Upload
shana-marie
View
64
Download
1
Embed Size (px)
DESCRIPTION
Buddhist Etiquette
Citation preview
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.
BuddhistEtiquette
1
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.
BuddhistEtiquette
2
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.
BuddhistEtiquette
3
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.
BuddhistEtiquette
4