Prayer flags aren’t home decor
Now I get what “cultural appropriation” means
I confess: I’ve sometimes thought that charges of “cultural appropriation” were overwrought. Isn’t America supposed to be this great melting pot, where everyone appreciates, exchanges, and yes, borrows and adapts, ideas and cuisines from other cultures? Can’t White chefs make soul food? Black Americans have claimed the word “bougie,” but I think Karl Marx and the French might object.
Recently, however, I took part in an online collage fodder challenge that opened my eyes. The project for day nine was sewing a prayer flag. From the very start of the video, I was uneasy, even more so when I read the comments. I decided to research the meaning of prayer flags, which took me to articles about the cultural appropriation of Buddhism.
Not home decor
“Tibetan prayer flags are religious. Sutras — or mantras from three pillars of the great Buddhist Bodhisattvas, conveying things like peace, wisdom, and strength — are written on them. As they blow in the wind, they confer blessings and peace. They’re so sacred, they shouldn’t touch the ground and must eventually be burned as they age.” Prayer flags traditionally use one of five colors for their specific symbolism.
