Turn Your Computer Into a Prayer Wheel
by Steve Diamond

I think it might be possible to turn your home or office computer into a prayer wheel. I got this idea from old documentary films I?d seen about Tibet and the prayers wheels of Lhasa.

I?m sure you know the ones I mean, those prayer wheels in the public square, where any person can come and spin them so that the prayer wheel is repeating Padmasambhava?s ancient mantra, OM MANE PADME HUM.

When I first became conscious of these ancient mechanical prayer devices, I remember thinking, What a great idea!, because I could visualize the vibrations emanating from those long, cannister-like metallic tubes with prayers inscribed on the outside. It was almost as if the worshipper didn?t even have to say the words if he or she didn?t want to, because the prayer wheel was saying it all anyway. The person praying only had to lightly spin the prayer wheel, and the mantras, the prayers, were then echoed into the atmosphere on behalf of all sentient beings.
 

Tibetan Prayer Flags

Well, ever since these computers and the Internet have become more and more involved in our lives--and we in theirs-- I have had the feeling that there is something sacred going on with all these electronic devices, as well as the mundane and the profane.

One day, I learned that I could put words of my own choosing on my computer?s screensaver so they would flash across my screen. A friend happened to mention casually that he knew how to do it and gave me the instructions. The screensaver, by the way, is a program that brings moving images onto your screen, whether they are shapes or patterns or pictures, etc., because if there is no movement on the computer screen, not even one colored pixel as they?re called, it might damage the screen. The electrons have to keep moving, so screensavers were invented.

After a couple of easy pointers, I learned how to change the words on my screensaver, shocked at how easy it was to do it, and I was able to have the machine display the words: ?May Peace Prevail On Earth?. In All Hearts? One Day??

In moments, these words were repeating across my screen. I had set the machine to have the screensaver come on if I don?t touch the keyboard for at least five minutes.

Then it occurred to me: every time my computer screensaver runs the words ?May Peace Prevail On Earth? In All Hearts? One Day?,? across the screen, the computer is repeating a mantra, and acting just like a prayer wheel.

Watching it do its thing over and over, I suddenly thought, what if one thousand people did this? Or ten thousand? It would mean that every day, for so many hours and minutes, around the world, this mantra or a similar one for peace would be sounding, silently, but the thought would be resounding, echoing electronically.

The main thing would be ?May Peace Prevail On Earth,? after which you could choose to add something personal or not, it?s up to you.

Along those lines, I am here adding the steps to make this happen on your computer, if it is a PC like mine. Enjoy this, and turn your own computer into a prayer wheel.

Steps:

1. Double-click on My Computer

2. When box opens, Click on Display

[actually, on mine, I must click on control panel first, THEN display. Or you can click "Start" button, "Settings," and then Control Panel, then Display - billym]

3. When Display opens, Click Screensaver in the Tabs on top

4. Click on Settings

[actually you must FIRST select a screensave that uses text... the only one I had that did (Windows) is called "Scrolling Marquee." Select THAT one, then select "Settings.." - billym]

5. Where it says Text, type in ?May Peace Prevail On Earth,? and write the prayer of your own choosing.

6. Pick the Background Color you like

7. Pick the Speed by pushing the arrow to the left, for Slow (I found the Slowest Speed is the best for this)

8. Click on Format Text

9. Another box will open after you click on Format Text. I found that Times New Roman, Bold Italic, and 72 point worked best.

10. Then Click Okay in the right hand corner toward the top

11. Now you?re back at the box that says Display Properties at the top of it. Click Preview to see what you have created. (Note, also there is a small space to say when you want the screensaver to come on. I have chosen, 5, so if I walk away from the machine, it comes on after 5 minutes.

12. Click Apply in the bottom right corner of this box.

13. Now click Okay, and the box will close.

14. If you decide to try this, let me recommend you print out these email instructions first, and have it next to you so you can follow it step-by-step.

Who knows what effect it might have? And anyway, it?s fun to imagine 100,000 computer screens around the world, repeating over and over again, ?May Peace Prevail on Earth??

And in all hearts. One day. Pass it on?

Happy New Millennium!

Copyright 2001 Steve Diamond

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Here are some other bonafide mantras/prayers you can use. You can just paste them from here into the screensaver.

Sanskrit

Om Namo, Bhagavate Vasudevayah