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Buddhist Etiquette http://www.yowangdu.com Lobsang Wangdu and Yolanda O’Bannon Buddhist Etiquette

Buddhist Etiquette

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  • Buddhist Etiquette

    http://www.yowangdu.com LobsangWangduandYolandaOBannon

    Buddhist Etiquette

  • Thefollowingareguidelinesandcommonpracticesmorethanrules.Tibetanstendtobeverypracticalpeopleanddontingeneralinsistonanythingthatdoesntmakecommonsense.Ifapersoniselderlyorphysicallydisabled,foroneexample,someoftheseguidelinesdontapply.

    Some helpful general principles

    Buddhasteachings(theDharma)areconsideredsacredandareshownrespectbyplacingwhoeverorwhatevertransmitstheDharmainthehighestpossibleposition.Dharmabooks,forexample,areplacedonhighshelves,neveronthefloor,andneversteppedover.MonksandnunsandBuddhistteachers(lamas)areseatedhigherthanlaypeopleandhigherlamastendtobeseatedhigherstill.

    Asincere,heartfeltmotivationtohonortheDharmaiswithoutdoubtyourbestguideline.

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  • Monks, nuns and lamas

    Tibetansgenerallyavoidtouchingamonksornunshead. Whensitting,weavoidextendingourfeettowardateacherorashrine. Wegenerallyavoidhuggingmonksandnunsandlamas,especiallyiftheyareoftheoppositegender. Forgreeting,itiscommontoputourhandstogether,withthumbstuckedinside,andbowourheads.The

    bowintheimage(above)isanormalone,whileforaveryhighlama,wewouldbowmoredeeply. Forserving,weoffermonks,nunsandlamasthebestfoodanddrink,andservethembeforeanyoneelse.

    Whenserving,westartwiththehighestlamaormonkornun.(Ifallotherthingsareroughlyequal,westartwiththeoldestfirst.)

    Ifgivingorofferingsomething,wedoitwithtwohands,evenifitsomethingsmallthatfitsinonehand.

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  • Forreferringtomonksandnuns,TibetansusuallyuseAnilafornunsandKushulaformonks.Thelaisanhonorific,andisoftenusedforlaypeopletoo,toshowrespect.

    Forreincarnatelamas,onecansayRinpoche(nola).ForteacherswhohavereceivedtheGeshede-gree,wesayGeshela.Ifyoudontknowthestatus,itsfinetosayKushula.AllnunscanbeAnila.

    Generallyspeaking,itisnotconsideredappropriatetowearrevealingclothingwhenmeetingmonksornunsorattendingateaching.

    Itiscommontostandupwhenalamaormemberofthesangha(monasticcommunity)enterstheroom, especiallyifheorsheisteaching.Atateaching,peoplegenerallyalsomakethreeprostrationsafterthe

    teacherisseatedandthenagainastheteacherisleaving.

    Sacred objects

    Themostsacredobjectsarethebooksofscripture(sutra),statues(oftheBuddha,forexample)andstupas(inthiscase,meaningthesmallerversionsmadeforshrines).Theseshouldnotbeplacedonthegroundorwherepeoplesit.Generallyspeaking,theyshouldbeashighaspossible.

    Weavoidpointingatsacredobjectswiththeindexfinger.Insteaditiscommontogesturetowardtheobjectwithanopenpalm.(Thissameruleappliestomonks,nunsorlamas,andevenmoregenerallytoallpeople.)

    Wetakecarenottostepoveranyoftheseholyobjects. Trengwa(malabeads,orprayerbeads)arenotassacred,butarestilltreatedwithcareandnotplacedon

    theground.

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  • Thereisapractice,whenlightingincense,nottoblowouttheflamewithyourbreath,butrathertowaveitwithyourhandtoextinguishit.Thesameistrueforcandlesandbutterlamps.Youcanwavewithyourhand,oruseacandlesnufferifneeded.

    Wedontplacesacredobjectsindirtyplaces,likethebathroom. Generallyspeaking,wedontusesacredobjectsasartisticdisplays.

    Holy places

    Normallyonewillmakeprostrationswhenfirstenteringatemple. Forashrineroom,itiscommontoremoveourshoes,butattimesthelocalcustommaybedifferent. Removeyourhatonenteringashrineroomortemple,orattendingateaching.Therecanbeanexception,

    ifforexample,theteachingisoutsideandtheweathercallsforwarmthorsunprotection. ItiscommontocircumambulateholyTibetanplaces,whichmeanstowalkclockwisearoundthesacred

    placewhileprayerorrecitingmantras.(UnlessyouareaBonpractitioner,inwhichcasethecircumambu-lationiscounter-clockwise.)

    Aboveall,trytousecommonsense,andgoodheartedintentiontohonorthethreejewels:theBuddha,thedharmaandthesangha.

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