There are auspicious and inauspicious days to hang prayer flags, based on the Tibetan calendar. As the blog states, Tibetans traditionally hang new prayer flags at Losar, Tibetan New Year, which this year falls on February 5 2019. Required fields are marked *. Your wish to honor her in this special way sounds full of love and compassion, including for her friends who are unable to attend her memorial. Rice Cooker and Dough Maker at Dolma Ling, Celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Tibetan Nuns Project, How to Make Your Chicken Coop Cute! Learn how your comment data is processed. Pingback: How to Make Your Chicken Coop Cute! It better stills, just tie up the new ones next to the old. 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. Many in the West often try to understand Buddhism through the eyes of European science and philosophy. Windhorse prayer flags made by the nuns are available in three sizes. Check the top 10 Tibetan Buddhist monasteries. This post is a draft, and thus is not publicly visible. As Buddhism grows in the West, it is natural that the initial points of contact will be through the pre-socialised systems of reasoning. I am hanging flags and I have about 5 feet left over. Therefore, they should be hung at a height. Songtsen Gampo(617-650) was the 33rd Tibetan King. In many ways, the counterculture adopted Eastern spirituality as a reaction against the rampant consumerism and self-serving mentality that pervaded post-war America. Khata And Related Etiquette Tibetan prayer flags are bright and beautiful, but their colours aren't just for show. We hope to share a blog post soon about the mantra OM MANI PADME HUM. As you pointed out, this is a very unique way of disposing of them. ): if they are hung on a balcony, is this the view of them from the inside, or from the outside? They were cut, retied, flags cut from the strand then thrown on the ground, in my yard. Some people have asked whether it is appropriate for non-Buddhists to display Tibetan prayer flags. When these places are covered with prayer flags, they will be seen by the inspecting gods, and these places will also be blessed by the gods and resist the invasion of evil spirits. The five colors are arranged in a specific order from left to right: blue, white, red, green, and yellow. Either is fine. Hello Maura, We have consulted the nuns about disposing of prayer flags. Perhaps you can give the prayer flags to someone who would like them. We would suggest that it is better not to take apart the set of prayer flags. Instead of getting Buddhist monks to promote the project, they got an array of Western scientists and academics to testify that the benefits of meditation have been proven "real" according to Western science (in case you thought monks have been practicing it for 2500 years for no reason). Other auspicious days are those connected with the Buddhas life and teaching. It includes a budget status summary table with . 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. Thank you for your time and consideration, I really appreciate all the information in this blog post. As an example, what would Christians feel if atheists use the image of Jesus as decorations? We have 20 Acres half of which is left to nature. Ones intention is important. 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. How to dispose of synthetic cloth (not cotton) prayer flags? But its always better to know the rules before you break the rules. Those flags are called lung dar prayer flags. Thank you, Daniel. TIBETAN PRAYER FLAGS Brief Info On Tibetan Prayer Flag Sets. One should not have selfish or limiting thoughts. Many Tibetan prayer flags have mantras written on them and can be placed in and outside of your home. 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}. Dear Michelle, You can double back your prayer flags or tie it to something else. This is something in my tradition to think about, as recommended by Lama Zopa Rinpoche. Hello, our son passed away at the age of eleven. This way, every time you walk in and out you will activate and receive that protective blessing. Ive had some prayer flags for several years that have now faded and gotten dirty with bird droppings. For more on common misperceptions of Buddhism in Western culture, you can also listen to the recent RN Encounter program, "Instant Karma's gonna get you.". But how much of the Tibetan religion do Westerners really understand, and how much of it is just a case of cultural appropriation? Central to the appropriation in the West is the way Buddhism is tokenised and not treated as a legitimate religion. Interested in ideas for respectful, environmentally safe disposal of ok prayer flags and katas. Each hue signifies an element and the flags are always arranged in a specific order, from left to right: blue, white, red, green, yellow. However, is the rope theyre strung along also natural fiber? When disposing of old prayer flags one should burn them so that the smoke may carry their blessings to the heavens. Yes, these are excellent questions and we are writing to the nuns to get the very best answers to them. The wind makes the flags wave more briskly, carrying the prayer higher and further. Despite the many deep complexities of Buddhism there is a tendency for people to think they have an understanding of the religion from a single meme or a Dalai Lama coffee-table book. While many aspects of Buddhism are compatible with Western philosophy, trying to understand all aspects of the Dhamma through these notions requires a high level of selectivity and misrepresentation. Thank you for your comment, Caitlin, and your wish to donate prayer flags. Sending you our very best wishes and thanks for your care and attention. Can you give some advise? When hanging prayer flags one should wish that all beings everywhere will benefit and find happiness. You have written that, when hanging and taking down the prayer flags, you are handling them with respect and good intentions. Winds have dispersed some to the ground which I left as part of that original idea. Flags that fly vertically, which are less common, are known as dar Cho or dar Chen flags. Tibetan prayer flags are flown without any understanding or consideration of their religious meaning. Appropriation Bill Status Sheet. It took about 4 hrs to take out all (synthetic) strings from the beads. What was left of them, in the tree, I brought inside. Where can I send them? The colorful fabric squares, hanging side by side, each contain a Buddhist Sutra, prayer or mantra. The Tibetan people have a long history and relationship with spirituality in their cultureso much so, that almost any thought of Tibet conjures up images of monks and temples in our minds. Help. Tibetan clothing is worn with an inner garment and a pair of wide and long sleeves, with rich connotation and diversity dressing culture in tradition. The flags contain sacred texts and symbols and should be treated respectfully. 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. What prayers or mantras should I do before hanging prayer flags.Im told they should be blessed before hanging blessed rice et cetera!? 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. Thank you so much for your response. Check out our Kailash Saga Dawa Festival trip here. hello! 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. All things must pass, to quote another counter culture icon. Blue represents the sky, white represents the air, red symbolizes fire, green symbolizes water, and yellow symbolizes earth. I wanted to put up new prayer flags as the ones I have now are now faded. Yellow for the earth. The prayer flags made by the nuns at Dolma Ling are strung on white cotton. 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. Tibetan tradition considers prayer flags to be holy. A Tibetan prayer flag is a colorful rectangular cloth, often found strung along trails and peaks high in the Himalayas. You can buy Tibetan prayer flags through the Tibetan Nuns Project online store. The only possible issue is in handling the remainder of the original prayer flag in a respectful way, which is always a bit of a challenge. If that is not possible, then you can bury them underground in a clean place. These flags can be seen dotted throughout the mountainous regions of China, Nepal, Bhutan, and northern India. The issue of burning synthetic prayer flags doesnt not really come up for them because their prayer flags, like the ones we sell in our online store, are made of cotton. As an alternative I was considering purchasing a traditional wooden block stamp of the windhorse or the medicine buddha (created by artists in nepal) and using that on the artwork instead. If so is it ok to create pieces of colored fabric that has their names, mimicking a prayer flag? As they blow in the wind, they confer blessings and peace. Tibetan Prayer Flags are colorful, rectangular cloths that hung outside and used to promote compassion, peace, strength, and wisdom. 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