Wind Horse or rlung rta

Introduction

The Wind Horse is a Tibetan Buddhism term that refers to a creature that can carry the wishes of the people and the gods using the wind. They are also known to appear in the popular multi coloured prayer flags that can be seen in images of the Himalayan regions. These Tibetan prayer flags are often strung around the Tibetan mountains and the greater Himalayas to symbolize the blessings of the ancestors. They are also quite popular amongst bikers in India who travel to Leh and Ladakh.

Physical Traits

The Wind Horse is depicted as a white horse with a flowing mane and most of the time without wings. They carry a saddle which has the 3 wish fulfilling jewels which is some descriptions are shown as glowing or be in flames.

Other Names

There has long been confusion over the spelling because the sound produced by the word can be spelt either klung rta “river horse” or rlung rta “wind horse”. According to Karmay, the term “river horse” originated from the Tibetan nag rtsis system, which is a system of astrology that originated in China. It has four basic elements: srog, lu, wangtang, and lungta. It is believed that the concept of the river horse, which later changed to wind horse, originated from the Chinese tradition of the dragon horse.

Powers and Abilities

Wind Horse is used to symbolise good fortune and well-being. In other words, it is a symbol of luck.  Its appearance is supposed to bring peace, wealth, and harmony. Being associated with swiftness, speed and the wind, there is debate over whether it has the ability of flight.

Modern Day Influence

Ceremonies are usually performed in conjunction with the “lhasang” ritual, which involves the burning of juniper branches to create thick and aromatic smoke. It is believed that this ritual increases the strength of the worshippers’ four rtsis elements.