Baring the right shoulder

[C.A. Coleman]

On Wed, 2 Oct 1996, Mani Varadarajan wrote:

> Yes, but the shoulder is not the reason one circumambulates 
> clockwise.  Rather, it is just to keep the holy shrine or deity
> to the right of one's self at all times, as a sign of respect.
> As is well known, the poor left hand is kept out of the way due
> to its use for certain cleansing tasks.

Doesn't circumambulating by the right, that is, clockwise, also mark the 
passage of sacred time--something about the story of the Buddha engraved 
into a stupa wall, so you follow the history clockwise?

CA Coleman
UC, Santa Barbara



"It is madness to wear ladies' straw hats and velvet hats to
church; we should all be wearing crash helmets."
					--Annie Dillard 
					_Teaching a Stone to Talk_