# prayer wheel a mechanical means for the recitation of mantras (syllables or verses with mystical efficacy) used by Tibetan Buddhists. The prayer wheel consists of a hollow, metal cylinder, often beautifully embossed, that is mounted on a rod. The mantra is written on a roll of paper and inserted in the cylinder after having been properly consecrated by a lama (priest). Each turning of the wheel by hand is equivalent to the prayer's oral recitation. The rationale is that the mantra when properly executed has a metaphysical power of its own. Its correct recitation, however, is difficult to learn and for the ordinary Tibetan the turning of the written word is a substitute that must be done much more frequently to make up for its lesser power.