Prayer wheels are a vital aspect of Buddhist practice in Bhutan and other parts of the Himalayas. They can be found in three forms, each representing an element of life; earth, water, and fire. To spin a prayer wheel is to purify negative karma and obscurations, as well as help inspire profound realizations along the road to the mental liberation of suffering. It is said that all beings within the vicinity of a prayer wheel receive blessings and good luck in this lifetime and those that follow.
Each prayer wheel contains mantras written across all sides. The mantras are recited as a means to curb suffering in the world and generate peace, happiness, serenity, and harmony with nature. With the movement of the prayer wheel, these blessings are emanated in all directions to all parts of the world to bring benefit to all people.
The number of mantras on each prayer wheel corresponds to the number of blessings emanated by just one spin. This concept is taken quite seriously and some wheels contain up to billions of mantras written on microfilm to optimize the amount of blessings sent out.
