APRIL 2021
The 3rd month of the Tibetan calendar begins on April12 and ends May 11. Our newsletter this month features the 8 Auspicious Symbols.
Tashi Targye
When the Tibetan people fled the Chinese invasion of their country in 1959, they left with only the clothes on their backs and what few prized possessions they could carry over the mountains. Unfortunately, the wood blocks from which they printed their sacred drawings, prayer flags and texts were too heavy to carry. Most of the thousands of woodblocks were lost when the Chinese armies destroyed the monasteries. 
In 1992, I visited Tashi Jong Monastery in Northern India. There was a wood carving studio attached to the monastery, where apprentices were being taught the craft of carving woodblocks (in reverse) in an effort to keep the tradition alive. There I met a Tibetan master wood carver who had carried a thick roll of woodblock prints on his arduous escape from his homeland. The monsoon climate of India was quickly deteriorating the prints and I asked if I could buy or at least photograph them, before they were no longer readable. He let me photograph only a few of the prints. I hope someone else convinced him to catalog the rest before all the designs were lost. I redrew this design from a print that he sold to me.
Tashi Targye is Tibetan for "8 Auspicious Symbols." These are 8 special signs for good fortune, protection, success, and spiritual victories. Their origins can be traced back to ancient India where Buddhism originated. Some of the symbols were associated with ancient royal rituals in India and some actually originated later in Tibet. The symbols of also represent the offerings that were made to Buddha by the gods when he achieved enlightenment. The Tashi Targye are seen printed on prayer flags, in the murals on temple walls and carved into alters.
In our collections of prayer flags the 8 Auspicious Symbols are printed on these flags:
THE PARASOL (གདུགས་ Dugprotects from all evil, sickness and harm. The top of parasol symbolizes the wisdom and the hanging skirt represents compassion.
GOLDEN FISH (སེར་ཉ་ Sernya) symbolizes happiness and beings saved from the sea of suffering. The symbol also represents the agility and swiftness of Enlightened Mind. . 
THE ENDLESS KNOT (པ་ཏྲ་ Palbeu)
The eternal knot overlapping without a beginning or an end symbolizes perfect meditation and the union of infinite wisdom and compassion. As it is endless, it also represents the illusory nature of of life and time.
THE TREASURE VASE (གཏེར་གྱི་བུམ་པ་ Bumpa)
Topped by the flaming wish-fulfilling jewel, the Treasure vase contains the nectar of immortality so symbolizing long life, and prosperity. It is also a sign of inexhaustible riches of the Buddha's teachings.
THE LOTUS (པད་མ་ Padma) represents purity and spiritual unfoldment. As its muddy surroundings do not stain the lotus; it thrives in it. The Buddha thrives in this imperfect world, free from emotional hindrances and obscurations.
THE CONCH (དུང་དཀར་ Dungkar) proclaims fearlessly the teachings of the enlightened ones;
the sound of Dharma that awakens sentient beings from the sleeping state of ignorance.
VICTORY BANNER (རྒྱལ་མཚན་ Gyaltsen)
Signifies the Buddha’s victorious enlightenment and the victory of Buddha’s teachings over death, ignorance, disharmony and all the negatives of this world. This symbol also signifies the victory of the good over the evil that hinders the success of noble goals.
THE WHEEL OF DHARMA (འཁོར་ལོ Khorlo)
The symbol of Universal Law, the eight-spokes point to the eight directions and symbolize the Buddha’s Noble Eightfold Path. The hub of the Wheel of Dharma symbolizes moral discipline, the eight-spokes symbolize analytical insight, and the rim symbolizes meditative concentration.
This Month's Special
Our studio in Kathmandu just sent us some of these sets of the 8 Auspicious Symbols. We're selling them during April for the reduced price of $14 per set (regularly $25/ set).
THIS MONTH'S PRACTICE & NAGA CALENDARS
During The 3rd month of the Tibetan calendar (April 12 – May 11), the Nagas are gathering together in great meetings. If you make offerings to them during teb days, they will perceive your offerings as ambrosia. The result of this will bring much benefit to the surrounding environment, and all your wishes and aspirations will come true. On the other hand, if you make offerings during the dok days (April 7, 8, 9, 11,18, 20, 25, 27, 28, 29) they will refuse your offerings as garbage and they will run away from you.

These are the especially good days to make offerings: April 2, 3, 6, 17, May 3, 4, 6
We appreciate feedback from our customers; encouragement ,suggestions and constructive criticism. Here are a couple of nice emails we received in February:

"Thank you for the swift fulfillment of my recent order.
A hanging ceremony was performed this sunny Ohio Monday morning. It featured a soft breeze.... a good smudging of the backyard..... prayers (as per your website) and incense offering.... a cloudless turquoise sky (really, in Ohio in mid-July??}... the joyful song of many birds (really "kicked-up" the crows, hmmmm.....)... and Radiant Heart's beautiful, auspicious, and high-energy prayer flags.
Deepest bows to you, your family, and your staff for your continued practice. May your lives go well !"

We appreciate getting photos of prayer flags on display, especially ones you got from us.
Email us at: prayerflags1@gmail.com