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Bandar Utama Buddhist Society - Buddhist Etiquette
Let go of the past, let go of the future, let go of the present, and
cross over to the farther shore of existence. With mind wholly liberated, you shall come no more to birth and death.
~ Dhammapada 348
Introduction
Buddhist monasteries and centers are places
of worship and have certain social conventions, - a 'body language' meant to
convey a sense of composure, grace, and respect. As Asians, we are generally
familiar with such etiquette as many of these practices have been incorporated
into our culture. However, it is produced here as a guide for those who
feel they would like to re-familiarize themselves with the culture. As
well as promoting harmony and grace within the community, the forms of etiquette
we use are also a means of training oneself in mindfulness and circumspection in
everyday social interactions. A well-intentioned attitude is the most important
thing: courtesy and respect go a long way, and are the basis of many of the
forms of etiquette we use in the Center.
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 The Basics
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- When coming to the Center, dress modestly. Casual dress is fine but refrain
from wearing clothes that are either too revealing or sloppy.
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Please remember to turn off or mute your cell phone. Smoking is not allowed.
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The Shrine Hall is usually meant for religious activities although (as a
result of a space constrains) it is sometimes used for social and
educational activities. Apart from these it should not be used for other
activities.
- While in the Shrine Hall, refrain from loud talk, noise, play, reading of
newspapers and the like
- Sit with your feet folded to one side or cross-legged. Please do not lie on the floor.
If you feel the need to stretch your legs while in the Shrine Hall, it is
suggested to do so in such a way that you do not point your feet directly at
the Teacher or Shrine.
- When greeting other community members, one may do so in the Buddhist
tradition of 'anjali' by placing the palms together at the chest. However, in
accordance with present times, handshakes and hellos are also perfectly
acceptable.
- It is customary and respectful to stand when a monastic enters and leaves the
Shrine Hall.
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Pujas
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The Shrine where the Buddha image is placed represents the
Buddha himself and should be respected as such. You may make offerings of
lamps, flowers, incense, fruit and water at the shrine. When the
assembled community venerates the Three Jewels and performs the Buddha Puja,
please sit or bow accordingly and do not engage in other activity (such as
qigong or yoga). The traditional way of paying respect to a Shrine or to a monk
or nun, who may be present is to bow. This is done kneeling and sitting firmly
on the heels. Bow forward, putting the hands six inches apart and the elbows
directly in front of the knees. Touch the forehead to the floor between the
hands. Bow three times, (to respect with your body, speech and mind to the Three
Jewels). In the Center, we pay respect to the Shrine or to the monastic at the
beginning and end of the Puja or Dhamma talk.
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Relating to Monks and Nuns
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Monks and nuns ( they are not 'priests') have many rules in
their monastic code of discipline that affect the way they relate to people. In
particular, it is an offense for an ordained monastic to have sensual physical
contact with a person of the opposite sex. The protection against this goes even
further, stipulating that there must be another conscientious male present
whenever a monk is spending time with a woman. This is to prevent
harmful gossip and misunderstanding. Partly for this reason, monks and nuns will
greet people with an anjali rather than shaking hands or embracing.
As alms-mendicants, monks and nuns are
prohibited from engaging in activities that could provide for their own material
livelihood. This includes handling money or storing food. As a result,
everything that accrues to the monastic community is the result of an offering
from a generous person. Anything a monk or nun consumes, except water, must
actually be offered to them directly. They cannot help themselves to food unless
it has been offered to them.
In addressing a monk or a nun, it is
considered impolite to refer to them directly by name without an appropriate
form of address. As we have visiting teachers from several traditions, you may
hear many different forms of address. Generally monks are addressed with these
prefixes:
Ajahn: Thai for teacher
Sayadaw: Burmese for Teacher
Bhante:
Pali for Venerable
For the sake of simplicity, it is best to simply use the address Bhante or the
English equivalent Venerable.
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