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The Temple Threshold Faux-Pa
Most of my Buddhism study has been to take my life experiences and see how they relate to Buddhist philosophy. As a result I have little knowledge of protocol when at a Temple.
Last year I visited the Ji'le Temple in China. Its a "working" temple, monks live there, there are many activities going on and/or being prepared for. I was fascinated as I walked through the place. To be truthful, I had never been in the presence of Buddhist praying, offering gifts and gathering for whatever purpose they were gathering for at the time.
Anyway...
As my girlfriend lead me into a hall where many people were gathered. (When in China I generally follow her lead since she is Chinese and its her home turf) I was not paying attention to how she entered the hall so, when she smiled to say "it's OK, come in" I began to enter and in doing so stepped on and paused on the large wooden timber that is the threshold (at least thats what I'm calling it). Not good!
About 10 of the 30 or more people inside at once went from peacefully standing is some sort of formation to waving their arms, saying something (my Mandarin isn't good) in a rather urgent if not exited way. (this being northern china such open excitement is notable lol).
My g/f friend smiled and motioned me off the threshold and everyone went back to business.
Does anyone know the history and meaning of the threshold and stepping over it, rather than on?
Last year I visited the Ji'le Temple in China. Its a "working" temple, monks live there, there are many activities going on and/or being prepared for. I was fascinated as I walked through the place. To be truthful, I had never been in the presence of Buddhist praying, offering gifts and gathering for whatever purpose they were gathering for at the time.
Anyway...
As my girlfriend lead me into a hall where many people were gathered. (When in China I generally follow her lead since she is Chinese and its her home turf) I was not paying attention to how she entered the hall so, when she smiled to say "it's OK, come in" I began to enter and in doing so stepped on and paused on the large wooden timber that is the threshold (at least thats what I'm calling it). Not good!
About 10 of the 30 or more people inside at once went from peacefully standing is some sort of formation to waving their arms, saying something (my Mandarin isn't good) in a rather urgent if not exited way. (this being northern china such open excitement is notable lol).
My g/f friend smiled and motioned me off the threshold and everyone went back to business.
Does anyone know the history and meaning of the threshold and stepping over it, rather than on?
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Comments
Er, sorry, can't help you on this one! Although when I was in Mongolia, I did notice that every temple I went into had a sort of threshold that you had to actually step over to get in. Seemed very strange and irritating to me, but I don't know the reason. Perhaps I'll find out!
Palzang
Alrgiht, cut the crap. Taoists (traditionally) build temples with thresholds to so called "keep out" the ghosts and asuras from entering temples and sacred structures, for it is believed that ghosts are travelling on a sub-ground level - meaning that perhaps their heads are on the same level as our feet and the rest of their body in the ground. They cannot cross thresholds because they'll just knock and bounce off it. Stepping on the threshold is a big taboo since it will somehow destroy the protection - temporarily anyway.
Considering the Taoist influence on Chinese Buddhism - no suprise such stuff happens - also, Taoist or not, most Chinese still consider it rude to step on thresholds of houses and buildings (me excluded) for some other reason or another.
"Note that as you enter, you must step over a high threshold board. This serves a dual function. First, it forces devotees to look downward, as they should when entering the temple. Second, it keeps out wandering ghosts -- ghosts tend to shuffle their feet, so if they try to enter, the threshold board will trip them."
I also found that it is considered inauspicious and disrespectful to step on the threshold board. In most temples you enter with the right foot first as well.
Hope that answers the question!
Palzang
Haha!!
Yeah, this was at least 12 or 15" high and a foot wide. While there I also visited an all but abandoned Confucius Temple (its a tourist attraction) and noticed certain buildings had similar threasholds.
Hmm...
I guess I opened the dern ghost gate for a couple seconds.
Funny, my folks used to act the same way when I left the refrigerator door open too long