I've heard that the reason Christmas is on Dec 25 is that the Romans had a big holiday, Saturnalia, on Dec 25. The details of the marketing lore that led to making a big Christian holiday on that day when Christianity was trying to become more popular in the Roman empire, are I think left to our imagination.
But it seems clear that all non-tropical civilizations need a mid-winter holiday to fight off the dark rainy/snowy coldness that slips into our bones and bums us out. Bodhi day in December works well in northern lattitudes, if only to occasionally move our gaze up towards the morning star. Thanks, --Chris [email protected] +1-301-270-6524 On Tue, Dec 27, 2011 at 5:57 AM, Anthony Wu <[email protected]> wrote: > > > Bill, > > I remember you saying historical facts are not important, so now I say > Jesus was born in China on Jan 31. Please believe it. > > Anthony > > *From:* Bill! <[email protected]> > *To:* [email protected] > *Sent:* Tuesday, 27 December 2011, 15:47 > > *Subject:* Re: [Zen] Season's Greetings! > > > 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 says 'sheperds watching their flock by night were > told of the birth', so they believe 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 > > > > > > > > > > >
