Today is a special, sacred day- Do kind acts,offer kind words Dear Ones, TODAY is Saka Dawa, one of the most sacred days in Tibetan Buddhism. The date changes each year according to the Tibetan calendar. It marks the birth, enlightenment day, and death of Buddha- all on the same day. Offerings are made on our altars, prayers are said. While it is taught that we need to do loving, random acts of kindness every day, Saka Dawa is a symbolic manifestation of that teaching. On this day, money, food, clothing, any variety of offerings are made to the poor and needy. In Dharamsala, India (home of His Holiness the Dalai Lamas temple in the West), as well as pilgrimage places around the world, Tibetans make offerings to those in need. For us, it is quite simple. Anyone you see during your day who needs help, offer it, whether it be money (any amount), food, or a kind and loving act. It must be offered with an open heart. This is truly the way of Buddha. It is said that whatever one does today is multiplied 100,000,000 times. Good deeds always need to be done with no expectation of return and the merit of those deeds/actions dedicated to all sentient beings with a prayer that they be released from suffering and the causes of suffering. People from other religious traditions can easily substitute reference to Buddha for their own religious teachers or spiritual leaders. There are common denominators of reverence and prayer and preparation to do prayer that are similar in many religious traditions. In my opinion, it is all about what we hold in our hearts that gives true meaning to us. When we tap into the essence of spirituality, we are able to transcend seeing religions as different and separate. The true nature of reality is that we are all one. I am sending you love and prayers for your well being. Be kind to yourself. Dr. Marsha Woolf July 13, 2014 9:33 AM New York City
Posted on: Fri, 13 Jun 2014 13:57:10 +0000
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