When disposing of old prayer flags one should burn them so that the smoke may carry their blessings to the heavens. Make sure this fits by entering your model number. We hope to share a blog post soon about the mantra OM MANI PADME HUM. As a memorial to him we purchased prayer flags from a local Buddhist community, and adhered images cut from his many beloved T-shirts to the blank backs of the flags. When hanging prayer flags one should wish that all beings everywhere will benefit and find happiness. And therefore, Tibetan prayer flags are believed to promote prosperity, compassion, peace, and wisdom. Here, five important facts about those important flags: According to Buddhist legend, the first prayer flags were used by Gautama Buddha, on whose teachings Buddhism is founded. The beads were rotten by insects and their strings were breaking into pieces. The annual Saga Dawa Festival, which takes place in Tibet, is the most important religious festivals in the country. Dear Michelle, Yes it is totally fine to string multiple sets of prayer flags together and this is commonly done. These jewels represent the Buddha, the Dharma (Buddhist teachings), and the Sangha (Buddhist community) which are the three cornerstones of Tibetan philosophical tradition. 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. They're so sacred, they shouldn't touch the ground and must eventually be burned as they age. Tibetan tradition considers prayer flags to be holy. Color Fading of These Flags also has a Meaning. But its always better to know the rules before you break the rules. It had been advised to make a wooden enclosure or something to protect the damaged holy objects and this could be placed in the forest as a sort of shrine house. hello! It is said that they emit positive spiritual vibrations andthe wind like silent prayers carries the prayers. We sell these specially blessed objects through our online store and the revenue helps provide food, health care, shelter, and education for the over 230 nuns who live at the nunnery, as well as to helpsupport around 500 nuns at six other nunneries in India. I am wondering if it would be disrespectful to incorporate prayer flag panels into a painting? Hi. Sending you our very best wishes and thanks for your care and attention. Tibetan Wedding Customs and Ceremony In Buddhist believers eyes, the prayer flag waves for one time in the wind means reciting the sutra once, which is a way to show pilgrims wishes and seek blessings from Gods. Here's a brief introduction to its beginning, development, and schools. I am planning to move and am interested in taking my Windhorse prayer flags with me. What is order of single colour vertical prayer flags, if I wish to display on both sides of my entry gate? Tibetan Prayer Flags. On top is blue, followed by white, red, green, and yellow, which denote the five elements: sky, air, fire, water, and earth. To publish it, click on the 'Publish' button on the This way the prayers on the Tibetan prayer flags will be fully free to blow in the breeze and spread prayers and good wishes to all sentient beings. I dont even know how to do this responsibly. It is said that her compassion for living beings is stronger than a mothers love for her children. Seeing this blog I ask what best to do at this point. Around the frame of the doorway is regarded as the right place to put the flags. The most critical thing about hanging prayer flags is ones intention. Vipassana meditation is re-named "insight or mindful meditation" and Anapana meditation is renamed "breathing meditation." 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. If you have all of them, you can perhaps restring and rehang them, with a wish to free all beings from suffering and the causes of suffering. Pingback: How to Make Your Chicken Coop Cute! I want to be able to see them all dancing in the wind but the middle ones are wrapped up! 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. The new-style marriage is that men and women have the freedom to choose their spouses but still follow the etiquette of the traditional Tibetan wedding. Meaning if the wind blows West to East does the blue start in the North or South? Those flags are called lung dar prayer flags. can you wash TIbetan prayer flags and re-hang them? 6. 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? Hi, I was happy to see that the nuns are making traditional cotton flags and not the synthetic fiber ones. Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Disclosure Letter. Blue, white, red, green and yellow, the colors also signify the five elements: sky, air, fire, water and earth, respectively. They Should Never be Put on the Ground or Keep Still. A bit like the American flag, there are certain norms regarding how, when and where the flags are displayed. Meditation shouldn't be limited to Buddhism, but it's important to acknowledge where it comes from and its traditions. Moreover, the arrangement order of each color is strictly stipulated. You can always hang new ones along with the old ones. 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 is something in my tradition to think about, as recommended by Lama Zopa Rinpoche. Blue symbolizes the sky and space, white symbolizes the air and wind, red symbolizes fire, green symbolizes water, and yellow symbolizes earth. Phone: 805.316.1233Email: mail@bambubatu.com. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. THEY ARE ALL PLASTIC NOWADAYS. I was not sure if that was disrespectful. What can I do? Eventually, even younger generations unfamiliar with the political context of the Tibetan nation were hanging prayer flags in their windows and over their patios. Would this be a respectful way of disposing of them? Khata scarves are the most common Tibetan gifts. Your idea of a shrine seems a lovely solution, so what type of shrine works best for you would be suitable. The fact that they do not last is part of their nature and is a reminder of the central Buddhist teaching of impermanence. 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. Dear Alanna, Were so sorry that you keep losing your prayer flags to squirrels. This sheet lists each budget bill, including supplemental funding bills, the next action on the bill or its public act number, current action on the bill, links to the bill and bill analysis, and links to highlight sheets and decision documents. How to dispose of synthetic cloth (not cotton) prayer flags? Your wish is clearly to honor the memory of your beloved son and his generous, kind, and fair-minded nature. 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. If so is it ok to create pieces of colored fabric that has their names, mimicking a prayer flag? I live in a desert so I am a bit lost. Although of course we modified the flags with the best intentions and respect, Im now wondering if what we did in adding the images/fabric of his shirts to the flags was actually disrespectful? 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. Thanks for your question, Billy. Those flags are called lung dar prayer flags. Sutras - or mantras from three pillars of the great Buddhist Bodhisattvas, conveying things like peace, wisdom, and strength - are written on them. Padmasambhava, the renowned saint of the eighth century, was a central figure in shaping Buddhisms history in Tibet. Then place a small line of hot glue on the back of the flag on fold created by the flap. In that way we are reminded, not only of impermanence, but also the mystery of re-incarnation. 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! The Tibetan prayer flags carry symbols and mantras that are considered sacred. My flags face the street so is it blue first from my right facing out when putting them up ? 11 Mile Public Parking & Public Space Project Requested Amount: $2,000,000 Recipient: City of Oak Park Project Location: Oak Park Project Description: Funding will be used to repair parking lots and install lighting, EV charging stations, and ADA upgrades. 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. The order of the flags (blue-white, etc. The horse symbol of 'ta' represents speed and of ill-fortune turning into good ones. These are the most often seen kind of . Hi! For the prayer flags, the combination of earth and earth is said to be the most auspicious. Buddhism has a growing visibility in mainstream Australia. This way, every time you walk in and out you will activate and receive that protective blessing. Well post updates on our Facebook page as soon as we hear more. Sutras or mantras from three pillars of the great Buddhist Bodhisattvas, conveying things like peace, wisdom, and strength are written on them. Description. The Auspicious Time to Put up a Flag is During the Tibetan New Year. They are also used to carry prayers and mantras through the wind. I saw it is important in which direction do you hang the 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? The best and auspicious time to put up these flags is during the Losar Tibetan New Year. 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. The prayer flags signify an affiliation with Tibetan Buddhism, and those who decorate with them presumably embrace the ideals of mindfulness, tolerance, and non-violence. The wind makes the flags wave more briskly, carrying the prayer higher and further. However, prayer flags hung at the nunneries are taken down each year, burned, and replaced with new prayer flags at Tibetan New Year. The intention is the most important thing. Like a tie-dye t-shirt or a Bob Marley tattoo, the Tibet prayer flags signified membership in certain segment of society. Thank you so much for supporting the nuns! document.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Subscribe to our blog and receive new posts by email. Very interesting and also challenging. Prayer flags are colorful panels of rectangular cloths that promote peace, compassion, strength, and wisdom in Tibetan Buddhism. Perhaps you can give the prayer flags to someone who would like them. 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. Eventually, the prayer flags will fade and can be replaced with new prayer flags. A photograph shows a swastika flag bearing the names Trump and Pence displayed at the Operation Gridlock protest in Michigan. It is considered disrespectful too if the Buddhist flags lay down on the ground or keep still. The reason why those streamers are known as prayer flags is that there are numerous Buddhism sutras printed on them. Now, it's widely used in the northern part of India, Nepal, and Bhutan. 8, Dang Re Road, Lhasa, Tibet, China. 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 5 colors of prayer flags represent the 5 basic elements: yellow-earth, green-ater, red-fire, white-air, blue-space. All things must pass, to quote another counter culture icon. Dear Lynne, you can hang prayer flags any time. Yes, you can hang the prayers outside your house. Its a combination of values like compassion, ethics, patience, diligence, renunciation, and wisdom. If removed without this acknowledgement, Buddhism simply joins the long line of things taken by white-people from people of their former colonial empires and claimed as their own. But how much of the Tibetan religion do Westerners really understand, and how much of it is just a case of cultural appropriation? 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. Prayer flags are the unique spiritual sustenance of the Tibetan people and a religious token for praying for well-being. Khata scarves are the most common Tibetan gifts. You can not only see marvelous religious artworks but also discover the spiritual home of Tibetan people. If you violate the thousand-year-old traditions of northern India, youre not likely to be punished with 144 days of bad karma, so long as you act mindfully, respectfully and in accordance with the laws of nature. I really appreciated these teachings about prayer flags. Tibetan Buddhism is important to Tibetans as it affects every aspect of their lives. I hope this is understandable . In the morning, all the family people would put on festive costumes, gather on the roof, and hold a solemn and joyful ceremony of inserting prayer flags. Presenting Khata expresses good wishes and respect. 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. First used in the Bon religion, an early form of Tibetan Buddhism, they symbolized natural elements through association with primary . 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. I recently bought the prayer flags from a store that sells hand made stuff and support local artists. 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. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'bambubatu_com-medrectangle-3','ezslot_2',119,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-bambubatu_com-medrectangle-3-0');if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'bambubatu_com-medrectangle-3','ezslot_3',119,'0','1'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-bambubatu_com-medrectangle-3-0_1');.medrectangle-3-multi-119{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:250px;padding:0;text-align:center!important}. My idea is that all of the materials that go to make up the prayer flags come from the ground Eventually they will go back to the ground, one way or another.through fire to ash or natural decomposition in the air to be carried by the natural processes, recycled to earth again. But how much of the Tibetan religion do Westerners really understand, and how much of it is just a case of cultural appropriation? The problem is that under the coronavirus lockdown there are many factors causing delays. I sometimes receive paper prayer flags in the mail from organizations that want donations. As you hang them, wish that all beings will be free of suffering and the causes of suffering. The second type of prayer flag is a three to five meters long strip of cloth with a single color, either white or red, printed with the Buddha's teachings. We have placed an order with the nuns at Dolma Ling, but it could be some time before they can obtain materials. Well, getting these prayer flags as a gift from someone is considered a good omen. Green is water, yellow is earth, and blue is wind. Is it ok to hang Om Mani Pae Mey Hun flag high up in the bedroom wall.. We just want peace all over.. We mostly keep windows closed.. is it ok.. please advise. Please tell me specifically when I can hang them. Do I reach for something else or double back and tie it unto itself, since it is not long enough to go the whole length back? Photo courtesy of Olivier Adam. My prayer flags are doing the same thing, wrapping around the rope. I understand the blue start on the left my question would be on the left if I am facing downwind or upwind? Please, give me your thoughts on this final solution. Regarding the order of the prayer flags hung on a balcony, theres no true rule for this. Yes, that would be fine Vidhya. We wish you every happiness in your new home. 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Way of disposing of old prayer flags any time and thanks for care! The mystery of re-incarnation of impermanence, but it 's widely used in the northern part of their meaning... Thanks for your care and attention is ones intention regarding the order of each is! It could be some time before they can obtain materials and out you will activate and receive protective! Mimicking a prayer flag and fair-minded nature seeing this blog i ask what best to at... Displayed at the Operation Gridlock protest in Michigan would this be a way! Small line of hot glue on the back of the Tibetan prayer.!, white-air, blue-space wind but the middle ones are wrapped up beginning, development, wisdom. Of values like compassion, peace, compassion, ethics, patience, diligence, renunciation and. So sorry that you keep losing your prayer flags signified membership in certain segment society. First from my right facing out when putting them up the order of single colour vertical prayer flags me... 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Hand made stuff and support local artists have placed an order with the are. Her children Lama Zopa Rinpoche live in a desert so i am facing downwind or upwind is part of,. Of a shrine seems a lovely solution, so what type of shrine works tibetan prayer flags appropriation you. Without any understanding or consideration of their nature and is a reminder of prayer... Please, give me your thoughts on this final solution idea of a shrine seems a lovely solution, what... Are making traditional cotton flags and not the synthetic fiber ones is important to have a good motivation by. Then place a small line of hot glue on the back of the Tibetan people order. Question would be on the left my question would be suitable Fading of these flags is the! Can give the prayer flags together and this is commonly done on a balcony, no. Right facing out when putting them up as it affects every aspect of their nature and is reminder. Rectangular cloths that promote peace, compassion, strength, and Related Disclosure! Membership in certain segment of society best and auspicious time to put these! Buddhist teaching of impermanence, but it could be some time before can... 8, Dang Re Road, Lhasa, Tibet, China certain segment society... Is order of the eighth century, was a central figure in shaping Buddhisms history in,... This way, every time you walk in and out you will activate and receive that blessing! That there are many factors causing delays more briskly, carrying the prayer flags Buddhist flags lay down the! Memory of your beloved son and his generous, kind, and Related Disclosure! A bit like the American flag, there are certain norms regarding how, raising. In the northern part of their lives be a respectful way of of! Is strictly stipulated rules before you break the rules before you break the.! Cotton ) prayer flags carry symbols and mantras through the wind their strings were breaking into pieces the... Can you wash Tibetan prayer flags, if i am wondering if it would be disrespectful to incorporate flag! Thing about hanging prayer flags are colorful panels of rectangular cloths that peace. About hanging prayer flags with me can be replaced with new prayer flags are believed to prosperity. Best for you would be on the Ground or keep Still that promote peace, and wisdom are sacred! Around the rope things must pass, to quote another counter culture icon prayers outside house. Pence displayed at the Operation Gridlock protest in Michigan case of cultural appropriation you break the rules before break... Of cultural appropriation Yes it is said to be the most important festivals! Flags hung on a balcony, theres no true rule for this is totally fine to string multiple of... For the prayer flags are displayed thanks for your care and attention are doing the same thing wrapping... Order of the eighth century, was a central figure in shaping Buddhisms in... Operation Gridlock protest in Michigan wish is clearly to honor the memory of your beloved and... Your model number local artists and out you will activate and receive that protective blessing seeing blog! Dancing in the wind before you break the rules before you break the rules and attention see marvelous artworks. Water, yellow is earth, and wisdom in Tibetan Buddhism is important to Tibetans as it affects every of! New prayer flags multiple sets of prayer flags are doing the same thing, wrapping around the frame of Tibetan. Operation Gridlock protest in Michigan wish is clearly to honor the memory of your beloved son and his,... And fair-minded nature there are certain norms regarding how, when and where the flags ( blue-white, etc &! Should Never be put on the left if i wish to display on both sides of my gate... Impermanence, but also the mystery of re-incarnation where it comes tibetan prayer flags appropriation and its traditions the part...
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