25 Jan
2016 Derek Welch World Religion News
Mahayana Buddhism
is the largest branch or sub-division of the Buddhist religion.
Compared to the faith’s other forms like the Theravada, Mahayana
Buddhists believe that enlightenment can be achieved
during an individual’s single or current lifetime. Additionally,
not only monks and nuns have the opportunity to achieve it but also
of ordinary Buddhists. The goal for everyone is to become
bodhisattvas through service and helping others to achieve nirvana
as well.
Mahayana Buddhism
is the dominant faith of Northern and Eastern parts of Asia
including China, Korea, Japan, Mongolia and Tibet. Among the key
traditions include Zen, Tiantai, Korean Seon,
Chinese Chan,
Pure Land and
Nichiren.
Similar with all
other cultures and traditions, New
Year is a vital celebration for Buddhists
although calendar dates for each country/tradition are different.
Many Mahayana Buddhists celebrate it on December 31st or January 1
together with the rest of the world while others wait for the first
full moon which usually falls mid-January.
Honoring and praying
to their deities
particularly Buddha is the most important activity for the New
Year. On New Year’s Day, every Buddhist visits a nearby temple to
light up candles which is considered to bring happiness and good
luck for the coming year. Statues of Buddha are also bathed as a
show of respect. Religious songs are also offered to the
deities.
Most Buddhists
also meditate and
reflect on their life situation in
previous years trying to identify some of the faults and wrong
decisions they have made in the past. Making things right is often
a New Year’s resolution. Buddhists believe that buying new items,
cleaning and redecorating the home and giving gifts can bring good
luck. Sweets are never absent during feasting and of course,
fireworks at midnight.
Holiday
celebrations at Japanese Zen
temples are rather solemn. Unique ceremonies start at
about 5pm on New Year’s Eve where the individual starts to
contemplate on his/her previous year’s life events. Again
the goal is to “awaken” one’s self and make
the necessary goals for next year.
After which, the
fire ceremony is observed. Buddhists are firm believers of karma or
the positive and negative consequences of an individual’s actions.
For Buddhists, negative karmas are considered fires in life and are
noted to accumulate as time goes by. With the fire ceremony, an
individual writes in a piece of paper symbolizing the
relinquishment of karma. Afterwards, the paper is tossed in the
fire which eventually signifies the reduction of the accumulated
negative karma.
After cleaning up
karma with fire, celebration and meditation follows at 7:30pm. At
around 10:13pm, the bell ringing ceremony starts and will last
until midnight or the 12:01am mark. And when New Year finally
arrives, it’s the perfect time for merrymaking and
feasting.
Among the countries with
notable New Year celebrations include Thailand and Tibet. In
Thailand where New Year is known as “Songkran”, the
three-day celebration includes home cleaning, shopping new items,
temple and house visits and the exchange of gifts. A unique
merrymaking event in the country is the throwing or splashing of
water to one another which everyone believes could
cleanse sins and negative
energies.
The Tibetan New
Year “Losar” is also
celebrated for several days. Among the unique activities include
the preparation and offering of special dishes to monks, decorating
homes and making them shine with candles or lights, stage fights,
dancing and general merrymaking and of course, the use of
firecrackers.