My beautiful Windhorse logo designed by Nalisha Estrellas

In Prayer Flags Wind Horse carrying the “Wish Fulfilling Jewel of Enlightenment”, it represents good fortune; the uplifting life force energies and opportunities that makes things go well. When one’s lung-ta is low obstacles constantly arise. When lung-ta is high good opportunities abound. Raising Wind Horse prayer flags is one of the best ways to raise one’s lung ta energy.

Lung ta (windhorse) can be described on several levels:

• Outer – a mythical Tibetan creature
• Inner – positive qualities such as ‘good luck’
• Secret – the space element (one of the five elements)

Most secret – the inner air or wind within the body

Outer Level: Mythical Creature

On the outer level, the lungta is a mythical Tibetan creature from pre-Buddhist times that combines the speed of the wind and the strength of the horse to carry prayers from earth to the heavens.

Inner Level: Positive Qualities

Lungta is associated with positive energy or ‘life force’ and with ‘good luck’. It is both the subduer of evil and the vehicle of enlightenment.

The lungta symbol is often depicted on prayer flags, which are flown to generate merit and increase one’s life force. Lungta prayer flags typically display a tiger, a snow lion, a garuda, and a dragon, (the four dignities) with a lungta in the center. Certain lungta prayers also refer to these four symbols.

The tiger, snow lion, garuda, and dragon are ancient symbols of the qualities of lungta that originate with pre-Buddhist Tibetan and Chinese astrological traditions. Generally, they symbolize the fearlessness and resilience of lungta. (See Shambhala: The Path of the Warrior.)

Secret Level: The Space Element

At a deeper level, the lungta and the four dignities symbolize the play of the five elements, out of which all phenomena are formed. The lungta symbolizes space, the ground of all manifestation; in fact, in astrological texts lung ta is sometimes spelt ཀློང་རྟ་, longta, ‘horse of space’. The tiger symbolizes the wind element; the snow lion, earth; the garuda, fire; and the dragon, water.

Traditionally, they are set out in the same configuration as the five-part mandala used for the five buddha families, as can be seen in lungta prayer flags.

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. This subtle energy is therefore called the ‘windhorse’, in Tibetan lungta. 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’.

Lung ta prayer flags are of square or rectangular shape, and are connected along their top edges to a long string or thread. They are commonly hung on a diagonal line from high to low between two objects.