What prayers or mantras should I do before hanging prayer flags.Im told they should be blessed before hanging blessed rice et cetera!? Instead, Buddhism has been widely appropriated and pacified by a broader audience in a manner which fits broadly in the context of Orientalism. They should not be placed on the ground or put in the trash. 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. Generally, plastic is a pollutant to the environment once it is allowed to be free within it. Windhorse prayer flags made by the nuns are available in three sizes. Palden Lhamo is the chief Dharma Protector, so she is highly valued in all major sects of Tibetan Buddhism. Where can I send them? These jewels represent the Buddha, the Dharma (Buddhist teachings), and the Sangha (Buddhist community) which are the three cornerstones of Tibetan philosophical tradition. Much of this romanticism comes from the over simplified perceptions of the religion and an infantilised view of its beliefs. What can I do? Dear Genevieve, The best option may be for you to leave them up to fade away and disintegrate. I live in a desert so I am a bit lost. Sending you our very best wishes and thanks for your care and attention. Buddhism has a growing visibility in mainstream Australia. Rather than the pursuit of wealth, Eastern religion focussed on inner growth and peace of mind. How is the best way to use it? Most appreciated. The video advertisement also featured people receiving the type of halo Gotama is often depicted post-enlightenment, the minute they sit down to meditate. In Dharamsala, home of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and near to the headquarters of the Tibetan Nuns Project, it is common to see prayer flags hung in the rear windows of cars and even across the handlebars of motorcycles. Or if that doesnt feel right, I might put them into the recycling bin so that at least they can be turned into something useful rather than being thrown in the trash. i have recently purchased two sets of prayer flags, and was wondering how often i should be moving them around my altar? Ones intention is important. 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! As Buddhism grows in the West, it is natural that the initial points of contact will be through the pre-socialised systems of reasoning. The colorful prayer flag decorates the holy snow-covered plateau, like rainbows, and it has become a unique landscape. Each of our sets have a blank flag with a nice decorative border and the 7 jewels of power on the top panel and the 8 auspicious symbols of good fortune on the bottom panel pre inked in gold ink, with the inner space left for your creative and personal touch of prayers and wishes. Lha gyal lo, Therefore, they should be hung at a height. Is it ok if the few flags which will hang against the wide support poles dont get to blow in the wind as much as the other flags? Today, these flags adorn the high mountains of the Himalayas, where elevations and spirituality achieve record heights. The ABCs Religion and Ethics portal is home to religious reporting & analysis, ethical discussion & philosophical discovery, and inspiring stories of faith and belief. Tibetan Prayer Flags: The Real Meaning. This is because Buddhism, the country's major religion, has played a huge role in the development and history of . 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. Tibetan Prayer flags are intentionally crafted with 5 specific colors to honor and represent the 5 elements in balance: Blue for space. My friends husband, a Tibetan ex-monk, then said it was best to bury them as burning was not advisable. Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Disclosure Letter. G ADVENTURES LIMITED, a company incorporated and registered in England and Wales with company number 7848780, VAT No.175 4505 02, and its registered office is 60 Bastwick Street, London, EC1V 3AT. There is a concerted effort to make the Dhamma (the teachings of the Buddha) completely compatible with modern Western thinking and disregard for the supernatural. If they are all cotton, Could they be put in a compost pile where they would eventually go back to the earth ? The old-style marriage is that the man and the woman are married under the arrangement of their parents. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. My prayer flags are doing the same thing, wrapping around the rope. Then place a small line of hot glue on the back of the flag on fold created by the flap. 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. Traditionally, Tibetan prayer flags come in sets of five: one in each of the five colors that correspond with the 5 Elements of Chinese theory. His Holiness the Dalai Lama has said, The quality or purity of any spiritual practice is determined by the individuals intention and motivation. As this blog post says, When raising prayer flags it is important to have a good motivation. This has always pleased me as it is benefitting them. When hanging prayer flags one should wish that all beings everywhere will benefit and find happiness. You have written that, when hanging and taking down the prayer flags, you are handling them with respect and good intentions. I use mixed media to create paintings of a spiritual nature. them ready for you. As you are burning the prayer flags, you should try to remember the intentions with which the prayer flags were made and blessed and have compassion for all sentient beings. For the well-known Six-Character Mantra, it does not have one particular meaning. You might enjoy this blog post about Tibetan butter sculptures made by the nuns: https://tnp.org/about-tibetan-butter-sculptures/, Pingback: Trip 08 The flags New Human Touch. Photo courtesy of Olivier Adam. They are used to bless the surrounding countryside and for other purposes. Khata scarves are the most common Tibetan gifts. We hope to share a blog post soon about the mantra OM MANI PADME HUM. Are you sure you want to delete this blog post? I am planning to move and am interested in taking my Windhorse prayer flags with me. While there is a real and growing presence of Buddhism among white Australians, much of the growth of Buddhist paraphernalia isn't from genuine followers. Meditation is one part of Buddhist practice and there are distinct and specific teachings that are intended to accompany it at various different stages. Tashi Delek! STATEWIDE BUDGET. Being careful not to let the old prayer flags touch the ground, a Tibetan Buddhist nun burns the flags while wishing to end the suffering of all sentient beings. Each Color of the Flag Symbolizes an Element. His Holiness the Dalai Lama says that our motivation, to end the suffering of sentient beings, is the most important thing. It is best to hang them outdoors rather than indoors, for example, and ill-advised to hang them in the rain. Taking it out of the sacred context and use it as an 'exotic' or decorative purpose is disrespectful to Tibetan culture: what is sacred in one culture is a plaything for you. While the square-shaped, horizontally strung prayer flags are arguably the most common, they aren't the only variety of Tibetan prayer flag you'll see being used at sacred sites and on significant calendar dates. There is no specific direction to hang them. Now, it's widely used in the northern part of India, Nepal, and Bhutan. Clearly, you are acting out of respect and you want to treat the prayers on the prayer flags with reverence, so provided that that is your motivation in adding the beads to the rope, then it is not disrespectful. The date cannot be chosen arbitrarily. It's an incredibly important part of Buddhism to be present and intentional with your thoughts and actions. 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. The colors blue and white represent the sky, the air, red represents fire, green represents water, and yellow represents earth. 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. Ive had some prayer flags for several years that have now faded and gotten dirty with bird droppings. The horse symbol of 'ta' represents speed and of ill-fortune turning into good ones. All of those activities are prohibited by the virus and the lockdown. What was left of them, in the tree, I brought inside. Hi! The order of the flags (blue-white, etc. They also represent directions - North, South, East, West and Center. In Tibetan, this ceremony is called "Tuosui", which means offering sacrifices to gods and praying for blessings. Prayers vary, but typically they invoke a series of blessings, including longevity, prosperity, health and peace. These flags can be seen dotted throughout the mountainous regions of China, Nepal, Bhutan, and northern India. Dear Amy, Were very sorry to hear that someone vandalized your prayer flags. How wonderful! In Tibetan folk traditions, mountain passes and river bridges are often guarded by the gods of heaven, so people praying in these places are easily heard by the gods. Here's a brief introduction to its beginning, development, and schools. How can I hang them? Hi. When talking about Tibetan handicrafts, people would think of Thangka, Tibetan incense, Tibetan medicine, Tibetan knife, Tibetan ornaments, etc. Each set of prayer flags has five colors representing the different elements: blue for sky, white for clouds, red for space, green for water . Tibetan Buddhism Prostration is one of the oldest and most sincere waysfor Tibetan Buddhists to pray to the Buddha, also called kowtow. Above the home temple or on the door at the entrance? A symbol of spiritual enlightenment or international brotherhood, these prayer flags hang from awnings and sway in the breeze, indicating a certain philosophical orientation.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[320,50],'bambubatu_com-box-3','ezslot_6',118,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-bambubatu_com-box-3-0');if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[320,50],'bambubatu_com-box-3','ezslot_7',118,'0','1'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-bambubatu_com-box-3-0_1');.box-3-multi-118{border:none!important;display:block!important;float:none!important;line-height:0;margin-bottom:7px!important;margin-left:auto!important;margin-right:auto!important;margin-top:7px!important;max-width:100%!important;min-height:50px;padding:0;text-align:center!important}. That being said, there is absolutely nothing wrong with engaging with Buddhism through Western philosophy. Tibetan nuns at Dolma Ling Nunnery in India remove and burn old prayer flags and set up new ones to mark Losar, Tibetan New Year. Can I do this on any day, or are there specific days one should take down prayer flags? Tibetan tradition considers prayer flags to be holy. They're so sacred, they shouldn't touch the ground and must eventually be burned as they age. Dear Alana, Yes you can hang them on your wall. Your Consumption of Buddhism Is Self-Serving I'm not going to knock mindfulness. Songtsen Gampo(617-650) was the 33rd Tibetan King. Green for water. SAME OF COURSE APPLIES TO Balancing the five elements in places and in our own bodies and lives helps to bring harmony, health and well-being. Dear Liz, This is what often happens to prayer flags that are hung in remote areas like mountain passes. Presenting Khata expresses good wishes and respect. Clearly you care deeply about not harming wildlife or the environment by burning any plastic materials or by hanging the prayer flags in a place where wildlife might be impacted. Flags that fly vertically, which are less common, are known as dar cho or dar chen flags. Your wish is clearly to honor the memory of your beloved son and his generous, kind, and fair-minded nature. Description. Tibetan prayer flags are used to promote peace, wisdom, and compassion. I have a dear friend who has died and spent most of her adult life in Nepal. Your information is being handled in accordance with the. Here are 10 things you should know: 1. These times include Tibetan New Year and the two weeks that follow it and Saga Dawa (the fourth month of the Tibetan Lunar calendar), particularly Saga Dawa Duchen, the most holy day (the 15th day of the 4th lunar month) which marks the Buddhas birth, enlightenment, and paranirvana. I had an idea but was not sure if it was appropriate. Because of the sacred writings on the flags, they should not be used in clothing or thrown away. But do you even know that these are not just some fancy accessories? Your idea of a shrine seems a lovely solution, so what type of shrine works best for you would be suitable. Each hue signifies an element and the flags are always arranged in a specific order, from left to right: blue, white, red, green, yellow. The Suttas record many of the same teachings taught by the Buddha in different ways, with different levels of complexity as he adapts the way he teaches to his audience. Thank you for your time and consideration, I really appreciate all the information in this blog post. Popular inner-city Asian clothes and furniture chain Ishka offer you "karma cards" as a loyalty program. As you hang them, you should wish to end the suffering of all sentient beings. hello! When raising prayer flags it is important to have a good motivation. Dear Kimberley, There is no problem with incorporating a prayer flag into your art. Blue symbolizes the sky and space, white symbolizes the air and wind, red symbolizes fire, green symbolizes water, and yellow symbolizes earth. Therefore, burying it in the ground ensures that its components cannot be released into these vital global systems. So I thought, when the time comes, this might be the way to dispose of the (synthetic) prayer flags now hanging on my patio tree! I do not want to be disrespectful but also want to honor my friend in a way she would enjoy or relate to. When disposing of old prayer flags one should burn them so that the smoke may carry their blessings to the heavens. It took about 4 hrs to take out all (synthetic) strings from the beads. 5. What is your suggestion to do with them? This way, every time you walk in and out you will activate and receive that protective blessing. First came the Free Tibet t-shirts and bumper stickers, iconic symbols of grassroots organizing and international awareness, even before the era of MySpace and TedTalks. I have a large patio awning with wide support poles along its perimeter where I would like to hang my prayer flags. There's a point at which "appreciation" mutates into "appropriation" - and it's a line we should all be weary of. Please, give me your thoughts on this final solution. Its also best if it can flap in the breeze. So this could be photos, prayer flags, thangkas, etc. Tibetan language is referred to as Bodic or Tibetic language. Many in the West often try to understand Buddhism through the eyes of European science and philosophy. Prayer flags are an integral component of the annual Saga Dawa Festival in Tibet, and G Adventures can get you there. Were putting together our 2019 Tibetan Nuns Project calendar which will have the important Tibetan Buddhist days marked. White symbolises air, red is fire. All Prayer Flags; English Prayer Flags; Indoor Prayer Flags; Vertical Prayer Flags; Wrist Malas; Incense . And next came the Tibetan prayer flags, more vibrant in their rainbow colors, but more subtle in their messaging. He is predominantly a follower of Theravada Buddhism. Yes, that would be fine Vidhya. Purchase Guru Rinpoche prayer flags in three sizes here. I recently got beautiful prayer flags as a gift from my friend, I am a student in college and we are not allowed to hang items by the window (fire hazard) the best place I can hang them without it being a hazard is on my wall with the most sunlight.. is this appropriate ? If they touch the ground accidentally, just collect them and touch them to your forehead a few times, saying a short prayer (like Om mani padme hum) with sincerity and the wish to end suffering for all sentient beings. There are two basic kinds of prayer flags that are used in Tibetan Buddhism today, horizontal and vertical. Where can I hang it? Prayer flags are believed to have originated within the religious tradition of Bon. Our artisans combine vintage style Tibetan beads hand-sourced in Nepal with authentic and ethically sourced mala beads. Should I remove the flag and respectfully burn it or simply reattach it? They were cut, retied, flags cut from the strand then thrown on the ground, in my yard. I will be grateful for your answers to these two questions: The wind horse is a symbol of the human soul in the shamanistic tradition of East Asia and Central Asia.In Tibetan Buddhism, it was included as the pivotal element in the center of the four animals symbolizing the cardinal directions and a symbol of the idea of well-being or good fortune.It has also given the name to a type of prayer flag that has the five animals printed on it. Good motivation hanging prayer flags ; English prayer flags as Buddhism grows in the northern part of,! 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