Information about the customs and traditions of Tibet

Hadar Offering

Hadar offering is one of the most common rituals among the Tibetan people. In Tibet, wedding and funeral festivals, ushering in, pay homage to the elders, see the Buddha, send off far away, etc., all have the habit of offering "Hada". Offer "Hada" is to each other to express purity, sincerity, loyalty, respect. It is said that the Tibetans into the temple door, the first dedication of a Hada, and then worship statues, to visit the halls, with the sitting, to the parting, but also in their own sat in the back of the seat to put a Hada, said that although I left, but my heart is still left here.

"Hada" is a kind of raw silk fabric, spun loose as a net, there are also silk for the material. Top quality "Hadar" woven with lotus, vase, umbrella, conch and other auspicious hidden flower pattern. Hadar material, due to different economic conditions, but people do not care about the quality of the material, as long as it can express the master's - 'piece of good wishes on the line. Hadar length varies, long l to 2 zhang, short 3 to 5 feet. Tibetans believe that the white symbolizes purity, good fortune, so, Hadar - 'general is white. In addition, there are colorful hada, the color is blue, white, yellow, green, red. Blue means blue sky, white is white clouds, green is river water, red is space protector god, yellow symbolizes the earth. The colorful hatha is used for making colored arrows when offering to Bodhisattvas and close relatives, and is the most precious gift. Buddhist teachings explain that the colorful hatha is the garment of the bodhisattva. Therefore, the colorful hatha is only used in specific situations.

The action of offering "Hada" varies from person to person. Generally speaking, one should use both hands to hold the Hada, hold it high and level with the shoulder, and then stretch it out in front of the other person flatly and bend down to give it to the other person. Auspiciousness. The other party receives it with both hands in a respectful manner. For honored ones, elders should raise their hands above their heads, lean forward slightly, and hold the khat in front of the seat or under the feet; for peers or subordinates, it can be tied around their necks. Offer hatha in Tibet is very common, and even people correspond with each other, also in the envelope attached to a small hatha, in order to show blessings and greetings. What is particularly interesting is that Tibetans also carry a few hatha with them when they go out, in case they meet long-lost relatives or friends on the way. "Hada" represents different meanings in different situations. Festival days, people offer each other Hada, said congratulations on the line day happy, happy life; wedding presented Hada, means that I wish the newlyweds love like a mountain, old age; welcome the guests dedication Hada, said a piece of piety, praying for the blessing of the bodhisattva; funerals on the dedication of the Hada, is to express the dead and the comfort of the deceased's family.

On the origin of the Hadar there are a variety of sayings. One of them says that Zhang Qian, who passed through Tibet on his mission to the two regions in the Han Dynasty, offered silk to the local tribal leaders, and that the ancient Han Chinese used silk as a gift to symbolize pure and flawless friendship. In this way, the Tibetan tribes thought this is a kind of friendship, blessing of etiquette, and the month is from the central plains of the great state of the prosperity of the great etiquette, so it has been used to this day. There is also - a kind of saying, said to be the ancient Tibet Dharma King Ba Si Ba met with the Yuan Shizu Kublai Lie brought back to Tibet, when there is the Great Wall of China on the silk pattern and "good luck" characters. Later, people made some religious explanations for the origin of the Hada, saying that it is the ribbon on the nymphs, and its whiteness symbolizes the holiness and supremacy.

Eating Tsampa

Tsampa is the staple food of Tibetans. Tibetans have tsampa for three meals a day. Tsampa, the name of which sounds fresh, is actually green tree fried noodles. It is barley wheat fried, ground fine, but not the sieve of fried noodles, and the north of China's fried noodles are somewhat similar, but the north of the fried noodles is the first grinding after frying, while Tibet's tsampa is the first frying after grinding, without removing the skin.

When eating tsampa, put some ghee in the bowl, rinse tea, add fried noodles, mix with your hands. Mixing, first with the middle finger will be fried to the bottom of the bowl lightly pounded, so as to avoid tea overflow outside the bowl; and then turn the bowl, and fingers close to the bowl side of the fried noodles pressed into the tea; to be fried noodles, tea and ghee mix, can be pinched into a ball, can be eaten. When eating, the hand constantly stirs and kneads in the bowl, kneading it together into a ball and sending it to the mouth with the hand. Tibetan people eat - generally do not use chopsticks, spoons, only with their hands. This way of eating is similar to that of Indians, who eat rice with their hands, called grabbing rice.

Since tsampa is simple to eat and easy to carry, it is very suitable for nomadic life. Herdsmen always hang a tsampa pocket on their waist when they go out of town, and when they are hungry, they grab the tsampa from the pocket and eat it. Sometimes, they pull out a wooden bowl from their arms, load some tsampa, pour some ghee tea, add some salt, stir a few times, grabbed and ate. Sometimes, while eating tsampa, drink ghee tea. Sometimes, the tsampa poured into a leather pocket called "Tanggu", and then add ghee tea, one hand grasps the mouth of the bag, one hand across the bag to grasp and pinch, a moment, fragrant tsampa can be imported.

Tibetan over the Tibetan calendar year, every family should be in the Tibetan cabinet set up a called "bamboo Suoqi Ma" of the auspicious wooden bucket, bucket full of green trees, bad pole and Zhuo Ma (ginseng), etc., the top of the insertion of the green tree spikes, wheat flower school and a called "Zizhuo" painted with the sun, the moon, the stars, the color of the sun, the moon and the stars. sun, moon and stars. Neighbors or relatives and friends to pay tribute to the New Year, the host will end over the "bamboo Soki Ma", the guests grabbed a little tsampa, to the air even withdrew three times, and then grabbed a little bit into the mouth, and then said: "Zaxi Dele" (good luck and good fortune), expressed blessings.

Drinking Ghee Tea

In Tibet, ghee can be found in every Tibetan family at any time. Ghee is an indispensable daily food for every Tibetan.

Ghee is extracted from cow and sheep milk. In the past, the herdsmen refined ghee in a special way. First milk meter heating, and then poured into a kind of called "snow Dong" in a large wooden barrel (4 feet high, diameter of l feet or so), hard up and down pumping, back and forth hundreds of times, churning oil and water separation, above a layer of lake yellow fat, it scooped up, poured into the skin pockets, cooled down into the ghee. Now, many places gradually use the cream separator to refine ghee. Generally speaking, a cow can produce four or five pounds of milk per day, every hundred pounds of milk can be extracted five or six pounds of ghee.

Ghee has a variety of ways to eat, mainly playing ghee tea to drink l can also be placed in the audit rake and eat. The New Year's Day fried fruit, also with ghee. Tibetan people like to drink ghee on weekdays. When making ghee tea. First tea or brick tea with water long boiled into a thick Shi, and then the tea poured into the "Dong Mo" (ghee tea barrel), and then into the ghee and salt, and force the "A Luo" up and down back and forth dozens of times, stirring the oil and tea mingled, and then poured into the pot to heat up, it became a delicious fragrance of the The tea will be fragrant and delicious.

Tibetans often use ghee tea hospitality, they drink ghee tea, there is a set of rules. When the guest is allowed to sit at the Tibetan-style square table, the host will take a wooden bowl (or tea cup) and put it in front of the guest. Then the master (or housewife) lift the ghee tea pot (now commonly used instead of hot water bottle), shake a few times, to the guests poured full bowl of ghee tea. Just poured the ghee tea, the guests do not drink immediately, first and the host chat. Waiting for the master again ghee tea pot stood in front of the guests, the guests can pick up the bowl, first gently blow a circle in the ghee bowl, will float in the tea on the oil flowers blowing, and then sip on a mouthful, and praise: "this ghee tea hit really good, oil and tea can not be separated." Guests put the bowl back on the table, the host to refill. In this way, drink and add, not a mouth to drink, enthusiastic hosts, always want to add the guests of the tea bowl; if you do not want to drink again, do not move it; if you drink half, do not want to drink again, the host of the bowl full, you will be set up; guests ready to say goodbye, you can drink a few more mouths in a row, but can not be drunk dry, the bowl should be left to bleach the oil flower of the bottom of the tea. In this way, it is in line with Tibetan customs and manners.

Tibetan taboos

Reception of guests, whether walking or talking, always let the guests or elders first, and the use of honorifics, such as in the name of the word after the addition of a "la", to show respect and cordiality, taboo on calling their names. Welcome guests, to bow and bend the knees, with a smile. Indoor seating, to sit cross-legged, not straight legs, the soles of the feet toward people, not looking around. When accepting gifts, you should receive them with both hands, and when giving gifts, you should bow and raise your hands above your head. Tea, wine and cigarettes should be served with both hands, and the fingers should not be put into the mouth of the bowl.

The Tibetans are absolutely forbidden to eat donkey, horse and dog meat, and in some areas do not eat fish.

Toasting, the guest must first use the ring finger dipped in a little wine popped into the air, three times in a row, as a sacrifice to heaven, earth and ancestors, then gently sip a mouthful, the host will be in time to add full, and then drink a mouthful and then add full, and even drink three mouthfuls, to the fourth time to add full, it must be a drink.

When you eat, you must eat without filling your mouth, bite without making a sound, and drink without making a sound.

Drinking ghee tea, the host poured tea, the guests have to wait for the host hands in front of the face, before they can take over to drink.

It is forbidden to spit on someone's back and clap your hands.

When you come across monasteries, mani piles, stupas and other religious facilities, you must go around from left to right.

No crossing of dharma vessels, fire pits.

Sutra cylinders and wheels must not be reversed.

It is taboo for others to touch the top of the head with their hands.