Information On How To Fill A Prayer Wheel
How To Build A Prayer Wheel Correctly
Please refer to Lorne Ladner's book The Wheel of Great Compassion, published by Wisdom. To purchase this book online, please go to http://www.wisdompubs.org/
How to Wind the Microfilm in the Prayer Wheel
First check the end of the film and carefully trim if the page if it has been cut. Dispose of the piece as with other Dharma materials.
Next, ensure the film is the correct way up and running in the correct direction. This is vitally important! We are working to get a clearer indicator on the beginning of the film. It should say “beginning” readable by the eye on the front of the film. (Bear with us we are currently working on this)
If you are unable to see the word “beginning” with your eyes try placing a white piece of paper behind the film helps or using a jeweller's loupe is good too
Once you have determined the correct direction in which your film is going, then simply tape one end of the microfilm to the center shaft of your prayer wheel, make sure that when all the film is wound around the shaft that the OMs are going around first when you spin the prayer wheel.
Once you have spun the needed amount around the central shaft you will need to mark on the remaining film which direction the mantras are going so you know which way the mantras are going when you pick it up next.
The earth and sky wheels must be lined up exactly correctly. To do this, align the 'hungs'. The 'hungs' need to be one above the other facing each other. The Earth wheel goes facing out so that the printing can be seen, on the inside bottom of the prayer wheel with the prayers or microfilm sitting on top of it. The Sky wheel goes on the top inside of the prayer wheel, over the top of the prayers or microfilm, also facing out so you can see the printing. These mandalas are best fitted to the inside of the "lid" of the prayer wheel and the inside of the base of the prayer wheel facing each other with the Hungs (as in Om Mani Padme Hung, not to be mistaken as the center syllable of Hri), lined up one over the other.
If Microfilm Is Too Expensive
A prayer wheel should be full, but it doesn't have to be full of microfilm if it is too expensive. An alternative and cheaper way to fill a prayer wheel is to make many copies of the mani mantra onto paper using a photocopy machine and then after you are finished placing the microfilm in (as much microfilm as you can afford), then wind the paper mantras around the shaft in the same way as you did with the microfilm. If this is done in the best way with the means that you have then the merit is very good. In time you can always purchase more microfilm and slowly work on replacing the paper mantras with the film mantras. Soon we will have a PDF of tiny Mani mantras available for printing
How To Include Texts
If the texts are on microfilm then of course they need to be wound around the shaft correctly (in the right direction). If they are texts that have pages they can go in flat like a whole book being laid inside the prayer wheel, usually on top of all the wound mantras or next to them if there is room.
Download the Earth and Sky Wheels (pdf)