Week 33: Prayer Flags of Peace

   The book-of-the-week for Week 33 isn't really a book. There're no covers, no paper pages that are flipped one after the other, no spine, no title plate. But it does have lines of handwritten words and a carved lotus blossom with woodblock border that was printed on the letterpress. There are a series of hand-dyed cloth pages that are sewn together...bound... with gold silk thread. And the book, Prayer Flags of Peace, hangs between two tall oaks in the middle of a North Carolina forest... So perhaps they are it's spine and the forest is it's cover boards.

the pages, stung within the book that is a forest

   The exact origin of prayer flags isn't known, though the ancient Bon peoples of Western Tibet are said to have used prayer flags in the 7th century. Legend says that thousands of years ago the Shakyamuni Buddha wrote prayers on battle flags which were then used by the devas against their adversaries, the asuras. Indian Buddhist sutras were written on cloth banners by 640 CE and made their way by Indian monks to Buddhist monasteries in Nepal. Actual prayer flags were in existence in Nepal by 1040 CE when they were used in shamanistic rituals to bring good fortune and protection as well as to invoke blessings, healing, and harmony. Traditionally, prayer flags are used to promote peace, compassion, strength, and wisdom. The Tibetans do not believe the flags carry prayers to gods, but that the wind blowing through the flags spreads the prayers and mantras into all pervading space. For that reason the flags are often set at high places, so the wind blowing through the flags will carry the blessings to all sentient beings.

Shamanistic Bonpo priests used primary colored plain cloth flags in healing ceremonies. Each color corresponded to a different primary element - earth, water, fire, air and space – the fundamental building blocks of both our physical bodies and of our environment. -Wikipedia

Finally, the prayer flags are arranged by color as follows: first is blue for space, then the white for air, next the color red signifying fire, then green for water, and finally yellow for earth. For the book Prayer Flags of Peace, a sixth color, purple was added. This color means a unifying element... the element of peace.  Each colored cloth is stamped with a woodblock print of a lotus blossom. Over each lotus blossom is a handwritten prayer corresponding to the color. At the bottom of each prayer flag is the mantra Um Mani Padme Hung...  a beneficial mantra... associated with the bodhivista for compassion... and the mantra recited to achieve perfection in the six practices... from generosity to wisdom. 

Here is what is written on the flags.

The blue flag says...

Peace, come in

enter through this gate  

and fill this place

with love 

forever.

Om Mani Padme Hung

blue flag

The white flag says...

Peace, sleep here

while dreams play out

the dramas of all times

and the white light

shines on the horizon.

Om Mani Padme Hung

white flag

The red flag says...

Peace, whisper the words

that will end all wars

in the hearts of man

and the kingdoms

of the world.

Om Mani Padme Hung

red flag

On the green flag is written...

Peace, fly in the wind

become like the breath

invisible,  irresistible, 

indomitable, inviolate

Surround us in Eden’s 

aura.

Om Mani Padme Hung

The yellow flag prayer says...

Peace, sing hymns

for the trees and the 

small creatures,

for the heavens and the earth

and for me.

Om Mani Padme Hung

yellow flag

And the last flag, the purple flag for peace prays...

Peace, spread your arms

and wrap the world

in understanding

and acceptance

for all.

Om Mani Padme Hung

purple flag

Peace.

Prayer flags off a mountain in Nepal