Tibetan Taboo

1) When you receive customers, no matter walking or talking, you should walk or talk after customers or elders. And you should add a "la" after the name to show respect and intimate, but not directly ask one's name. When you welcome or show customers out, you should bend your waist and knee, with smile on the face.

2) After getting into Tibetan tent, male sit in the left side while female sit in the right side. You should cross your legs and sit, keep straight; should not stretch your legs with the sole facing others.

3) When you receipt gifts, you should use two hands to hold it; while presenting gift, you will bent with two hands over the head.

4) The most important taboo in Tibetan is killing, especially the Buddhism believers pay more attention to it. Although they eat beef and mutton, they will not kill bull or sheep by themselves. it is forbidden in Tibetan to eat donkey meat, horse meat and dog meat. In some areas, they don't eat fish. In general, Tibetans don't eat fish, shrimp, egg and chicken, all the animals which deposit eggs or keep their young. They will not manage you to eat some foods with difficulty, but it has changed in real life.

5) When they come across monastery, stupa and other religious facilities, they must walk from left to right side to avoid it. People who believe in Bon Religion walk from right side. They can't step over musical and other instruments used in Buddhist or fire-pan. The prayer cylinder and prayer wheels must circle in clockwise.

6) Don't touch Tibetans' head.

7) When you come into monastery, you should not smoke, touch Buddha statue, turn over the sutra, or beat the bell. Don't touch the periapt, prayer beads and other religious instruments on Lama; keep quiet in monastery; sit straight; don't sit in living Buddha's seat; don't speak loudly, kill life around monastery. When you talk with Lama, don't mention the topics about killing, marriage, and their food is meat or vegetable.

8) Don't use the paper with Tibetan language on it as bump or use it to clean things.

9) If there is sick person or pregnant woman who will give birth in the family, Tibetans will make a mark, like fire before the door, insert a tree branch on the door or stick a red strap on the door. If you see the marks, don't come into the house.

10) Taboo about holy mountains and lakes: don't throw dirty things or relive yourself on the mountains or in the lakes; don't dig on the holy mountains or pick up plants; don't kill life; don't speak loudly; don't take away the things on the mountain; don't catch the fishes in holy lake.

11) Tibetan didn't prohibit people to watch celestial burial in the past. Later, they prohibit visitors to watch for respecting the dead, the Tibetan culture and living habit. So you are not suggested to watch or shot the celestial burial.