Sunday, October 31, 2010

Buddhist Halloween (Monster Month)

October was "Monster Month" on Wisdom Quarterly
Can Buddhists celebrate Halloween? Buddhists can do anything -- in terms of holidays, skepticism, scientific beliefs, and social functions. No one is saying "Thou shalt not." Buddhists seek guidance from the Buddha through the Dharma and well taught disciples (Sangha).

That guidance (mistranslated as refuge) along with observing at least a basic sense of humanity, the Five Precepts, makes one a Buddhist. No one said anything about not trick or treating, eating candy, or partying like Lady Gaga costumes are going out of style. You don't even have to eat like a monk or pull a Lisa Simpson.

Yes, it's true, guard your mind/heart, guard your senses; what you think and crave determines how you behave. And remember to have fun. Happy Buddhist Halloween from Wisdom Quarterly. We conclude "Monster Month" with the most terrifying story of all: Ogres (yakkhas) and Reptilians (nagas) underneath Malta and Europe.

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