Prayer Flags

When travelers see flags of various colors, shapes, and designs blowing in the wind on high mountain passes androof-tops or above rapids in mountain streams, bridges, and monasteries, they know they are somewhere near a Tibetan. The Prayer Flag, or Wind-Horse Flag, can be seen hanging throughout the Tibetan Plateau and indeed, anywhere Tibetans live, such as Sichuan, Qinghai, Gansu, andYunnan provinces as well as in countries neighboring Southeast China's Tibet Autonomous Region, such as Nepal and Bhutan.

These flags, "Lung Ta" in Tibetan, are called "prayer flags" or "wind-horse flags," a literal translation of "Lung (wind) Ta (horse)."

Wind horses of the early stages referred to fleeces hung on the trees or brushwood. Nowadays, the skulls of flocks and herds can still be found among the Mani piles. In the mind of the Tibetans, wind horse refers to mankind's destiny and fortune, and in some special cases it points to the five elements (metal, wood, water, fire, and earth, which the ancients believed composed the entire physical universe, and which were also later used in traditional Chinese medicine to explain various physiological phenomena).

If a wind-horse flag is placed at the convergence of nimbuses (halo-like clouds), the symbols on it will create an offering or prayer, which the wind distributes to the world every time it brushes against the flag. This is believed to be useful for the realization of a person's dreams.

Just like any other art form in Tibet, the creation and distribution of prayer flags is promoted by its religious motif, and at the same time, acts as a medium for religious followers to communicate with the world of spirituality and divinity.

  Legends

There is a legend about the creation of prayer flag: Once a monk obtained an important scripture from India, but unfortunately while he was returning back home, the scripture got wet in a river. Having laid the scripture open to dry in the sunshine, the monk then sat and meditated with his legs crossed under a big tree.

Suddenly, gongs and horns rang out and the sound of Sanskrit reverberated in the air. As the gentle breeze was stroking his face under the blue sky, the monk felt utterly refreshed and all of a sudden, seemed to understand everything in the universe completely. Slightly opening his eyes, the monk found the scripture had been blown all over the sky, the tree, and the river. He let out a loud laugh and disappeared in the distance, leaving behind the flying scripture and the bursts of the sound of Sanskrit.

From then on, the Tibetans began to print lines of the scripture on cloth orpaperand hang them in the air in commemoration of the monk's attained enlightenment and as a tribute to the Buddhist scripture.

 Prayer flags

1. Material

The most commonly used material of prayer flags is cloth, but there are also flags made from hemp, silk, and handmade paper. Prayer flags come in various shapes and sizes, but in most cases, they are square or rectangular in shape and have a width ranging from 10 to 60 centimeters. Sometimes, a prayer flag can be as small as a narrow stripe while a large one can extend to cover a whole roll of cotton cloth.

The flags are either attached to a rope or thrown out into the air at random. When the wild wind blows, pieces or clusters of prayer flags flutter against the blue sky, the snow mountains and the bright shining lakes, signaling the upward spirit and people's positive attitude toward life.

2. Color

Five colors are usually employed on prayer flags -- white, yellow, red, green and blue. It is sung in folk songs: " Yellow flags are the symbol of the lotus flower / Red ones signal timely wind and rain / Blue ones represent thriving and prosperous descendants / Red ones on grass land looks like antlers, shining like dazzling sunlight while burning vigorously like a fireball on top of a roof."

In the eyes of the Tibetans, white is the color of purity and kindness; red means prosperity and toughness; green shows serenity and gentleness; yellow indicates mercy and talent; and blue reveals intelligence and bravery.

3. Expressive design

The design of a prayer flag consists of two parts: the picture and the scripture. A typical prayer flag has a horse bearing three flaming jewels -- symbolizing the Buddha, Buddhist teachings, and the Buddhist community -- on the back of its center. At each corner of the flag there is a god of protection, believed to be capable of eliminating bad luck. These gods are represented by the symbols of the garuda (a mythical eagle), the penetratingdragon, the watchfultiger, and the triumphant lion.

Scattered among the images are a few lines of scripture, serving as a foil to the picture and forming a pleasant contrast. The combination of the symbols represents the five elements in the universe, signifying their circulation and the eternity of life. Besides these images, Buddha and Buddhist scriptures are also employed.

The combination of the pictures and the scripture is usually well spaced, with a conspicuous theme. The picture, the colors, and the scripture tend to have deep connotations and symbolic meaning. According to the Bon religious doctrine, the five animals on the prayer flags represents five parts of the human body: The central horse is the symbol of the human soul as well as good luck; the garuda is the animal of the life force; the tiger symbolizes the human body; the dragon indicates prosperity while the lion refers to destiny.

The scripture on the flags often focuses on Indian Bhadrani incantations and the six-word mystic teaching of the truth (Om-ma-ni, pad-me-Hum). In some cases, the first word "Om" is engraved on the belly of the horse.

4. Making and hanging prayer flags

The process of making prayer flags is similar to that of making Tibetan scripture and wooden Buddhist carvings. First, painters and calligraphers are invited to paint images and write scripture on a piece of paper or a board, and then folk-carving craftsmen are asked to carve the pictures and scripture in detail onto a motherboard, which is then used to print the design on a piece of colorful cloth or paper. Harmonious spacing is important to the correct design of the wind-horse carving, as is the color contrast, the subtle combination of pictures and scriptures, and the vividness of the overall flavor and tone.

The hanging of prayer flags is more flexible and is not confined to one pattern. Generally speaking, there are five hanging patterns.

The first and the most common pattern is to arrange the flags in the shape of the Chinese character "一" (meaning "one").

The second is to attach a flag to a mast measuring ten-odd meters in height.

Next comes the particularly beautiful "tower pattern" in which the flags are hung around a pillar in the shape of anumbrella, forming a hollow tower.

The "encircling pattern" is most often seen aroundBuddhist pagodas, or pagoda groups.

Another pattern is the so-called "embattling pattern", well known for its large scale and intense patterns. Prayer flags arranged in this pattern are reputed to be the most spectacular land art in the world.

 Various styles

Designs on the prayer flags inLhasaare more rigorous and magnificent, as well as more orthodox religiously and artistically, while those in eastern Tibet are more flexible in form and content.

The style of wind horse flags varies a lot in different areas. In Lhasa, flags are made from small pieces of cloth and are hung on a thin rope, quite like the small colorful flags inBeijingthat welcome foreign heads of state. The Tibetans also like to draw a line of wind horse flags between two mountaintops or over the spacious streets of Lhasa.

In areas where the militant Kangba peoplelive, the prayer flags look a little like the combat flags of ancient times. A mast with strips of cloth hanging from it is placed in the mountains. Sometimes, such masts can be seen over an area of about 600 square meters, and when looked at from a distance, resemble the red broomcorn plant.

Another type of prayer flag is made in the shape of a tower, with a piece of printed cloth wound layer on layer around a pillar, forming a Buddhist tower in the field and providing Tibetans with shade in the hot weather. The men in the shadow of a hanging prayer flag are said to have good luck.

 Symbolic meaning

Prayer flags have many different meanings. Hanging them on birthdays and festive days is believed to be capable of bringing auspicious and peaceful blessings to heaven, the earth, human beings, and livestock. Herdsmen fasten prayer flags in the hope of being blessed when moving from one place to another. Pilgrims cross the desert with prayer flags on their shoulders hoping for a safe and problem-free trip. People living by a lake or river place prayer flags along the water's edge to show their reverence for the god of water while those living among mountains and forests suspend prayer flags to fulfill their obligations to the god of mountains.

When a Living Buddha passes away, it is a rare and grand occasion. People express their condolences and respect for the Buddha by hanging prayer flags on the roof of every home.

As an important folk cultural art form with a religious theme, prayer flags have gained their unique characteristics in the course of their development. Like many other folk arts in Tibet, such as fresco painting,thangka(religious painting on scrolls), and Tibetan sculpture, prayer flags are another exotic flower in the folk art of the Tibetan holy land.