Tou bei mian xi, Tóu běi miàn xī: 3 definitions
Introduction:
Tou bei mian xi means something in Buddhism, Pali. If you want to know the exact meaning, history, etymology or English translation of this term then check out the descriptions on this page. Add your comment or reference to a book if you want to contribute to this summary article.
In Buddhism
Chinese Buddhism
頭北面西 [tou bei mian xi]—Head north face west, the proper, attitude in which to sleep, the position of the dying Buddha.
[The following represents an unverified English translation. For all purposes consult the original Chinese text.]
頭北面西 [tou bei mian xi]—Head to the north, facing west — [Term] The posture of the Tathagata's Nirvana (如來涅槃之相 [ru lai nie pan zhi xiang]) is to lie with the head to the north and on the right side (右脅而臥 [you xie er wo]).
The latter part of the Nirvana Sutra (涅槃經 [nie pan jing]) states: "At that time, the World-Honored One entered various meditative states three times and three times instructed the assembly. He lay on his right side (右脅而臥 [you xie er wo]) on a couch made of seven treasures (七寶床 [qi bao chuang]), with his head resting towards the north (頭枕北方 [tou zhen bei fang]), his feet pointing towards the south (足指南方 [zu zhi nan fang]), facing west (面向西方 [mian xiang xi fang]), and his back to the east (後背東方 [hou bei dong fang]). (omission) In the middle of that night, he entered the Fourth Dhyana (第四禪 [di si chan]), silent and still, and at that moment, he entered Parinirvana (般涅槃 [ban nie pan])."
The Dīrgha Āgama (長阿含 [zhang a han]) states: "At that time, the World-Honored One entered Kuśinagara (拘尸那城 [ju shi na cheng]) and went towards his birthplace, between the twin Sala trees (娑羅雙樹間 [suo luo shuang shu jian]). He instructed Ananda: 'Prepare a couch for the Tathagata between the twin trees, with the head towards the north and facing west. The reason for this is that my Dharma will spread and long abide in the north (吾法流布當久住北方 [wu fa liu bu dang jiu zhu bei fang]).'"
The Vibhāṣā Śāstra (婆沙論 [po sha lun]), Volume 191, states: "Question: Why did the World-Honored One instruct that the couch be arranged with the head towards the north and that he lie in that posture (敷設北首臥狀而臥 [fu she bei shou wo zhuang er wo])? Answer: To demonstrate that this was the custom of the debaters/scholars (彼國論師 [bi guo lun shi]) of that country; that is, the debaters/scholars of that country all arranged their beds with the head towards the north and lay down, and the World-Honored One did likewise. Some say: To demonstrate the abandonment of auspicious practices mistakenly clung to by the world (世所妄執吉祥事 [shi suo wang zhi ji xiang shi]); that is, in that country, the deceased were made to lie on their beds with their heads towards the north. The Buddha, to break this mistaken auspicious belief (妄吉祥執 [wang ji xiang zhi]), therefore instructed that the couch be arranged with the head towards the north before his Parinirvana (般涅槃 [ban nie pan]). Others say: To prevent impure thoughts/minds (不淨心 [bu jing xin]) among the Mallas and others in Kuśinagara (拘尸那 [ju shi na]); that is, the common people of that country all established temples of the Devas (天祠 [tian ci]) in the north. If the Buddha were to lie with his feet towards the north, the Mallas would develop impure thoughts: 'How can he disrespect what we worship by lying with his feet towards the north?' Still others say: To demonstrate the Buddha's respect for the True Dharma (恭敬正法 [gong jing zheng fa]). This means the Buddha knew in advance that after his Parinirvana (般涅槃 [ban nie pan]), the supreme lamp of the Dharma (無上法炬 [wu shang fa ju]) would brightly burn in the north for a long time without extinguishing, and therefore he lay on the couch with his head towards the north."
It also states: "Question: Why did the World-Honored One lie on his right side (右脅而臥 [you xie er wo])? Answer: To demonstrate that the Buddha lay like a Lion King (師子王 [shi zi wang]). As stated in the Sutras, there are four types of sleeping postures: the Lion King's posture (師子王臥 [shi zi wang wo]), the Deva's posture (天臥 [tian wo]), the Ghost's posture (鬼臥 [gui wo]), and the posture of one addicted to desire (耽欲者臥 [dan yu zhe wo]). The Lion King lies on its right side (右脅著地 [you xie zhe de]); Devas lie on their backs (仰面 [yang mian]); Ghosts lie on their stomachs (伏面 [fu mian]); and those addicted to desire lie with their left side touching the ground (左脅著地 [zuo xie zhe de]). The Buddha is the supreme Lion among men (無上人中師子 [wu shang ren zhong shi zi]), and therefore he lay on his right side (右脅而臥 [you xie er wo])."
頭北面西—【術語】頭北面西，右脅而臥者，如來涅槃之相也。後分涅槃經上曰：「爾時世尊三反入諸禪定，三反示誨眾己。於七寶床右脅而臥，頭枕北方，足指南方，面向西方，後背東方。（中略）於其中夜入第四禪寂然無聲，於是時頃即般涅槃。」長阿含曰：「爾時世尊入拘尸那城，向本生處娑羅雙樹間，告阿難曰：汝為如來於雙樹間敷置床座，使頭北首面向西方。所以然者，吾法流布當久住北方。」婆沙論一百九十一曰：「問：世尊何故令敷設北首臥狀而臥耶？答：欲顯彼國論師法應爾故，謂彼國論師皆敷設北首床而臥，世尊亦爾。有說：欲顯遠離世所妄執吉祥事故，謂彼國死者乃令床上北首而臥，佛為破彼妄吉祥執，是故未般涅槃則令敷設北首床而臥。有說：欲止拘尸那中諸力士等不淨心故，謂彼國俗皆於北方建立天祠。若佛北足而臥者，則諸力士生不淨心。云何欺蔑我等所事北足而臥？有說：為欲顯佛恭敬正法故。謂佛豫知般涅槃後無上法炬北方熾然久久不滅，故於床上北首而臥。」又曰：「問：世尊何故右脅而臥？答：欲顯佛如師子王而臥故。如契經說：臥有四種：謂師子王臥，天臥，鬼臥，耽欲者臥。師子王右脅而臥，天則仰面，鬼則伏面，耽欲者臥左脅著地。佛是無上人中師子，故右脅而臥。」
[shù yǔ] tóu běi miàn xī, yòu xié ér wò zhě, rú lái niè pán zhī xiāng yě. hòu fēn niè pán jīng shàng yuē: “ěr shí shì zūn sān fǎn rù zhū chán dìng, sān fǎn shì huì zhòng jǐ. yú qī bǎo chuáng yòu xié ér wò, tóu zhěn běi fāng, zú zhǐ nán fāng, miàn xiàng xī fāng, hòu bèi dōng fāng. (zhōng lüè) yú qí zhōng yè rù dì sì chán jì rán wú shēng, yú shì shí qǐng jí bān niè pán.” zhǎng ā hán yuē: “ěr shí shì zūn rù jū shī nà chéng, xiàng běn shēng chù suō luó shuāng shù jiān, gào ā nán yuē: rǔ wèi rú lái yú shuāng shù jiān fū zhì chuáng zuò, shǐ tóu běi shǒu miàn xiàng xī fāng. suǒ yǐ rán zhě, wú fǎ liú bù dāng jiǔ zhù běi fāng.” pó shā lùn yī bǎi jiǔ shí yī yuē: “wèn: shì zūn hé gù lìng fū shè běi shǒu wò zhuàng ér wò yé？ dá: yù xiǎn bǐ guó lùn shī fǎ yīng ěr gù, wèi bǐ guó lùn shī jiē fū shè běi shǒu chuáng ér wò, shì zūn yì ěr. yǒu shuō: yù xiǎn yuǎn lí shì suǒ wàng zhí jí xiáng shì gù, wèi bǐ guó sǐ zhě nǎi lìng chuáng shàng běi shǒu ér wò, fú wèi pò bǐ wàng jí xiáng zhí, shì gù wèi bān niè pán zé lìng fū shè běi shǒu chuáng ér wò. yǒu shuō: yù zhǐ jū shī nà zhōng zhū lì shì děng bù jìng xīn gù, wèi bǐ guó sú jiē yú běi fāng jiàn lì tiān cí. ruò fú běi zú ér wò zhě, zé zhū lì shì shēng bù jìng xīn. yún hé qī miè wǒ děng suǒ shì běi zú ér wò？ yǒu shuō: wèi yù xiǎn fú gōng jìng zhèng fǎ gù. wèi fú yù zhī bān niè pán hòu wú shàng fǎ jù běi fāng chì rán jiǔ jiǔ bù miè, gù yú chuáng shàng běi shǒu ér wò.” yòu yuē: “wèn: shì zūn hé gù yòu xié ér wò？ dá: yù xiǎn fú rú shī zi wáng ér wò gù. rú qì jīng shuō: wò yǒu sì zhǒng: wèi shī zi wáng wò, tiān wò, guǐ wò, dān yù zhě wò. shī zi wáng yòu xié ér wò, tiān zé yǎng miàn, guǐ zé fú miàn, dān yù zhě wò zuǒ xié zhe de. fú shì wú shàng rén zhōng shī zi, gù yòu xié ér wò.”
[shu yu] tou bei mian xi, you xie er wo zhe, ru lai nie pan zhi xiang ye. hou fen nie pan jing shang yue: "er shi shi zun san fan ru zhu chan ding, san fan shi hui zhong ji. yu qi bao chuang you xie er wo, tou zhen bei fang, zu zhi nan fang, mian xiang xi fang, hou bei dong fang. (zhong lue) yu qi zhong ye ru di si chan ji ran wu sheng, yu shi shi qing ji ban nie pan." zhang a han yue: "er shi shi zun ru ju shi na cheng, xiang ben sheng chu suo luo shuang shu jian, gao a nan yue: ru wei ru lai yu shuang shu jian fu zhi chuang zuo, shi tou bei shou mian xiang xi fang. suo yi ran zhe, wu fa liu bu dang jiu zhu bei fang." po sha lun yi bai jiu shi yi yue: "wen: shi zun he gu ling fu she bei shou wo zhuang er wo ye? da: yu xian bi guo lun shi fa ying er gu, wei bi guo lun shi jie fu she bei shou chuang er wo, shi zun yi er. you shuo: yu xian yuan li shi suo wang zhi ji xiang shi gu, wei bi guo si zhe nai ling chuang shang bei shou er wo, fu wei po bi wang ji xiang zhi, shi gu wei ban nie pan ze ling fu she bei shou chuang er wo. you shuo: yu zhi ju shi na zhong zhu li shi deng bu jing xin gu, wei bi guo su jie yu bei fang jian li tian ci. ruo fu bei zu er wo zhe, ze zhu li shi sheng bu jing xin. yun he qi mie wo deng suo shi bei zu er wo? you shuo: wei yu xian fu gong jing zheng fa gu. wei fu yu zhi ban nie pan hou wu shang fa ju bei fang chi ran jiu jiu bu mie, gu yu chuang shang bei shou er wo." you yue: "wen: shi zun he gu you xie er wo? da: yu xian fu ru shi zi wang er wo gu. ru qi jing shuo: wo you si zhong: wei shi zi wang wo, tian wo, gui wo, dan yu zhe wo. shi zi wang you xie er wo, tian ze yang mian, gui ze fu mian, dan yu zhe wo zuo xie zhe de. fu shi wu shang ren zhong shi zi, gu you xie er wo."
Chinese Buddhism (漢傳佛教, hanchuan fojiao) is the form of Buddhism that developed in China, blending Mahayana teachings with Daoist and Confucian thought. Its texts are mainly in Classical Chinese, based on translations from Sanskrit. Major schools include Chan (Zen), Pure Land, Tiantai, and Huayan. Chinese Buddhism has greatly influenced East Asian religion and culture.
Languages of India and abroad
Chinese-English dictionary
頭北面西 [tóu běi miàn xī] refers to: “head north face west”.
頭北面西 is further associated with the following language/terms:
[Vietnamese] đầu bắc diện tāy.
[Korean] 두북면서 / dubuk myeonseo.
[Japanese] ズホクメンサイ / zuhoku mensai.
Chinese language.
See also (Relevant definitions)
Partial matches: Tou, Xi, Mian xi, Bei, Mian, Bai.
Full-text: Nie pan xiang.
Relevant text
Search found 1 books and stories containing Tou bei mian xi, Tóu běi miàn xī, Tóuběi miànxī, Toubei mianxi, Tóuběimiànxī, Toubeimianxi, 頭北面西; (plurals include: Tou bei mian xis, Tóu běi miàn xīs, Tóuběi miànxīs, Toubei mianxis, Tóuběimiànxīs, Toubeimianxis, 頭北面西s). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
A Dictionary Of Chinese Buddhist Terms (by William Edward Soothill)