Happy Wesak!
Especially to you who celebrate. I was wondering, if we have Christmas cards, Raya cards, etc, why don’t we Buddhists have Wesak cards?
The problem could be, how do you identify a Buddhist?
I think we’re a low profile bunch. We don’t go around ‘showing’ that we’re Buddhists – hey, we’re not out to convert anyone and even if we did, we wouldn’t score brownie points either. It’s just between us and our karma.
If one did bad, the bad comes back to haunt you. If you did good, the good will come back too. Perfect sense, really. I really think that’s the best kind of thinking really. No one’s judging you. You judge yourself. You make the decision and do what YOU think is best.
Anyway, this isn’t a post about Buddhism, though it is Wesak Day and though sometimes I want to tell some people to go stuff themselves for their superior need to save me from hell.
You wouldn’t believe how many people/strangers I’ve met who want to preach to me. Hah.
I used to wear a Buddhist amulet so I could ‘deflect’ the attention. Still, they came to tell me about joining some group somewhere. Then I got smarter and told them straight off that sorry, I’m just not interested so please don’t waste your time or mine!
I suppose the assumption of these groups is that if they can save infidels/unbelievers like myself, their life is meaningful and they’ve done a sublime deed.
But I won’t be grumpy on Wesak Day. But if you’re really interested to read something absolutely interesting, try Richard Dawkins’ The God Delusion. It’s great for atheists as it has some of the best arguments ever for not being religious! I had many rounds of chuckling when I read that book in super speed time.
(Just an aside, I was watching American Idol yesterday – OK, the whole of yesterday in its Season Marathon – and they were singing some church-type song as its opening. Now I am thinking, what if one of the contestant protested and said, I won’t sing that as I’m not Christian? That’s rather presumptuous of American Idol producers to assume everyone would sing that song. That country is religious I suppose but if it is really as religious as it claims to be, why are they bombing the crap out of other people’s country? Where’s the compassion? Where’s the love?)
I did go to the Than Hsiang temple on Saturday, just so I could beat the crowds today. Planning to go catch the Wesak Day Float/Procession this evening, something we’ve never done in all our years in Penang.
It’s raining heavily now. Like the Chinese say, rain before a procession is good. It means the heavens are washing the roads for the big event!
“I suppose the assumption of these groups is that if they can save infidels/unbelievers like myself, their life is meaningful and they’ve done a sublime deed.”
Touché.
I tell you a lot of love went into making and designing those bombs…
Hi Vern: 😉
Hi d: You are so sarcastic but so right. Hoped your football match went good. Finally decided to book the USM pitch huh? Better to play on? I finished the Silverfish collection, now reading Sweat and the City. Unique perspectives on HK life!