Cow dung and garlic.

[Huseng]

In my reading of the Vinaya I've discovered some interesting things about garlic and cow dung. I wrote an article about it, so please have a look:

http://huayanzang.blogspot.com/2012/07/ ... -dung.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

This is the key quote that sparked my interest:

The Sarvāstivādavinaya Saṃgraha states,

《根本薩婆多部律攝》卷8：「若服蒜為藥者。僧伽臥具大小便處。咸不應受用。不入眾中不禮尊像。不繞制底。有俗人來不為說法。設有請喚亦不應往。應住邊房服藥既了。更停七日待臭氣銷散。浴洗身衣並令清潔。其所居處牛糞淨塗。」(CBETA, T24, no. 1458, p. 571, a10-15)

“If treating [an illness] with garlic, neither the sangha bedding nor lavatory should be used. One does not enter in among the sangha. One does not prostrate to the Buddha or circumambulate caityas. If a laymember comes, one does not teach the Dharma. Even if requested one should not go. One should reside in a room on the periphery [of the monastery]. When the treatment of medicine is completed, one remains settled for a further seven days to wait for the odor to disperse. Washing the body and clothes making them pure, the place one stayed in is to be purified by smearing it with cow dung.”

So, if you eat garlic you need to go into solitary retreat for a week and then smear cow dung all over your room to get rid of any residual garlic odor.

Actually this speaks of vast cultural differences that we always need to be aware of when reading any text.

[Blue Garuda]

Strange.

Cow dung in India is often dried and used to burn on fires.

Perhaps the reference is allied in some way to the sacredness of the animal in India, thus making the dung also sacred and purifying.

[kirtu]

In my reading of the Vinaya I've discovered some interesting things about garlic and cow dung. I wrote an article about it, so please have a look:

http://huayanzang.blogspot.com/2012/07/ ... -dung.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

This is the key quote that sparked my interest:

The Sarvāstivādavinaya Saṃgraha states,

《根本薩婆多部律攝》卷8：「若服蒜為藥者。僧伽臥具大小便處。咸不應受用。不入眾中不禮尊像。不繞制底。有俗人來不為說法。設有請喚亦不應往。應住邊房服藥既了。更停七日待臭氣銷散。浴洗身衣並令清潔。其所居處牛糞淨塗。」(CBETA, T24, no. 1458, p. 571, a10-15)

“If treating [an illness] with garlic, neither the sangha bedding nor lavatory should be used. One does not enter in among the sangha. One does not prostrate to the Buddha or circumambulate caityas. If a laymember comes, one does not teach the Dharma. Even if requested one should not go. One should reside in a room on the periphery [of the monastery]. When the treatment of medicine is completed, one remains settled for a further seven days to wait for the odor to disperse. Washing the body and clothes making them pure, the place one stayed in is to be purified by smearing it with cow dung.”

So, if you eat garlic you need to go into solitary retreat for a week and then smear cow dung all over your room to get rid of any residual garlic odor.

Actually this speaks of vast cultural differences that we always need to be aware of when reading any text.

Personally I need to eat a good deal of garlic.

Is this text from Indian sources?

Kirt

[Huseng]

Is this text from Indian sources?

Kirt

The Sarvāstivādavinaya Saṃgraha among others cited are all Indian texts as translated into Classical Chinese.

The cow dung just reflects the sensibilities of ancient Indians, Buddhist or otherwise. The garlic likewise.

We generally don't find the substance offensive. However, it is said to prompt anger and lust (that might be depending on the individual).

[kirtu]

Is this text from Indian sources?

Kirt

The Sarvāstivādavinaya Saṃgraha among others cited are all Indian texts as translated into Classical Chinese.

The cow dung just reflects the sensibilities of ancient Indians, Buddhist or otherwise. The garlic likewise.

We generally don't find the substance offensive. However, it is said to prompt anger and lust (that might be depending on the individual).

You may find that garlic is (or was) said in Aryuvedic systems to promote anger and lust objectively. It may depend on body types but I have read Tibetan sources that state this and have heard it from lamas as well and Chinese laypeople mention it relatively often. It would be interesting to see if this was emphasized in China or if the assertion really stems from India sources.

Kirt