Temple related taboos!
Netizen’s question is: In Tumochuan, Inner Mongolia, there is a folk proverb: "I would rather live in front of the temple and behind the temple than to live on the left and right of the temple." I still don't understand it. Please help explain!
’s simple understanding and answer is: Because I have never been to the Inner Mongolia prairie and know nothing about the local customs, but based on speculation, this sentence should be related to the northern grassland landscape and the cold winter wind. For temples facing north and south, if the yurts are placed in front of and behind the temple, they can withstand the cold wind. Among them, the front of the temple should be better than the back of the temple. On the left side of the temple and on the right side of the temple, there is no cover. The yurt is not that safe and its ability to withstand severe cold is obviously weaker! "It's better to live in front of and behind the temple than to the left and right of the temple." This should be a proverb summed up based on the requirements for setting up yurts!
On relatively flat ground, if there is a protrusion, the wind will be strong on both sides of the protrusion. There is a temple on the grassland. It is a fact that the wind speed on both sides of the temple is strong. There is no need to argue. However, in the position where the front and back of the temple are close to each other, the wind speed will generally feel smaller! The explanation of other versions of
is: "I would rather live in front of the temple and behind the temple than to live on the left and right of the temple." This is generally said by northerners. The general idea is that when there is no choice, one would rather choose the front and rear of the temple than the temple. about. Violating the taboos of Qinglong Sha and White Tiger Sha means that you are on an equal footing with the so-called "gods" and become the neighbors of the "gods". Your own life is poor and you cannot afford to enjoy the gods. "Five birds and six beasts" "Everyone has a bull's head and a horse's face, and ordinary people can't compete with them."
I am not very interested in temples and rarely visit nunneries and temples. Little concern was given to temple accommodations and taboos. For a long time, ordinary people have been very taboo about temples, whether they are in front of or behind the temple, or left and right of the temple. Therefore, they think that no one is willing to build a house around the temple. Due to this influence, they don’t pay much attention to temples. Therefore, there is little care and research on the nature of temples. But I have always had doubts about why people are so taboo about temples, and I always feel that there is an unsolved mystery in my heart!
More than 20 years ago, I went to several nunneries and temples many times because I had something on my mind... The reason why I went in and out of many temples many times in a row was: I subjectively believed that the temple I went to first was The host's weak and inadvertent performance made me think that something was wrong and that the temple was very unreliable. So he went in and out of various temples to observe. Sure enough, four months later, an assassination occurred inside the nunnery... Only then did I understand why there were so many folk taboos around the nunnery temple, all kinds of things... The reason was that living in the nunnery The composition of people is too complex.
In ancient times, many dynasties had regulations that as long as they escaped into the "empty gate", the imperial law would no longer pursue them. Therefore, nunneries and temples became refuges for serious criminals who "robbed homes, robbed homes, killed people and expropriated goods." After these people escape into Buddhism, it is difficult to guarantee that they will not commit crimes again. If they continue to violate the law and commit crimes under the pretense of hypocrisy, it will be even more "secret", "deceptive" and "harmful". Generally, temples and nunneries are located in remote locations, and the danger factor of temples and nunneries is greater in the front, rear, left and right. This should be the main reason why people in ancient times were particularly taboo against temples and nunneries!
In addition to the above reasons, temples are often places where bandits and gangsters hide. As long as these people rely on nunnery temples and hide in temples, the safety factor around the temple will be greatly reduced.
Why temples are deliberately made "eerie and mysterious"? The facts revealed above are the essence of the problem. It is so eerie that most people dare not approach it, but it is more conducive for evildoers to move around. This is my own unique analysis and opinion!
Feng Shui believes that the places in front of the gods and behind the temples belong to lonely evil spirits. It is not good if there are "monasteries", "churches" and other religious places near your residence. Because these places are places where the gods are entrusted, and people gathering and resting in them will disturb the surrounding aura and energy, affecting the normal ecological environment that people need.Living near temples and religious sites often causes the following two major problems: 1. Family members tend to feel lonely, and the probability of developing mental illnesses such as depression and schizophrenia is relatively high. 2. Personality tends to go to two extremes, either furious, impatient or even cruel, or very loyal and honest, often bullied.
If you think about the sentence "Like Mencius, choose your neighbor", people will understand that the environment plays an important role in the healthy growth of people and the development of their careers.
Places such as temples are exactly the opposite of the concept that Yangzhai needs Yang energy. Temples give people a gloomy and gloomy feeling. If you live next to a temple all day long, the negative impact it will bring can sometimes be quite serious. Therefore, you should be cautious when living near temples.
There are many folk sayings about temples and there are many versions, but they are basically based on the local "climatic conditions", "geographical conditions", "folk rumors and customs experience" and "dark reasons in history". Select a few of them below and briefly analyze the reasons!
"I would rather live in front of the temple than behind it; I would rather live on the left side of the temple than on the right side." This saying is representative!
No matter where you are in the country, there are still many temples. Most temples are located in open areas, sparsely populated places on the outskirts of cities, especially places with steep mountains, such as Mount Tai and Huangshan. temple.
Some temples were originally located in relatively empty areas. Later, due to the strong incense and urban development, more and more people lived around the temples.
Living next to a temple is very particular. "I would rather live in front of the temple than behind the temple, and I would rather live on the left side of the temple than on the right side of the temple." This involves temple matters!
First of all: "I would rather live in front of the temple than behind the temple." This is a conclusion drawn under the condition that there are only two options: front of the temple and behind the temple!
From ancient times to the present, various "gods" and "Buddha statues" have been enshrined in general temples, and they accept worship from people with spiritual sustenance. Some of the larger temples are full of people coming and going every day, and they are very lively.
In such places, the elderly, weak and sick are relatively concentrated. The "old, weak and sick" will inevitably have "turbid" and "disordered" auras, poor sanitary conditions, and "bacteria" and "viruses" are more likely to spread. Temple buildings are generally oriented in the meridian direction. The back of the temple is generally located in a wind-free area where it is hot in summer. The air pollution is more serious than in front of the temple, and it is more likely to be infected with unknown infectious diseases.
Houses in temples are generally built relatively tall. If you live behind a temple, ordinary houses are easily blocked and cannot get sunlight.
The temples are all ancient buildings, and the ancient trees planted in the temples create a gloomy atmosphere. Living in the houses behind the temples is easily affected by this gloomy atmosphere and feels very depressing.
In addition, there are many people who come to temples every day to visit and worship. There is a mixture of fish and dragons. Some temples have a wall around them. Everyone can climb up and look around. Living behind the temple makes it easy for others to see your personal life. , daily life is affected.
So, if you want to live next to a temple, you would rather live in front of the temple than behind the temple. It has its profound connotation!
Secondly: "I would rather live on the left side of the temple than on the right side of the temple." This is the conclusion drawn under the condition that there are only two choices: temple left and temple right!
For a long time, whether it is a house or a temple in rural areas, the location is very particular. Most traditional houses face north and south. Generally speaking, the east side is respected and the left side is respected.
Even if you eat in formal occasions now, the seat is always on the left. For example, the seat at the back of a table facing the door is the seat of honor, and the seat to the left is the most important guest at the table.
The left side of the temple represents east and represents yang, while the right side of the temple represents west and represents yin. Therefore, the right side of the temple is more unfavorable to the residents than the left side of the temple.
If you really want to live next to a temple, there are only two locations to choose from, the left and the right. The left is definitely the location you must choose, because the left is the largest location.
The east side on the left heats up faster in the morning, and the west side on the right heats up faster in the afternoon.Although they are two simple different heating methods, they are very different. The east side on the left heats up quickly in the morning, resulting in a comfortable situation of warm winter and cool summer. When the temperature rises in the afternoon on the west side on the right, the heat will be unbearable and the winter cold will be unbearable.
Nowadays, large temples have long become tourist attractions. Under normal circumstances, there are no people living around the temple, and most of them are shops in tourist attractions. The meaning of this rural proverb
can be summed up as follows: If you can only choose one place to live around the temple, you would rather live in front of the temple than behind the temple, and you would rather live on the left side of the temple than on the right side of the temple.
Common sayings circulated among the people have a wisdom side and different interpretations. There are also arguments about the public saying that the public is right and the mother-in-law saying that the mother-in-law is right. Take the temple as an example, "behind the temple", "in front of the temple" and "left of the temple". There are many different opinions on the matter of building a house on the right side of the temple. In fact, they all look at the problem from different perspectives.
"I would rather live in front of the temple than behind the temple; I would rather live on the left side of the temple than on the right side of the temple." This is a saying that northerners often say. In fact, it is based on yin and yang. Temples were the largest buildings in ancient times, regardless of the building itself. No matter how high it is, there is always "the height of a temple". The back of the temple is naturally a "yin" place, and the west side of the temple is naturally a "yin" place. Yang people cannot live in "yin people", which is the most basic common sense in Feng Shui.
In addition to the above sentence, there are two more folk aphorisms about temples. In order to illustrate the problem, they are listed together and explained appropriately:
1. "There is poverty in front of the temple, wealth behind the temple, and widows appear on the left and right of the temple." . The second half of this sentence is relatively consistent across places. Combined with the issues mentioned above, it is easy to understand! How can we be on an equal footing with “God”? Taking the life of the man in the house and leaving the wife of the man in the house, the wife of the man next door to the temple becomes the wife of the "god"!
Why are people poor in front of the temple, and why are they rich behind the temple? Based on the direction, the front of the temple belongs to the south, which belongs to the land of Zhuque. It belongs to fire, governs summer work, and does not gather wealth. Behind the temple is the land of Xuanwu , which belongs to water and is responsible for winter storage and gathering wealth.
This sentence, on the other hand, makes more sense. There are many people in front of the temple and it is easy to do business, but the back of the temple is deserted and unpopular, so naturally it becomes "rich in front of the temple and poor behind the temple". This sounds more realistic.
"I would rather live in front of the temple than behind the temple; I would rather live on the left side of the temple than on the right side of the temple. There is poverty in front of the temple, loneliness behind the temple, and widows appear on the left and right sides of the temple." Although these words are a bit exaggerated, they are a summary of the experience of our ancestors over thousands of years.
1. Tall buildings in front of the house door are considered evil spirits in Feng Shui and will conflict with the residents, so they are unlucky.
2. The doors of the temple all face south, so behind the temple is the Yin House. The residence is a yang house and the cemetery is a yin house. If yang people do not live in the yin place, it is unlucky for the yang people.
3. The sounds of "Sanskrit music", "bells and drums" and "sutra repentance" in temples and Taoist temples can easily cause noisy noise, which can easily disrupt the reasonable work and rest time of nearby residents, and can easily cause people to lose concentration and even become irritable. Over time, It will definitely affect sleep and even physical and mental health.
4. People from near and far may gather in temples. The crowds are crowded and property is easily lost, which affects the normal life of the residents.
5. People often associate temples with "ghosts", "gods" and other negative substances, which can easily cause great psychological pressure and obstacles.
"It is better to live in front of the temple than behind the temple, and it is better to live on the left side of the temple than on the right side of the temple. The poor in front of the temple, the orphans behind the temple, and the widows appear on the left and right sides of the big temple." Many people are often confused when they hear such words. However, today we should still attach great importance to the many experiences summarized by the ancients on how to choose the topography of a house, and pay attention to learning and applying them.
2. "Before the temple and behind the Yamen". If you want to make a fortune, do business in front of the temple. There is a large flow of people in front of the temple and it is easy for goods to be stolen. If you want to do something that others can't do, go behind the Yamen, which means "go through the back door", and you can get things done better!
