![]() The flags do not carry prayers to gods, which is a common misconception rather, the Tibetans believe the prayers and mantras will be blown by the wind to spread the good will and compassion into all pervading space. Traditionally, prayer flags are used to promote peace, compassion, strength, and wisdom. HUM is the seed syllable of Akshobhya-the immovable, the unfluctuating, that which cannot be disturbed by anything. MANI meaning jewel, symbolizes the factors of method-the altruistic intention to become enlightened, compassion, and love. The prayer tag OM MANI PADME HUM refers to OM which symbolizes your impure body speech and mind. Images or the names of four powerful animals, also known as the Four Dignities, adorn each corner of a flag: the dragon, the garuda, the tiger, and the snowlion. In addition to mantras, prayers for a long life of good fortune are often included for the person who mounts the flags. These writings include mantras from three of the great Buddhist Bodhisattvas: Padmasambhava (Guru Rinpoche), Avalokiteśvara (Chenrezig, the bodhisattva of compassion, and the patron of the Tibetan people), and Manjusri. Surrounding the Lung ta are various versions of approximately 400 traditional mantras, each dedicated to a particular deity. The three flaming jewels symbolize the Buddha, the Dharma (Buddhist teachings), and the Sangha (Buddhist community): the three cornerstones of Tibetan philosophical tradition. The Ta is a symbol of speed and the transformation of bad fortune to good fortune. The center of a prayer flag traditionally features a Lung ta (powerful or strong horse) bearing three flaming jewels (specifically ratna) on its back. Symbols and prayers A Tibetan "lung ta" or " wind horse" from an 1895 book by Laurence Austine Waddell Some can be any color or in any language, a lot have been seen on Mount Everest or other high mountains According to Traditional Tibetan medicine, health and harmony are produced through the balance of the five elements. Blue symbolizes the sky and space, white symbolizes the air and wind, red symbolizes fire, green symbolizes water, and yellow symbolizes earth. Different elements are associated with different colors for specific traditions, purposes and sadhana. The five colors represent the five elements and the Five Pure Lights. Traditionally, prayer flags come in sets of five. Darchog are commonly planted in the ground, mountains, cairns, and on rooftops, and are iconographically and symbolically related to the Dhvaja.Ĭolor and order Five colors of prayer flag on a mountain in Sikkim They are commonly hung on a diagonal line from high to low between two objects (e.g., a rock and the top of a pole) in high places such as the tops of temples, monasteries, stupas, and mountain passes.ĭarchog (vertical) prayer flags are usually large single rectangles attached to poles along their vertical edge. Lung ta (horizontal) prayer flags are of square or rectangular shape, and are connected along their top edges to a long string or thread. There are two kinds of prayer flags: horizontal ones, called Lung ta (Wylie: rlung-rta, meaning " Wind Horse" in Tibetan), and vertical ones, called Darchog (Wylie: dar-lcog, meaning "flagstaff"). Lung ta/Darchog styles A Darchog prayer flag in northern India Currently, different styles of prayer flags can be seen all across the Tibetan region. Many traditional designs may have been lost. ĭuring the Cultural Revolution, prayer flags were discouraged but not entirely eliminated. ![]() The Indian monk Atisha (980–1054 CE) introduced the Indian practice of printing on cloth prayer flags to Tibet and Nepal. This knowledge was carried into Tibet by 800 CE, and the actual flags were introduced no later than 1040 CE, where they were further modified. The legend may have given the Indian Bhikṣu a reason for carrying the heavenly banner as a way of signifying his commitment to ahimsa. Legend ascribes the origin of the prayer flag to the Gautama Buddha, whose prayers were written on battle flags used by the devas against their adversaries, the asuras. ![]() Nepal Sutras, originally written on cloth banners, were transmitted to other regions of the world as prayer flags. Traditional prayer flags include woodblock-printed text and images. In Bon, shamanistic Bonpo used primary-colored plain flags in Tibet. Prayer flags are believed to have originated within the religious tradition of Bon. They are used to bless the surrounding countryside and for other purposes. Close-up of a Lung ta ("Wind Horse") prayer flag, Ladakh, India.Ī Tibetan prayer flag is a colorful rectangular cloth, often found strung along trails and peaks high in the Himalayas. ![]() Tibetan religious item Lung ta prayer flags hang along a mountain path in Nepal.
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