Happy* Vesak (or Wesak) everyone!

This is the time of year when Theravada Buddhists celebrate the birth, enlightenment, and death of the Buddha, which are believed to have all occurred on the full moon in May. It is also called the Visakha Puja, and in some places is known as the festival of lights, since lanterns, candles, and lamps are frequently used as part of the celebration.

(*I say "happy," though the disastrous events that have recently occurred in places with a large Buddhist population make this year's celebrations rather more somber; but it is still a time to remember the promise of awakening and to work toward improving the world as best as we can.)

More below the fold.

Bumped by PD for the duration.

Welcome to this evening's vigil. Tonight, I'm going to introduce you to a Buddhist word from the Pali language: kalyanamittata. The word may sound unfamiliar, but its meaning is not -- it refers to a noble, or admirable, friendship.

Note by Rain - moved back up by request as the discussion is continuing...

“Buddhism” is a generalized term that covers a large number of different schools and sects. The major branches are Mahayana (“the Greater Vehicle”), also called the Northern School; Vajrayana (“the Diamond Vehicle” = the Tibetan Buddhist schools); and Theravada (“the School of the Elders”), also known as the Southern School. Mahayana and Vajrayana contain many sub-branches, and there are views and practices that differ between the schools within a given branch and between the main branches themselves. Buddhist practice is highly individualized, and many Buddhists combine elements of different traditions. Obviously, I can’t speak for all Buddhists here (or all Buddhists in general), but just as most Christians agree about many things, most Buddhists also tend to agree about the existence of the historical Buddha and the basics of his message.

The Buddhist roundtable discussion is set for this coming Wednesday, Feb 27, and I wanted to take a minute to talk about how to organize it.

Promoted by Rain

Welcome to tonight’s vigil, which I thought I’d base on the Buddhist term "metta," which is often translated as "loving-kindness." It is expressed as a sincere wish for only good come to others as well as oneself.

At this time of the year -- that is, the full moon of October -- Theravadin Buddhists have a ceremony called Kathina that caps off the rains retreat, which is a period when monastics avoid traveling and, instead, work on deepening their practice and a time in which many lay followers also renew their practice.

Today, when there are marches, rallies, and vigils being held all over the world for the Sangha in Burma, I wanted to do something small in honor of the worldwide Sangha -- both the ordained members (nuns and monks) and the lay members (women and men).  I've found a few excerpts that I thought I'd share.

I've included the Pali version with the English, since I think it's nice to have the original to read along with the translation, even if you don't know the other language.

See more on the flip side.

I mean, I keep refreshing the page, looking for the usual party, but it ain't there.  Yet.

Not that I'm impatient or anything. I have faith that the Street will produce its usual libations and laughter in due time.

Meanwhile, I've enjoyed seeing people answer the question "Read any good books lately?"

I guess I should call this an Open Thread.

Talk amongst yourselves ...

Since things seemed a bit quiet around these parts, it seemed like a good time to stir up another batch of "Ask A ___" diaries, so I thought I’d kick it off with some thoughts on Buddhism. I was going to call this diary "What Is the Sound of One Finger Typing?" but I didn’t want to cause JCHFleetguy to pound his head against a wall, so I’ve stuck with the normal format.

The Usual Disclaimers Apply:  I am by no means an expert or a spokesperson for any particular school or even Buddhists in general. I’m just an individual practitioner stumbling along the path. The school of Buddhism that I align most closely with is Theravada (more on that below). I make my comments based on what I’ve learned and experienced over 15+ years of studying and trying to live Buddhism, but, as you might expect, what I think/say is not necessarily the same as what others might think/say -- and there’s always the chance I could be totally wrong. Feel free to take whatever I say with as large a grain of salt as you wish.

As a way of contributing to the current collection of diaries on the topic, I'd like to offer a few thoughts as an individual Buddhist on the subject of forgiveness. For our purposes here, I'll limit my comments to forgiveness between people (rather than between a person and a deity).

In practical terms, the Buddha laid out rules for how monks and nuns should relate to each other and to laypeople when an offense had been committed, and those guidelines cover everything from the behavior of the person committing the offense to the appropriate response of those who have been wronged.