Holy Cow and Holy Monk

[Midakpa]

The expression "holy cow" is similar in meaning to expressions like "holy mackerel" or "holy smoke" which means "Good Lord!" or "My God!", etc. Nothing to do with anything holy though.

"Holy" means devout, godly or virtuous. A holy person is someone who is devoted to the service of God (eg. a priest) or someone who lives a holy life and is pure in a moral and spiritual sense. We generally respect people with these qualities.

"Holy smoly" is a derogative term referring to people who are offensively sanctimonious or self-righteous, in other words, behaving in a "holier-than-thou" manner.

[KhedrubGyatso]

Dear Biggy boy:
This refers to your sharing .
Item 4. A monk's  robes are just a ' uniform' symbollic of one who belongs to the ordained sangha. What makes him holy and worthy of our respect is the vows he holds. It requires  special  courage to take them and hold them . It is an expression of their sincere commitment to refrain from harming others and to serve others above themselves. They surrendered all worldly concerns and pleasures in order to benefit us. It is for this reason that they are truly worthy of our prostration.

Item 5. Outer looks and appearances are not a measure of holiness ! The term holiness I believe is derived from the word 'whole'. Hence, a holy or wholesome person is one who takes into consideration others welfare , who cares about other's happiness and suffering at least as much as their  own or at the highest level even more than their  own.

[ilikeshugden]

1. A person that is holy is a person that has vows and follows them. Has guru devotion. Is kind to all. And has many good qualities.

2. We respect them as they are in all ways better than us. They succeed in life in a way we usually don't even with money. They succeed in life by being happy.

3. This term is usually used when people are faking it. They can act holy in a temple and become a demon when they leave.

4. That is our general view. However, people misuse the robes of the Sangha for material gain. But we must maintain our respect. Not for just the person but for the robes as it is a sign of renunciation.

5. A cow is holy in India because they are viewed as gods but in every other country, a cow is just another thing to go into the stomachs of man.