In Tibetan Buddhism, chanting the mantra Om Mani padme Hum is believed to attract the blessings of the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara. The more often you recite it, the greater the blessings you bring to yourself and the creatures around you.
Now, somewhere back in history someone determined that if you write the mantra on a flag and let it wave in the wind, that’s the same as if you said the mantra for every time the flag flaps in the wind. Or if you write it on a wheel, it’s like saying the mantra for every time the wheel is turned. I’ve never been too sure about that one, but I can see how making the flags and wheels would be a meritorious act. Although it does seem a bit rough on the poor Bodhisattva of Infinite Compassion, who works hard to help us poor slobs at the best of times.
However, my knowledge of Tibetan Buddhism is inadequate to fully comprehend the latest development in automated mantra technology. It seems that the Dalai Lama has determined that having the mantra in digital form on your hard drive is equivalent to a 5400 RPM prayer wheel. I shall have to ask my Tibetan Buddhist friends about this one. It seems to me unfair that a rich person like myself could have so many mantras recited on my behalf without having to raise a finger, whereas a good but penniless Tibetan peasant might be unable to afford even a traditional hand-operated prayer wheel.
In any case, if this message is in your browser cache, you are currently operating a high-speed prayer wheel. There are a variety of other digital prayer wheels here.