More people plan to pray than party

[kirtu]

Several years ago I used to sit with a Zen group through the New Year. An hour or two after the New Year we would usually have a dinner together. At some point we noted that a Japanese Zen teacher had criticized sitting through New Years. He had happened to see a report of a Zen group in New York I think sitting through the New Year, laughed and decried their sitting as imitation - in particular imitation of Japanese. He felt that as Westerners they should be out getting drunk and partying.

However an article from the Washington Post's On Faith section says:

According to a new Rasmussen Reports survey, a majority of Americans (66%) say that their New Year's Eve plans will include prayer. In fact, more people said they were planning to pray than to party.

Kirt

[Blue Garuda]

Several years ago I used to sit with a Zen group through the New Year. An hour or two after the New Year we would usually have a dinner together. At some point we noted that a Japanese Zen teacher had criticized sitting through New Years. He had happened to see a report of a Zen group in New York I think sitting through the New Year, laughed and decried their sitting as imitation - in particular imitation of Japanese. He felt that as Westerners they should be out getting drunk and partying.

However an article from the Washington Post's On Faith section says:

According to a new Rasmussen Reports survey, a majority of Americans (66%) say that their New Year's Eve plans will include prayer. In fact, more people said they were planning to pray than to party.

Kirt

We have many praying Christians here over the whole Xmas & New Year, many singing drunk in churches. Pagan Yule seems to top Christianity every time at Xmas.

I know of several Buddhist groups who chant to see in the New Year. I can't imagine why, except that it shows more attachment to one day than another, especially as the day is of no special significance to Buddhists.

Bah Humbug! LOL

[kirtu]

I know of several Buddhist groups who chant to see in the New Year. I can't imagine why, except that it shows more attachment to one day than another, especially as the day is of no special significance to Buddhists.

Buddha Shakyamuni said in the sutras that practice on special days even culturally specific special days is significant. And basically the whole world observes Western New Year now.

So Russian Buddhists can celebrate Western, then Russian Othodox, then Tibetan and Mongolian New Years!

Kirt