Carpe Diem #1199 prayer flags, messengers for the gods

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

Welcome at the first episode of our new month here at Carpe Diem Haiku Kai. this month we are going to discover the beauty of Tibet, a wonderful spiritual country high up in the Himalayans. This new month I have titled "Tibet ... a magical experience" and I hope to let that happen through CDHK. Tibet that wonderful country without its own president, king or queen, but with the Dalai Lama living in exile, because of the annexation of Tibet by China back in the fifties.

In one of my not yet finished novels part of the story takes place in Shambala, the magical city that's believed to lay somewhere in the Himalayans and than especially in Tibet or Nepal. Later this month we will Shambala have for a prompt, but today ... a reprise prompt "prayer flags".

Prayer Flags

In the Himalayans you can find a lot of sacred places were passersby have left a silk, linen or cotton prayer flag. All those prayer flags have a range of colors, and those colors have their own sacred meaning. They are used to send the prayers on the shoulder of the wind into the world. After a while the prayer flags will perish and than its time for new prayer flags. The colors of the flags have the following meaning:

blue for heaven/sky
white for the wind
red for fire
green for water
yellow for earth

The flags are printed with mantras, prayers for peace, good will and wisdom. The idea behind these flags is that with every move they make (through the wind) a little bit of the strength, the power of the prayer, is becoming free. If the wind moves them, than the air is cleansed and the intention of the prayer is spread into the world. Isn't that an awesome idea?

I like this tradition ... what a joy this must give to share your prayers by exposing flags in all colors of the rainbow. Those Tibetans are just great and so spiritual ...

Sharing your prayers with the world by using flags is really great. It's very similar with our 'tradition' to remember all and everything in our prayers ... let us keep on going with that and maybe we can share our prayers too by prayer flags.

mysterious shadows
against the rough mountains -
Om Mani Padme Hum

© Chèvrefeuille

Isn't it awesome? Just feel the wind on your skin, listen to what the wind is telling, whispering into your ear, be aware of those secret messengers the gods can and will tell you through the wind.

in the old church

the scent of incense

I hear the prayers

© Chèvrefeuille

To conclude this first episode of our virtual trip to Tibet I have another wonderful image for you.

Prayer Flags somewhere in the Himalayans

against the blue sky
high above the Himalayans
a whispered prayer
a cry on the shoulder of the wind
"give us back our country!"

© Chèvrefeuille

(My excuses for the political tone in this Tanka. I give just words to my feelings and pray for a free Tibet.)

This episode is NOW OPEN for your submissions and will remain open until June 5th at noon (CET). I will try to publish our "weekend-meditation" later on. For now ... have fun!

Carpe Diem Tan Renga Challenge 2017 #5 silent steps

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

I hope you all have had a wonderful weekend and I am ,looking forward to your responses on our last "weekend-meditation", an episode of Universal Jane. I had a nice weekend, relaxed and full of family fun.

This month we are busy with our 2nd Tan Renga Challenge here at CDHK. and today I have another nice challenge for you. In our last regular episode I challenged you to create a Tan Renga from a classical haiku by Boncho and so today I have a modern haiku for you. Today I have chosen a haiku created by Ese Klava with this haiku she became the "runner-up" of our "prayers" kukai. Maybe you can remember this beauty.

silent steps -
one more candle illuminates
the old chapel

© Ese

Candles

As I was preparing this new episode of our Tan Renga Challenge 2017 a haiku by Buson came in mind which sounds familiar, but has also in a way a link to the haiku by Ese. So I love to share that haiku here also, maybe you can also try to create a Tan Renga with this haiku by Buson.

lightning one candle
with another candle
an evening in spring

© Buson (Tr. unknown)

As you all know the goal of the Tan Renga Challenge is to add your two lined 2nd stanza to the Tan Renga's "hokku". Those two lines may count approximately 7 and 7 syllables, but as you also know, that's not a strict rule here at CDHK.

Here is my attempt to create a Tan Renga with the haiku by Ese:

silent steps -
one more candle illuminates
the old chapel                          © Ese
voices of monks resonate
against the walls praising their god               © Chèvrefeuille

And here is my attempt to create a Tan Renga with the haiku by Buson:

lightning one candle
with another candle
an evening in spring              © Buson (Tr. unknown)
shadows dance on the walls
telling spooky stories to the kids                  © Chèvrefeuille

Well ... now it is up to you my dear Haijin to complete the Tan Renga for this episode.

This episode is open for your submissions tonight at 7.00 PM (CET) and will remain open until May 12th at noon (CET). Have fun ... !

Carpe Diem Tokubetsudesu #91 Ese's Voice, our "runner-up" of the "prayers" kukai

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

It has been a while that I published a Carpe Diem Tokubetsudesu episode and that's not without reason certainly not this month. This tribute to Jane month had to be only about Jane Reichhold, but that wasn't possible, because of the "prayers" kukai results. So I choose to bring the CD-Specials and one Tokubetsudesu episode this month. I hope you all will understand that.

Our "runner-up" of the "prayers" - kukai was Ese and she became the "runner-up" with the following haiku, a beauty I would say:

silent steps -
one more candle illuminates
the old chapel

© Ese

Ese is a long time participant in Carpe Diem Haiku Kai and in an earlier kukai she was the winner and became the featured haiku poetess of November 2015. You can find her CD-Specials through clicking on the post list at the right of our Kai.

Ese is a very gifted haiku poetess and she publishes mostly on Twitter and Tumblr. And she created really wonderful haiku:

how softly it brushes
against the bare backs of mountains
a wandering cloud 

© Ese

Ese has eyes for the most tiny things in nature and around her, here is an example of a haiku by Ese in which you can read this:

two sets of footprints
disappear in the white sand
-a seagull and i 

© Ese

And to conclude this Tokubetsudesu about Ese I have a nice series of "butterfly"-haiku for you written by her:

velvet touch of wings
among evergreen vines
my palm blossoms

butterfly house-
so still on the glass ceiling
does he long for the sky?

old plastic pen-
pale butterfly keeps floating
along with my memories

© Ese

And these beauties conclude this episode. I hope you have become inspired through these beautiful haiku by Ese ... I am looking forward to your responses ... have fun!

Here is my response:

Ah! those cherry blossoms
everywhere I look their beauty amazes me again -
finally spring is here

© Chèvrefeuille

And another one inspired on Ese's "butterfly" haiku:

fragile shadow
dances on the white wall
a Holly Blue

© Chèvrefeuille

Holly Blue

This episode is NOW OPEN for your submissions and will remain open until September 19th at noon (CET). I will publish our new regular episode, summer solstice, immediately hereafter.

Carpe Diem Extra July 15th 2016 Kukai Prayers

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

I have published the submitted haiku for our "Prayers" kukai. So the judging is now open. Please send me your votes before July 29th 10.00 PM (CET).

You can find the list of submitted haiku above in the menu or by clicking this link There you also find how the judging works. Good luck!

Namaste,

Chèvrefeuille, your host