Tibetan people build piles of stones. Why do they respect them? What are they called? Begging for what?

The Tibetan people build piles of stones, which are revered as "Manidui", also called "Shendui". Begging to "bring good luck to the Tibetan people."

"Mani" comes from the abbreviation of "Om Mani Padme Mo" in the Sanskrit Buddhist scripture "Six-Character Mantra Sutra". It is called "Mani Dui" because "Mani" is engraved on the stone. Manidui was originally called Manzha, which means mandala. It is a pile of spiritual stones made up of stones of different sizes. It is called "multiple books" in Tibetan;

There is another kind of stone pile. It is to carve words and images on stones or pebbles, with the color and content of Tibetan Buddhism as its greatest characteristics. There are Buddhas, animal protectors and six-character mantras that can never be finished, and then piled up to form a long line. Wall, this kind of Mani wall is called "Miandang" in Tibetan.

Most of these stones and slabs are engraved with six-character mantras, wisdom eyes, statues of gods, and various auspicious patterns. They are also masterpieces of Tibetan folk artists.

Every auspicious day, people add stones to the pile of Mani while simmering mulberry, touch it with their foreheads sacredly, recite prayers silently, and then throw it to the pile of stones. As time goes by, one Manidui after another rises from the ground, getting higher and higher.

Each stone embodies the heartfelt prayers of believers. With the emergence of Mani stone, these natural stones began to be visualized. In the long course of Tibetan history, numerous Mani stone carvings have emerged, which can be seen everywhere wherever mortals go. They are the pursuit, ideals, emotions and hopes of the Tibetan people carved on the stones.

Extended information:

History of Mani:

Belief is a common form of nature worship among all ethnic groups in China and even many primitive tribes around the world, especially among Megalithic worship is widespread. Some huge rocks are not only places for pilgrims to atone for their sins, but also regarded as sacred stones by local villages. Especially strange rocks are so towering that they can easily arouse the illusion that gods are contained in the rocks.

The unusual appearance of rocks and their usefulness in people’s lives are often the reasons why ancestors worshiped them. Inspired by the teachings of animism in Tibetan Buddhism, Tibetans believe that even a small piece of stone is spiritual. Spiritual objects must have the aura of gods and Buddhas, or be occupied by ghosts.

As a carrier of human social culture, stone has become a powerful witness to the inheritance and creation of social civilization with its immortal texture. Stones can not only be used to make various production tools and weapons to attack wild animals and defend against enemies, but can also be used to build houses and cities, grind powder and prepare medicines, and in some places are also used to build houses.

The large number of stone tools, sarcophagi, stone mound tombs, and stone watchtowers discovered during the cultural relics survey can prove how unusual stones were to our ancestors. Tibetans cherish rare stones and regard "Rangjiong" (Tibetan, natural) stones as sacred objects, such as Buddha statues, Buddha eyes, Buddha footprints, etc. In addition, Tibetan headdresses and necklaces are often strung together with coral stones, agate stones, fossils and various beautiful stones, which are intended to be an evolved form of spiritual stone worship.

Baidu Encyclopedia-Manidui, Tibet

Baidu Encyclopedia-Manidui