Bone Prayer Wheel

Prayer wheels are as much  used  as meditation tools as well as a means of generating and spreading positive energy.  Used for centuries in the Tibetan culture, the hand held versions are used as personal devotional items while the larger ones are used around Buddhist stupas and in monasteries.  Filled with the rolled up scrolls with the mantra “Om Mani Padme Hum” written hundreds upon thousands of time on the scroll, it is believed that a single spin of the prayer will activate the manta as  many times as it is inscribed upon the scroll.  The activated mantras benefit all living beings from the smallest organism and insects to the larger animals and human beings.  Happiness is believed to be the relief of suffering; the release from desire, pain, hunger and thirst.  In the short mantra, Om Mani Padme Hum, the wish for the suffering of all living beings is evoked, a compassion and empathy for all beings.

The prayer wheels are spun in homes and by pilgrims who all wish for the release of suffering.  In homes hours are spent spinning the wheel and in the case of pilgrims, days and months are dedicated to the altruistic repetition of the mantra and the spinning of the wheel.

Antique prayer wheels are very difficult to distinguish from modern conventional ones because the construction is the same.Prayer wheels are made the same way that they have been made for centuries, being completely hand hammered and hand forged.  In days gone by, the scrolls were all hand written but with the advent of printing and copy machines, the wheels can be filled with even more mantras, printed in small and even script.  Larger and multiple prayer wheels are desired over smaller ones as they contain more mantras, thus multiplying the effects of a single spin of the wheel.

In our modern world, prayer wheels are good to hang in an areas where people walk by frequently such as your front door, or near your kitchen.  Wall mounted styles with wood carved by traditional Newari artisans of the Kathmandu Valley of Nepal hold the metal or bone prayer wheels that are made in Patan, Nepal. Alternatively, table top versions can grace your alter or coffee table.  Prayer wheels  are another of the arts have been made for centuries as family traditions, thus perfecting the craftsmanship through lifetimes of experience. Hang a prayer wheel at the entrance to your home or meditation space and begin to generate compassion on a regular basis.

Table Top Prayer Wheel

Copper Sheet being hammered for a wheel.

Wall mounted prayer wheel in a wood frame.

In Tibet the tradition of using incense exists since the beginning of the culture which dates back to 3000 years.  Buddhism flourished to a great extent in the 7th century AD under the reign of successive religious kings of Tibet, along with the preservation and development of making incense based on the secret texts by the great Indian Buddhist scholar Nargarjuna.  Various formulas for making incense were developed by the great scholar of Tibetan medicine like Zurkhar Lodoe Gyalop and Deumar in 17th and 17th century AD respectively.  These were well reserved by the modern scholars like Ven. Dr. Kyenrab Norbu and in accordance with traditional formulas. Herbs used in the incense are organically grown and sustainably planted, the herbs benefit from some of the purest and most natural conditions in the world.  No artificial ingredients are used in the making of the incense.  Generally Tibetan incense is used for puja, daily offering, purification and as an air freshener.

.         

Give gifts that are sure to delight and make a lasting impression.

Give gifts of peace and relaxation.  We have many meditation tools ranging from meditation timers, singing bowls, meditation cushions and shawls.  Tibetan incense using formulation of over 2000 years old relieve stress and headaches.  Come in and let us help you pick out the perfect gift.

1.  Parasol – preciousness

2. Double Fish – harmony

3. Vase – prosperity

4. Lotus – purity

5. Conch Shell – sincerity and fame

6. Eternal Knot – steadfastness

7. Victory Banner – success

8. Wheel – empowerment

Giving the gift of one or all of the Tibetan Auspicious Symbols is  wonderful way to convey your sentiment in a gift or to put in your home as a reminder to keep your home protected and harmonious.

Lord Ganesh is among one of the most favorite Hindu gods.  Revered by Buddhists alike, the elephant headed god with a human body is looked to upon starting new endeavors for protection and luck.  Legend has it that the goddess Parvati fashioned a boy out of mud while she was bathing in the open to keep an eye out for intruders.  When her husband Shiva returned he was enraged to find someone preventing him from seeing his own wife.  He cut off the boy’s head with his sword.  Parvati was heartbroken so the boy’s head was replaced with an elephants head.  Shiva brought him to life.  He has since been known as a protector.

The Vajra otherwise known as a Diamond Scepter is a Tibetan ritual symbol used to signify wisdom and indestructability.  Wisdom is indestructable and in like manner, the name Diamond Scepter is also significant as diamonds can cut other stones but cannot be cut by other stones.  The symbol is used throughout Tibetan culture in metal work, wood work, and in jewelry and weavings.  Hanging a Vajra in your home or wearing a jewelry piece reminds us of our inner strength and our ability to overcome obstacles.