I just found out Germans and Scandanavians (and perhaps others) celebrate Jesus' birthday on 24-Dec, not 25-Dec. The reason for this they say is that the Bible indicated that the Bible says 'shepards watching their flock by night were told of the birth', so they beleive the actual birth was Christmas Eve, not Christmas Day.
Just FYI...Bill! --- In [email protected], "ED" <seacrofter001@...> wrote: > > > > See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ves%C4%81kha > <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ves%C4%81kha> > > --- In [email protected], siska_cen@ wrote: > > > > I kind of read this like a dressing of one tradition with another. > > > > Feels only very weird to me. > > > > Up to today, I thought the Buddha was believed to be enlightened in > the month of Vesakh, which falls around May. Anyone knows which Buddhist > tradition celebrates Buddha's enlightenment every Dec 8? > > > > Siska > > > > *** This is a nice Buddhist Holiday message from another > Buddhist-oriented forum I frequent *** > > > > Season's Greetings! > > > > Every year, each one of us may ponder whether or not or how much to > participate > > in the winter holiday spirit and whether to even engage in the > customary "Merry > > Christmas" cheer. This season brings to mind that there are > significant elements > > we all share regardless of varying beliefs, preferences, cultures and > traditions. > > There is a Buddhist holiday on the 8th of December, known as Bodhi > Day, which > > commemorates Bodhi [pronounced: bohdee]) by Siddhartha Gautama > Shakyamuni, > > commonly called "the Buddha", the enlightened one. It is the day when > the Buddha > > is said to have attained enlightenment (Bodhi). Candles are lit and > special > > celebrations take place in temples and homes around the globe. > > > > Anyone walking about Chinatown in urban America will observe statues > of a > > smily, stout fellow carrying a sack over his shoulder. Chinese > merchants call him > > Happy Chinaman or Laughing Buddha. This Hotai lived during the T'ang > dynasty. > > He had no desire to call himself a teacher or to gather many disciples > around him. > > Instead he walked the streets with a big sack into which he put gifts > of candy, fruit > > and other goods. He gave these to children on the streets who gathered > around > > him in play. Once he was about his business when a Zen master happened > along > > and inquired, "What is the significance of Zen?" Hotei immediately > plopped his > > sack down on the ground in silent answer. "Then," asked the other, > "What is the > > actualization of Zen?" At once our Happy Chinaman swung the sack over > his > > shoulder and continued on his way. This Koan demonstrates exactly what > our > > Hotai was all about. > > > > Another Koan is about a university student who was visiting the Zen > master > > Gasan. He asked him: "Have you ever read the Christian Bible?" > â" "No, read it to > > me," said Gasan. The student opened the book and read from the gospel > of > > Matthew: "And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of > the field, > > how they grow. They toil not, neither do they spin, and yet I say unto > you that even > > Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these ... Take > therefore no > > thought for the morrow, for the morrow shall take thought for the > things of itself." > > â" Gasan said: "Whoever uttered those words I consider an > enlightened man." The > > student continued reading: "Ask and it shall be given you, seek and ye > shall find, > > knock and it shall be opened unto you. For everyone that asketh > receiveth, and he > > that seeketh findeth, and to him that knocketh, it shall be opened." > â" Gasan > > remarked: "That is excellent. Whoever said that is not far from > Buddhahood." > > > > Both the birth of an enlightened man as well as the turn in Gautama > Siddhartha's > > life and its various seasonal expressions highlight the human need for > liberation > > from bondage, illusion and separation â" the dualistic mindset > in which we often > > find ourselves entangled. It is a reminder to look beyond our > individual ego by > > realizing that we all are part of a larger, transcendent inter-being. > We come to > > nourish our innate nature of compassion for those less fortunate, > those who are > > suffering, those who are suppressed, disadvantaged and rejected. To > whatever > > religious tradition we are accustomed or whichever spiritual path we > follow, we > > all share this oneness â" the deeper reason for the season. > > > > Happy Bodhi Day! Happy Hanukkah! Merry Christmas! Happy Holidays! > > May all beings be happy! > > > > Fajian > > > ------------------------------------ Current Book Discussion: any Zen book that you recently have read or are reading! Talk about it today!Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Zen_Forum/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Zen_Forum/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: [email protected] [email protected] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [email protected] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
