Om Mani Padme Hum

Prayer wheels at the Boudhanath Stupa in Kathmandu, Nepal. Each wheel is inscribed with the Sanskrit characters for the mantra Om Mani Padme Hum, which is usually translated as "jewel in the lotus". The mantra is associated with Avalokiteshvara, the Bodhisattva of Compassion, and by reciting the mantra - or turning the prayer wheels to "broadcast" the characters which express it - waves of compassion emanate in all directions. Generating considerable merit for the practitioner. And purifying bad kharma. [NOTE: Apart from what the words mean, the sounds of reciting this six syllable mantra are said to resonant vibrations that help "tune" a human being toward enlightenment].