Why would a monastery keep the meditation hall locked?

[mikenz66]

Yes, none of that stiff upper lip understatement here... No Sir!


Mike

[Yana]

Why would a monastery keep their meditation hall locked?

Let's break in and find out

[Sylvester]

Not all monasteries in the West follow this tradition of burying the sima stones, in England it was done simply and unceremoniously just by placing them around.

Hi Bhante

Might you have been thinking of the Chithurst sima, as recorded here -

http://www.amaravati.org/documents/citt ... first.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Sylvester]

Now I'm curious as to why the bhikkhus didn't just say that. There seems to be, amongst some bhikkhus, a reluctance to explain some things, even when asked directly why. I wonder if that's some vinaya rule or something.

Hi James

Ben is probably correct about the language gulf.

Alternatively, it might have stemmed from the monks' recognition of a cultural gulf. For some Thai monastics, the sima does not merely demarcate the space for Sangha business/acts. It is also viewed as demarcating "sacred" space, especially if rattan and stone spheres were involved in the creation of the sima.

Perhaps they did not want to give this culturally-loaded explanation in a non-Thai setting?

[retrofuturist]

Greetings,

I asked two of the bhikkhus why; the senior bhikkhu said because there are a lot of criminals in the area, (in the rural Yarra valley?), and the other bhikkhu shrugged and changed the subject. It seemed like there was some subtext I was unaware of... not sure what it could be.

Maybe there's a deva in there they don't want you to disturb.



Metta,
Retro.