i was not sure where to place this thread, here or in psychology. well........... here it is, because of its historical and cultural value of our
heritage
Lung Ta the Wind Horse
GOOD LUCK 2012
Lung ta, Tibetan for Wind Horse, is a mythical creature from pre-Buddhist times
viewonbuddhism.org...
maybe even from pre-Bön times, maybe from times when people spoke in symbols and hand gestures, but this I speculate.
The Wind Horse, as it is best known, is associated with GOOD LUCK.
Lungta moves endlessly in the wind on prayer flags.
Today it is the most popular symbol on those strings of praying sutras in the wind and used by Tibetans to represent
good fortune, uplifting life
force energies and opportunities that make things go well.
When one’s lung-ta is low obstacles constantly arise. When lung-ta is high good opportunities abound.
The horse is an extremely important mount to traditional nomads of all times and places. Since ancient times, it seems, the horse was a symbol for
speed and strength and in a religious sense is well suited to carry prayers from earth to heaven because the Wind Horse is also associated with the
element of space which it masters with such success.
I think even the full design of the Wind Horse prayer flag seems so obviously to be ancient and we cannot answer the question of how old praying and
expressions of being in touch with the heavens are (aeh…….. or was I supposed to say ‘superstition’?).
Briefly to the modern design of a general example with roots to origins forgotten:
In the center of the flag on the right, is the Wind Horse, the uplifting energy that carries good fortune to all beings. In the corners are the
"Four Dignities": the Garuda (wisdom), the Dragon (gentle power) the Snow Lion (fearless joy), and the Tiger (confidence). The Eight Auspicious
Symbols (See right) are depicted around the perimeter. Various prayers and mantras are included in the text. At the top center are the three main
Bodhisattvas: Avalokiteshvara (Compassion), Manjushri (Wisdom), and Vajrapani (Power). At the bottom center are the figures called "the union of
enemies" representing friendship. The two swastikas are symbols of eternal life.
To understand the full meaning and importance of the lungta, apart from being a space elemental, the more subtle meaning of this symbol needs to be
addressed : the symbol of ‘air or the wind within the body’
Most Secret Level: The Inner Air or Wind
In Tibetan Buddhism, the mind is seen as being dependent on, or mounted on, the subtle energy or inner air or wind within the body.
Contemporary Buddhism may paint the horse carrying the ‘wish fulfilling jewel of enlightenment” onto the lungta’s back, but it is nothing less
than the mind who is riding on the Wind Horse. The strength of these subtle energies of winds and gases of our ‘inner Horse of Space’, the
platform of manifestation itself, determines the state of our mind.
Whether the wind-horse is strong or weak determines whether positive or negative tendencies dominate the mind. On an everyday level, the
windhorse is also very much linked to what is commonly known as ‘good luck’.
So make sure you get good winds, hold your horse steady and ride into your vision with confidence !
www.rigpawiki.org/index.php?title=Lungta
for deeper knowledge on practicing the art of magic with the lung-ta :
en.tibetmagazine.net...
AH YEAH :
How was your new years eve ?
How did your New Year begin ?
