I occasionally see these stickers on cars and I’m curious what they are. Unfortunately I have no photo so I’ll do my best to describe them, They are yellow and blue and depict stylized ocean surf. I have searched logos of surf companies to no avail. I live in Colorado and see one every month or so, sometimes less frequently. I have yet to see one in a parking lot where the owner of the vehicle is obvious or I’d just ask.
It is pretty hard to search for an image based on the description and I have tried several times over the coarse of the last few years.
I recently thought about it again because google is working on some technology that sounds like it might make this sort of search more possible - http://similar-images.googlelabs.com/ But it isn’t really live yet as far as I can tell.
Sound familiar anyone?
Oh and yeah I haven’t posted in close to 7 years. Hi everyone!
I just realized that the thread currently directly below this one is also about stickers on cars. I didn’t see that before posting. That seems like a pretty big coincidence.
Thanks for the replies, but unfortunately it is neither the Quicksilver nor the Rapids logos. I may try to draw it tonight but I’m worried that my artistic ability may make it harder to identify.
Thanks again for the replies everyone. I should have mentioned originally that I’m pretty sure I have seen this thing in other parts of the U.S. too. If I remember right I saw it when I lived in Missouri and I may have seen it in PA while living there too. This has been bugging me for awhile.
I sort of suspect it is associated with a band, although it is not this Phish logo:
Although that could be wrong as I don’t often see this sticker on cars with tons of other stickers. Maybe the next time I see one I’ll just have to follow the car until they park somewhere and ask. I’m sure that won’t scare anyone.
Interesting that you should post this query. I was actually going to ask the same question about what I am sure is the same sticker to which you refer. I was planning to get a picture but not yet done so.
I have been seeing this sticker on cars around Halifax for years. (some with CO tags…) I’ve never been sure, but, for some reason, suspect it has something to do with the Shambhala communuty which relocated here from Colorado.
I’ve been looking on-line but can’t find the wave design in question.
I wonder if it was a parking sticker from Naropa University?
I think you are on to something longPath! I’m in the Boulder area (home of Naropa) as a matter of fact. I don’t think it is a parking pass as it has no dates on it.
So what I’m going to try to do tomorrow is bring a camera to work in Boulder and try to fins a little time to drive over a satellite Naropa campus parking lot and look for the sticker in question. If it is a Shambhala thing I should find a car with it. If so I’ll take a picture and post it.
I’m a little physical mobility challenged at the moment and the main Naropa campus parking lot is permit only so I won’t be able to get in there with my car and I can’t really walk around so well but the satellite campus should be good enough.
I just got off the phone with a friend who lives near a predominantly Buddhist neighbourhood here. She says the wave sticker is very common there but is unsure what it means.
She is going to do some sluething and report back.
Dharma flowing like
a wave through the world
RAISING THE NAMCHEN BANNER ON SHAMBHALA DAY
LAURA SIMMS WITH TINA MEYERHOFF
In the early 1980s the Vidhyadhara Chogyam Trungpa,
Rinpoche invited His Holiness the Sixteenth
Karmapa, the Head of the Kagyu lineage and the
manifestation of compassion, to visit the United
States.While in Boulder, Colorado His Holiness presented
several sangha members with a drawing of a
banner that would proclaim peace. He said,
“Wherever this flag flies, the Dharma will flourish.”
He also said, “This flag will help the Dharma to
flourish in the West.” Recently, as a result of meetings
to begin the celebration of Trungpa Rinpoche’s
Paravirvana (April 4), Phyllis Segura, who was the
design director of the Vajradhatu Banner Studio in
Boulder at that time and received and saved a copy of
the drawing that initiated this conversation. Deborah
Luscomb who remains the brocade seamstress for the
Sakyong and continues to make “dream flags” , and
Paul Hannon, shared their memories.As we gather
for Shambhala Day and begin the Red Female Fire
Pig year, we present this story.
THE MEANING OF THE NAMCHEN FLAG
Phyllis recalled,“According to what I remember the
Vidyadahara saying, there are at least two yellows used
in Tibetan iconography: Imperial Yellow or “High-
Class Yellow” and another one, more like Cadmium
Yellow, more orangey.The yellow of the Namchen
Flag is the high-class yellow. Supposedly the Karmapa
said the blue was there to indicate the world and the
flag was meant to be a symbol of the “dharma flowing
like a wave through the world.”
His Eminence the Venerable Shamar Rinpoche
explained, “ Traditionally, the wisdom of the Buddha
is described as having two main aspects: all encompassing
compassion, which extends to and benefits all
beings and phenomena. ( In the design this is represented
by the rich yellow-colored area.); and the wisdom
of the complete and profound inner realization
of the Buddha mind (represented by the deep blue
section.).The curves in the design and the way that
the colors meet represent the inseparability of these
two aspects.The Namchen Banner is a manifestation
of this Holiness’ enlightened vision. It was not just a
dream. His Holiness predicted that the banner would
bring great benefit to the Buddhadharma and to
beings.”
“The story started in 1980 when His Holiness the
Karmapa was visiting Boulder,” Paul Hannon recounts.
“He had an auspicious vision in a dream state where he
saw this flag,When he awoke, he asked for drawing
materials and paper…which was an unusual request for
him. He produced the drawing [a copy of which is
shown here]. His Holiness said “wherever this flag flies,
the Dharma will flourish” and “This flag will help the
Dharma flourish in the West.”
Deborah Luscomb was called into His Holiness’s
sitting room and shown the drawing.“I was the personal
seamstress for His Holiness during this visit.,”
Deborah recalls.“He was quite specific about the colors.
I found it challenging to render a pattern from
the sketch,” but with the help of a mathematician
friend and a projector to enlarge the image, she
sewed the first Dream Flag.
Then the drawing went to the Vajradhatu Banner
Studio. Phyllis explained that the Studio in Boulder
was created around 1978.“We worked directly with
him on designs, and created many of the banners we
have today.We also created special gifts that the
Vidyadhara offered to visiting dignitaries. Many of
these banners no longer exist. “I recall someone
showing up at the studio with a sketch in 1980, saying
that His Holiness, who was visiting the United States,
had had a dream about a new flag. Could we make
it?” And so they did!