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Buddhist Christmas
ThaiLotus
Explorer
I'm curious how my fellow buddhists spend christmas? Do you have trees in your home or decorate at all? Do you buy/exchange gifts? I've been studying the dharma for about 3 yrs and christmas is really no big deal to me. Even before that I wasn't a big christmas guy, I only bought gifts for my sister when she was alive, otherwise I would have no interest. But now I've recently married (3 months) to a Thai lady and obviously (or not) she's a buddhist. She is with me in the states. I asked her if she wanted to put up a tree and she says she doesn't care about that. But I feel I should give her a gift and let her experience christmas time and our culture. What do you all do?
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Comments
Pretty standard stuff.
Also, who agrees the holidays can be a nightmare especially if you live in a populated area...i know the people around here go nuts this time of year
in the end don't feel like you need any kind of validation from anyone , or that " oh i'm a buddhist now what should I do since "I'm a buddhist".. follow your gut and if you feel it is beneficial to yourself and others, go with it.
Yes I celebrate Christmas without any pause towards doing that. I love Christmas lights. What's not to like? The only thing I don't like is the people that fight over stuff at malls when there is a scarce big profile item.
And before I considered myself to be "part Buddhist", I always remember being in Thailand and being invited to participate in every Buddhist "event" or holiday.
When my wife was here she knew I'm Buddhist but she would get a small fake tree and we'd do gifts and such.
I like the idea of the tree but cut down and brought in like some deer head on the wall? No thanks, thank you!
I don't even like the death in my freezer, let alone decorating it with tinsle in the livingroom for crying out softly.
I don't think I could get serious with another woman if she isn't into having the Christmas tree in the yard. We could bring out a little tent and some heaters.
However, now that I have taken to buddhism I no longer see the need to make a special event out of this holiday season, as I try to cultivate the same loving and giving spirit every day. I can understand the need society has for this season and the role it plays. I even help my wife decorate the house since she likes to continue on with the traditions even though she too is a practicing buddhist.
There is a definite struggle to find a balance during this season since so much seems to be directed more towards the need for material items over the spiritual aspect.
As my teacher has pointed out all too many times that there seems to be more interest in the outer gratifications then there is in cultivating personal awareness and well being.
Trees> I don't like using live trees. I feel bad cutting them down. We lost a section of a tree in a big storm and had to cut it down last summer to keep the rest of it from falling on the house. Sad! But new trees are already growing where it fell
Once all the kids are gone, I think our celebrating of the holidays will probably change vastly.
Today I decided it would do as a manifestation of the Buddha Nature . . . So I sat and sang to it . . . well OK mantras but it's the thought that counts . . .
I turned the tree into all nature of yidams. Now when I look at a christmas tree, I will be reminded of Chenrezig and Tara, Guru Rinpoche and Vajrapani, Tinkerbell and . . . wait a minute how did the fairy get in there . . . oh must have been the angel on top . . .