Final answer:
The purpose of Tibetan Buddhist prayer wheels and prayer flags is to dispense spiritual blessings and promote peace, compassion, strength, and wisdom, while also fostering a sense of community among practitioners.
Step-by-step explanation:
The purpose of Tibetan Buddhist prayer wheels is generally to spread spiritual blessings and well-being. Rotating these wheels, which contain scrolls of mantras, is believed to release the positive energy of the mantras into the world. Similarly, prayer flags are used to promote peace, compassion, strength, and wisdom. The flags are imprinted with prayers, mantras, and symbols, which are then blown by the wind to spread the good will and compassion into all pervading space.
Beyond the religious observance of these practices, the act of engaging with prayer wheels and flags can build a powerful sense of community and connectedness among practitioners. These religious artifacts are visible expressions of the practitioner's spiritual aspirations and serve both a practical and ceremonial role in Tibetan Buddhism and other related cultures.