Wednesday, March 4, 2009

OM MANI PADME HUM Prayer Flags


Today was gorgeous in north Florida: temps in the high 50's with a clear blue sky. I had put the finishing touches on my drawing for a new OM MANI prayer flag design, and was ready to shoot a screen (you can see the screen in the foreground). After everything dried and I had cut the fabric into 10" x 12" pieces, I was ready to go! I listened to Cho (Choying Drolma & Steve Tibbetts) while I printed the flags. I hung them out to dry on the clothesline in my backyard and pretended I was crossing a pass in the high Himalayas!

The new design, composed of Sanskrit seed syllables for the 'Mother of all mantras' Om Mani Padme Hum, is arranged in a decorative circle around the syllable HRI in the center. The design is a variation on the tradition of block printed flags containing prayers for compassion for all beings. These prayers are carried by the wind to all corners of the universe, to grant this ultimate blessing. Similarly, with the proper intention when hanging these flags, we can wish for benefit and happiness for all beings here and beyond!

Please visit my Etsy store for more Tibetan-style prayer flags, cards, and journal books.

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