trai giới

Definition

1. Noun:
   • Religious abstinence; Buddhist fasting: The practice of observing dietary and behavioral restrictions, particularly abstaining from meat and certain other foods, as part of a religious or ceremonial observance, often in Buddhism or Vietnamese folk beliefs.
   • A period of purification: Refers to a state or a designated time of maintaining purity through fasting and following specific ritual rules before a ceremony or festival.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Trước ngày lễ, các Phật tử phải giữ trai giới. (Before the festival, Buddhists must observe religious abstinence.)
  • Việc trai giới giúp tâm trí thanh tịnh. (Observing fasting helps purify the mind.)

Advanced Usage

• The term is often used in formal or religious contexts to denote a disciplined practice for spiritual cleansing. It implies a stricter regimen than general vegetarianism (), as it may include additional rules regarding conduct, speech, and thought.

Variants and Related Words

• Ăn chay (v): To eat vegetarian food; to follow a vegetarian diet, which is a core component of but does not necessarily encompass all its behavioral rules.
  • Bà tôi ăn chay vào ngày rằm. (My grandmother eats vegetarian food on the full moon day.)

Synonyms

• Fasting (religious): Abstaining from food or certain types of food for religious purposes.
• Abstinence: The act of refraining, especially from indulging in certain pleasures like eating meat.
• Purification ritual: A ceremony or practice aimed at spiritual cleansing.

Related Idioms

• Giữ trai giới: To observe/keep the fasting rules.
  • Các sư thầy nghiêm túc giữ trai giới. (The monks seriously observe the fasting rules.)