How to Read “No meat or alcohol allowed through the temple gate”
Kunshu sanmon ni iru wo yurusazu
Meaning of “No meat or alcohol allowed through the temple gate”
This proverb expresses the strict rules of Buddhist temples that forbid eating meat and drinking alcohol. Beyond the temple gate lies a pure place of spiritual practice, different from the ordinary world.
Foods and drinks that stimulate worldly desires cannot be brought into this sacred space.
Today, people use these words to explain temple rules. The phrase also has a broader meaning. It shows that certain places or organizations don’t allow things that don’t belong there.
The saying applies especially to sacred places or environments that require strict discipline. It expresses the idea of keeping out anything that disturbs the atmosphere or purpose of a place.
Though this proverb describes specific prohibitions at temples, it carries a universal value. That value is maintaining the purity of a space.
Origin and Etymology
This proverb likely comes from actual rules posted at temple gates in Buddhist monasteries. “Kunshu” combines two characters. “Kun” refers to strong-smelling vegetables like garlic and onions.
“Shu” means alcoholic beverages. Buddhism taught that consuming these things interferes with spiritual practice.
The character “kun” originally meant vegetables with strong odors. Buddhist precepts forbade five vegetables called “gokun.” These were garlic, scallions, Chinese chives, shallots, and wild rocambole.
People believed eating these vegetables made body odor stronger and disturbed the mind. Alcohol, of course, was seen as something that confuses the mind and hinders practice.
The temple gate marks the main entrance to a monastery. Beyond this gate lies sacred ground, separated from the ordinary world. Strict rules existed that those passing through this gate must not bring worldly desires or distractions.
Many Zen temples actually placed stone monuments or wooden signs beside their gates. These displayed the words “No meat or alcohol allowed through the temple gate” as a warning to visitors.
This proverb goes beyond simple dietary restrictions. It expresses a fundamental Buddhist concept of maintaining spiritual purity in places of practice.
Interesting Facts
Even today, you can see stone monuments carved with these words beside the gates of Zen temples. These monuments aren’t mere decorations.
They function as actual warnings to visitors. They encourage people to purify their minds before entering the temple grounds.
One reason for forbidding these vegetables involved consideration for communal living. Eating strong-smelling vegetables causes strong body and breath odor.
For monks living together in close quarters during training, this would disturb others. It was considered an obstacle to practice.
Usage Examples
- When I visited a Zen temple in Kyoto, I saw a stone monument at the gate with “No meat or alcohol allowed through the temple gate” written on it, and I felt a sense of solemnity knowing this was sacred ground
- At a vegetarian restaurant, they explained they follow the spirit of “No meat or alcohol allowed through the temple gate” by serving food that uses absolutely none of the five forbidden vegetables
Universal Wisdom
The proverb “No meat or alcohol allowed through the temple gate” shows a universal truth. To truly focus on what matters, people must keep away things that interfere.
We humans live surrounded by temptations and desires. This isn’t necessarily bad. But when we try to work toward something important, these things sometimes become major obstacles.
Buddhist practitioners tried to completely eliminate things that disturb the mind. They did this to achieve their ultimate goal of enlightenment.
They forbade specific items like meat and alcohol because they knew from experience these things stimulate the senses. They arouse desires and prevent mental concentration.
This wisdom applies not just to spiritual practice but to any serious endeavor. Athletes restrict their diet before competitions. Artists seek quiet environments for creation.
Students limit entertainment during exam preparation. All these follow the same principle. When trying to accomplish something, people must willingly draw boundaries.
They must decide not to let unnecessary things inside those boundaries.
This proverb has been passed down through generations for a reason. It expresses a truth simply and powerfully. To achieve our goals, we need self-discipline and environmental control.
When AI Hears This
Spiritual practice involves capturing faint insights that arise from within. However, the human brain is structured to respond preferentially to strong stimuli.
Stimulants like garlic and alcohol change blood flow. They disrupt the balance of neurotransmitters for hours or even days. In information theory terms, this is a “noise source.”
The setting of a physical boundary at the temple gate is interesting. Modern laboratories handling precision instruments use double doors and anterooms. These block electromagnetic waves and vibrations from outside.
The same thinking applies here. By blocking stimulants outside the gate, the entire interior space maintains a lower noise level.
Research on concentration shows that work efficiency drops about 5 percent for every 10 decibel increase in environmental noise. Physiological noise from meat and alcohol is far harder to remove than external sounds or light.
Once these enter the body, their effects continue until they’re metabolized.
This proverb demonstrates something important. When working with weak signals, the most efficient strategy is “complete blockage at the entrance.” This wasn’t prohibition.
It was an engineering decision to create the optimal information-processing environment.
Lessons for Today
This proverb teaches modern people something important. When working on what matters, we need courage to consciously draw boundaries.
Modern society is filled with more stimulation and temptation than ever before. Smartphones, social media, streaming services, and countless forms of entertainment constantly wait to grab our attention.
Not all of these are bad. But when we want to concentrate on something truly important, they definitely become obstacles.
The ancient wisdom of setting a clear boundary like a temple gate is needed now more than ever. Nothing inside that boundary should interfere with what’s important.
If you have something you want to seriously work on, you can create your own “temple gate” to protect it. Put your smartphone in another room when studying.
Turn off all notifications during creative work. Don’t think about work when spending time with loved ones. Small boundaries create big differences.
You don’t need to be perfect. Just think about what you should place “outside your temple gate” to protect what truly matters to you.
Why not start from there?
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