Tibetan Prayer Flags for Sacred Spaces

Prayer flags are gentle reminders,
bringing us back to our essence and helping us to open our hearts and minds.

When we hang prayer flags,
we create the intention for more kindness for ourselves and all beings.

Prayer Flags are inscribed with auspicious symbols, invocations, prayers and mantras.

For centuries, Buddhists have planted these flags outside their homes
and places of spiritual practice for the wind to carry the beneficent vibrations across the countryside.

The flags are said to bring happiness, long life and prosperity to the flag planter and all beings in the vicinity.

Traditionally, they are fastened to eaves, sewn onto ropes to be displayed horizontally,
or they are fastened to wooden poles for vertical display.
I have mine flying always near my bird feeders, the hummingbirds
and purple finches seem to love them and the butterflies too.

Sets of five color flags should be put in the order:
Yellow, green, red, white, blue.
The colors represent the elements:
earth, water, fire, air, and ether (space).

Traditionally-after your flags become too faded to read or too frayed and torn
--you must take them down and burn them with a prayer or invocation or leave them side by side
-the new with the old and leave them to the elements.
Read more Prayers below.

Be At Peace, Be Gentle and Be In Love.
Om Shanthi, Shanthi, Om

LionHeart
November 2012

Medium and Small Flags
Praise to the 21 Taras
Medium flags measure: 9" X 10", 17 ft. long
Small flags measure: 8" X 8", 14 ft. long

At one time Avalokiteshvara, the Bodhisattva of compassion, emptied all of the hell realms.
But as he looked again the hell realms were immediately refilled.
As he shed tears for these beings one tear transformed into the
saviouress Green Tara who manifested her twenty other forms.
The Tibetan script on this traditional flag praises Tara in all her manifestations.

The verses conclude with her root mantra
"OM TARE TU TARE TURE SOHA,"
the magical syllables that evoke the goddess.

Large Flags
Windhorse (Lungta)
Large flags measure: 10" X 12", 22 ft. long

The life force called windhorse is the unlimited energy of basic goodness, buddhanature, inherent wakefulness.
We connect with it through meditation practice.”

In the Shambhala teachings of warriorship, this life force is called windhorse (Tibetan: lungta).
Lungta is the unlimited energy of basic goodness, buddhanature, inherent wakefulness.
Basic goodness is the most fundamental secret in any situation-difficult or not
-and it’s something that we already possess.
We connect with it through meditation practice.
Every day we need to contemplate our own inherent wakefulness.
Then we’ll have the confidence to raise our windhorse and ride it through life with joy and delight.
This is how we become the kings and queens of our own lives.

Traditionally, prayer flags come in sets of five, one in each of five colors.
The five colors represent the elements, and the Five Pure Lights
and are arranged from left to right in a specific order.
Different elements are associated with different colors
for specific traditions, purposes and sadhana:
* Blue (symbolizing sky/space)
* White (symbolizing air/wind)
* Red (symbolizing fire)
* Green (symbolizing water)
* Yellow (symbolizing earth)

Prayer flags are gentle reminders,
bringing us back to our essence and helping us to open our hearts and minds.

When we hang prayer flags,
we create the intention for more kindness for ourselves and all beings.

As they wave in the wind,
prayer flags lift up and carry our wishes for compassion,
peace and healing around the earth.

Prayer flags encourage us to live more mindfully
and help us to restore our own inner calm.

It is a sign of respect to keep them off of the ground or floor
and to have clear, beneficial intentions as they are being hung.

The cloth frays and the printed images fade
as they are released to the wind and the heavens.

When they are well worn they are often burned,
to release the last expression of prayer.

It is also common to see old, tattered flags
side by side with new ones, left to the elements.

For books by His Holiness the Dalai Lama please visit our:
Spiritual Teacher Bookstore

Free Tibet
The official website of The Government Of Tibet In Exile.
Many important reference materials, links and important information.

Prayer Flags are inscribed with auspicious symbols, invocations, prayers and mantras.

For centuries, Buddhists have planted these flags outside their homes
and places of spiritual practice for the wind to carry the beneficent vibrations across the countryside.

The flags are said to bring happiness, long life and prosperity to the flag planter and all beings in the vicinity.

Traditionally, they are fastened to eaves, sewn onto ropes to be displayed horizontally,
or they are fastened to wooden poles for vertical display.
I have mine flying always near my bird feeders, the hummingbirds
and purple finches seem to love them and the butterflies too.

Sets of five color flags should be put in the order:
Yellow, green, red, white, blue.
The colors represent the elements:
earth, water, fire, air, and ether (space).

Traditionally-after your flags become too faded to read or too frayed and torn
--you must take them down and burn them with a prayer or invocation or leave them side by side
-the new with the old and leave them to the elements.
Read more Prayers below.

Be At Peace, Be Gentle and Be In Love.
Om Shanthi, Shanthi, Om

Medium and Small Flags
Praise to the 21 Taras
Medium flags measure: 9" X 10", 17 ft. long
Small flags measure: 8" X 8", 14 ft. long

Large Flags
Windhorse (Lungta)
Large flags measure: 10" X 12", 22 ft. long

The life force called windhorse is the unlimited energy of basic goodness, buddhanature, inherent wakefulness.
We connect with it through meditation practice.”

Prayer Flags are inscribed with auspicious symbols, invocations, prayers and mantras. For centuries, Buddhists have planted these flags outside their homes and places of spiritual practice for the wind to carry the beneficent vibrations across the countryside.

The flags are said to bring happiness, long life and prosperity to the flag planter and all beings in the vicinity.

Traditionally, they are fastened to eaves, sewn onto ropes to be displayed horizontally, or they are fastened to wooden poles for vertical display. I have mine flying always near my bird feeders, the hummingbirds and purple finches seem to love them and the butterflies too.

Sets of five color flags should be put in the order: Yellow, green, red, white, blue. The colors represent the elements: earth, water, fire, air, and ether (space).

Traditionally-after your flags become too faded to read or too frayed and torn --you must take them down and burn them with a prayer or invocation or leave them side by side -the new with the old and leave them to the elements. Read more Prayers below.

Be At Peace, Be Gentle and Be In Love. Om Shanthi, Shanthi, Om

Medium and Small Flags Praise to the 21 Taras Medium flags measure: 9" X 10", 17 ft. long Small flags measure: 8" X 8", 14 ft. long

Large Flags Windhorse (Lungta) Large flags measure: 10" X 12", 22 ft. long

The life force called windhorse is the unlimited energy of basic goodness, buddhanature, inherent wakefulness. We connect with it through meditation practice.”