prayer flags

[lisehull]

Hi everyone. My prayer flags are starting to fade dramatically and are looking a bit tired. When does one replace them with newer versions, how does one dispose of the old flags and is there a particular time of the year to do this?

Lise

[Madeliaette]

Oh dear.... what a long time to wait for a reply! (I was going through posts on 2-3 pages back threads whilst cooking dad's dinner, and....)
I am not an expert here, but as noone else has responded....
I have read somewhere that one custom is to replace prayer flags annually, preferably at Losar (if you mean Tibetan ones). I do not know about disposal, though - sorry. I have not read about that yet. I know that there are specific days you should NOT hang prayerflags - the next ones on my calendar are listed as 18 May and 13 June.
Hopefully someone else will have better information!

[Malcolm]

Hi everyone. My prayer flags are starting to fade dramatically and are looking a bit tired. When does one replace them with newer versions, how does one dispose of the old flags and is there a particular time of the year to do this?

Lise

You can either leave them up and hang new ones or take down the old and burn them.

Normally, prayers flags are hung on the third day after Tibetan New Year or any other day that is auspicious and indicated according to Tibetan calendar.

M

[Keshin]

Two questions, if people don't mind.


1. How do I hang them up? With like, nails and stuff? I don't want to really use something inappropriate, like nailing them when you aren't supposed to, or bluetacking them or something. I have some just sitting there quietly and I want to use them. I have some mini ones I want to put in the house somewhere, and some huge ones.
2. Where should I hang these average sized ones (there's 30... too many to put in the house short of having them going all the way around a room). Should I hang them outside, even though it rains a lot? (Don't want them damaged)
3. Where can I find this Tibetan calendar?

Thanks

[Malcolm]

Two questions, if people don't mind.


1. How do I hang them up? With like, nails and stuff? I don't want to really use something inappropriate, like nailing them when you aren't supposed to, or bluetacking them or something. I have some just sitting there quietly and I want to use them. I have some mini ones I want to put in the house somewhere, and some huge ones.
2. Where should I hang these average sized ones (there's 30... too many to put in the house short of having them going all the way around a room). Should I hang them outside, even though it rains a lot? (Don't want them damaged)
3. Where can I find this Tibetan calendar?

Thanks

The function of prayers flags is to harmonize one's local surroundings. Thus, it is necessary to allow them to be hung outside on a strong string or rope between two locations where they will not get caught up in branches.

They are designed to disintegrate. Ideally, one would hang them once a year.

N

[Madeliaette]

In regard to the calendar - I purchased a Dalai Lama calender from Wisdom Books and it lists dates on which it is inauspicious to hang prayer flags. I expect there is a free source online if you do not wish to buy a wall calendar, though. (There used to be a very good Tibetan calendar for download to your desktop - only it ran out this Losar. Searching for the updated version is what led me to THIS place, as they have a topic on it!)

I can tell you that the dates listed for the rest of this year that are inauspicious for hanging prayer flags are: May 7, 18, 30. June 2, 13, 26. July 22. Aug 6, 17. Sept 1, 13, 25, 28. Oct 9, 22. Dec 1, 14, 28.

[Karma Yeshe]

The Lama's from my Monastery have requested that people save images of the Buddha etc until a Fire Pudga where they can be burned. I would asume that this would hold true for Prayer flags as well.

I would avoid simply disposing of them in the Regular trash.

All The Best

[Malcolm]

The Lama's from my Monastery have requested that people save images of the Buddha etc until a Fire Pudga where they can be burned. I would asume that this would hold true for Prayer flags as well.

I would avoid simply disposing of them in the Regular trash.

All The Best

With all the dharma advertising in this day and age, that is impractical.

I recycle such images if they are paper.