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For centuries, prayer flags have been part of Bhutanese people's tradition, symbolising the reality and pervasiveness of their belief. Generally, in Bhutan, prayer flags are hoisted for happiness, long life, prosperity, luck and merit and to offer karmic merit to all sentient beings. After one dies, the benefits of offering prayer flags is believed to guide the soul of the dead away from the netherworld and to prevent it from being reborn in the three lower realms (Nge Song Sum, animals, pret and life in hell) of the six life cycles: Lha (god), Lha Min (demi God), humans, animals, pret, and life in hell, according to a Buddhist scholar, Dasho Lam Sanga. Prayer flags are raised outside homes, hung on bridges, hilltops, and places of spiritual importance. According to the scholar, there are
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