Prayer Wheel #2

by Kathy Bassett

Title

Prayer Wheel #2

Artist

Kathy Bassett

Medium

Photograph - Photography

Description

The ancient texts tell us that the Prayer Wheel was brought to our world by Nagarjuna, a famous Indian Buddhist scholar, philosopher, and yogi. Nagarjuna is associated with the rise of Mahayana Buddhism during the first century B.C.E. and is well known as the founder of the Middle Way school of Buddhist philosophy - which all currently existing schools of Tibetan Buddhism accept as the most profound of all philosophical views. Nagarjuna was filled with great compassion and concern for others. He was an extremely gifted and intelligent teacher who thought continually about how to best benefit others. Nagarjuna’s teachings not only began one of the greatest philosophical traditions of all time, but also contributed immeasurably to a cultural transformation that spread the Mahayana Buddhist vision of universal responsibility and compassion for all life throughout most of Central and East Asia.The prayer wheel lineage was brought to Tibet by the renowned eight century Indian Buddhist teacher Padmasambhava, and later practiced by the great Indian tantric Buddhist masters Tilopa and Naropa. Naropa’s disciple Marpa later renewed the lineage in Tibet and passed it on to Tibet’s most well known yogi, Milarepa. Since that time the Prayer Wheel has been passed on through a continuous lineage of enlightened teachers, among these the great Kagyu master Karma Pagshi, whose important works are quoted by most subsequent writers on the subject.In Tibet, Prayer Wheels have been made for many centuries in a wide range of sizes and styles - from hand-held and table-top wheels, all the way up to giant eight or twelve foot Prayer Wheels with diameters of five to six feet. Often built around Buddhist Stupas and Monasteries, there may be long rows of prayer wheels which people will spin as they walk clockwise around the building, reciting what is considered to be one of the most profound and beneficial mantras;
mantra OM MANI PADME HUM In the translation of a text by the Fourth Panchen Lama, Amitabha Buddha says “Anyone who recites the six syllables while turning the dharma wheel at the same time is equal in fortune to the Thousand Buddhas.” In the same text Shakyamuni Buddha says that "turning the prayer wheel once is better than having done one, seven, or nine years of retreat" The prayer wheel is a very powerful merit field; one accumulates extensive merit and purifies obstacles.It has been well known for over a thousand years by the great Buddhist yogis and teachers as well as the Tibetan people that the prayer wheel practice is an extremely quick, simple and profound method for developing compassion and wisdom. Buddhist teachers and the ancient texts expound the profound benefits of the Prayer Wheel for its ability to quickly harmonize the environment, increase compassion, encourage a peaceful state of mind, and assist practitioners on their journeys to enlightenment.

Uploaded

February 22nd, 2014

Statistics

Viewed 175 Times  -  Last Visitor from New York, NY on 04/18/2024 at 10:33 AM

Colors

Embed

Share

Sales Sheet

Tags