesthetic quotient making you want to click plenty of photographs.
What are Buddhist prayer wheels used for
I asked a monk to clear my curiosity about the significance of these prayer wheels. He said, “Shastra ka tantra likha hua hai.”
He meant that mantras and tantras from the Buddhist shastras are imbibed on these prayer wheels.
Om Mani Padme Hum is the most widely used mantra, but that is not the only one written across all.
He said nobody evidently wants sadness in life. Everyone wants peace and happiness, so that is why these prayer wheels are made.
It is believed that rotating these wheels free us from our sins done life after life.
How to use prayer wheel
Rotating a Tibetan prayer wheel is equivalent to reciting the mantras orally. So, multiple rotations would signify chanting mantras that many times.
The next time we visit a Buddhist monastery, we must acknowledge the significance of these prayer wheels. You might find it natural to indulge in spinning these wheels while touristing. But they have religious essence and must be done correctly, if at all.
As two strips of prayer wheels were on both sides, I learned that we should keep to the right.
While going up Enchey Monastery, you should use your right hand and rotate the prayer wheels clockwise. While coming down, you will have the opposite side to your right and repeat the same.
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Buddhist prayer wheel meaning
Buying a Buddhist prayer wheel as a souvenir to take back home is a common indulgence if you are in Gangtok.
MG Marg is filled with handheld prayer wheels of all sizes. If you intend to take back positivity and use this prayer wheel mindfully, you must know what it means and how to use it.
Our soul travels across life to complete human life and attain enlightenment to be one with God. Until a soul receives Moksha, it travels from one life to another in the quest to do so. The karmic patterns of each life are determined by the deeds we do from the past life and this life.
The prayer wheels are believed to free us from our sins. These cylindrical wheels are mounted on a spindle made of wood and metal.
These mantras are written in Ranjana script and include eight auspicious symbols known as ashtamangala. The core of the cylindrical wheel has the scriptures written all over it and is considered the life tree.
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