The First Prayer Flag
A Tibetan legend explaining the origin of the iconic Tibetan prayer flags (Lungta or Wind Horse flags). According to the tradition, when the Buddha's teachings were first spreading in Tibet, harmful spirits and negative energies threatened the people. The great master Padmasambhava (Guru Rinpoche) used prayer flags as a technique to transform negative energy into positive blessings. The mantras and prayers printed on the flags, when touched by the wind, spread blessings across the land like a horse racing through the sky. The five colors of the flags — blue (sky), white (air), red (fire), gree