A flag for Drala Jong
Flags play an important rôle in Vajrayana Buddhism. Most different lineages and also many monastaries in Tibet have their own flags, each one with a highly particular symbolism. Most well known in the west are perhaps the different flags used in the Shambhala tradition by Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche.
This is the flag which has been specifically created for Drala Jong.

Dragons
The flag is a combination of the Flag of Wales with the red dragon (Y Ddraig Goch) and the Flag of Bhutan which is also known as Druk Yul, the dragon country. Dragons can be found both in European and Far East Asian mythology, but while in Europe the dragon is often demonic and needs to be slain by the hero, in the Tibetan tradition the dragon is a creature of great creative power. Within the Aro gTér the dragon is one of the 12 astrological animals and one of the 6 animals in the sKu-mNyé, a cycle of physical exercises from Dzogchen Long-dé.

Flag of Bhutan

Flag of Wales
It is delightful that the symbol of the dragon plays such a prominent rôle in both these countries, which are important for the Aro gTér tradition. The lineage holders Ngak’chang Rinpoche and Khandro Déchen as well as many of their students are living in Wales and of course Drala Jong itself is located in Wales. On the other hand we have strong connections with many Lamas from Bhutan, among them Dudjom Tenzin Yeshé Dorje, one of the current incarnations of Kyabjé Dudjom Jigdral Yeshé Dorje who was the Tsawai Lama of Ngak’chang Rinpoche. In 2019 Ngak’chang Rinpoche and Khandro Déchen were able to meet him while on a pilgrimage in Bhutan with a group of their studens. On that same pilgrimage they also met Garab Dorje Rinpoche, Kyabjé Tang Rinpoche, and many others. They have a close friendship with gTértön Drukdra and his father Wangchuk Rin’dzin Rinpoche.

Here will come a picture of Nor’dzin with the flag.
Creativity
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