Page 239 - A Dictionary of Chinese Symbols BIG Book

A Dictionary of Chinese Symbols 232

‘Shaking the money-tree’b

Today, the expression ‘to shake the money-tree’ often refers to a bawd who makes a
lot of money out of prostitutes ( Liu Hai).

Monk

he-shang

There are Buddhist monks and Taoist monks in China, and there are considerable
differences between them. Buddhist monks (seng) are strict vegetarians and are forbidden
to marry or to have sexual intercourse. They must not adorn themselves in any way, and
their heads are shaven. They wear a uniform simple robe which nowadays is usually
orange-coloured. After serving their apprenticeship they have to undergo an ordination
ceremony, during which small cones of incense are placed on their bare skulls, ignited
and left to burn away, leaving deep scars.
Taoist monks also wear very simple clothing, usually grey, and eschew all adornment.
However, they are not all celibate, nor are they all able to resist meat and alcohol.