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Prayer Rolling

Supplies​

Instructions​

For Buddha Statue/Stupa​

The video shows how to roll prayer strips. More videos with wider prayer strips. The essential prayers for holy objects will explain further on the topic.

  • Cut off a piece of pure incense stick to the width of the prayer strip.
  • Roll the first sheet with the pure incense stick glued inside, beginning at the "head" (start) of the text, which faces inwards.
  • Hold the top and bottom of the pure incense stick to roll it easier.
  • Additional strips are then added with the same orientation, in groups of one or more - depending upon our dexterity, with an overlap of about 2 cm towards the end of the previous strips.
  • Tighten the prayer roll by rolling them on a firm surface with an oblong block of wood.
  • Finish the roll with a single strip, gluing firmly the final 2 cm.
  • Mark the top of the prayer roll with red dye or marker.
  • Wrap the outside of the prayer roll with cloth to the exact width of the prayer roll. Glue the cloth all around and over the junction of its ends.
  • Write the prayer name and the repetition numbers on a small piece of paper and glue that outside of the prayer roll.

For Prayer Wheel​

The steps to roll prayer strips for prayer wheel is almost the same as the one for Buddha statue/stupa. Except we roll the strip to face outwards without the pure incense stick and use the gap to slide in the prayer roll to prayer wheel rod.

Roll the first prayer strip with the prayer wheel life force pillar strip or prayer wheel strip for smaller prayer wheel, and subsequent with the Buddha statue/stupa prayer strip. (e.g. Āryatārā prayer wheel strips and Buddha statue/stupa prayer strips)

Place the earth wheel on the bottom of the prayer roll facing up and the sky wheel on the top facing down.