prayer wheel

prayer wheel
/prair/
a wheel or cylinder inscribed with or containing prayers, used chiefly by Buddhists of Tibet.
[1805-15]

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In Tibetan Buddhism, a mechanical device used as an equivalent to the recitation of a mantra.

The prayer wheel consists of a hollow metal cylinder, often beautifully embossed, mounted on a rod and containing a consecrated paper bearing a mantra. Each turn of the wheel by hand is considered equivalent to orally reciting the prayer. Variants to the handheld prayer wheel are large cylinders that can be set in motion by hand or attached to windmills or waterwheels and thus kept in continuous motion.

Tibetan prayer wheel, gilt silver, 18th–19th century; in the Seattle (Washington) Art Museum.

By courtesy of the Seattle Art Museum, Washington, Eugene Fuller Memorial Collection

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Tibetan  mani chos 'khor 

      in Tibetan Buddhism, a mechanical device the use of which is equivalent to the recitation of a mantra (sacred syllable or verse). The prayer wheel consists of a hollow metal cylinder, often beautifully embossed, mounted on a rod handle and containing a tightly wound scroll printed with a mantra. Each turning of the wheel by hand is equivalent in efficacy to the prayer's oral recitation multiplied by the number of times the mantra is printed on the scroll.

      Variants to the hand-held prayer wheel are large cylinders that can be attached to windmills or waterwheels and thus kept in continuous motion. The mantra on a prayer flag is similarly activated by the blowing of the wind.

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Universalium. 2010.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Prayer wheel — Prayer wheels in Swayambhunath, Nepal …   Wikipedia

  • prayer wheel — n a drum shaped object with prayers on it or inside it, which Tibetan Buddhists turn on a pole as a way of praying …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • prayer wheel — prayer′ wheel [[t]prɛər[/t]] n. ear a revolving cylinder that contains a mantra on a slip of paper, used chiefly by Tibetan Buddhists • Etymology: 1805–15 …   From formal English to slang

  • prayer wheel — n. a revolving cylinder containing written sacred texts, used by Tibetan Buddhists in praying …   English World dictionary

  • prayer wheel — noun a cylinder with prayers written on it; each revolution counts as uttering the prayers; used especially by Buddhists in Tibet • Hypernyms: ↑prayer, ↑petition, ↑orison * * * noun : a cylinder of wood or metal revolving on an axis and… …   Useful english dictionary

  • prayer wheel — wheel inscribed with prayers that is used mainly by Tibetan Buddhists …   English contemporary dictionary

  • prayer wheel — /ˈprɛə wil/ (say prair weel) noun a wheel or cylinder inscribed with or containing prayers, used chiefly by Buddhists of Tibet (now the Xizang AR) as a mechanical aid to continual praying, each revolution counting as an uttered prayer …  

  • prayer wheel — noun a small revolving cylinder inscribed with or containing prayers, a revolution of which symbolizes the repetition of a prayer, used by Tibetan Buddhists …   English new terms dictionary

  • prayer wheel — noun Date: 1814 a cylinder of wood or metal that revolves on an axis and contains written prayers and that is used in praying by Tibetan Buddhists …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • PRAYER WHEEL —    a device used in Tibetan BUDDHISM consisting of a cylinder containing written PRAYERS and MANTRAS which is believed to take effect when rotated …   Concise dictionary of Religion

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