Raising Windhorse or Prayer flags is a powerful spiritual ritual for increasing one’s personal success and averting obstacles. Prayer flags contain mantras and invocations that are activated when wind blows past them, spreading its power across vast lands to fulfil certain activities. 

There are many types of prayer flags; but the most popular ones are Lungta flags that are printed with the image of the Windhorse and special mantras to increase one’s personal windhorse or internal qi. Other types of flags can help to increase one’s lifespan and even dispel black magic or avert mishaps like accidents and natural disasters.  

Traditionally, prayer flags are raised during the first 15 days of the lunar new year and left to work it’s magic for the rest of the year. It is auspicious to renew them once every year, or replace them whenever they are damaged or badly worn-out. 

You can purchase prayer flags from Amazon or the internet Buddhist shops; just make sure that the mantras on them are correct and complete. If you do not know how to check if they are correct, you can get windhorse flags from me (I keep stock for my students, friends and family).

Important points on hanging prayer flags

• Raise prayer and lungta flags as high as possible so that it can catch lots of wind! In the Himalayas, you’ll see these flags strung high up in the mountains either in horizontal or vertical style. The higher it is hoisted, the more wind it is able to “catch” and thus the more powerful this ritual becomes.
• If you live in an apartment, you can hang it on your balcony to let it catch the wind. If you’re living in a house, then string these flags up as high as possible (i.e. from your rooftop) or install two tall flag poles in your garden to suspend them!
• Ideally, prayer flags should be blessed and consecrated by a qualified master before they are hung. This ensures that any negative forces or bad energies lingering on them are removed before they are hung. If this is not possible, then you can skip this.
• They should be strung on correct astrological days, preferably if they also coincide with merit multiplying days. According to my guru, prayer flags must never be hung on wrong astrological days as doing so can bring never-ending obstacles as long as the flags are up. If you think you may have hung them on bad astrological days, please remove them quickly and burn the flags immediately.
• When removing the flags, try your best to ensure that the flags do not touch the ground. Once they are removed, they should be burnt in a clean vessel while chanting the mantra “OM VAJRA MU”. The ashes can be sprinkled on clean places, like your garden. Do not throw the ashes into a dirty drain, trash bin, landfill or toilet bowl.