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    The Benefits of Prayer Wheels: by Lama Zopa Rinpoche

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    ThiagoFerretti
    1) Turning prayer wheels purifies negative karma and obscurations without effort, and helps complete mantras. 2) Prayer wheels placed in different locations like above houses, on the ground, or in water can liberate sentient beings from suffering according to Buddhist masters. 3) Figures like Padmasambhava, Nagarjuna, and Milarepa have played important roles in the history and spread of prayer wheels according to tradition.

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    The Benefits of Prayer Wheels: by Lama Zopa Rinpoche

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    ThiagoFerretti
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    1) Turning prayer wheels purifies negative karma and obscurations without effort, and helps complete mantras. 2) Prayer wheels placed in different locations like above houses, on the ground, or in water can liberate sentient beings from suffering according to Buddhist masters. 3) Figures like Padmasambhava, Nagarjuna, and Milarepa have played important roles in the history and spread of prayer wheels according to tradition.

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    1) Turning prayer wheels purifies negative karma and obscurations without effort, and helps complete mantras. 2) Prayer wheels placed in different locations like above houses, on the ground, or in water can liberate sentient beings from suffering according to Buddhist masters. 3) Figures like Padmasambhava, Nagarjuna, and Milarepa have played important roles in the history and spread of prayer wheels according to tradition.

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    55 views2 pages

    The Benefits of Prayer Wheels: by Lama Zopa Rinpoche

    Uploaded by

    ThiagoFerretti
    1) Turning prayer wheels purifies negative karma and obscurations without effort, and helps complete mantras. 2) Prayer wheels placed in different locations like above houses, on the ground, or in water can liberate sentient beings from suffering according to Buddhist masters. 3) Figures like Padmasambhava, Nagarjuna, and Milarepa have played important roles in the history and spread of prayer wheels according to tradition.

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    of 2

    The Benefits of Prayer Wheels

    By Lama Zopa Rinpoche

    Buddha said:
    The benefit of turning the Dharma wheel is that negative karma and disturbing thought
    obscurations accumulated over beginningless rebirths are purified without effort. Even
    other mantras are without doubt completed.

    Karma Pakshi, the Second Karmapa, said:


    When this great wheel called OṂ MAṆI PADME HŪṂ is placed above [a house or roof], the
    wind that touches the prayer wheel liberates all those transmigrating beings touched by it
    from the sufferings of the lower realms.

    When the prayer wheel is turned by fire, those transmigrating beings who are illuminated by
    the firelight or who smell the smoke are liberated from the sufferings of the lower realms.
    When the prayer wheel is placed on the ground, sentient beings who are on the ground or
    who are touched by the dust are liberated from the sufferings of the lower realms.

    If the prayer wheel is placed in water, all the sentient beings who are touched by the water,
    or who drink the water that has touched the prayer wheel, are liberated from the lower
    realms.

    Padmasambhava purified the land of Tibet and spread the Dharma, especially tantra, all over
    Tibet. When the Dharma king Songtsen Gampo was constructing the first monastery in Tibet,
    whatever the workers would build up during the day, spirits would tear down at night. So
    Padmasambhava came from India, hooked the spirits, and subdued them, putting them under
    pledge as Dharma protectors to protect the teachings. Padmasambhava said in his teachings:
    Those who lack effort to study the Buddhadharma will receive realizations by turning the
    Dharma wheel and those who do make effort will be supported in their recitation, practice,
    and so forth by turning it. Inconceivable negative karmas will be purified without effort and
    they will achieve all the deities together.

    The origin of this prayer wheel is as follows. The Arya Compassionate Buddha Avalokiteshvara
    advised Master Nagarjuna, “In the palace of the country of the nagas, the bodhisattva naga
    king has a Dharma wheel. Anybody who merely sees, hears, touches, or remembers this wheel
    is quickly liberated from the sufferings of the lower realms. Take this profound Dharma wheel
    from them and extensive great benefit for sentient beings will come about.”

    Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition


    2

    Nagarjuna went to collect the prayer wheel from the naga king, who told him, “Place this
    prayer wheel on the earth, in water, fire, and wind, and accomplish extensive benefit for
    sentient beings and the teachings of the Buddha.”

    Nagarjuna then brought the prayer wheel to India and passed it to the Lion-Face Dakini. From
    the Lion-Face Dakini, it went to the great Indian yogi Tilopa, then to Naropa, and then on to
    Marpa, who brought it to Tibet and gave it to Milarepa, who in turn passed it to Gampopa.

    It is mentioned in the root tantra of Avalokiteshvara, Padmajalamulatantra:


    Beams emitted from the Dharma wheel to sentient beings naturally cause the four
    immeasurable thoughts of loving-kindness, compassion, joyfulness, and equanimity
    to arise in their hearts and they complete the paramitas of charity, morality, patience,
    perseverance, concentration, and wisdom.

    Shakyamuni Buddha said to the bodhisattva Digpa Namsel:


    It is said that for the intelligent practitioner, turning the Dharma wheel once is more
    sublime than doing retreat for one year; for the middling practitioner, turning the Dharma
    wheel once is more supreme than doing retreat for seven years; and even for the lowest
    practitioner, turning the Dharma wheel once is more supreme than doing retreat for nine
    years.

    Vajrapani said:
    [Turning] this great Dharma wheel can stop all the harms caused by the dey above (who
    cause epilepsy and so forth); the birth nagas down below; and the tsen, yakshas, and
    rakshas in-between.

    Colophon:
    Dictated by Lama Zopa Rinpoche and scribed by Ven. Sarah Thresher, Root Institute, Bodhgaya, India, February
    2015. Further edited by FPMT Education Services, August 2019.

    Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition

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