Travelers who have been to Tibet will never miss Manidui. It may not be an attraction, but it is everywhere. Along the creeks in the mountains, along the small roads in the Gobi, on the shoals by the lake, on the walls of temples, you may even find
many Buddhist stones in the most inconspicuous place.
Strictly speaking, there are two types of Maniduis. The first is called "duoben", which refers to piles of mani stones. The second type is called "Miandang", which refers to the walls made of Mani stones. The mani stone usually refers to the stone engraved with text or painted with painted images. The more famous Manidui basically belongs to these two categories.
They are gorgeous in appearance, attracting devout believers to come to pray. But Tibetans believe that sincerity is good, and a gorgeous place for prayer is only an option, not a necessity. They are still using the most primitive and simple way of praying. Therefore, the Manidui also has the simplest and most common type—dozens of stones are stacked in a pyramid shape, which can be called a Manidui.
Just like the most common prayer wheels and prayer flags in Tibetan areas, the Manidui is also used to pray for blessings. On auspicious days, devotees add stones to the mani pile while simmering mulberry (burning pine and cypress branches). First, touch the stone with your forehead, then recite scripture, and finally put it on the Manidui. This is the most common way of praying with the Manidui. Many big mani piles are built up in this way. And if the time and place are not so convenient,
Tibetans who go out will also choose a place to build a small mani pile, and their prayers will not fade because of this. Tibetans passing by later often add a stone to the small mani pile. Some people also build new small mani piles next to them; when no stones are found, people also add hair, wool, and even animal heads. Maybe when you find out, the original small Manidui is already small in scale.