PRAYER FLAGS. 3i9 



II. The second form is called ch'6-pen} It is of a long, narrow, 



. oblong shape, about 8 to 10 inches in length. This 



c e-pon. g^j,^ ^^ lung-ta is for tying to twigs of trees or to 

 bridges, or to sticks for planting on the tops of hills. Its text has 

 generally the same arrangement as form No, I, but it wants the horse- 

 picture in the centre. Its Tibetan portion usually closes with " May 

 the entire collection (of the foregoing deities) prosper the power, airy 

 horse, age and life of this ^jear holder, and make them increase like 

 the growing new moon." 



Very poor people, who cannot afEord the expense of the printed 

 charms, merely write on a short slip of paper the name of the birth- 

 year of the individual, and add '' May his limj-ta prosper." 



One Lung-ta for each member of a household must be planted on 

 the 3rd day of every month (lunar) on the top of any hill near at 

 hand, or on the branch of a tree near a spring, or tied to the sides of 

 a bridge ; and on affixing the flag a stick of incense is burned. And 

 a small quantity of flour, grain, flesh, and beer are offered to the earth- 

 demon (sa-dag) of the hill-top by sprinkling them around, saying 

 ">S'o/^o.'Take! Take!" 



III. A more expanded form of the Luck-flag is the Gyal-tsm 

 d$e-mo or "Victorious banner," which is generally of the same form as 

 No. 1, but containing a much larger amount of holy texts, and also 

 usually the eight glorious symbols of which the lotus forms the base 

 of the print. It prospers not only Luck in wealth, but also the Life, 

 Body and Power of the individual. 



IV. The Vast Luck-Charm (Plate XIX).— This fourth form of 



Lung-ta is named "^lang-po stob ygyas," or "That 

 The VastLuck.flag. ^j^-^^ ^^^^^ ^^^^^ y^^^ ^^^ Elephant."^ It is pasted 



to the walls of the houses, or folded up and worn around the neck as 

 a charm for good luck. It consists of a cross Dorje in the centre with 

 a Garuda and a Peacock, the jewelled Elephant and the jewelled 

 Horse, each bearing an eight-leaved lotus disc on which are inscribed 

 the following Sanskrit and Tibetan texts. The other symbols are 

 " the eight glorious Symbols," ^ already described, fjide page 329 ; 

 viz., the umbrella, golden fish, vase of treasure, lotus flower, conch 

 shell, banner of victory, wheel, and the sri " beu'' or cabalistic figure of 

 an intertwined coil of rope. 



And around the margin is " the Buddhist creed " repeated several 

 times, also the letters ot the alphabet, together with the words '• May 

 " the life, body, power and the ' airy horse ' of the holder of this 

 "charm prosper his body, speech, and wishes, and cause them to 



' diod-pan or «byod-pan. | ' ikra sM-rtags-Orgjud. 



