Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Holy Rover

Home
New Visions
The Blessings of the Wind Horse

The Blessings of the Wind Horse

Last updated on: January 24, 2016 at 11:03 pm by Lori Erickson

The Blessings of the Wind Horse 2016-01-24T23:03:37-06:00 Lori Erickson

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Tibetan prayer flags

Prayer flags at Deer Park Buddhist Center in Wisconsin (photo by Bob Sessions)

Before leaving Deer Park Buddhist Center behind (see yesterday’s post), I want to tell you some interesting things I learned there about Tibetan prayer flags, those brightly colored squares of cloth that you may have seen tied between trees or strung between the corners of buildings.

I’d never given much thought to those prayer flags before visiting Deer Park, but seeing hundreds of them arrayed around the center’s stupa, or outdoor shrine, made me curious about them. Our guide at the center explained that the symbols and mantras on the flags are meant to broadcast blessings to the surrounding countryside. The slightest movement of the wind carries the prayers far and wide, he said, spreading Buddhist teachings on peace and compassion.

Since coming home I’ve learned more about these flags, which are a distinctive feature of Tibetan Buddhism. They can be traced to the pre-Buddhist traditions of Tibet, when flags were used in shamanistic healing ceremonies and were placed around streams, lakes, and other natural features to appease the local spirits. In Tibetan they are known as Dar Cho: dar meaning to increase life, fortune, and health, and cho meaning all sentient beings.

The flags are primarily for the benefit of the world, not for the individual who hangs them. It is believed that the sacred texts and symbols printed on them have a vibration that is activated and carried by the wind, so that all who are touched by that wind are blessed.

Timothy Clark has an interesting overview of the history and meaning of Tibetan prayer flags here. He describes the flags as “blessings spoken on the breath of nature.” Just as a drop of water can permeate the ocean, prayers dissolved in the wind extend to fill all of space.

While the flags were originally painted by hand, in the 15th century wood-block printing was introduced from China, making it much easier to produce the images. Buddhist masters created designs that were passed down from one generation to the next. When we see a prayer flag, we’re viewing designs that are many hundreds of years old.

Tibetan prayer flag, Wind Horse

The Wind Horse (photo by Bob Sessions)

The most common image on the flags is the felicitously named Wind Horse or Lung-ta. Known as the “Wish Fulfilling Jewel of Enlightenment,” the wind horse is a mythical animal from pre-Buddhist Tibet, a magical creature that carried prayers from earth to heaven with the speed of the wind and the strength of the horse. Its uplifting energy carries good fortune to all beings. (I can certainly see why one would want to have a Wind Horse around.)

The five colors of the flags are symbolic as well. They are always displayed in the same order and each represents a different element: blue for heaven, white for air, red for fire, green for water, and yellow for earth.

There are special rules for the care of these flags, just as there are for the American flag. Because they contain sacred designs, they are not to touch the ground or floor. When they are hung, one should have beneficial intentions for the world, not just a self-serving intention that the flags will bring one good fortune. After they become old and worn, they should be burned so that the prayers within them can be released and the smoke may carry their blessings to the heavens.

The Tibetan prayer flag tradition is spreading rapidly in the West. My son has a set stretched across his bedroom; my neighbor has one fluttering in his garden. Now that I know a bit more about the tradition behind them, I have a better sense for what is meant to be evoked by these flags. In seeing them, we are reminded to pray for the welfare of all beings and be mindful of the need to be compassionate, kind and joyful.

I’m not sure that the flags work exactly the same in a digital format, but here they are, waving in the wind and broadcasting blessings for you:

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMutyuWm6KQ

Buddhism

Deer Park Buddhist Center

Tibetan prayer flags

Wisconsin holy sites

Previous Post

July 28, 2011

A Tibetan Tea

Next Post

August 6, 2011 Prayers in the Wind

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Aging & Spirituality Amish Anabaptists Animals Apocalypse Archeological sites Art and Spirituality Awards Belgian Holy Sites birds Blessings Books Buddhism Business & Spirituality Callings Cats Celtic Cemeteries Children Christianity church Colorado Creation Death Desert Spirituality Easter Economics Education & Spirituality Egypt Episcopal Church Faith Fear Films First Nations Food Forgiveness Germany God Good & Evil Good Friday Grace Gratitude Happiness Healing Hildegard of Bingen Hinduism History Holy Rover blog Holy Sites Holy Week Horses Iceland Illness Images of God Indigenous Spiritualilty Interfaith Interfaith Dialogue Iowa Islam Israel Japan Judaism LDS Church Lent Machu Picchu Martin Luther Media Meditation Monasteries Museums Music Music and Spirituality Musings Mysticism Native American Nature New Age New Zealand Norse History/Culture/Spirituality Orthodox Paradox Paranormal Peru Philosophy Pilgrimage Poetry Politics Pop Culture Pilgrimage Sites Prayers sermons Silence Social Media Spiritual writers Spirituality and Food Spirituality and Social Media Stone Circles Thomas Merton Turkey Uncategorized Unconventional Holy Sites Utopian communities Videos Virgin Mary Wicca Work World War I Writing Zen

Select a Month August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

According to Jesus, how should we treat our neighbor?

Select your answer to see how you score.

As ourselves With anger With suspicion Ignore them