Seeing this blog I ask what best to do at this point. Tibetan Buddhism is important to Tibetans as it affects every aspect of their lives. 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. Its ideal that they slowly disintegrate as this is a reflection of the prayers being sent out to the world. No, there is no consistent answer for this; not everyone does this. Would this be a respectful way of disposing of them? A-. Instead, it remains as plastic in smaller and smaller pieces, causing harm by entering water supplies and food systems. Rice Cooker and Dough Maker at Dolma Ling, Celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Tibetan Nuns Project, How to Make Your Chicken Coop Cute! Much of this romanticism comes from the over simplified perceptions of the religion and an infantilised view of its beliefs. The order of colours is facing which way or does it not matter. Since you have some synthetic prayer flags hanging on your patio now, when you want to replace them, perhaps you can take the old ones out into a forest or natural place and hang them on a tree. There is no specific direction to hang them. 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. You can hang them with the printed prayers facing the direction you want. But how much of the Tibetan religion do Westerners really understand, and how much of it is just a case of cultural appropriation? The old-style marriage is that the man and the woman are married under the arrangement of their parents. Prayers vary, but typically they invoke a series of blessings, including longevity, prosperity, health and peace. Thank you, Maggie. This was a blog post written by the Tibetan Nuns Project, does that answer your question? Thank you so much for supporting the nuns! 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. His Holiness the Dalai Lama has said, The quality or purity of any spiritual practice is determined by the individuals intention and motivation. Wishing you every happiness, Mary. Old prayer flags should be burned in order to show traditional Tibetan respect and carry prayers to the heavens. Palden Lhamo is the chief Dharma Protector, so she is highly valued in all major sects of Tibetan Buddhism. Maybe I will put them in a bag for Goodwill or another place that accepts donations. My prayer flags are doing the same thing, wrapping around the rope. 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. Go off the beaten path (and onto a dhoni boat) to best explore this island paradise, Our Roamie-ing Reporter, Claire Scott, shares highlights from her big Thailand, Vietnam, and Cambodia adventure, Our Roamie-ing Reporter, Claire Scott, shares highlights from her fun-filled Costa Rican adventure, As part of her two year solo trek, Dina Carter gives you the lowdown on hiking hubs in Patagonia, Where to travel this year based on your zodiac sign. The video advertisement also featured people receiving the type of halo Gotama is often depicted post-enlightenment, the minute they sit down to meditate. Prayer flags are believed to have originated within the religious tradition of Bon. Here's a brief introduction to its beginning, development, and schools. I have read that there are mantras to be said while hanging up the flags, what are they? Color fading from the flags is considered auspicious. Sutras or mantras from three pillars of the great Buddhist Bodhisattvas, conveying things like peace, wisdom, and strength are written on them. A Tibetan Buddhist nun at Dolma Ling Nunnery hangs new prayer flags at Losar, Tibetan New Year. 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. Help. Content and Meaning of the Prayer Flags. Also, in India, there has been less awareness around the health and environmental concerns about burning synthetic material. A bit like the American flag, there are certain norms regarding how, when and where the flags are displayed. Your intention is important. When talking about Tibetan handicrafts, people would think of Thangka, Tibetan incense, Tibetan medicine, Tibetan knife, Tibetan ornaments, etc. Free shipping on u.s. orders over $75 | canada over $150. Tibetan Handicrafts Thank you, Daniel. It is always important to treat prayer flags with respect and the intention to end the suffering of all sentient beings. Tibetan Prayer Flags. Tibetan marriage customs have distinctive local characteristics. Can I do this on any day, or are there specific days one should take down prayer flags? 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. If youre not able to re-hang them, then the best thing would be to burn them with respect. 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. In Tibetan, this ceremony is called "Tuosui", which means offering sacrifices to gods and praying for blessings. Phone: 805.316.1233Email: mail@bambubatu.com. I hope this is understandable . I have a large patio awning with wide support poles along its perimeter where I would like to hang my prayer flags. Presenting Khata expresses good wishes and respect. Tibetan Buddhism Prostration is one of the oldest and most sincere waysfor Tibetan Buddhists to pray to the Buddha, also called kowtow. Blue represents the sky, white represents the air, red symbolizes fire, green symbolizes water, and yellow symbolizes earth. SAME OF COURSE APPLIES TO Very interesting and also challenging. 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.". It shows the spiritual charm of the Tibetan people to the world, and also shows people the cultural landscape of the roof of the world. I recently had vandalism to my prayer flags. Regarding the order of the prayer flags hung on a balcony, theres no true rule for this. Over time, the wind and the elements take their toll, the colors fade, and the fabric frays. Bon(Bonismo), originated from the "Gangdise Mountains" and "Manasarovar Lake" in ancient Xiangxiong, Tibet. Balancing the five elements in places and in our own bodies and lives helps to bring harmony, health and well-being. Your southern-facing window is fine. And next came the Tibetan prayer flags, more vibrant in their rainbow colors, but more subtle in their messaging. A Tibetan prayer flag is a colorful rectangular cloth, often found strung along trails and peaks high in the Himalayas. I hope you enjoy! Since the ancient Zhangzhung period of the Tibetan Plateau, prayer flags have become popular here. While stringing your flags up wherever you choose to display them, it's important to keep good, selfless motivations in mind, in keeping with the flags' ultimate purpose, which is spreading positivity far and wide. And as more and more Westerners grew disenchanted with the promise of unwavering economic growth and the hypocrisy of Christian fundamentalism, the exotic path to Eastern spirituality held ever greater appeal. Ones intention is important. Well post updates on our Facebook page as soon as we hear more. Prayer Flags . 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. 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. Long before the hipsters and bohemians started waving them from their motor homes and their frat houses, these prayer flags had a deep religious and spiritual significance in their own cultural context. Therefore, the prayer flag has become a link between Gods and men. They believe that God will help those who hang prayer flags. The Dalai Lama, along with other Buddhist teachers, have actively sought to engage Westerners in Buddhism through the lens of Western philosophy and there is a direct comparison that can be draw here to the Buddha's own life. One should not have selfish or limiting thoughts. Meaning when the wind blows through the flags are the flags facing the wind or facing where the wind blows? The five colors are arranged from left to right in a specific order: blue, white, red, green, and yellow. You can not only see marvelous religious artworks but also discover the spiritual home of Tibetan people. Normally they are hung outdoors so the prayers can be carried by the wind, but people do hang them inside too. 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. I would prefer something on the smaller end. Almost every monastery enshrines her. Traditionally, Tibetan prayer flags are hung left to right in this specific order: blue, white, red, green, and yellow. Pingback: How to Make Your Chicken Coop Cute! Now, it's widely used in the northern part of India, Nepal, and Bhutan. He is predominantly a follower of Theravada Buddhism. His Holiness, the fourteenth Dali Lama is undoubtedly the face of Buddhism in much of the world, and while he is widely revered figure by all Buddhist there is a lack of understanding in the west that he only leads Tibetan Buddhists. Twice now my prayer flags have been taken by squirrels. Dear Hazel, Its best to hang the prayer flag somewhere high. The wind makes the flags wave more briskly, carrying the prayer higher and further. 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. 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 dont want to keep the prayer flags just because they were sent to me unsolicited but I dont want to throw them in the trash or recycling. Here are 10 things you should know: 1. Do I really need to burn these? Each color on these flags is not just for good looks, but these colors symbolize an element. 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. Yes, we dont think that is a problem. 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