Prayer Flags are inscribed with auspicious symbols, invocations, prayers, and mantras. Tibetan Buddhists for centuries have planted these flags outside their homes and places of spiritual practice for the wind to carry the beneficent vibrations across the countryside. Prayer flags are said to bring happiness, long life and prosperity to the flag planter and those in the vicinity. Dharma prints bear traditional Buddhist symbols, protectors and enlightened beings. As the Buddhist spiritual approach is non-theistic, the elements of Tantric iconography do not stand for external beings, but represent aspects of enlightened mind i.e. compassion, perfect action, fearlessness, etc. Displayed with respect, Dharma prints impart a feeling of harmony and bring to mind the precious teachings.
The prayer flag tradition is ancient, dating back thousands of years in India and to the shamanistic Bon tradition of pre-Buddhist Tibet. Bonpo priests used solid colored cloth flags, perhaps with their magical symbols, to balance the elements both internally and externally. The 5 colors of prayer flags represent the 5 basic elements: yellow-earth, green–water, red-fire, white-air, blue-space. Balancing these elements externally brings harmony to the environment. Balancing the elements internally brings health to the body and the mind.
Buddhists added their own texts to increase the power of the flags. There are ancient symbols, prayers and mantras for generating compassion, health, wish fulfillment, and for overcoming diseases, natural disasters and other obstacles. In this present dark-age disharmony reigns and the elements are way out of balance. The earth needs healing like never before. Prayer flags moving in the wind generate a natural positive energy. Acting on a spiritual level the emanating vibrations protect from harm and bring harmony to everything touched by the wind.
This website has been designed to be both informational and commercial. If you are in a hurry, and just want to shop, try our Quick Shop page. It has a complete product list, roll-over image links, links to product descriptions and a display of the shopping cart. If you prefer a more leisurely and informational browse we invite you to explore all of our product pages.You may order from those pages also. Much research has gone into explaning of the sacred meanings of the Buddhist Symbols found on these pages. We do hope you enjoy our website.
Radiant Heart Studios has been designing and printing Tibetan Buddhist prayer flags since 1974. Our California studio prints art quality traditional prayer flags, auspicious symbols and deity prints. Our Kathmandu studio prints and sews the highest quality Tibetan prayer flags on ropes for horizontal displays and many styles and sizes of vertical prayer flags for poles. We also offer high quality but reasonably priced Tibetan thangkas, thick cotton Buddhist Symbol wall hangings and a new line of embroidered “Dharma Caps.” We are dedicated to offering the highest quality products at reasonable prices. Most of us here at the Radiant Heart Studios are Tibetans. The sales of our products helps support our extended families and we try to donate much of our profits to Tibetan social, cultural, religious and political causes.
Our prayer flags and Dharma prints are hand printed on high quality 100% cotton fabric with non-toxic, colorfast textile paints. The details in each design are quite precise and the colors are pure and bright. Prayer flags may be placed either inside of a building to increase the spiritual atmosphere or outdoors where the wind can carry their prayers. Traditionally, they are fastened to eaves or sewn onto ropes to be displayed horizontally or they are fastened to bamboo, wood or metal poles for vertical display. Sets of five color flags should be put in the order: blue, white, red, green, yellow (from left to right or from top to bottom.) The colors represent the elements: space, air, fire, water and earth. Because the symbols and mantras on these prints are sacred, we ask that they be treated with the traditional Tibetan respect - please do not place them on the ground or use them in articles of clothing. When disposing of old prints please burn them.
Inauspicious Days
Inauspicious Days (Baden) for the Water Dragon Year 2139 (2012-2013) according to the Du-Khor Be-kar - Astrology of the KalachakraAccording to the Tibetan Calendar there are certain days when a "baden entity" is present. Those days are inauspicious for raising new prayer flags. A baden senpo is a demon of the naga class of elemental spirits. Raising flags when that energy is active can actually have a negative effect.
The dates below are days that are not good to raise prayer flags.
The dates below are days that are not good to raise prayer flags.
February (2012): 29
March: 26,
April: 7, 19, 25
May: 7, 18, 23, 24
June: 4, 29
July: 10, 25
August: 6,
September: 1, 14, 28
October: 10, 24
November: 6, 20
December: 2, 16, 29
January (2013): 24
February: 5
Please note that the dates are just days that are not good for initially planting the flags. Some people have written to ask if they need to take down prayer flags on these days. Certainly not; once they are up it's okay to keep them up until they disintegrate or until they are replaced with new flags.
As far as what days are best for raising new prayer flags: that really depends on a person's individual astrology. Without consulting an astrologer I'd say the best time to put up new flags are in the mornings on sunny, windy days. Mondays are considered especially good. Offering prayers can be done before raising the flags. Two excellent offering prayers can be found on this website on the page "Buddhist Smoke Offering Ceremonies."
March: 26,
April: 7, 19, 25
May: 7, 18, 23, 24
June: 4, 29
July: 10, 25
August: 6,
September: 1, 14, 28
October: 10, 24
November: 6, 20
December: 2, 16, 29
January (2013): 24
February: 5
Please note that the dates are just days that are not good for initially planting the flags. Some people have written to ask if they need to take down prayer flags on these days. Certainly not; once they are up it's okay to keep them up until they disintegrate or until they are replaced with new flags.
As far as what days are best for raising new prayer flags: that really depends on a person's individual astrology. Without consulting an astrologer I'd say the best time to put up new flags are in the mornings on sunny, windy days. Mondays are considered especially good. Offering prayers can be done before raising the flags. Two excellent offering prayers can be found on this website on the page "Buddhist Smoke Offering Ceremonies."
Offering Prayers for Raising Prayer Flags
There are two smoke offering ceremonies that we often use when putting up new prayer flags. Ceremonies are not mandatory, of course, but they make a special event out of the raising of the flags and help to put us in the proper altruistic state of mind.
It is always better to learn the procedures and meanings of Tibetan ceromonies from a qualified lama but many people have written to us asking that these texts be made available. When done with an attitude of generosity and compassion - I see no harm in doing these simple prayers. Smoke offering prayers are recited while burning incense substances. The simplest method is burning Tibetan incense sticks or spooning incense powder onto hot coals. Tibetans often build wood fires on which they place green juniper and other aromatic medicinal saps, resins and herbs while chanting the prayers. There are traditional tunes and rhythms for these prayers but we westerners often recite them in English so that we can follow their meaning. Toward the end of the prayer pass the folded up prayer flags through the smoke (careful not to touch them to the ground) and then put them up.
SHORT PRAYERS FOR INCREASING WIND HORSE
(GOOD FORTUNE)
RAM YAM KAHM: SANG CHHOD ZAK PA MED PA DOD YON DUD
Light smoke offering
TSII TRIN CHHEN POR GYUR (PAR SAN SHING)
RAM YAM KHAM: The pure incense offerings become great nectar clouds of sense
pleasures (through the power of visualization).
OM AH HUNG (GI GYA CHHER PEL LA)
OM AH HUNG (By this mantra the clouds increase; all of samsara and nirvana are
filled.)
KYEI: SANG CHHOD PHUN SUM TSOK PA DI:
KYEI: I make this prosperous, gracious and glorious incense offering
SANG GHE CHHOE DANG GEDUN DANG:
To the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha.
LAMA YIDAM KHADO DANG:
To the Lama, the Yidam and the Dakini.
CHHOE KYONG NOR LHA TER DAK SOK:
To the Dharma protectors, gods of wealth, treasure holders and so forth.
DAK LA SUNG SHING KYOB NAM SANG
To all those who guard and protect me, accept this incense offering.
LUNG TA DAR WAI DONG DOK ZOD
Please help to increase my good fortune (lung-ta).
KYEI: SHAR GYI CHHOK NA NEI PAI LHA
KYEI: To the god abiding in the eastern direction,
LUNG TA DAR WAI DA LHA NI
The god who subdues malevolent forces and increases good fortune;
DUNG SENG YU YI RAL PA CHEN
The conch snow lion with turquoise dreadlocks,
PA TSAL CHHE WAI DA LA SANG
Displayer of great bravery, subduer of life’s struggles, accept this incense offering.DAK GI LUNG TA DAR WAR ZOD
Increase my good fortune!
GUD PAI LUNG TA KYED DU SOL
Raise up my diminished good fortune!
KYEI: LHO YI CHHOK NA NEI PAI LHA
KYEI: To the god who abides in the southern direction,
LUNG TA DAR WAI DA LHA NI
The god who subdues malevolent forces and increases good fortune;
YU DUK ZANG KYI CHHE WA CHEN
The turquoise dragon with copper tusks
NGAR KED CHHE WAI DA LA SANG
And a might roar; accept this incense offering.
DAK GI LUNG TA DAR WAR ZOD
Increase my good fortune!
GUDD PAI LUNG TA KYED DU SOL
Raise up my diminished good fortune!
KYEI: NUB KYI CHHOK NA NEI PAI LHA
KYEI: To the god who abides in the western direction
LUNG TA DAR WAI DA LHA NI
The god who subdues malevolent forces and increases good fortune;
GYA TAK TSAL GYI THIK LE CHEN
Great tiger with vermilion stripes,
PA NGAM CHHE WAI DA LA SANG
Courageous and terrifying, subduer of life’s struggles; accept this incense offering.
DAK GI LUNG TA DAR WAR ZOD
Increase my good fortune!
GUD PAI LUNG TA KYED DU SOL
Raise up my diminished good fortune!