A Tibetan prayer flag is a colorful rectangular cloth, often found strung along trails and peaks high in the Himalayas. They are used to bless the surrounding countryside and for other purposes. Prayer flags are believed to have originated within the religious tradition of Bon. Tibetan prayer flags are used to promote peace, wisdom, and compassion. The bright cloth flags are printed with auspicious symbols, invocations, prayers, and mantras. Tibetans believe that the prayers will be spread by the wind, bringing goodwill and auspiciousness to all beings. The blue stripe represents peace and universal compassion, the yellow stripe stands for the Middle Path, the red stripe represents the blessings that arise from practicing the faith, the white stripe symbolizes the purity of Dharma, and the orange stripe represents wisdom. A five-color flag consists of five concentric squares in red, green, yellow, and blue, representing the five elements. The order of colors varies. The outermost square has three ragged edges, similar to fringing. The center of the flag is sometimes defaced to commemorate a specific concept or personality.