Superstitions / Taboos

[Jessie Fong]

Are there superstitions in Buddhism?  Or, are superstitions a cultural belief?  Or are they just old wives' tales?

It is said that seeing a rainbow is a good sign/auspicious.  Some people believe that it brings good fortune, and it is even more auspicious to see a double-arched rainbow.  Have you heard of the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow?

There is also a taboo of Always Sweeping in, Never sweeping out:
The Chinese believe that good luck enters from the front door, and bad luck leaves through the back door.  So to "pull in the luck", one should always sweep inwards from the main door towards the back door.

Hmmm I wonder if this can be applied when you vacuum instead of sweep?

Do you know of any interesting superstitions or taboos?

[Ensapa]

Here's an interesting thing about fridays, the number 13 and friday the 13th.

FRIDAY
A bed changed on Friday will bring bad dreams.
Any ship that sails on Friday will have bad luck.
You should never start a trip on Friday or you will meet misfortune.
Never start to make a garment on Friday unless you can finish it the same day.

FRIDAY THE 13TH - how did Friday the thirteenth become such an unlucky day?
fear of Friday the 13th is rooted in ancient, separate bad-luck associations with the number 13 and the day Friday. The two unlucky entities combine to make one super unlucky day.

There is a Norse myth about 12 gods having a dinner party at Valhalla, their heaven. In walked the uninvited 13th guest, the mischievous Loki. Once there, Loki arranged for Hoder, the blind god of darkness, to shoot Balder the Beautiful, the god of joy and gladness, with a mistletoe-tipped arrow. Balder died and the Earth got dark. The whole Earth mourned.

There is a Biblical reference to the unlucky number 13. Judas, the apostle who betrayed Jesus, was the 13th guest to the Last Supper.

A particularly bad Friday the 13th occurred in the middle ages. On a Friday the 13th in 1306, King Philip of France arrested the revered Knights Templar and began torturing them, marking the occasion as a day of evil.
    
In ancient Rome, witches reportedly gathered in groups of 12. The 13th was believed to be the devil.

Both Friday and the number 13 were once closely associated with capital punishment. In British tradition, Friday was the conventional day for public hangings, and there were supposedly 13 steps leading up to the noose.

It is traditionally believed that Eve tempted Adam with the apple on a Friday. Tradition also has it that the Flood in the Bible, the confusion at the Tower of Babel, and the death of Jesus Christ all took place on Friday.

Numerologists consider 12 a "complete" number. There are 12 months in a year, 12 signs of the zodiac, 12 gods of Olympus, 12 labors of Hercules, 12 tribes of Israel, and 12 apostles of Jesus. In exceeding 12 by 1, 13's association with bad luck has to do with just being a little beyond completeness.

FRIDAY THE 13TH - how is fear of the number thirteen demonstarted?
More than 80 percent of high-rises lack a 13th floor.
Many airports skip the 13th gate.
Airplanes have no 13th aisle.
Hospitals and hotels regularly have no room number 13.
Italians omit the number 13 from their national lottery.
On streets in Florence, Italy, the house between number 12 and 14 is addressed as 12 and a half.
Many cities do not have a 13th Street or a 13th Avenue
In France, socialites known as the quatorziens (fourteeners) once made themselves available as 14th guests to keep a dinner party from an unlucky fate.
Many triskaidekaphobes, as those who fear the unlucky integer are known, point to the ill-fated mission to the moon, Apollo 13.
If you have 13 letters in your name, you will have the devil's luck . Jack the Ripper, Charles Manson, Jeffrey Dahmer, Theodore Bundy and Albert De Salvo all have 13 letters in their names.

[sonamdhargey]

Here are the list of superstitions from India

I had made a list of superstition followed blindly in India on facebook, posting it here. Please contribute the superstitions that you have come across.

1. A sack full of rice will be spoilt when touched by women in periods! it will also get spoilt if touched by women after having sex

2. Coconut tree, Ashoka Tree, Banyan Tree etc are considered sacred

3. The tail end of cows is considered as most sacred part as fortune Lakshmi lives there!!,

4. The "VAASTU" as a guide for floor plans of a house is a superstitious system,

5. East is the most preferred direction for all activities (I've seen some of them preferring to sit facing east even in the office),

6. Do not proceed , if a cat crosses your way, it brings omen

7. Looking at cat in the morning is jinx,

8. Looking at mother's face or picture of God as soon as you open your eyes in the morning will bring good luck for that day,

9. Giving or taking anything in the left hand is bad (you know what left hand is used for in India  )

10. Never ask the question "where are you going? " while they are leaving house, its purpose will not be fulfilled.

11. Repeatedly yawning  indicates that someone is remembering you,

12. Sneezing odd no. of times indicates that something bad could happen,

13. Sneezing once when you make a statement indicates that what you said is true,

14. If a lizard makes a sound when you make a statement, it indicates that what you said is true ,

15. Tuesdays & Saturdays are inauspicious for doing anything new or good deeds,

16. Monday is inauspicious day for shaving and thursday is inauspicious day for washing one's hair.

17. You can't have non-veg on certain days,

18. There is particular timing during daytime called "Rahukaal", where it is considered as inauspicious for doing anything new or good deeds,

19. There are two months in a year which are inauspicious,

20. No moon day is inauspicious,

21. Right eye twitching is good for men, left eye twitching is good for women.

22. Never sleep with your head facing north or west,

23. cawing of crow or itching of right palm indicates arrival of guests,

24. Never wash the front courtyard immediately after someone leaves the house,

25. If there is itching on the right palm (left for female) you can get some money or favors,

26. Unusual winking of eyes is a symptom of ill, luck or decease,

27. Going below the ladder is jinx,

28. Never cross or jump across the worshiped pumpkins or coconuts on the road.

29. During house warming ceremony, the milk is heated in a vessel in such a way that it will overflow towards east direction,

30. If you see cat giving birth, then it brings the good luck

31. Open the front door during dusk, so that Lakshmi (fortune) enters the house

32. Never sweep the house during night time or Lakshmi (fortune) will not enter your house.

33. Cutting nails, hair-cutting, shaving or stitching cloth after sun set is a bad practice, (obviously coz of no electricity during old times, doing these in the dark could be dangerous, but its still believed to be a bad practice),

34. Taking a teaspoon of curd with litle sugar before exam will bring good luck

Source: http://nirmukta.net/Thread-Superstitions-in-India

[bambi]

Interesting topic, Jessie. I don't believe that there are superstitions in Buddhism. Well, not that I know of at least. For me personally, I don't believe in it as I find that it doesn't make much sense. However, my relatives are so when I am with them, I try my best not to disagree and just follow the rhythm. I remember when I was young, I like to blow the whistle and my mum would freak out because she said that it will attract something. No idea why though. 

Japanese superstitions

- The number four:
The number four is considered inauspicious because it is pronounced the same as the word for death (shi). Therefore, one should not make presents that consist of four pieces, etc. In some hotels and hospitals the room number four is skipped.

- Stick chopsticks into the rice:
Do not stick your chopsicks into your food generally, but especially not into rice, because only at funerals, chopsticks are stuck into the rice which is put onto the altar.

- Give food from chopstick to chopstick:
This is only done with the bones of the cremated body at funerals.

- Sleeping towards the North:
Do not sleep towards the North beacause bodies are laid down like that.

- Funeral Car:
If a funeral car passes you should hide your thumb.

- Cut nails at night:
If you cut your nails at night, you will not be with your parents when they die.

- Lie down after eating:
If you lie down immediately after eating, you will become a cow.

- Whistle in the night:
If you whistle in the night, a snake will come to you.

- Black cat:
There are also some imported superstitions such as the believe that black cats crossing the street in front of you cause bad luck.

[Tenzin K]

Below are some of the superstitions from what I observe in Hong Kong. Personally I don't believe but it can be quite funny.


1. Dirty Doings
Put your feet up and relax. Certainly the most enjoyable of the Chinese New Year superstitions, sweeping and cleaning is strictly forbidden. The Chinese believe cleaning means you'll sweep all of your good luck out the front door.

2. Time to Come Clean
Before you can enjoy number two, you need to give the house a full spring clean, before putting cleaning tools in the cupboard on New Year's Eve.

3. Read Between the Lines
Be sure to stock up on reading materials before Chinese New Year, as Hong Kong's bookshops will be padlocked tight. In Cantonese, book is a homonym for 'lose'.

4. Choppy Waters
Make sure you avoid rough seas in the new year by not buying shoes over the holiday period. In Cantonese, shoes are a homonym for 'rough'.

5. Balance the Books
If you're in debt, it's time to dip into your pockets and pay people off. The Chinese believe that if you start the new year in the red, you'll finish it the same way.

6. Ghostly Conversations
Caught round a campfire over the holiday period? No ghost stories. Tales of death, dying and ghosts is considered supremely inauspicious, especially during Chinese New Year.

7. Lady in Red
Chinese New Year is packed with colors, and while all the colors of the rainbow bring good luck, it's the color red that is considered the ultimate luck bringer.

8. Sweet Year
Hong Kongers have a sweet touch at the best of times, but Chinese New Year offers the perfect chance to raid the sweet shop, as eating candies is said to deliver a sweeter year.

9. Feel the Breeze
Welcome in the New Year with a blast of fresh air, opening your windows is said to let in good luck.

10. Get to the Point
Sharp objects are said to be harbingers of bad luck, as their sharp points cut out your good luck, pack them away.You should also avoid the hairdressers or you'll have your good luck chopped off.

[RedLantern]

We have our fair share of superstitions because of beliefs and each is influenced by the others. Because of ignorance,fear and superstition we tend to accept the beliefs of others rather than studying them rationally and discarding them as being irrelevent to modern society.
Many Asian communities which consists of different ethnic group have superstition and taboos.
Some of them are not to clip their fingernails after dark nor wash their hair on certain days of the week.Some people think it is bad luck to see shaven headed religious men the first thing in the morning.whilst others will not sweep their houses after dark.
To carry meat around at night is believed to be bad as it might attract evil spirits.Howling dogs and hooting owls at night could bring bad luck and even twitching of the left eye is considered a bad omen.Some people consider these very serious issues while those who chose to ignore them are free from fear and disturbances.
What is the Buddhist attitude towards such beliefs?
All originate from our fear of the unknown.There are practical reasons for observing certain beliefs.For example
it is of course inadvisable to cut one's nails in the dark simply because one could cut one's finger in the process.
The Buddha has said that so long as we practice loving-kindness towards all beings,visible or invisible,so long as we do others no harm by living sensibly and believing in the power of the Dharma as espounded by the Buddha,so long as we develop our right understanding by studying his teachings, nothing can harm us. We have to develop our religious devotion and confidence.The temple is a place to gain more knowledge and understanding to get rid of superstitious beliefs and to eradicate undue fear in the minds of innocent people.

[Jessie Fong]

Here is another common superstition - have you ever wondered why salt is thrown over the left shoulder?  Find out here ....



Bad Luck: Spilling Salt - Salt used to be an expensive commodity used mainly for medicinal purposes. For this reason, spillage was to be avoided at all costs. The idea that it is unlucky to do so probably stems from the belief that Judas spilt salt during the last supper. Throwing spilt salt over the left shoulder is linked to its medicinal use. If it could not be administered, the next best thing was to throw it into the eye of the evil spirits that brought sickness upon us. These spirits were thought to lurk behind your shoulder, waiting for an opportunity to strike.

[Q]

Hi Jessie, Thank you for bringing up this interesting topic. As far as I know, when it comes to purely Buddhism, there is no such thing as superstitions. In fact... Buddhism does not encourage any form of superstitions and taboos. However, most of the time, Buddhism respects cultural difference and people tend to build Buddhism in their country around their culture, therefore you get many superstitions here and there. But take note, these superstitions don't come from Buddhism, but from that particular culture itself.

Because the most important aspect in Buddhism is to keep the precepts and practice the Buddha's teachings, to have cultural influence is not much of a problem unless it hinders the Dharma from benefiting others.

Some superstitions that I grew up in are:

The number four - pronounced like 'death' so it's a number that kills... though of course, never believed that from young.

Sleep facing the door - like bringing out your dead body

Cut your fingernails at night - dont know the reason why it's a taboo...

Dont leave the house if someone sneeze before going out - sign that something bad will happen if you do

Dont whistle at night - it's a melody for the snakes to come

Dont hang a red thread on a banana tree - you'll be able to see a ghost if you do

Dont play hide and seek at night - I think its because it is believed you'll be taken to the ghost realm

Dont sing while cooking - there's a reason behind the superstition, but i believe its because they dont want saliva in the food...

Dont laugh too much while playing in the morning - you'll get nightmares at night

Dont call your friend from far in the night

Dont turn to look at someone at night if the person taps on ur sholder

etc... many more, but can't remember.

[so_003]

Wow.. this is such an interesting topic.... it seems there is so many types and so many belief out there/ so call taboos/ superstitions....

Well I do belief some of the things/story mention above. I also heard one is that never take meat of wild animals while one is pregnant as baby would be born either unwell/deformed/unhealthy and so on.

at the bottom are some of the ad on...

Do not step on the used joystick where every you are as it brings bad luck.

Do not call your friends name when hiking in the jungle.

When driving in highway if see spirit in the car don't look back, look for a tall tree and walk reverse 3 times and the spirit will leave you and your car.

I'm sure that this topic will go on for sometime as is interesting and also seeing different religion,culture and country have different taboos.

Continue sharing.

[Vajraprotector]

Thailand is a Buddhist country yet there are also many superstitions. However, I think these superstitions do have some karmic/ Buddhist basic. Spirit houses are actually the most prominent indication of the importance that belief in the spirits plays in everyday Thai life.



Outside every Thai home, hotel, hospital, or office building there is always a modest but brightly painted house, carefully positioned at a level that is slightly higher than the eye line of a standing person. This is the home of Phra Phum, the Lord of the land, and when a new home is to be built, the first thing Thai people do is to find a suitable place in the garden for the spirit house.

Selection of the exact spot for this dwelling can only properly be done by someone well versed in spirit lore, and these special souls are believed to able to communicate directly with the other side. The house must face either north or south, but preferably north, and must not be located where the owner larger house overshadows it otherwise the spirits will not come to live in it. Once divined, a post is set up at the chosen site, and the little house is perched on top.

It generally contains a single room with an outer terrace, where daily offerings to the guardian spirit are placed. A symbolic picture of the spirit is also carved on a small piece of wood inside the little house, with its back to the wall, and at the time of installation, food, fruit, candles, incense, and flowers are placed on a table before the shrine, while the spirit is invited to come and make his home there and to protect the property and the residents of the new house.

From that day onwards, fresh flowers, incense, and candles are regularly placed on the small gallery outside, and specially prepared food is offered to the spirits on important occasions such as the anniversary of the building, birthdays, deaths, and the lunar New Year.


These figurines, symbolising protective spirits, are being washed and will then be placed back into their spirit house amid hopes that they will be grateful and keep the area safe.

[harrynephew]

Most races have their own taboos. In Singapore where I am currently in, perhaps people here have more than a fair share of them because the three major ethnic groups have their own animistic beliefs and each is influenced by the others. Because of ignorance, fear and superstition each group tends to accept the beliefs of others rather than studying them rationally and discarding them as being irrelevant to modern society. For example many Asian communities believe that they must not clip their finger nails after dark nor wash their hair on certain days of the week. Some people think that it is bad luck to see shaven headed religious men the first thing in the morning whilst others will not sweep their houses after dark.

It is even believed to be bad to carry meat around at night for fear that it might attract evil spirits. Some parents advise their children to carry a piece of metal to protect themselves from ghosts. Then there are those who believe that howling dogs and hooting owls at night could bring bad luck and that a twitching of the left eye is a bad omen. Some people consider these as very serious issues. But those who ignore them are free from fear and disturbances.

What is the Buddhist attitude towards such beliefs? Where does rational thinking end and superstition begin? All seem to originate in our fear of the unknown. Sometimes there are practical reasons for observing certain beliefs. For example it is of course inadvisable to cut one’s fingernails in the dark simply because one could cut one’s finger in the process.

As far as evil spirits are concerned the Buddha has said that so long as we practise loving-kindness towards all beings, visible and invisible, so long as we do others no harm by living sensibly and believing in the power of the Dhamma or the Truth as expounded by the Buddha, and so long as we develop our right understanding by studying his Teachings, nothing can harm us. This again means we have to develop our religious devotion and confidence by visiting the temple regularly, and by having useful discussions with religious teachers so as to enrich our understanding of the Dhamma. The temple must be a place where people can gain more knowledge and understanding to get rid of superstitious beliefs and to eradicate undue fear in the minds of innocent people.

[DS Star]

I notice one particularly interesting 'object' in some of the comments: the taboos of bad luck or bad omen related to black cat.

Seems the ability of the cat to see in the dark and its black color blending into darkness could be the reason for it... nevertheless ghost movies always associate evil spirits with black cat like the popular horror classic "The Omen".

Upon research I found that the superstitions on cats, especially black cat is very strong in many different cultures; cats had caused a country to be conquered and even great kings or conquerors terrified at the sight of it.

"During the Persian invasion of 529 B.C.E., the Egyptians' deification of the cat proved their undoing. Knowing of the obsession of the Egyptian people with the divinity of felines, Cambyses II, king of the Persians, made a cat part of the standard issue to each of his soldiers. The Nile-dwellers led by King Psamtik III laid down their spears and bows for fear of harming the cat that each enemy soldier carried, and the Persians conquered the city of Pelusium without shedding a drop of blood.

Some people believe that the unwavering stare of the cat can bring about illness or insanity or even cause death. Such an unreasoning, fearful response to cats is known as ailurophobia. Henry III of England (1207–1272) would faint at the sight of a cat. Adolf Hitler (1889–1945) had plans to dominate the world with his Third Reich, but the sight of a cat set him trembling. Napoleon Bonaparte (1769– 1821) arrogantly snatched the crown of the Holy Roman Emperor from the pope and conquered nearly all Europe, but when he spotted a cat in his palace, he shouted for help.

Such dread of cats may be genetically transmitted: when Joseph Bonaparte (1768– 1844), King of Naples, visited Saratoga Springs in 1825, he complained just before he fainted that he sensed a cat's presence. Although his hosts assured His Majesty that no such animal was anywhere present, a persistent search revealed a kitten hiding in a sideboard."

http://www.unexplainedstuff.com/Superstitions-Strange-Customs-Taboos-and-Urban-Legends/Superstitions-Cats.html#b

[Rihanna]

Taiwanese are a superstitious community. Although I do not know believe but here are afew that I have heard:

1. If you whistle at night, spirits might follow you home. Although I did not believe in this Taiwanese superstition, it took on manic dimensions as we approach ghost month hence I have been warned by friends not to whistle at night.

2. 'Ghost Month' is the time around August when ghosts come back and roam the earth. Taiwanese people will not leave their house late at night (especially after 12 midnight) and they will not whistle at all for fear the ghosts will follow them. They also will not leave laundry out at night during ghost month. The Taiwanese superstition is that if clothes are left out at night, the ghosts will try to wear them. I was also warned against swimming in the ocean. It is believed that if you swim in the ocean during ghost month, a ghost could come and exchange their soul with yours. Many Taiwanese people will not get within a hundred yards of the ocean during this month for this reason.

3. After a woman delivers her baby, she is not allowed to leave her house for one month. In some extreme cases, she is not allowed to leave her room too! During this month, she is also not allowed to wash her hair, according to the Taiwanese superstition. If she washes her hair or leave the house, she will get sick. Another one of the Taiwanese superstitions is that if a pregnant woman uses scissors, her baby will be born with a hare lip.

4. Another Taiwanese superstition involves noodles. On your birthday, you eat noodles. The lengthy noodles are supposed to help give you a longer life. If you cut these noodles before you eat them though, you are in for some bad news.

5. Taiwanese never leave their chopsticks in their food. To them it resembles the incense that is burned when someone dies and is a negative thing to do.

6. When giving 'hong pow" (red packet), amounts that are odd figure is highly discouraged. Taiwanese only give amounts in even figure for auspicious occasion and odd figures during bereavement.

7. Pregnant ladies are not allowed to watch horror movies. It is believed that if she does and gets scared by the object, her baby will look like that scary object. The same restriction in visiting a zoo for pregnant ladies too for fear that her baby will end up looking like a monkey!

I wonder if Westeners have superstitions. I have never lived anywhere outside Taipei all my life and would be interesting if some Westerners can comment.

[Ensapa]

Here are a list of odd western superstitions that I grew up with:

1. A bird in the house is a sign of a death

2. A loaf of bread should never be turned upside down after a slice has been cut from it.

3. Never take a broom along when you move. Throw it out and buy a new one.

4. If the first butterfly you see in the year is white, you will have good luck all year.

5. If a black cat walks towards you, it brings good fortune, but if it walks away, it takes the good luck with it.



6. An acorn at the window will keep lightning out

7. A dog howling at night when someone in the house is sick is a bad omen.

8. It’s bad luck to leave a house through a different door than the one used to come into it.

9. A horseshoe hung in the bedroom will keep nightmares away.

10. If you catch a falling leaf on the first day of autumn you will not catch a cold all winter.



 


11. If a mirror in the house falls and breaks by itself, someone in the house will die soon.

12. Dropping an umbrella on the floor means that there will be a murder in the house.

13. All windows should be opened at the moment of death so that the soul can leave.

14. If the groom drops the wedding band during the ceremony, the marriage is doomed.

15. To dream of a lizard is a sign that you have a secret enemy.



16. If a friend gives you a knife, you should give him a coin, or your friendship will soon be broken.

17. You should never start a trip on Friday or you will meet misfortune.

18. Dream of running: a sign of a big change in your life.

19. If a clock which has not been working suddenly chimes, there will be a death in the family.

20. It is bad luck to light three cigarettes with the same match.

[bambi]

African-American superstitions originate from a mixture of ancient African religion, Native American traditions, and European folklore.

1.   Step on a crack, break your mother’s back.

2.   If your ear is ringing someone is talking about you.

3. Don’t cut a baby’s hair before his/her first birthday.

4.Sunshine,Raining, and Thunder at the same time: The devil is beating his wife.

5.   If you keep making funny faces, one day it will get stuck that way.

6.    If your palm is itching that means that you are coming into some money.

7.   Don’t talk on the phone or turn on the TV while it is thundering and lightning.

8. Don’t put your purse on the floor or you’ll stay broke.

9.   Don’t go to the zoo when you are pregnant.

10.   Fish dreams means that someone is having a baby.

11.   Animals know when you are pregnant.

12.   If you break a mirror, you will have 7 years of bad luck.

13.   It’s bad luck to cross a black cat’s path.

14.   Never buy your boyfriend or husband shoes as a gift. Because he’ll walk out your life with them.

15.   You will catch a death of cold by walking around with wet hair.

16. Girls are carried high; boys are carried low.

17.  If you allow children to sweep the floor, they will sweep up unwanted guests.

18.   When you cross the railroad tracks you touch a screw for safe crossings.

19.   Never put your hat on a bed, or you will have bad luck (or worse die).

20.   Splitting the Pole Gives you bad luck.