AD/BC Isn't that a famous Australian rock band? Mike
--- On Wed, 28/12/11, Bill! <[email protected]> wrote: From: Bill! <[email protected]> Subject: Re: [Zen] Season's Greetings! To: [email protected] Date: Wednesday, 28 December, 2011, 12:35 Anthony, Was that BC or AD? ...Bill! --- In [email protected], Anthony Wu <wuasg@...> 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! <BillSmart@...> > 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 > > > > > >
