Tibetan prayer flags are called lungta — wind horse. The image at the centre of each flag is a horse carrying a flaming jewel, surrounded by mantras and by the four sacred animals: garuda, dragon, tiger and snow lion. They are hung outdoors where wind can move them, and the traditional belief is that the wind carries the printed prayers outward as a blessing for everything it touches.
Each set follows the fixed order of five colours — blue for space, white for air, red for fire, green for water, yellow for earth — and the colours are never rearranged. Our strands run 16 to 21 feet with 21 flags, printed with the mantra of the deity the set is dedicated to: Avalokiteshvara's Om Mani Padme Hum, Green Tara, Amitayus for long life, Akshobhya, and the epic of King Gesar.
Hang a new set on Losar, on a birthday, or when a practice begins; hang them high, hang them facing so the wind passes through, and let them fray — a worn flag is a flag that has been working.
Which way should prayer flags face?
Hang the strand so the wind passes through the printed side, and place it as high as practical — roof line, tree, gate or balcony. The blue flag traditionally goes on the left end and the yellow on the right, following the order blue, white, red, green, yellow.
Should I take prayer flags down when they are damaged?
Traditionally they are left to fade and fray, then replaced rather than repaired. When you do replace them, burn or dispose of the old set respectfully rather than throwing it in the rubbish.
Where can I hang prayer flags in a city apartment?
A balcony, window rail or interior beam works. Indoors the flags will not move much, which practitioners accept as a symbolic placement rather than a working one — the practice is still valid.
