The Tara prayer flags have a lovely image of Tara in the center. Blue, white, red, green and yellow, the colors also signify the five elements: sky, air, fire, water and earth, respectively. I have prayer flags Id like to donate. The problem is that under the coronavirus lockdown there are many factors causing delays. 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. How can I hang them? I dont even know how to do this responsibly. Traditionally, Tibetan prayer flags come in sets of five, with one flag in each of five colors, left to right in this specific order: blue, white, red, green, and yellow. I will be grateful for your answers to these two questions: Thanks for your question, Billy. Bon(Bonismo), originated from the "Gangdise Mountains" and "Manasarovar Lake" in ancient Xiangxiong, Tibet. Handmade art has been an indispensable part of the lives of the Tibetan people. For hundreds of years of history, hanging prayer flags has become a traditional custom in Tibetan regions, which is a self-cultivation way. All five colours together signify balance. When I paint, my practice is to first meditate, and then to create from that space, allowing the painting to spring forth from the concept that I am meditating on. I assume they are building their nests with them. Almost every monastery enshrines her. 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. Can I do this on any day, or are there specific days one should take down prayer flags? I have painted prayer flags in my work, but have never actually added a physical one to the canvas. They hang in the garden where they gently fade and fray and beautifully demonstrate impermanence. Instead, Buddhism has been widely appropriated and pacified by a broader audience in a manner which fits broadly in the context of Orientalism. Content and Meaning of the Prayer Flags. When we have anything that has holy images or texts- mainly the images. A-. 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. Tibetan prayer flags are religious. A Vision for Renewal and Accessibility: Michigan's . 2. Your second question was about mantras to be said while hanging up prayer flags. When you pack them for the move, treat them with respect and care. For the prayer flags, the combination of earth and earth is said to be the most auspicious. But do you even know that these are not just some fancy accessories? Is it possible that the rope is twisted or the prayer flags are curled up? To those familiar with the symbolic language, the message is clear. Very interesting and also challenging. Tibetan Buddhism is important to Tibetans as it affects every aspect of their lives. Tibetan Prayer Flags: The Real Meaning. Thank you and blessings. Is it inappropriate to hang prayer flags inside? them ready for you. Color Fading of These Flags also has a Meaning. Then they were to be safely put back in the forest, after doing some Medicine Buddha mantras, blowing on them, pouring some saffron water over and making some dedications. Popular inner-city Asian clothes and furniture chain Ishka offer you "karma cards" as a loyalty program. First used in the Bon religion, an early form of Tibetan Buddhism, they symbolized natural elements through association with primary . 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. SAME OF COURSE APPLIES TO What if in the process of hanging the prayer flags, they accidentally touched the ground, should I respectably burn them and get new ones? Jarni Blakkarly is a Melbourne-based free-lance journalist and a journalism student at RMIT. We are looking for an environmentally sensitive answer as the issue of burning old prayer flags is going to become more of an issue as the climate changes. Tibetan Prayer flags are intentionally crafted with 5 specific colors to honor and represent the 5 elements in balance: Blue for space. Dear Divya, Hanging prayer flags is respectful within itself. Songtsen Gampo Sutras - or mantras from three pillars of the great Buddhist Bodhisattvas, conveying things like peace, wisdom, and strength - are written on them. Top 10 Tibetan Monasteries I was told these insects feed on dead wood so as not to harm the living trees. She also brings about longevity, protects earthly travel, and guards her followers on their spiritual journey to enlightenment. Traditionally, Tibetan prayer flags are hung up and kept hanging up with the air flowing through them. Like a tie-dye t-shirt or a Bob Marley tattoo, the Tibet prayer flags signified membership in certain segment of society. 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. Blessings to you. The Peace Flag Project is based on the Prayer Flags of Tibet. Instead, it remains as plastic in smaller and smaller pieces, causing harm by entering water supplies and food systems. These colors also represent directions - North, South, East, West, and Centre. can you wash TIbetan prayer flags and re-hang them? So, instead of buying it, getting these flags as a gift from someone is how you should acquire a prayer flag. How wonderful! The ABCs Religion and Ethics portal is home to religious reporting & analysis, ethical discussion & philosophical discovery, and inspiring stories of faith and belief. What prayers or mantras should I do before hanging prayer flags.Im told they should be blessed before hanging blessed rice et cetera!? 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. Its also best if it can flap in the breeze. Tibetan friends told me to put a dab of butter on the line, as a gesture of gratitude. My prayer flags are doing the same thing, wrapping around the rope. Khata And Related Etiquette I would have burned them, but I have a feeling they are likely synthetic and I dont want to burn plastic materials. Great Tibet Tour is a local tour company based in Lhasa, Tibet. I understand the blue start on the left my question would be on the left if I am facing downwind or upwind? As you hang them, you should wish to end the suffering of all sentient beings. 8. Can I take my flags and hang them at my new home? In May this year, an organisation called Mindful in May sprung up as a sort of 40-hour famine of meditation. Yes, that would be fine Vidhya. Traditionally, the squares were printed with wooden blocks, and to this day that same method is often still used. 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 ? You can not only see marvelous religious artworks but also discover the spiritual home of Tibetan people. Tibetan prayer flags are flown without any understanding or consideration of their religious meaning. Thank you. Buddhists added their own texts to increase the power of the flags. Meditation is quickly heading down the track of Yoga, which has become so far removed from its Hinduism roots many people in Australia probably wouldn't even know its religious tradition. backyard chickens. This is all part of the natural process of time, and reinforces the Buddhist notion of impermanence. Tibetan Buddhism He was a Tibetan healer. Blue symbolizes the sky and space, white symbolizes the air and wind, red symbolizes fire, green symbolizes water, and yellow symbolizes earth. Purchase Guru Rinpoche prayer flags in three sizes here. Buddhism is vastly complicated religion, comprising of hundreds of schools of thought that fall under the two main schools of Mahayanna and Theravada. We have placed an order with the nuns at Dolma Ling, but it could be some time before they can obtain materials. 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. is there such thing as moving them too often? Since you have some synthetic prayer flags hanging on your patio now, when you want to replace them, perhaps you can take the old ones out into a forest or natural place and hang them on a tree. But its always better to know the rules before you break the rules. 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. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. Wishing you health and happiness in your new home! Therefore, they should be hung at a height. Appropriation Bill Status Sheet. Repeat until desired length is reached, leaving about an inch between flags. The problem I have is that I live in a city that does not permit burning as it is very dry here and sunny. Central to the appropriation in the West is the way Buddhism is tokenised and not treated as a legitimate religion. In Tibetan, this ceremony is called "Tuosui", which means offering sacrifices to gods and praying for blessings. He is predominantly a follower of Theravada Buddhism. Well post updates on our Facebook page as soon as we hear more. Tibetan Wedding Customs and Ceremony 2. Prayer flags are the unique spiritual sustenance of the Tibetan people and a religious token for praying for well-being. His Holiness the Dalai Lama says that our motivation, to end the suffering of sentient beings, is the most important thing. Luckily he agreed to do that in their back yard. I recently bought the prayer flags from a store that sells hand made stuff and support local artists. Dear Wendy, The prayer flags could be doubled back or looped if need be. The colors blue and white represent the sky, the air, red represents fire, green represents water, and yellow represents earth. And the reason why they are put high above the roof is to let them flutter in the wind. I have a dear friend who has died and spent most of her adult life in Nepal. Yes, it is fine for non-Buddhists to display Tibetan prayer flags. If so, how should I take them down and put them back up? 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. It's a Tibetan indigenous religion. Learn how your comment data is processed. Unfortunately all the cotton flags Ive found so far have been strung on nylon ropes which its near impossible to avoid burning along with the flags. Meditation shouldn't be limited to Buddhism, but it's important to acknowledge where it comes from and its traditions. The most critical thing about hanging prayer flags is ones intention. Dear Genevieve, The best option may be for you to leave them up to fade away and disintegrate. Well, you may be curious about the meaning of the Buddhist/Tibetan prayer flags. Can you give some advise? In the highlands of the Himalayas, devotees hang their prayer flags far and wide. Mariusz. Most appreciated. 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. 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. Eventually, the prayer flags will fade and can be replaced with new prayer flags. Note: If you only want to remove this post from public view, you can choose to unpublish it instead. 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. I would prefer something on the smaller end. All proceeds from the sale of them helps to provide food, shelter and education for the nuns. They were cut, retied, flags cut from the strand then thrown on the ground, in my yard. It would involve disassembling the prayer flags to remove one of the panels. backyard chickens, https://tnp.org/about-tibetan-butter-sculptures/. The prayer flags made by the nuns at Dolma Ling are strung on white cotton. Dear Lynne, you can hang prayer flags any time. Dear Simone, You can unravel them so that they hang down properly. Your Consumption of Buddhism Is Self-Serving I'm not going to knock mindfulness. First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we Just remove them and re-hang the respectfully and make sure they do not touch the ground. You can always hang new ones along with the old ones. Winds have dispersed some to the ground which I left as part of that original idea. Dear Alana, Yes you can hang them on your wall. Tibetan prayer flags are used to promote peace, compassion, strength, and wisdom. Tibetan Language On April 15, 2020, hundreds of Michiganders turned up in the state's . Ideally, people hang their flags on sunny, windy days. Now, it's widely used in the northern part of India, Nepal, and Bhutan. Either is fine. The colorful prayer flag decorates the holy snow-covered plateau, like rainbows, and it has become a unique landscape. While the square-shaped, horizontally strung prayer flags are arguably the most common, they aren't the only variety of Tibetan prayer flags you'll see being used at sacred sites and on significant calendar dates. Hello, our son passed away at the age of eleven. Mary Miller. Tibetan prayer flags are religious. Ive read through some of the comments on here, and I also dont want to bury them or tie them in nature as that would also allow for the plastic components to be free in the environment and not degrade over time (and possibly harm wildlife as a result). Please advise. Everything from the color to the word holds a meaning. Revered as the second Buddha, Guru Rinpoche (Precious Guru) conquered the local deities and demons of Tibet and bound them by oath to become guardians of Buddhism. Tibetan prayer flags are used to promote peace, wisdom, and compassion. Tibetans do not wash prayer flags. The colorful fabric squares, hanging side by side, each contain a Buddhist Sutra, prayer or mantra. Every so often we receive messagesabout how to hang and dispose of Tibetan prayer flags respectfully. Ones intention is important. We are moving and our old prayer flags need to be taken down. Thank you for your comment, Caitlin, and your wish to donate prayer flags. Yes, you can hang the prayers outside your house. Color fading from the flags is considered auspicious. If youre unable to do this, just dispose of them as respectfully as possible. When you travel to Tibet, you can see the great number of Buddhists Prayer Flags hung at the summits of mountains, passes of mountains, banks of rivers, sides of roads, roofs of monasteries, etc. I would like to honor her at her memorial by representing all of the people she touched but who can not attend the service. Flags that fly vertically, which are less common, are known as dar Cho or dar Chen flags. Your southern-facing window is fine. [1] Traditionally, Tibetan prayer flags are hung left to right in this specific order: blue, white, red, green, and yellow. Is there anything I can do to prevent this from continuing to happen? You don't have to be a Bhuddist to hang prayer flags, but there is a right way to hang them. 4 Days Lhasa City Essential Group Tour from USD450, 8 Days Lhasa to Everest Base Camp Group Tour from USD930, 9 Days Lhasa Shigatse Mt.Everest Namtso Tour from USD1200, 15 Days Mt.Everest & Mt Kailash Group Tour from USD1840, 7 Days Lhasa Mt. Thank you so much for your response. The five colors represent the five elements and the Five Pure Lights. 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. Tibetan prayer flags are bright and beautiful, but their colours aren't just for show. In the end, whether youre praying, meditating or interior decorating, its the intention that matters most. This is something in my tradition to think about, as recommended by Lama Zopa Rinpoche. And soon the flags had been fully absorbed into the milieu, as just another symbol of the counter culture lifestyle. These jewels represent the Buddha, the Dharma (Buddhist teachings), and the Sangha (Buddhist community) which are the three cornerstones of Tibetan philosophical tradition. Meaning when the wind blows through the flags are the flags facing the wind or facing where the wind blows? The concept itself is fantastic, as many people find meditation beneficial for their lives. Go off the beaten path (and onto a dhoni boat) to best explore this island paradise, Our Roamie-ing Reporter, Claire Scott, shares highlights from her big Thailand, Vietnam, and Cambodia adventure, Our Roamie-ing Reporter, Claire Scott, shares highlights from her fun-filled Costa Rican adventure, As part of her two year solo trek, Dina Carter gives you the lowdown on hiking hubs in Patagonia, Where to travel this year based on your zodiac sign. 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