East-West Harmony Interfaith Flag String
10" tall by 7' long • Rayon Batik
This string honors all the traditions that have written scriptures and were inspired by prophets or teachers. Ten flags on a string.
Promote world peace and religious tolerance with this beautiful handmade
string of flags.
Flag #1: Hindu
The OM is the sound of the universal vibration, the primal source from which all creation manifests. It is the mantra mantrika, or "Mother of all sounds" the first of all creative spells spoken by the Goddess, chanted to attune oneself to the Divine. Hinduism originated in India and is the world's oldest major religion that is still practiced.
Flag #2: Taoist
This Chinese Taoist image includes eight trigrams which represent the forces of Nature. The Yin/Yang symbol in the center represents the essential dualities and eternally changing cycles of opposites (male/female, day/night, hot/cold, etc.). These energies are considered completely interdependent, with each containing the essence of the other within itself.
Flag #3: Buddhist
ShrivastaKnot: The Endless Knot (Sanskrit: shrivasta) signifies long life, eternal love and the interconnection of all things, and symbolizes the infinite knowledge of the Buddha. An ancient symbol representing the interweaving of the Spiritual Path (or Dharma), the eternal flowing of time and movement. Buddha taught a philosophy of acceptance through the middle path, and emphasis on each being's awakening and self awareness.
Flag #4: Jain
Jainism contains many elements similar to Hinduism and Buddhism. The world's almost 4 million Jains are almost entirely located in India. They practice Ahimsa: non violence, and believe committing an act of violence against a human, animal, or even vegetable generates negative karma.
Flag #5: Zoroastrian
The sacred fire burns on an altar, representing the light which gives all life. Following the prophet Zoroaster, this tradition emphasizes purity and Divine light. Zoroastrians worship through prayers and symbolic ceremonies that are conducted before a sacred fire which symbolizes their God. They dedicate their lives to a three-fold path represented by their motto: "Good thoughts, good words, good deeds."
Flag #6: Jewish
The Hebrew tradition from the Middle East offers a rich history emphasizing community and centering around worship of the One God. One of the oldest symbols of the Jewish faith is the menorah, a seven-branched candelabrum used in the Temple, and lit during the holiday of Hanukkah. It has been said that the menorah is a symbol of the nation of Israel's mission to be "a light unto the nations."
Flag #7: Christian
The traditional cross reminds us not only of Jesus the Christ's death, but of the older origins of this symbol as an intersection of two energy flows -- one flowing between earth and heaven, and the other spreading out from side to side, representing the four directions.
Flag #8: Islamic
Islam is a tradition from the Middle East emphasizing devotion and community. The crescent and star symbols were associated with the Ottoman Empire and the successor states, and with the Islamic world in general. The star may have represented the sun or the planet Venus, and the crescent the waxing moon.
Flag #9: Sikh
The circle of unity contains the double-edged sword representing the power of truth, and is surrounded by two curved daggers, representing the act of willingness to defend the faith. Sikhs believe in a single formless God with many names, who can be known through meditation. Sikhs pray many times each day and are prohibited from worshipping idols or icons. They believe in samsara, karma, and reincarnation, as do Hindus, do but reject the caste system.
Flag #10: Bahá'í
Nine pointed star. The Bahá'í religion is one of the newest of the religions of the prophets, and encourages world peace by teaching tolerance and honoring all paths to God. Bahá'í beliefs promote gender and race equality, freedom of expression and assembly, world peace and world government. The Bahá'í Faith arose from Islam in the 1800s and is now worldwide.
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