Our Tibetan prayer wheels are made from wood, bone, and traditional metals. Inside each wheel is a scroll containing sacred Buddhist prayers, scriptures, and mantra. Each time the wheel is spun, the Tibetans say, the prayers on the scrolls are sent into the universe. The wheels are always spun clockwise by tradition.

In Tibet, and wherever there are large communities of Tibetan refugees such as in Nepal and India, older Tibetans often walk around holy sites (such as temples or sacred mountains) spinning prayer wheels and chanting the mantra "Om Mani Padme Hum." Like all mantras, it is impossible to precisely translate and capture its essence, but it refers to the Jewel in the Lotus - the Limitless and Creative Source of All. It is the mantra of Avalokitshvara, the Being of Infinite Compassion, and is invoked for both enlightenment and for protection.

Somewhat akin to the prayer wheels are the colorful prayer flags, which are strewn on Tibetan monasteries, stupas, mountaintops, and all places of spiritual power. The prayer flags are inscribed with prayers and scriptures, which are carried by the wind as it blows through the flags. The flags are always red, green, white, yellow, or blue - the five colors associated with the five immortal Buddhas.

Prayer stones are individually carved with more prayers, scriptures, and mantras. Since the "Om Mani Padme Hum" mantra is so often carved on these stones, they are popularly known as "Mani Stones." Like the prayers flags, they are placed in places of spiritual power, including isolated mountaintops and water sources.