A wind horse carrying the “desire to attain the jewel of enlightenment”.
The Tibetan name for prayer flags is dar cho; dar generally means “increase” – of life, prosperity, health, and happiness, while cho refers to all sentient beings. Prayer flags are simple handicrafts that, united with the energy of nature, harmoniously blend with the environment, impartially increasing joy and happiness for every living being they come into contact with. The printed prayers thus become blessings spoken by the breath of nature.
It is believed that the tradition of prayer flags dates back to the pre-Buddhist era of Tibet, during the reign of the ancient Bon religion, which preceded the advent of Buddhism in that region. Bon priests used cloth flags in various colors in their shamanistic healing ceremonies. The shamans believed in their power to influence the natural surroundings of humans, specifically the local deities and nature spirits inhabiting the mountains, valleys, rivers, and lakes. Indeed, prayer flags are considered to In a state of turmoil, nature spirits cause natural disasters and most illnesses in humans. Therefore, they calmed them down and gained their blessings through prayers, offering gifts, and rituals, among which was the placement of flags.
With the arrival of Buddhism in Tibet, prayer flags did not disappear; on the contrary, with the gradual assimilation of Buddhist teachings, they supported its further spread. The appearance and method of production did not significantly change since those times. Originally, the flags were hand-painted and decorated until the 15th century when a great innovation arrived from neighboring China – wooden blocks with carved symbols and motifs, which allowed for the reproduction of identical prints on canvas. This method of production greatly facilitated the making of prayer flags, while also ensuring a more authentic transmission of motifs from one generation to another, in a tradition that has existed continuously for over a thousand years.
Through Chinese occupation, all-encompassing cultural and religious destruction was systematically carried out in Tibet. gijska good. However, the tradition of prayer flags has still been preserved thanks to the rescue and preservation of wooden stamps. Despite the fact that each one weighs several kilograms, the Tibetan refugees carried them with them to the border areas of Tibet, Nepal, and India.
We can find prayer flags in five basic colors – yellow, blue, red, white, and green. In Vajrayana Buddhism, the entire visible and spiritual world is composed of five basic energies or elements: earth, water, air, fire, and space. Prayer flags reflect this system through colors, with each color corresponding to one element or, on a spiritual level, one aspect of enlightened mind. The order of flags in a set is always the same: yellow (earth), green (water), red (fire), white (air), and blue (space). Sets always consist of five flags or multiples of five. When displayed vertically, the yellow flag is always at the bottom and the blue flag at the top. In a horizontal display, the mentioned order The flag can go on both the left and right side.
In addition to colors, flags also differ in the texts and symbols they display, which is why the Tibetan tradition considers them holy.
Texts can generally be divided into three basic categories: mantras, sutras, and prayers. Prayers on Tibetan flags include good wishes, thoughts, and expressions of gratitude written by various teachers who have appeared throughout the history of Mahayana Buddhism.
There are numerous interpretations for the symbols found on prayer flags. Although their profound meaning escapes attempts to reduce them to words, we will only mention their concise and generalized meanings.
Some of the most commonly depicted symbols:
the eight auspicious symbols – one of the most widespread groups of symbols among Tibetans, and also one of the oldest mentioned in Sanskrit and Pali canonical texts in Indian Buddhism. These eight symbols of good fortune are:
One of the 4 dignitaries – a group of symbols depicted In the form of four specially revered animals: garuda, celestial dragon, snow lion, and tiger. They are usually depicted in the corners of prayer flags.
Four dignitaries – a group of symbols represented in the form of four specially revered animals: garuda, celestial dragon, snow lion, and tiger. They are usually depicted in the corners of prayer flags, together with the wind horse.
Wind horse – carries “wishes to attain the jewel of enlightenment”.
Unity of opposites – an interesting group of symbols by appearance. It involves mythological creatures created by combining animals that are otherwise enemies, but when united, they symbolize harmony. For example, the snow lion and garuda, who are mortal enemies, together form an animal with a lion’s body, a bird’s head, and wings.
Finally, there are also figures of enlightened beings – Buddha, Padmasambhava, Milarepa, and other great teachers.
Tibetans usually attach prayer flags to ropes, which are then tied between two trees, or placed on rooftops of houses. It is desirable that they are placed at a higher height in order for protection and blessings to spread as far as possible. In addition to being hung on ropes, they can also be attached to the tops of wooden or metal poles or sticks of varying heights. In this case, the flags are either grouped together with five sewn flags, resembling one large flag, or just a single solid-colored flag. Moreover, long, narrow flags or so-called “tongues” are sometimes attached to them, on which especially powerful mantras are printed, intended to increase the power of the prayers written on the flag. Among the common sights are also numerous pure white flags on small poles raised around monasteries and along the paths that pilgrims pass.
When placing the flags, it is extremely important that they are placed with noble intentions. With the thought “may all sentient beings receive goodness and happiness from all directions,” their beneficial effects will be much stronger.
The extent to which Tibetans respect prayer flags is also evident from the way they are They treat them with respect. Flags are never discarded on the ground or thrown away. After they become worn out, they are burnt, so that the resulting smoke carries blessings to higher celestial levels. Thus, even with their physical disappearance, they are not lost, but remain as messengers of peace in the infinite.
When setting up flags, it is extremely important to do so with noble intentions. With the thought of “may all living beings everywhere receive goodness and happiness,” their beneficial effect will be much stronger.