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the symbolic and the literal....15 years ago
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Thursday, 1 December 2011
Posted by
Ven. Kunga Dondrup
It's rather refreshing living in a country where Christmas is a total non-event.
Everything is as normal: no decorations, no hype, no crowds of people crawling over one another to buy presents nobody actually wants anyway. No schmaltzy Coca-Cola ads. No pressure.
The West perceives places like this (Nepal)as somewhat less developed, backwards or even primitive... whilst its own citizens are herded like mindless sheep into shopping malls and supermarkets by the sound of sleigh bells, glitzy jingles on TV and bits of hanging tinsel, to spend money they don't have on things that are not needed.
It's fine to buy things for the people we care about, but we also need to keep some sense of perspective.
If, for you, Christmas is about showing others how much you care about them then why not just be nice to them or even tell them how you feel - rather than rack up a tonne of debt and create a mountain of plastic gifts to hide behind.
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My name is Kunga. I'm a Buddhist monk and citizen of planet Earth. Welcome to my blog.
2 comments:
Unfortunately as is the case with non-Christian countries like Japan and China, when people get money and society as a whole becomes able to support widespread consumerism, they take on Christmas, too. The same could happen to Nepal if it ever became reasonably wealthy.
Though first they need to get 24/hr electricity in the capital before they can have Christmas lights.
You're right, Jeffrey. Unfortunately Christmas is synonymous with the consumerist dream. Let's hope the power doesn't improve - it may be for the best in the long run.
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