Meaning and significance of Prayer Flags

 Prayer Flag

Prayer Flag

As most of you have gone to the Himalayan locale, you should have presumably noticed that in a large portion of the houses, we frequently see a set of colorful flags hanging above their homes, and some are attached to poles a tall bamboo close to their homes. Yes, I am talking about the prayer flags that are hung above their houses, and as the wind blows, the prayer and mantra will be blown by the wind to spread goodness and compassion in the surrounding areas and overcome darkness and misfortune. Well, it is also believed that it also brings good fortune and less misery. Not only placed above the houses as we can also notice that it is hanged in the mountain areas in the Himalayan locale and also in the monasteries. As Buddhists, we always believed that mountains are sacred places on earth.

Traditionally there are two kinds of prayer flags Lung ( meaning "Wind Horse") and Darchog(meaning "flagstaff"). Lung-Ta prayer flags are rectangular and are usually connected diagnol inline between the two objects in the high mountain regions and the top of the monasteries and stupas with the help of string or strong threads. Well on the other hand Darchog prayer flags are large single rectangles attached to the poles or tall bamboo and are planted in the ground and sometimes on the rooftop.

Darchog Prayer Flag

Traditionally, the Lung-Ta Prayer flag symbolizes a strong or powerful horse that is believed to carry all the prayers from the earth to heaven with the speed of a wind and strength as a horse transforming negative energy into positive energy and bringing back peace, harmony, and good fortunes. Prayer flags are usually in a set of five combinations each with five colors and five elements. They are arranged in a specific orders from left to right representing different colors and elements such as Blue(color) for Sky(element), White(color) for Air or Wind(element), Red(color) for Fire(element), Green(color) for Water(element) and Yellow(color) for Earth(element).

Prayer Flags

The Prayer flags are printed with the powerful mantra Om Mani Padme Hum which refers as:

Om - The sacred syllable

Mani - Jewel or Bead

Padme - Lotus symbolizing Wisdom

Hum - Unity, and spirit of the enlightenment.

People from different religions can practice this spiritual belief by themselves by hanging prayer flags while visiting the monasteries or sacred places up in the hills and mountains to spread and bring goodness, positive energy, and peace and harmony to society and surrounding areas.