That being said, there is absolutely nothing wrong with engaging with Buddhism through Western philosophy. I was given a beautiful strand of prayer flags, but when I opened them today to hang (Tibetan New Year) I discovered they are too long for my deck! "Color, in ancient times, is generally considered to be the worship of the gods," Tsering adds, stating that the five colors represent the elements of sky (blue), air (white), fire (red), water (green) and earth (yellow). They come in a variety of types and sizes of prayer flags as follows: The Wind Horse or Lung-ta is the most prevalent symbol used on prayer flags. Interested in ideas for respectful, environmentally safe disposal of ok prayer flags and katas. The Origin of the Tibetan Prayer Flags The reason why those streamers are known as prayer flags is that there are numerous Buddhism sutras printed on them. However, they are really meant to be hung outside where the winds can carry their prayers to all sentient beings. One of the most significant events of Saga Dawa is the replacing of the Tarboche Flagpole, a famous flagpole draped in Tibetan prayer flags that stands on the sacred mountain of Kailash. Your southern-facing window is fine. It is always important to treat prayer flags with respect and the intention to end the suffering of all sentient beings. His Holiness the Dalai Lama says that our motivation, to end the suffering of sentient beings, is the most important thing. If you choose to enhance your home, garden or yoga studio with Tibetan prayer flags, its important to know the story behind them. Made of cotton cloth, yarn of ramie, silk and so on, those oblong-shaped prayer flags are combined with five different colors, blue, white, red, green and yellow. Lha gyal lo, Dear Edwin, The prayer flags that we sell through the Tibetan Nuns Project online store are made and blessed by the Tibetan Buddhist nuns at Dolma Ling Nunnery and Institute in India. Handmade art has been an indispensable part of the lives of the Tibetan people. The wind makes the flags wave more briskly, carrying the prayer higher and further. While it would be disrespectful if you were to write the names on top of prayers on real Tibetan prayer flags, but your idea of mimicking prayer flags with colored fabric does not sound disrespectful. Thank you very much for suggestions. White color symbolizes cloud, red is fire, green is water, yellow is earth, and blue is the sky. STATEWIDE BUDGET. I would have burned them, but I have a feeling they are likely synthetic and I dont want to burn plastic materials. The traditional cotton prayer flags, like those made by the nuns at Dolma Ling and sold in our online store, fade more quickly than synthetic ones and may be safely burned. This is because, unfortunately, plastic does not biodegrade, which is to say it does not break down into its atomic components (ie, carbon, water, etc). All things must pass, to quote another counter culture icon. These were some of the factors which set the stage for the 14th Dalai Lama, who by the end of the 20th century had risen to something like rock star status in the Western world. Tibetan Buddhism Prostration is one of the oldest and most sincere waysfor Tibetan Buddhists to pray to the Buddha, also called kowtow. The flags give strangers an opportunity to ask what they are about and learn of our son, who was a generous, kind, and fair-minded spirit. Those flags are called lung dar prayer flags. Bon(Bonismo), originated from the "Gangdise Mountains" and "Manasarovar Lake" in ancient Xiangxiong, Tibet. is there such thing as moving them too often? The beads were rotten by insects and their strings were breaking into pieces. Our artisans combine vintage style Tibetan beads hand-sourced in Nepal with authentic and ethically sourced mala beads. Color fading from the flags is considered auspicious. Purchase Guru Rinpoche prayer flags in three sizes here. When we have anything that has holy images or texts- mainly the images. Tashi Delek! Maybe I will put them in a bag for Goodwill or another place that accepts donations. If youd like to receive our monthly e-updates with news, you can sign up here: https://tnp.org/mailinglist/ Warmest wishes. My prayer flags are doing the same thing, wrapping around the rope. When disposing of old prayer flags one should burn them so that the smoke may carry their blessings to the heavens. Therefore, burying it in the ground ensures that its components cannot be released into these vital global systems. When raising prayer flags it is important to have a good motivation. 2. Traditionally, prayer flags are hung outside so the wind can carry the prayers to the world for the benefit of all sentient beings. They are meant to represent the five elements in balance and it is not really appropriate to the purpose or culture to separate them. Ajahn Brahmavamso, a well-known British Theravada monk based in Perth, illustrates the importance of mindfulness being accompanied by the Buddhist Triple-Gem foundations of Sila (morality), Samadhi (concentration/peace of mind) and Panna (wisdom), as similar to a cat that stalks with the intention to kill. Thank you and Tashi Delek. You can not only see marvelous religious artworks but also discover the spiritual home of Tibetan people. Dear Kimberley, There is no problem with incorporating a prayer flag into your art. Blessings to you. Meaning when the wind blows through the flags are the flags facing the wind or facing where the wind blows? We should perhaps all just buy prayer flags that are made of 100% natural fibres. Butter holds a sacred place in Tibetan Buddhist culture and is used for butter lamps, butter sculptures, and in making tormas. According to Tibetan Buddhism, those five colors are related to the five Buddhas and five kinds of wisdom, which increases the mystery of Tibetan prayer flags. Hi! If that is not possible, then you can bury them underground in a clean place as you did with the blessed cords from the mala. Well post the answers as soon as possible. Tibetan language is referred to as Bodic or Tibetic language. However, there is a concerted effort to remove meditation from its religious context as a Buddhist practice and ignore the teachings that are intended to accompany it. I have been given a single Mongolian prayer flag . Material:Made Of Satin Fabric With Glossy Surface.Clear Decals Are Printed On A Stunning Polyester Material.It Promotes Peace,Compassion,Strength And Wisdom.These Flags Would Also Look Attractive In Your Home Or On The Yard. And therefore, Tibetan prayer flags are believed to promote prosperity, compassion, peace, and wisdom. The horizontal flags, known as Lung-ta or "Wind Horse", are either square or rectangular and are strung along the longest edge in a row between two high points or a high point and the ground. KHATAS. Thank you so much for purchasing products made by the nuns. In Tibetan, this ceremony is called "Tuosui", which means offering sacrifices to gods and praying for blessings. We have 20 Acres half of which is left to nature. When talking to educated rulers he would use intellectual language; when speaking to farmers he would often use simple similes to everyday agricultural practices. What if in the process of hanging the prayer flags, they accidentally touched the ground, should I respectably burn them and get new ones? The festival is celebrated to commemorate when Sakyamuni (Buddha) attained enlightenment, and is typically observed by visiting temples, lighting lanterns and practising kindness and generosity. Then they will need to sew the prayer flags and then travel to Delhi to ship all the products. I hope this is understandable . 7. It is most respectful to burn them. We wish you every happiness in your new home. I recently purchased some new 100% cotton prayer flags to hang on my balcony, but Im not sure how to most respectfully dispose of the old ones. Tibetan prayer flags are religious. It is based on the Tibetan calendar, usually on a certain auspicious day after the first day of the Tibetan New Year. But its always better to know the rules before you break the rules. This is a common misconception: rather, the mantras printed on the flags are carried on the wind and believed to spread goodwill and positive energy wherever they go. Color Symbolic Meaning What is your suggestion to do with them? Dear Charlotte, Tibetan prayer flags are strung left to right in this specific order: blue, white, red, green, and yellow. Tibetans do hang prayer flags on auspicious days, thereby multiplying the merit and impact of hanging the prayer flags. This has always pleased me as it is benefitting them. If other bereaved parents ask you about doing something similar, you may want to suggest that they create a separate set of flags to honor their lost child that they hang along with the Tibetan prayer flags. And next came the Tibetan prayer flags, more vibrant in their rainbow colors, but more subtle in their messaging. I have prayer flags Id like to donate. To be clear, the reason behind hanging Tibetan prayer flags is to spread blessings not only for us but also for other beings and people all over the world, up to the place, the spirit of the Lungta settles and reaches. Long before the hipsters and bohemians started waving them from their motor homes and their frat houses, these prayer flags had a deep religious and spiritual significance in their own cultural context. Is it OK to tie the prayer flags to my pack when I climb in the mountains ? Therefore, taking prayer flags to your friend after your visit to Tibet is the right thing to do. As Buddhism grows in the West, it is natural that the initial points of contact will be through the pre-socialised systems of reasoning. There are Two Kinds of Flags- Horizontal and Vertical. Tibetan prayer flags long 5 meters 20 flags from Nepal handmade frayed flags with prayers and blessings for peace Karmandala (1,551) $22.13 Healing Tibetan Prayer Flags Rolls - 2 Sizes (Small 7" & Large 10") meditation art, Buddhist wall art - Tibetan Prayer Flags Spiritual Flags HPvillage (2,134) $9.31 When these places are covered with prayer flags, they will be seen by the inspecting gods, and these places will also be blessed by the gods and resist the invasion of evil spirits. Dear Paul, Yes, you can hang prayer flags on your pack when you climb, but you might ensure that the flags do not touch the ground. There are two basic kinds of prayer flags that are used in Tibetan Buddhism today, horizontal and vertical. Thank you for your comment, Caitlin, and your wish to donate prayer flags. We have a long stretch to cover and are wondering a couple of things: Is it ok to string multiple prayer flags together to get the desired length or would you custom make the flags to our desired length? Each Color of the Flag Symbolizes an Element. As an alternative I was considering purchasing a traditional wooden block stamp of the windhorse or the medicine buddha (created by artists in nepal) and using that on the artwork instead. As the fabric decomposes, new flags are hung alongside them, all serving to remind us of the unrelenting passage of time. How wonderful! Get to Tibet, Tibetan Clothing and Diverse Tibetan Dress Culture, Tibetan Buddhism Prostration - How and Why to Make Prostrations, Dava Private House, No. It is considered disrespectful too if the Buddhist flags lay down on the ground or keep still. The five colors represent the elements: blue symbolizes the sky and space, white symbolizes the air and wind, red symbolizes fire, green symbolizes water, and yellow symbolizes earth. Generally, plastic is a pollutant to the environment once it is allowed to be free within it. And the reason why they are put high above the roof is to let them flutter in the wind. Tibetan Wedding Customs and Ceremony This way, every time you walk in and out you will activate and receive that protective blessing. What was left of them, in the tree, I brought inside. Color Fading of These Flags also has a Meaning. But how much of the Tibetan religion do Westerners really understand, and how much of it is just a case of cultural appropriation? 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