The Skywheel satellite will combine wisdom from the world's faiths in the form of a prayer wheel. A prayer wheel is a sacred device that has been a part of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition for the past 1600 years. It consists of a cylinder set on a spindle that can be turned like a wheel. The cylinder contains many copies of one or more sacred prayers, or mantras, and its exterior is adorned with sacred and auspicious symbols and text.

According to tradition, spinning the wheel is equivalent to reciting the mantras inside, bestowing blessings on the operator and any other sentient beings in the vicinity. People utilize prayer wheels for meditation, to accumulate wisdom, or to purify themselves of negatives. They are also often used for healing.

The traditional text contained in Tibetan Buddhist prayer wheels is Om Mani Padme Hum, (see below for description) which is translated from Sanskrit as “jewel of the lotus”. Other prayers or teachings that are meaningful to practitioners are also welcome to be used. The Skywheel prayer wheel will contain mantras, prayers, and teachings from every culture on earth, chosen by representatives from within each faith.

Prayer wheels come in many forms. They can be made from metal, wood, stone, leather, or even coarse cotton.  Some are small enough to be held in the hand, others are set into giant rows outside monasteries and turned by passers by. Traditional prayer wheels are turned by hand, or powered by water, wind, or fire.

Recently, digital prayer wheels have been embraced, in the form of animated gifs, motor-driven wheels, internet-operated wheels and spinning hard drives. Now, for the first time in history, it has become possible to create a satellite prayer wheel. The Skywheel will orbit the planet and spin using the awesome power of the rotation of the earth. 

It is believed that prayer wheels create the most beneficial effect while practitioners are meditating upon the meaning of the prayers within. However, it is also thought that the activation of the sacred text itself by the turning of the wheel brings blessings to all in the vicinity. Water-turned prayer wheels, for instance, are said to bless all beings that come into contact with the water that passes through them, and wind and fire powered wheels bestow similar far-reaching benefits. The Skywheel will be able to regularly pass over every part of the planet as it turns, being able to bestow blessings to everyone below.

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