NO. 2 FOLK RELIGION IN SOUTHWEST CHINA — GRAHAM 101 



cylinders, and it is said that the largest contain 20,000 to 30,000 copies 

 of sacred books. The Tibetans believe that every time a person turns 

 a mani wheel around once, he has the merit or credit of repeating 

 once everything that is written inside. It is believed that this results 

 in many kinds of blessings and benefits in this life and in lives to 

 come. 



The flags, called by the Tibetans and the Chinese mani flags, vary 

 from a few inches to more than 50 feet in length. On them are 

 printed the same things that are found in the cylinders. It is believed 

 that every time a flag flaps in the wind, the owner has the credit of 

 repeating once everything that is printed on it. 



6. Om mani padme hum. — Ofn is a magic word, mani means 

 jewel, padme means in the lotus, and hum is another magic word. 

 It is addressed to, or refers to, the god Padmapani, whose throne 

 is in a lotus flower. The use and supposed results are similar 

 to those of the Chinese phrase, la-mo-o-mi-t' o-fu. Some use rosaries 

 as they repeat the phrase, in order to count and to remember the num- 

 ber of times it is repeated. 



Sven Hedin, in "Trans-Himalaya," devotes a whole chapter to this 

 phrase (Hedin, 1909, vol. 2, pp. 200-206). It is not so much a prayer 

 as it is a magic phrase with superhuman power to accomplish marvel- 

 ous things. It is on the lips of the most devout Tibetans from the 

 time they awake until the time they fall asleep. It is written or printed 

 on paper and placed in the mani cylinders and is printed on mani flags. 

 It is carried in charm boxes and printed on charms. It is carved on 

 the sides of rocky cliffs, or on flat stones which are placed in the tem- 

 ples, by the roadsides or on the sides of small artificial hillocks, or on 

 mountain passes. Many marvelous results are claimed for it. A 

 robber often repeats this phrase while fighting or robbing, and soldiers 

 repeat it when fighting the robbers or when going into battle. 



7. Circumambulation. — Circumambulation, a religious ceremony 

 practiced by both lamas and laymen, consists of walking around walls, 

 chortens and other sacred objects, or around hillocks on the sides of 

 which are flat stones. On these stones are carved Om mani padme 

 hum, or quotations from sacred books. Walking around once gives 

 the worshiper the credit and merit of repeating once all that is carved 

 on the flat stones. The Red Lamas and the Yellow Lamas walk around 

 clockwise, the Black Lamas, counterclockwise. 



8. The gods. — There are a great many gods, including male and 

 female Buddhist deities from India, many local and many Bon gods, 

 and numerous Tibetan saints. A few are deified animals. Some are 



