Travel Day 1077 – Kopan Monastery, NEPAL
Besides the general conduct at a Buddhist monastery, there was also a certain dharma etiquette that wanted to be observed…
Dharma Etiquette inside the Monastery
In general, the dharma etiquette was mainly concerned about some basic rules of respect for the teachings of the Buddha. While some rules were focused directly on the texts, others were rather rules of conduct towards each other and especially the teacher, creating a more conducive environment to study. But in any case, dharma etiquette had nothing to do with giving up the right to question the teachings and certainly did it not mean that one had to agree with everything that the Buddha had taught…
Dharma etiquette was rather focusing for example on the respectful treatment of dharma books and notebooks containing dharma teachings. We were told that books containing dharma always needed to be kept in a clean place and when carried around, a cloth had to be wrapped around them. Furthermore it was not allowed to step over dharma books or to place them directly on the floor. A cushion had to be placed on the floor first on which the dharma books could rest. Also if we choose not to keep one of the books from the teachings, we were strongly encouraged to return them to the return them to the reception…
Carrying only wrapped Dharma Books
Another part of the dharma etiquette was concerned with our appearance within the teaching Gompa. We obviously had to dress modestly with non-revealing clothes, meaning knees and shoulders had to be at least covered. But we also had to make sure to sit upright, facing the teacher and not to lean casually against a column for example. While it was no problem to change the posture during class and to stretch the legs, it still had to be done very mindfully. The legs could not be stretched over the dharma books and the soles of the feet could not be pointed towards the altar, the teacher or the Buddha…
It was also quite interesting to note that in general nobody was allowed to teach the dharma unless they were asked by others. On the other hand the listeners had to follow a certain standard while they could not sit on a higher elevation than someone teaching the dharma. They could also not carry any sort of weapons and they needed to be sitting upright, with a mind that was receptive and open to the teachings of the Buddha…
Dharma Etiquette while placing Books
One way to ensure that the mind was more receptive was to make three prostrations before sitting down for the class. As our teachers were always making their three prostrations to the Buddha and the seat they had to take in order to teach, I decided to join-in, even if it was not strictly required. But since the idea of the prostrations was to decrease false pride and the sense of ego, I personally felt it was extremely important to participate and show respect to the teachings, the teacher and the Buddha…
In conclusion it seemed that all of these dharma etiquette rules were trying to make sure that we all had the right mental attitude. As it was stated in one of the texts: Traditional forms have been kept in Tibetan Buddhism not because they are old, but because they have proven to be beneficial for the development of the mind…
Find all Kopan Monastery 2013 Photos here.
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