2. In the main hall, the abbot and monks sit on the throne in the main hall, and the monks sit on both sides. Before eating, knock on the big wooden fish (bang) and gourd-shaped iron plate (cloud plate) hanging in the temple corridor. Bang is a kind of eating order, also called long fish. Fish don't sleep a wink day and night, which shows that Buddhists should be diligent and forget to eat and sleep.
3. In the middle of eating, if you need to add food, you should send the empty bowl to the table and the waiter in Zhaitang will add it. Don't make any noise, and put the dishes and chopsticks on the dining table.
4. If the abbot monk's chopsticks are placed by the bowl, it means that he wants to speak to the public; Chopsticks are flat, but they are not ready to talk.
In the past, due to the large number of monks and nuns, temples used to eat in the form of halls, and the system of separate meals was implemented. Now the number of people in the small temple is small, and the system of eating four dishes and one soup is adopted. Buddhism advocates not eating after noon, but now it has changed. Most monks and nuns also eat dinner for work and study, which is called eating ginseng.
Extended data:
The source of vegetarian food:
During the reign of the Buddha, monks dressed in cassock, begging for food with bowls and wandering around. Only in the rainy season do they return to monasteries or fixed places to settle down in summer, when they no longer go out to ask for bowls.
For monks, "begging for food" contains far-reaching significance-on the one hand, surrendering arrogance, not greedy for food, having no choice but to concentrate on monasticism; On the other hand, by begging for food, he contacted the lay people and gave them a chance to bless and talk. Therefore, begging for food is the life of monks, and digging for vegetables and fruits will harm people's lives, which is forbidden by primitive Buddhism.
However, in the culture of China, "begging" is a despicable act. Moreover, in the big society that generally attaches importance to labor, monks begging for food is regarded as "no labor, no production", and it is difficult to gain public recognition and respect.
Secondly, the number of monks is increasing and expanding, and the temple is remote, so it is difficult to live by begging. In this case, since the Southern and Northern Dynasties, the royal aristocrats have supported monks by giving away fields instead of giving food directly. On the other hand, monks must also sort out their own modes of production in order to be self-sufficient.
In the Tang Dynasty, Master Mazu started the jungle, and Zen Master Baizhang established clear rules, which officially opened a new way of life for China Sangha. Monks began to live a self-cultivation meditation life of "cultivating by day and meditating by night". The noble spirit and Hanukkah of Baizhang Zen Master "not doing anything for a day" became an example for monks to follow in the future, and practice at work became an unshakable belief for monks.
Baidu encyclopedia-Buddhist vegetarian