As a gift, offering a hada to a friend means purity, sincerity, loyalty and respect. “Hada is priceless”, representing the most sincere feelings, placing the best wishes, and marking the highest respect.
Hada is a silk fabric used by the Tibetan people of Mongolia as a ceremonial fabric and is a must-have in social activities. Hada is similar to the ceremonial silk of the ancient Han people. Mongolian and Tibetan people use long silk scarves or yarns to pay tribute and congratulations, mostly white, blue, and yellow. In addition, there are multicolored hada, which are blue, white, yellow, green, and red.
Blue represents the blue sky, white is white clouds, green is river water, red is the space guardian god, and yellow symbolizes the earth. The multicolored hada is used as a colorful arrow for Bodhisattvas and close relatives, and is the most precious gift. Buddhist teachings explain that the multicolored hada is the clothing of the Bodhisattva. Therefore, the multicolored hada is only used in specific circumstances.
Today, in people’s social interactions, the use of hada is more widespread and common than in the past. In Tibetan areas, offering hada is a common and noble etiquette. Whether it is weddings and funerals, folk festivals, visiting elders, welcoming guests, pilgrimage to Buddha statues, audio exchanges, intercession services, the completion of new houses, admitting mistakes and pleading guilty, etc., there is a habit of offering hada.
Offering Hada means showing purity, sincerity, loyalty and respect to the other party. Of course, it means different things in different situations.
On a festive day, people offer Hada to each other to express their congratulations on a happy holiday, a happy life, and good health; when a man and a woman propose, the intermediary will first offer Hada. If they accept Hada, they can discuss marriage, and if they return it, they will reject it. Offer Hada at the wedding, which means to congratulate the new happiness and wish the newlyweds love like a mountain and grow old together. Offer Hada when welcoming guests, expressing warm welcome and high respect for guests from afar. Offer Hada at the funeral to express deep condolences for the deceased and comfort to the families of the deceased. At the Buddhist Dharma meeting, offer Hada to lamas and living Buddhas, expressing infinite admiration for lamas and living Buddhas and a devout heart of religious belief. Offer Hada when praying in front of gods and Buddhas to show The devotion and hope of Buddhists, the blessing of the Bodhisattva, and all the best; in the letter exchange, attach a hada, expressing the sincerity of the writer’s feelings and the solemnity of his will; wrap the money and goods in a hadali and give it to the actor, expressing the sincere intentions of the audience; visit the elders and offer hada, expressing respect for the elders, wishing happiness, longevity and good luck; offer hada to the opponent to express his desire to turn the conflict into jade and reconcile.
