Let’s talk about the Namaste salute, the fist-cup salute and the hand-over salute.

Yesterday, I was chatting with a leader on WeChat. I thanked him for his help and sent him the emoticon pack [clasp hands] [clasp hands] [clasp hands]. He replied to me: Use this [clasp your fists] Don’t use this [clasp your hands] ], it’s weird to see this [cross hands]! You know this [clasp hands] [clasp fists] [clasp fists] [clasp fists]

Today, during the Dragon Boat Festival, I exchanged holiday greetings with Master Siqe of Mount Wutai. We all used the emoji package [clasp hands] [clasp hands] [Hands together]

I think of it a long time ago, when I first sent an emoticon [Hands together] [Hands together] [Hands together] to Teacher Chen, he also asked me: What does [Hands together] mean?

Today I am going to talk about the Namaste, Fist-Closing and Hand-Covering Salutes.

Namaste with both hands

Speaking of Namaste with both hands, my mind wandered to my trip to Thailand in 2014.

When we got off the plane, we were met by a Thai tour guide. On the way from the airport to the hotel, the tour guide shared etiquette knowledge with us Chinese tourists.

Thailand is a Buddhist country. The vast majority of its citizens believe in Buddhism, and monks can be seen everywhere. Shaking hands is not popular in Buddhism, so when giving a salute to a monk, it is generally appropriate to stand and do Namaste. That is, Namaste with both hands. Men say "Sawatikabu" and women say "Sawatika". This etiquette is indispensable in daily life. Because this is the minimum respect for someone with a special status or an elderly person, and it also expresses the best wishes.

Thailand is a very hierarchical country, and different people have slightly different ways of saying Namaste.

First, if you are saluting a highly respected monk in Thailand, you need to put your hands together, raise your hands to the top of your head, and then bow. In Thailand, even the king must clasp his hands when meeting a monk.

Secondly, if you are saluting your elders, the standard approach is: put your hands together, put your hands on your chest, bow deeply, and let your nose touch your middle finger.

Again, if you are baggage to your peers, you just need to fold your hands and put your hands on your chest.

Elders do not need to salute juniors.

The daily Namaste is a way for people to express their gratitude to the monks by worshiping the Buddha.

The etiquette of folding the hands is still preserved in modern schools. Whether it is when meeting each other or when elders give things to younger generations, this etiquette is very important.

When I took refuge in the Three Jewels in 2015, I gained a better understanding of the Namaste ritual in Buddhism.

Putting the palms together is also called joining the hands, which means joining the hands together in one heart. The Ten Grounds Sutra says: "There is no distinction between the three realms, only the work of one mind." Human beings are a microcosm of the universe, and all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are cultivated from human bodies.

When meeting in a temple, it is not like ordinary people greeting each other with "Hello" or "Have you eaten?" When meeting, everyone puts their hands together and says "Amitabha";

Between monks It is also common to greet each other by putting your hands together.

When seeing a Buddha statue, put your hands together to show respect for the Buddha. When greeting monks, put your hands together to show respect.

So why do we need to put our hands together to salute? What kind of laws of the universe does it contain?

He means peace, friendship, unity and cooperation. Hands clenching fists or holding weapons represent fighting. Raise your hands to show that your bare hands are empty, which means there is no intention of fighting. And because one hand can hurt someone, if the two palms are joined together, there is no intention of hurting him.

Put your ten fingers together. It represents the cohesion and unity of forces from all directions.

Putting the ten fingers together on the heart means sincerity, which is the so-called "ten fingers connecting the heart".

Usually the ten fingers are scattered, which represents the scattered and delusional mind. Now they are united in one place, which represents one mind. The Buddha said: "If you control your mind in one place, you can do anything." He also said: "One mind will not be chaotic" and "One mind will take refuge."

When joining the palms together, the back of the palms is slightly bowed and the palms are slightly bent. In this way, a hollow is formed between the two palms, which represents the principle of vacuum, which means that we should realize emptiness.

The hands have the function of grasping objects outward, which represents "climbing".

Killing, stealing, prostitution, and drinking all depend on your hands. Ordinary people want to grab everything, grab fame, profit, and power. The more, the better. This is "greed." To hurt someone or something with your hands is "anger". Hands will indiscriminately hurt people and objects, which is "crazy". Now, the hands are joined together, and the palms are together, not the backs of the palms (to grasp things with the palms), it means to stop the rash movement of the hands, to restrain the loose body and mind, which is to eliminate "greed, anger, and ignorance".

The ten fingers represent the ten directions, and they are put together at the heart, which not only expresses the equality of all living beings, but also represents the absorption of all living beings in the ten directions and their return to the Buddha's path, and the universal salvation of "unconditional compassion and unified compassion".

The ten fingers also represent the ten directions of Buddhas. Putting the ten fingers together at the heart means offering to the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas of the ten directions with reverence, absorbing the merits of the ten directions of Buddhas, solemnizing one's own mind, and achieving good roots.

Putting the ten palms together at the heart means that our hearts must practice the ten paramitas in order to become a Buddha, that is, practice the ten paramitas of generosity, precepts, patience, diligence, meditation, wisdom, convenience, wish, power, and wisdom. . In addition, the Huayan Ten Mysterious Gates and the Samantabhadra Ten Wish Kings all represent the meaning of perfection. Therefore, putting your hands together means that you can achieve Buddhahood.

Ordinary people put their hands together to pray, bless, or express gratitude, gratitude, etc.

Fist-Hold Salute

In the Fist-Hold Salute, stand side by side, put the four fingers of your left hand together and straighten them into a palm, and bend your thumb.

Make a fist with your right hand, press the palm of your left palm against the surface of your right fist, the fingertips of your left hand are flush with your chin, the eye of your right fist is diagonally facing your chest, place it in front of your chest, bend your arms into a circle, the tip of your elbow is slightly drooped, and the palm of your fist is A distance of 20 to 30 centimeters from the chest, with the head straight and the body straight, and looking at the recipient.

The left hand is the palm, which means that morality, intelligence, body and beauty are all in balance. The bent thumb means not to be arrogant.

The right hand is a fist, which represents a brave martial artist.

Hand-over ceremony

China’s traditional culture pays attention to distance to express respect, so when meeting people, there is no physical contact like in Western countries. Especially during the epidemic in recent years, we must pay more attention to maintaining Keep distance and have less contact.

The arched hands are slightly bent and stacked on the chest or above to form an "arch shape". You can also hold it empty with one hand and hug it with the other hand.

Arching hands is a traditional etiquette in my country, which is commonly used in ancient and modern times. It is mostly used on festive occasions such as congratulations, congratulations, and New Year greetings.

The hand-over ceremony has a history of two to three thousand years. Since the Western Zhou Dynasty, it has been used when people of the same generation meet and interact. Ancient people used stylized etiquette to express respect for others in a self-effacing manner.

But remember that there are differences between men and women in the hand-over gesture.

The standard posture for men is to make a fist with their right hand and wrap it with their left hand. Because the right hand is the attacking hand, wrap it to show goodwill;

For women, it is the opposite, but they do not hold the fist, but only press the hand. .

If the left and right hands are reversed, it is a mourning fist, used to report mourning and beg for mercy.

In ancient times, the left was generally considered the most important. "Laozi" said: "A gentleman will value the left when he lives, and the right when using troops." Therefore, in most cases, the left hand is on top, the right hand is on the bottom, and the left hand is pressed. Right hand.

Another saying is that people generally hold weapons with their right hand, and pressing the right hand with their left hand symbolizes love and friendship. But also note that when attending a funeral, you must put your right hand over your left hand, and you must not make a mistake.

Compiled by Wenyuan on the evening of June 3, 2022