Om Mani Padme Hum

Yesterday was my last day in Dharamsala, and I visited the Tsuglagkhang Temple Complex. The site is a remarkable mix of functioning Buddhist monastery, tourist attraction, and museum to the experience of the Tibetan people. One of the most striking aspects of the complex are the walls of Mani prayer wheels surrounding the Tsuglagkhang Temple. Inside each prayer wheel are thousands of Avalokiteshvara OM MANI PADME HUM mantras. As you pass by, you turn the prayer wheel clockwise. Each turn of the prayer wheel supposedly earns you merit equal to the number of mantras inside the wheel. I sat for a while watching people turn the wheels, as well as turning them myself more than once. But what stuck me most by the wall of prayer wheels is the variety of people who walk by. I saw people from all over the world. I saw monks. I saw men and women and children. I found myself reflecting on the amazing variety of peoples participating in such a simple and inspiring ritual.