Photography Prayer Mill at the Yonghe Temple

A black-and-white photograph showing a freestanding prayer wheel in the inner courtyard of the Yonghe Temple (Yonghe Gong 雍和宫) or “Temple of Tranquility and Harmony” in Beijing. During the Qing Dynasty (1644–1912), this was the seat of Tibetan dignitaries and home to nearly a thousand monks. The monks in the photo belong to the sect of Tibetan Buddhism – the Gelugpa sect (Gelupai 格鲁派). One of the main ceremonial halls of the complex is also dedicated to its founder Tsongkhapa (1357–1419). The prayer wheel is protected from the weather by a wooden pavilion. The wheel prominently features a Tibetan inscription with the well-known six-syllable mantra om mani padme hum, often associated with the bodhisattva of compassion, Avalokiteshvara. It represents the six virtues: meditative state, patience, discipline, wisdom, nobility, and diligence. The cylinder with the inscriptions is attached to the vertical axis. In the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, the prayer wheel is used in lieu of loud prayer. In temple and monastery complexes, prayer wheels are often placed in front of the temples or in inner courtyards, and are thus also available to outside visitors.

The photograph is the 199th of 449 photographs of Beijing and its surroundings in the album of Ivan Skušek Jr., purchased during his stay in Beijing (1914–1920). In the handwritten inventory of the album, the photograph is referred to as Lama-Kloster: Gebet-Mühle. (DZ, MV)