Dear Simone, You can unravel them so that they hang down properly. Khata scarves are the most common Tibetan gifts. And some of the text on the prayer flags are purely selected from Buddhist tantra mantras, such as the White Parasol Mantra on the Great Prayer Flag. Note: If you only want to remove this post from public view, you can choose to unpublish it instead. Also when hanging. Prayer Flags are the Religious Token for the Well-being. The cloth strip is often sewn on a thick and long flagstaff in front of the squares and monasteries, such as the square of Jokhang Temple in Lhasa. Some people have asked whether it is appropriate for non-Buddhists to display Tibetan prayer flags. 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. Winds have dispersed some to the ground which I left as part of that original idea. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'bambubatu_com-large-leaderboard-2','ezslot_8',113,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-bambubatu_com-large-leaderboard-2-0');if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'bambubatu_com-large-leaderboard-2','ezslot_9',113,'0','1'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-bambubatu_com-large-leaderboard-2-0_1');.large-leaderboard-2-multi-113{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}. Surrounding the Lung ta are mantras and Buddhist sacred symbols. Tibetan marriage customs have distinctive local characteristics. In many ways, the counterculture adopted Eastern spirituality as a reaction against the rampant consumerism and self-serving mentality that pervaded post-war America. Your question about prayer flags is not one that we have encountered before. My prayer flags are doing the same thing, wrapping around the rope. The UN's top human rights body reviewed China for the third time on . I understand the blue start on the left my question would be on the left if I am facing downwind or upwind? The old-style marriage is that the man and the woman are married under the arrangement of their parents. Wishing you health and happiness in your new home! Help. This all comes with a general disinterest in learning any of the actual teachings of the Buddha, Siddhartha Gotama Sakyamuni. This is because Buddhism, the country's major religion, has played a huge role in the development and history of . Traditionally, prayer flags are hung outside so the wind can carry the prayers to the world for the benefit of all sentient beings. Green for water. 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. But still I was left with the blessed strings. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'bambubatu_com-leader-1','ezslot_11',122,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-bambubatu_com-leader-1-0');if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'bambubatu_com-leader-1','ezslot_12',122,'0','1'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-bambubatu_com-leader-1-0_1');.leader-1-multi-122{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}. 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. I dont even know how to do this responsibly. They were cut, retied, flags cut from the strand then thrown on the ground, in my yard. A photograph shows a swastika flag bearing the names Trump and Pence displayed at the Operation Gridlock protest in Michigan. I recently had vandalism to my prayer flags. They Should Never be Put on the Ground or Keep Still. Ive had some prayer flags for several years that have now faded and gotten dirty with bird droppings. Your intention is important. In fact, we have them hanging in our office in Seattle and we have had for years. I am hanging flags and I have about 5 feet left over. 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? Check the top 10 Tibetan Buddhist monasteries. But its always better to know the rules before you break the rules. No you do not have to burn them and get replacements. 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. Hi, I was happy to see that the nuns are making traditional cotton flags and not the synthetic fiber ones. Your Consumption of Buddhism Is Self-Serving I'm not going to knock mindfulness. 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. I saw one comment about placing the flags in a shrine house to place in nature, and thought I could possibly fold them up (the flags are quite small) and place them in some kind of terrarium or other small shrine or spirit house to keep in my balcony garden. Normally prayer flags are hung outdoors so the wind can carry the prayers, but intention is key and it is OK to hang them indoors also. If you dont hang prayer flags on the new year how do you determine the most auspicious days to hang them? While the cat is poised with mindfulness, it is without right intention. Buddhism really began to capture the popular imagination of the West in the 1960s, thanks in large part to the Beat poets like Alan Ginsberg and Jack Kerouac. Thank you for your time and consideration, I really appreciate all the information in this blog post. She also brings about longevity, protects earthly travel, and guards her followers on their spiritual journey to enlightenment. Yes, we dont think that is a problem. 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. The order should be left to right: blue, white, red, green, and yellow. Tibetan tradition considers prayer flags to be holy. Most appreciated. The Tibetan prayer flags are used as a means to spread. Tibetan prayer flags fly from many porches across the inner-city, Bunning's Warehouse sells Buddha statues and water-features and Big W sells paintings of the Buddha. Tibetan Prayer Flags: The Real Meaning. Tashi Delek! 6. 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. Well post updates on our Facebook page as soon as we hear more. Padmasambhava, the renowned saint of the eighth century, was a central figure in shaping Buddhisms history in Tibet. Learn how your comment data is processed. Songtsen Gampo(617-650) was the 33rd Tibetan King. Thank you. All proceeds from the sale of them helps to provide food, shelter and education for the nuns. One of the goals is to spread their blessings outward so over the entrance might be good, but over the altar is good too. KHATAS. 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. Would this be a respectful way of disposing of them? Today, these flags adorn the high mountains of the Himalayas, where elevations and spirituality achieve record heights. 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! Tibetan prayer flags are bright and beautiful, but their colours aren't just for show. More and more Westerns are engaging in Buddhism through online resources and Vipassana meditation centres often serve as an introduction to meditation. Gyaltsen Tsenpo prayer flags are printed with sutras bestowed by Lord Buddha to Indra, king of the gods to overcome his enemies and achieve victory. 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. Blue symbolizes the sky and space, white symbolizes the air and wind, red symbolizes fire, green symbolizes water, and yellow symbolizes earth. 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. Janet, thanks for your question. 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. This is a common prayer flag, especially at New Year, symbolizing new ventures and beginnings. The key is, as you clearly know, to try to dispose of prayer flags with the greatest respect possible. I have prayer flags Id like to donate. Tibetan prayer flags are religious. Meditation shouldn't be limited to Buddhism, but it's important to acknowledge where it comes from and its traditions. 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). I cant find out which direction is good. Devas, which in Buddhism are a type of god-like, non-human entity, would carry flags with Gautama Buddha's prayers written on them into battle with asuras, which are a type of demi-god. Do not let prayer flags touch the ground as they are burned. What is your suggestion to do with them? I know this this is not advisable for everyone, but if you have some woods or perhaps even just and undisturbed part of your land this could be a viable option. Other auspicious days are those connected with the Buddhas life and teaching. Traditionally, Tibetan prayer flags are hung up and kept hanging up with the air flowing through them. In the corners of the prayer flags are images of four powerful animals, also known as the Four Dignities: the dragon, the garuda, the tiger, and the snow lion. 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. Dear Hazel, Its best to hang the prayer flag somewhere high. live, learn and work. They are meant to represent the five elements in balance and it is not really appropriate to the purpose or culture to separate them. It is considered disrespectful too if the Buddhist flags lay down on the ground or keep still. However, is the rope theyre strung along also natural fiber? We wish you every happiness in your new home. 5. The 5 colors of prayer flags represent the 5 basic elements: yellow-earth, green-ater, red-fire, white-air, blue-space. First used in the Bon religion, an early form of Tibetan Buddhism, they symbolized natural elements through association with primary . Tibetan Handicrafts Rice Cooker and Dough Maker at Dolma Ling, Celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Tibetan Nuns Project, How to Make Your Chicken Coop Cute! Buddha statues are cute totems for middle-class "progressives." During his reign, he greatly expanded the territory of Tibet and made it a powerful country on the Plateau. It was founded in 2005 and recommended by Lonely Planet as one of the best reputed local Tibet travel agencies. Sending you our very best wishes and thanks for your care and attention. 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. 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