The word, which is often translated simply as prayer,
means literally 'wish-path' (Tibetan: smon-lam).
It is not a request to an external deity,
but a method of purifying and directing the mind.
It acts as inspiration by arousing the mind's inherent desire for good,
which attracts the fulfillment of its aim.

the tibetan book of the dead
 
www.worldprayers.org