Can I have a prayer flag? What does the color of the prayer flag mean?

When you travel in Tibet or places where Tibetans live in compact communities, you will find colorful prayer flags hanging here, which are very beautiful. At this time, some tourists can't help taking pictures with prayer flags. When Tibetans see you, they will stop you. Can't they take pictures?

Next, let's learn what some Tibetan prayer flags mean. Can we take pictures?

1. Can I take a picture of the prayer flag?

In local customs, sacred prayer flags are used to pay homage to ghosts and gods. Seeing the beauty of the mountain pass, there is always an unspeakable feeling, a feeling of returning to nature, being close to nature, and truly integrating with nature.

I don't know why, the wind horse flag can be seen everywhere on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. It is strange that they only feel this way when climbing mountains. Foreigners love to take colorful prayer flags, while local Tibetans only hang them devoutly and don't take photos with them.

The prayer flag is made of red, yellow, green, blue and white cloth. Each color is strictly fixed and cannot be innovated at will. The arrangement of color blocks on each side is very particular, and no mistakes can be made. Prayer is a serious wish, and there is reason not to step on it.

I once read a post: A girl took a photo on a hillside with many prayer flags and put the prayer flags on the ground through. The Lama came over and reprimanded the girl severely, asking her to kowtow in front of the prayer flags, but the girl ignored him.

Suddenly, several vultures flew over the girl's head and circled to shit. Yes, just for her.

In Tibetan areas, Fengmaqi (prayer flag) is a bridge between man and god and Buddha, which can realize harmony and auspiciousness among heaven, earth, man and beast. Therefore, never cross or trample. Crossing the prayer flag is a taboo. Everyone must hold the prayer flag high and cross it.

Anyone who crosses the prayer flags must make atonement to the prayer flags bodhisattva, kneel on the ground and kowtow to the prayer flags. If you step on the wind horse flag (prayer flag), it is equivalent to cutting off the road of communication between Tibetans and gods.

Tibetans say that under normal circumstances, tourists should try not to take photos with prayer flags because prayer flags are used to pay homage to ghosts and gods, and taking photos with prayer flags is equivalent to taking photos with ghosts and gods.

2. Color meaning of prayer flags

Red breeds fierce flames;

Blue represents the distant sky;

Green represents green and mountains and rivers.

The white wind and horse flag indicates that the mind is like white clouds in the sky;

Yellow represents a vast and solid earth;

The five colors also represent the wisdom of the five parties. Just like the nature with blue sky on the top and loess on the bottom will remain unchanged through the ages, so will the arrangement order of prayer flags of various colors.

Most of the prayer flags are made of cloth, usually 10-60 cm long or square linen, silk and homemade paper. Square, angular, strip, etc. The area can be as small as a lock, or as large as a whole piece of cotton cloth, which can be hung on a rope or thrown casually.

The wind is blowing, and against the blue sky, snowy mountains and bright lakes, a string of wind horses are flying all over the sky.

3. Related stories

The Buddha sat under the bodhi tree, holding Buddhist scriptures in his hand, and closed his eyes and meditated. A strong wind blew away the scriptures in the hands of the Buddha. They were broken into thousands of pieces in the wind and brought to the suffering people by the wind.

Happy are those who get fragments of Buddhist scriptures. In order to thank the Buddha for his gift, people make a triangle with colored cloth printed with scriptures and the image of the Buddha, and hang it where the wind can blow to avoid disasters and pray.

Careful people can easily find that Tibetans often tie their bracelets, hats, beards, hair or a ball of wool to the Wind Horse Flag, hoping that they can pull it up with their own strength to increase their luck, and good luck will follow.

Tibetans attach great importance to Fengmaqi. Visitors can add some stones to the Mani heap when passing through these places, but remember not to move or disrespect them.

4. The difference between Fengmaqi and prayer flags

The main difference is that the prayer flags are mainly hung on the roofs and lintels of Tibetan families, with the purpose of blessing, auspiciousness and blessing. Wind horse chess is mainly hung outdoors, such as mountains, valleys and trees. Pray for a safe and happy family.

Another function of the wind flag is not easy to see, that is, in case a living Buddha dies,

Tibetans are full of special beliefs and feelings about Fengmaqi and prayer flags. Every year in the Tibetan New Year, every household will replace the old wind horse flag on the roof with a new one, and the old wind horse flag will be inserted in a nearby high place or an important place.

Sometimes it's the top of the mountain, sometimes it's water, it's a bridge and so on. At some passes or hilltops, Tibetans will hang some new wind and horse flags. So colorful wind and horse flags slowly gathered together and became a unique landscape in Tibetan areas.

There are also two types of prayer flags: prayer flags tower and upright prayer flags. The prayer flag tower is different from the "colorful wind horse flag". It can be made of cloth pieces of different colors.

In Kangding, Daofu and other places, every village has a large umbrella-shaped prayer flag tower, which is made of silk wind horse prayer flags, tied up layer by layer and stacked layer by layer as a place for collective sacrifice.

Cylindrical prayer flags are common in temples, Buddhist temples, stupas, hilltops, sacred mountains and sacred lakes. Its shape is tens of meters long, like the prayer flag column at the foot of Rinpoche Mountain in Ngari Gang and the prayer flag column in front of the "100,000 auspicious multi-door pagoda" in Baiju Temple in Gyangze.

The decoration on the top of the column is also very special. There are bronze gilded sun and moon, vases, colorful canopies and yak tails, which make a loud noise in the wind, as if chanting loudly.

If you look closely, you will find a small wind horse flag, hiding so many secrets. In addition to modeling, the design of Fengmaqi is also worth studying.

People usually print red or black patterns and scriptures on the national flag. There are Buddha statues, bodhisattvas, protectors, BMW scriptures, stupas, dignitaries, chapter scriptures, six-character mantras, spells and so on.

On April 15 of the Tibetan calendar every year, a traditional flag-changing ceremony will be held in the temple, and countless monks and nuns will go to watch it.

When the worn and faded prayer flags are taken down, people who can't wait will grab them, because Tibetans believe that the old prayer flags that have been hung for a year can eliminate disasters. It's a bit as grand as the birthday of Guanyin Bodhisattva in China.

Looking at the significance of the existence of prayer flags from the perspective of cultural history, just like paintings, sculptures and officials on the snowy plateau, Tibetans have integrated as many religious concepts and simple wishes as possible into the carrier of Fengmaqi.

It is worth mentioning that yaks and antelopes also appear on today's fengmaqi. These common animal images expand the aesthetic vision of creatures, and also sublimate the content of folklore into the flag of God and Wind. It has a long history and rich cultural connotation.

The prayer flags are a record of the Tibetan people's inner belief in the world, and they place their hopes for the future world and pray for their destiny.

Knowing these truths and knowledge, we still have to respect the living habits and customs of the local people. After all, this is a long-standing culture in history. It not only has its own cultural value, but also has certain historical significance.