Question: what is a buddhist prayer wheel used for

title: Prayer wheel
text: A prayer wheel is a cylindrical wheel ( Tibetan : འཁོར ་ , Wylie : ' khor ) on a spindle made from metal , wood , stone , leather or coarse cotton . Traditionally , the mantra Om Mani Padme Hum is written in Sanskrit on the outside of the wheel . Also sometimes depicted are Dakinis , Protectors and very often the 8 auspicious symbols Ashtamangala . At the core of the cylinder is a `` Life Tree '' often made of wood or metal with certain mantras written on or wrapped around it . Many thousands ( or in the case of larger prayer wheels , millions ) of mantras are then wrapped around this life tree . The Mantra Om Mani Padme Hum is most commonly used , but other mantras may be used as well . According to the Tibetan Buddhist tradition based on the lineage texts regarding prayer wheels , spinning such a wheel will have much the same meritorious effect as orally reciting the prayers .