“Prayer flags are colorful panels or rectangular cloths often found strung along mountain ridges and peaks in the Himalayas to bless the surrounding countryside. Unknown in other branches of Buddhism, prayer flags are believed to have originated with Bon, which predated Buddhism in Tibet. Traditionally they are woodblock-printed with texts and images.” -Wikipedia
Our neighbors down in Baja had prayer flags attached to the railings on the top level of their home. It’s a tall brown house. The flags were very colorful and hung right off their upper patio. They would flutter in the wind and when I would paint in my studio, I could see them.
They were a happy reminder of peace and good will. I liked seeing them there.
But after a few weeks, they took them down. Don’t know why. I have to say I missed them. So I painted my own. They made their way into a small 16″ x 20″ painting.
My Prayer Flags hang in a whimsical, magical woodland. They flutter in the wind, blessing everything around them. I’ve read that the Buddhists believe that every time the flags flutter in the wind, a prayer is released up to the heavens above. I like that.
Each color of the flags symbolize natural elements of nature – earth (yellow), water (green), fire (red), air (white) and space (blue).
On prayerflags.com they say, “The ancient Buddhist prayers, mantras and powerful symbols displayed on them produce a spiritual vibration that is activated and carried by the wind across the countryside. All beings that are touched by the wind are uplifted and a little happier. The silent prayers are blessings spoken on the breath of nature. Just as a drop of water can permeate the ocean, prayers dissolved in the wind extend to fill all of space…”
You can read more about prayer flags at http://www.prayerflags.com/download/article.pdf
“Prayers Spoken on the Breath of the Wind”
Acrylic on Canvas
16″ x 20″
by L. Gruger
I think they are wonderful….I have them on my back door, and I’ve been tying ones I’ve created to one of my trees. From what I’ve read and been able to discover several cultures have used something along the lines of prayer flags to send their prayers heavenward. For me, they are more a reminder of the person I am striving to be…sometimes I need that.
Your work is wonderful as always Lindy, I love seeing it!
lindy! i looooove prayer flags
& loooooove they are in your
beautiful art! blessing, blowing
in the wind, whispering through
our hearts, holding & loving & freeing.
xoxox
(i’ll have a sister post to this monday..
love how that works…we are so connected!)
I find this interesting on many levels. My own feeling about prayer demands of me a more active part- and words, or sometimes images in my heart, or sometimes raw feeling – but all these things have to come out of my core. So I do not resonate with the flags in that way. But as symbols of gratitude and hope, an outward manifestation of an inner imperative – or perhaps not imperative, but an inward reaching, or explosion, or stirring. The colors – the gratitude for color, for flight, for freedom, for blessing – the waving, the wind, the breeze – the sending out – symbols of love sent flying, or hope attached and snapping with brave and relentless constance. Certainly, the flags are elemental, simple, wonderful, moving, strange and touching.
They work very well for your trees, I think. Very well.