Expert: Bodhicitta - 10/23/2004

Question
Are there Buddhist rites of passage?

Answer
Hi Phil
thanks for your question.
Im just wondering how you would define "Rites of passage"
it obviously is a western term not one from India.
Feel free to send in your definition. But Ill go with
mine and see if it helps.
I guess my understanding of the western definition would be "Rites of passage" is one of those universals - a ceremony associated with moving from one state to another.
Maybe moving from childhood into adulthood or or being bor or from life to death or being accepted into a society maybe the freemasons or a school or country or association.
In Buddhism we talk about Mandala. Mandala is a technical term in sanskrit. it refers to a state or place of being.
some unit of organization or organism. Its quite subtle really. But its possible to grasp by considering examples.
this world is a mandala. the group of buddhist practioners are a mandala. a house is a mandala. a state you enter during meditation is a mandala. in Tibet monks
draw mandalas using sand to symbolise the enlightened world
you could enter through meditation.
one thing is always true of mandalas they have gateways
and you enter through a gate into a mandala. you step into
a mandala through the gate and maybe you would look back and see there was no door or doorway and no wall. its mysterious stuff.
So if you enter a mandala you go through a gate and there can be ceremony to acknowledge and unlock the door.
If you do the ceremony of taking refuge you enter the mandala of being a buddhist. this is a rite of passage.
if you die you will have a ceremony to enter a good rebirth. this is a rite of passage. if you get married in a buddhist context there is a rite of passage. if you enter a state of meditation you will perform some methods which are a rite of passage.
this is all the the basic level. there is much more here.
this sort of thing which is to do with reality has been studied for 1000's of years in Tibet, China and India and is well understood. there is a whole language to talk about it.
Hope this helps
Bodhicitta