Very large old handheld prayer wheel.  Used for many years by dedicated disciples of Lama Yeshe and Lama Zopa Rinpoche.  19" from base to tip.  6" wide wheel.  Beautiful swing weight in form of lotus blossom with half vajra.

The donor is not certain of the exact number of Mani mantra the prayer wheel contains but she does know they are on microfilm.  So that would imply there are a very large number of mantra in this prayer wheel.  The prayer wheel is in the first generation of US-made prayer wheels and was made by the late Jim Glasse, who was the best prayer wheel maker of his time.   

WHAT IS A PRAYER WHEEL?  A prayer wheel is a cylindrical wheel on a spindle made from metal, wood, stone, leather, or even coarse cotton. Prayer wheels range in size from mere inches to many feet. They all contain the mantra of the Buddha of Compassion, om mani padme hum, printed many millions or billions of times on paper or microfilm.

The origin of prayer wheels is lost in time. According to legend, the Buddha Dipamkara gave the practice to beings called nagas. The great Indian pandit Nagarjuna was then instructed by Chenrezig to go to the naga realm and bring a prayer wheel into the world of humans. For centuries, the practice of prayer wheels has been among the most cherished by Tibetan Buddhists and it continues today. Whether being turned by Tibetans at sacred sites, tourists in Nepal, or by children in Western Dharma centers, the prayer wheel continues to transform minds and offer its blessing of compassion.

A prayer wheel creates extensive benefits for all beings because prayer wheels are the manifestation of the Compassion Buddha's holy speech. As a holy object, a prayer wheel has tremendous power to eliminate the self-cherishing mind that keeps us from realizing perfect Bodhichitta and thus reaching enlightenment. By turning a prayer wheel with a motivation of compassion for all beings and reciting  "Om Mani Padme Hung," you will accumulate extensive merit and purify obstacles. For more information on the benefits of the prayer wheel, please refer to The Wheel of Great Compassion by Lorne Ladner, Wisdom Publications in the link below and to the advice from Lama Zopa Rinpoche on the Benefits of the Prayer Wheel.

Click on the link to Lama Zopa Rinpoche's advice on the origin and benefits of the prayer (mani) wheel: http://www.fpmt.org/teachers/zopa/advice/pdf/prayerwheelsbenefitsLZR.pdf