Buddhist etiquette and culture explained: what is the meaning of crossing the halls

Speaking of Buddhism everyone should know, but today I do not say this, I will say Buddhist etiquette . So students for this Buddhist etiquette and is to understand how much? Buddhist etiquette is generally divided into three categories, Tibetan Buddhist etiquette, Chinese Buddhist etiquette and is the South Buddhist etiquette of these three categories, said here I do not talk too much nonsense directly into the main topic. This chapter of the article to talk about the meaning of Buddhist etiquette in the hall, I hope you like.

The hall, refers to the old litigants to the public court to be tried. Also known as the Buddhist "meal", Chinese Chinese Buddhist jungles in the unique ritual, morning and afternoon fasting twice through the hall, is to eat as an important practice, in the life of the monastic community occupies an important position, is the unity of the Buddhist ideology and etiquette. Crossing the hall. Monks and nuns have to cross the hall to eat, in the morning, noon to the "five views of the hall" or "fasting hall" with food. Five views of the meaning of: First, think of food is hard to come by, the second is to think of their own virtues have no deficiency, the third is to prevent the emergence of the idea of gluttony and deliciousness, the fourth is to the meal only as a cure for hunger, the fifth is to cultivate the industry to receive this food.

At the passing of the hall, the abbot monk sits on the Dharma seat in the middle of the hall, and the monks are seated on either side. Before eating, the large wooden fish (bang) and gourd-shaped iron plate (yunban) hanging in the temple corridor are knocked. The bang is the call to eat, also known as the long fish. Fish day and night do not close their eyes, a metaphor for Buddhist practice should also be diligent, sleep and food in the middle of the meal, if you need to add food, you should send the empty bowl to the table, by the Lenten Hall waiter to add, not to call out, bowls and chopsticks should be placed at the table put together.

If the abbot monk's chopsticks rest on the edge of the bowl, it means he wants to speak to the public; chopsticks flat, that is, not ready to speak. In the past, large temples due to the large number of monks, more than with the "Hall" form of eating, and the implementation of the food system. Now the general small temples, the number of people is not large, more than four dishes and a soup **** food system. Buddhism advocates not eating at noon, has changed, most monks and nuns in order to work and study, but also ate dinner, called "eat to put the Senate.

March 28, 2009 at 12 noon, to participate in the second World Buddhist Forum, more than a thousand monks and masters and people from all walks of life, into the Hall of the Five Observations, to experience the Chinese temple in the "Hall" ceremony. This is the first time that this ceremony is included in the World Buddhist Forum. The scene of more than 1,000 people "crossing the hall" together was unprecedented and spectacular. China Buddhist Association, vice president of the Venerable Master Ming Sheng said that the "hall" is the monk's three meals a day to pass the form, reflecting the connotation of Buddhism, the World Buddhist Forum in the future will be arranged for each of this ceremony.

"Passing the hall" that is, "eating" in Buddhism, is a unique ritual in the Chinese Han Buddhist jungle, morning and afternoon fasting twice, is to eat as an important practice, occupies an important position in the life of the monastic community, is the unity of the Buddhist ideology and etiquette. It is a unification of Buddhist thought and ritual.

Inside the Hall of Five Views, a reclining golden Maitreya Buddha smilingly "looking" at the hall. In the melodious sound of chanting, regardless of the family and the family, regardless of whether it is from Chinese Buddhism, Tibetan Buddhism or Southern Buddhism, are seated in order, solemn and dignified. In front of them, three celadon bowls arranged in the shape of "Pin", another banana, a spoon, a pair of wooden chopsticks.

In the crowd joined hands and lowered their eyebrows to recite the "feeding mantra" at the same time, dozens of green-robed monks holding wooden buckets, began to give the crowd a meal, a dish, a meal and a soup. According to Buddhist rituals, the crowd eats quietly, without making a sound. Chinese monasteries in addition to a strict vegetarian diet, but also according to the relevant precepts to develop a corresponding fast through the hall rituals, which is the "two-time fasting ritual", which has become a major feature of Chinese Buddhism.

Shi Qingyuan, deputy director of the teaching affairs department of the China Buddhist Association, said that participating in the "passing through the hall" can experience the Buddhist understanding of the life of the self and the external material world. "'Passing the Hall' is a highlight of the forum, which mainly embodies five Buddhist concepts: gratitude for blessings, compassion and equality, contentment and saving, internal introspection, and green environmental protection." He also revealed that the ceremony is also ready to declare China's intangible cultural heritage.

Concluding remarks "over the hall" to put it simply is the children of the Buddhist disciples to do homework during meals, can also be considered a kind of cultivation. This ceremony occupies a very important place in the life of the sangha, and is a unification of Buddhist thought and ritual.