Tibet Customs - Taboos in etiquette

It is a taboo to call the name of the prestigious, the elders, monks, teachers. But add "la" after their names.

When walk outside, it is a taboo to walk in the way of others, especially of the elders, monks and teachers.

When inside a room or a tent, people should not sit cross legs, legs on all sides, in particular, on the cassions of meetings, holding ceremony or greeting guests. It is a taboo to stretch their legs pointing to others, not to mention lifting one's leg on teapot, table or other objects.

It is a taboo for some one directly takes a broom from other person's hand. When one needs to hand it over to others, one must firstly throw it to the ground, then let others pick it up themselves.

It is a taboo to make a noise when crossing mountain peak, lakes, and snow mountains as it will result in rains, snows and hails.

It is a taboo to use dirty bowls or put figures on the edge of a bowl when pouring tea and wine for guests.

Don't blow whistle indoors during the night, which may draw ghosts and nocturnal spirits home.

Don't close door heavily when guests were just gone, which means the host doesn't welcome guests.

Don't spit behind others (even not on purpose). Don't clap hands behinds.
Don't place empty bucket or pack basket and so on, in the walk way of guests, or in front of them when they come in.

Don't use bowls or cups with cracks. It is believed those objects with cracks will block fortune.

Don't present worn-out hadas to guests.

People must use both hands when carrying meals, teas, wine and hand over objects to guests, the elders, the masters, the monks, teachers and officials, otherwise it is considered as ban mannered.

When people present gifts to you, you should accept with both hands. If your hands have some dirt, you should clean them before accepting to show your respect.

tags: China travel and Tibet Tours

Tibet Religious Taboos – Kowtow

Kowtow is a traditional etiquette of Tibetan, which is practiced in worshipping Buddha sculptures, pagodas and living Buddha, sometimes also for visiting the prestigious the elderly.  There are three forms as kowtow of full length kowtow, short length kowtow and kowtowing with sound. It is common to find people practicing kowtows of full length and short length in Johkang Temple, the Potala Palace and other monasteries.

When practicing kowtows, people put palms together, old them higher than head. Then holding them from top of the head to forehead and keep still before chest, then bow three times and prostrate on ground with both hands parallel evenly on the ground, and practice it three times. Pious Buddhism can constantly practice full length kowtows from Sichuan, Yunnan, Qinghai, Gansu to Lhasa, with three steps one kowtow. Such a pilgrimage could last several years. When making a kowtow with sound, men, women, the old and the young all hold palms together first and bow to under the feet of Buddha, knocking the Buddha slightly by forehead, which means penitence.

tags: Tibet Tours and China travel

Tibet Custom - Babay Birth

On the third day after a baby was born, friends and relatives would come for celebration. The celebration activity is called Pangse. Pang means cirt and se means remove so it means the activity of removing evil spirits. Urban people bring presents such as qingke barley wine, butter tea, clothings and hats and so on for new born baby. When guests come into residence, they present a hada to the mother and the baby in swaddle. They present wine and tea to the mother and carefully look at the baby, with auspicious words and prayers.

In countryside, relatives and friends bring wine, tea as well as a Danggu (bag made of lamb leather) of zanba and a block of fresh butter, which are gifts for entrance. Following the ancient tradition, countrymen congratulate the new born baby for a healthy grown-up in the future. Guests present wine and tea to the mother, later using their thumb and point finger to pinch a bit of zanba upon the new born baby's forehead. It means praying for uprising future.

Tibetan asserts, a baby once was out of mother's embryo brought many evil spirits and dirts. Through holding the ceremony, it can remove them and celebrate the baby for a healthy growing.

It is said that pang se ceremony has developed from ancient Bon's period. In some remote countryside, Tibetans piles stones up on the morning of pang se. If a baby boy was was born, a pile of white stones will stand outside of the residence's gate. If a baby girl was born, any sort of stones is appropriate to pile up. Besides, people burn aromatic branches next to the pile of stones. People who come for celebration walk right to the gate for springkling a bit of zanba in the stone piles and burn incense before coming into the host's house. It is the way the Bon practise praying for deities.

tags:Tibet Tours and China travel