The Vajra Parrot Squawks!

I may not be Christian, but this doesn't stop me from echoing the best sentiments of this season to all my readers; sentiments which are, at heart, very Buddhist! ;-)

I was thinking last night about the Christian festival of Christmas and its deeper meaning. We may find tales of miracles and saviours and supernatural happenings very superstitious and distasteful, and this might provoke a knee-jerk reaction against all things Christmas on an ideological level. But it doesn't have to be like this.

The Christmas story, boiled down to its very essence, is really about the ultimate manifestation of unconditional love (which Christians call God) taking a human form so as to grow closer to other human beings and, ultimately, free them from suffering, even though this involves undergoing terrible suffering itself.

On an even more simplistic level it is about someone motivated by altruistic love seeking to understand and improve the human condition.

Now what Buddhist could turn up their nose at a noble message like that? I don't buy into the Jesus-as-Bodhisattva school of thought, but this message is clearly coming from a good place, which is worthy of respect.

Wishing everyone a very happy Christmas, and a peaceful new year.