Celebrating Christmas around the world December 14, 2006
Posted by geekzendaddy in Christmas, Hoteis, Monk, Santa.trackback
Here is an interesting article I found on another blog. Go to 1Sangha.com for the full article and more items…..
We have Santa Claus riding down Main Street. In Japan, the Buddhist monk Hotei-osho brings presents to little children…Full Article
Interesting to see how a Buddhist Deity gets thrown into a story on Christmas beign celebrated around the world. It then got me to thinking, iwonder if everyone/anyone heard about the ‘Laughing Buddha’, and how ‘he’ gives out gifts. Here’s Wikipedia explaination of him LINK.
Jesus and santa being compared to Hoteis here-
…images display Hotei as a wandering monk who goes around and takes the sadness from people of this world, in some ways parallel to the Christian Jesus. He most certainly is a loving and cheerful character, strikingly similar to Santa Claus in the West, and is a common statuette found in homes and businesses in China and Japan.
Hello,
I hope it is okay if I pass this on.
Gassho, Jundo
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ANNOUNCEMENT
We would like announce that the doors are ‘officially’ open on our ONLINE ZENDO & SANGHA, and our VIDEO-BLOG. We also soon will begin LIVE online-video broadcasts of weekly Zazen sittings, talks and multi-day Sesshin :
treeleafzen.blogspot.com/
The website, blog and broadcast sittings are meant for people who cannot travel to sit and be with others, perhaps due to health concerns, or not driving at night, having to take care of kids, or their living in a place without a Sangha close by. Our Zazen sittings and Sangha will always be close by.
For now, we have recorded Zazen sittings and talks, such as this “Sit-a-long Zazen”:
treeleafzen.blogspot.com/2007/04/sit-long-zazen.html
We also have online and Ipod-ready Zazen timers . Although our online Sangha is meant mainly for people who cannot travel far from home, we hope anyone and everyone will feel free to use and download our timers and broadcast sittings. They are our gift to everyone who finds them helpful (for example, who might wish to use the Ipod/Mp3 version for some Zazen at work).
http://www.treeleaf.org/meditation.html
We are a Soto Zen Sangha in the lineage of Gudo Wafu Nishijima, with teacher Jundo Cohen (who resides in Ibaraki, Japan and, sometimes, Florida with wife and son). Our focus is on a very down-to-earth, ‘Just Sitting’ Zazen practice (not much for ceremonies, statues, beads, costumes or other bells and whistles).
http://www.treeleaf.org/aboutus.html
We hope to establish a true community, and questions or comments can be sent to Jundo at any time, or posted on the blog or community forum (www.treeleaf.org/meeting.html).
If you know anyone who, due to health concerns or the like, cannot commute to sit with others, please introduce them to our site.
Like life and the universe, it is all Free! Everyone is always welcome, and there is no being “far away.”
Gassho, Treeleaf Zendo
http://www.treeleaf.org