Spinning 150 Million Mantras at the Chokhang Vihara Gompa

The Chokhang Vihara Gompa is one of the most interesting buildings in down town Leh. Stepping through the gate into the large courtyard is almost like stepping into another city. It is quieter and peaceful here as outside on the busy Main Bazaar. Since we where there when there was big construction on the street if was even worse with noise and dust. There is a small library in one corner and some shade under the big tree where you can sit and relax for a bit. The Gompa was built in 1956 to celebrate Buddha’s 2500th birthday.
There are 89 prayer wheels round the Gompa and they contain more than 150.000.000 mantras! The Dalai Lama was over there to inaugurate and consecrate them in 1980. According to the Tibetan Buddhist tradition spinning such a wheel will have much the same meritorious effect as orally reciting the prayers which is very convenient for everybody. Imagine how much time you would need to recite all of the 150 Million prayers! Spinning the wheel accumulates wisdom and merit – the good karma – and purifies negativity – the bad karma. And so we did our round – before we entered the Gompa.