Buddhist Holiday Calendar?

[Anthony]

It's not really important to my practice, but I do like learning about and being aware of of the Buddhist holidays. For example, being aware of the Buddha's Birthday / Hanamatsuri is just a nice mindful reminder of the Buddha's life and what I can learn from it. To this end, I was wondering if anyone was aware of a good digital calendar file (something I could import into Google Calendar) that contains the yearly Buddhist holidays (hopefully as practiced in the Soto tradition)? If no such thing exists, then a website or something I can check daily would do

Gassho,
Anthony
Satlah

[Bion]

It's not really important to my practice, but I do like learning about and being aware of of the Buddhist holidays. For example, being aware of the Buddha's Birthday / Hanamatsuri is just a nice mindful reminder of the Buddha's life and what I can learn from it. To this end, I was wondering if anyone was aware of a good digital calendar file (something I could import into Google Calendar) that contains the yearly Buddhist holidays (hopefully as practiced in the Soto tradition)? If no such thing exists, then a website or something I can check daily would do

Gassho,
Anthony
Satlah

Hi, Anthony. The simplest thing I can offer that is 100% Soto Zen is the Sotoshu calendar. Mind you, a lot of this is more typical of Japan. You can find the calendar HERE>>
In our sangha, we usually observe Nehan-E (Feb. 15th) with a special ceremony, we sometimes have our own Obon dance during the Zazenkai when the dates align or make note of the Buddha's birthday (April 8th) and of course, we especially observe Rohatsu (Dec. 1st - 8th), which we mark with our 2 day at home sesshin.
Hope it helps a bit

Gassho
sat lah

[Jundo]

Anthony, you may find this interesting. It is a thread I made awhile back called "About the (Soto Zen) Holidays we DON'T mark at Treeleaf" (LINK), explaining the reasons why not. Here is a sample ...
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Commemoration ceremony of the Second Patriarch’s cutting off his forearm (Danpi Ho-on Sesshin) December 9th and 10th
This follows right after Rohatsu and, frankly, we give this one a miss, as do most western Zen groups that I know. In fact, while a wonderful legend and symbol showing someone's determination to enter the Zen path, it is most certainly a fiction. Not only would he likely have needed a medieval Chinese medivac chopper, but the apocryphal story was also probably borrowed from the biography of another Zen fellow of the time who lost his arm to robbers (you can read about this from middle of p. 137 here ... to start of 142: https://books.google.co.jp/books?redir_esc=y&id=x2ZxQk2AfYsC&q=cutting+arm#v= snippet&q=cutting%20arm&f=false )

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It is part of a section which explains the Chants that we recite ... and don't recite ... and what they are about.
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About Our Treeleaf Chants: Some facts, history & Talks regarding the chants frequently heard in our Sangha (LINK)
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If you have any question about any holiday, please let me know.

I have also, for years, tried to get this effort going ... Buddhist Family Holidays (LINK) ... but it has never taken off despite a few attempts. It is, frankly, an attempt to have a Spring Holiday and December Holiday for family and kids, based on Vesak and Rohatsu (yes, competing with that other religion! ). I don't know why our members with families never got into it, but I am still hoping. Other Zen Sangha have done such things, including a Buddhist "Halloween" based on Obon ... but it seems to only have mixed success in the western Zen world.
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The "BUDDHIST FAMILY HOLIDAYS PROJECT" aims to make Buddhist holidays more "kid friendly" while preserving the traditional messages, teachings, values and customs of the original.

It is sometimes said that Buddhist groups in the West could do a bit more to be welcoming of children, and we might take some simple steps in our Sangha groups and at home to communicate basic teachings and practices to younger kids and teens (something which both Buddhist groups in the East and other religious groups in the West are quite attentive to).

In both Asian Buddhism and for other religions in the West, "religious holidays" can be a time for families to unite, to bond through customs and practices, and to bring children into the spirit of the season through the celebration. Holidays can be an important time to expose children to Buddhist teachings and values in ways that leave a lasting, positive impression for the future. LINK

Gassho, Jundo
stlah

[Anthony]

Anthony, you may find this interesting. It is a thread I made awhile back called "About the (Soto Zen) Holidays we DON'T mark at Treeleaf" (LINK), explaining the reasons why not. Here is a sample ...
.

.
It is part of a section which explains the Chants that we recite ... and don't recite ... and what they are about.
.
About Our Treeleaf Chants: Some facts, history & Talks regarding the chants frequently heard in our Sangha (LINK)
.
If you have any question about any holiday, please let me know.

I have also, for years, tried to get this effort going ... Buddhist Family Holidays (LINK) ... but it has never taken off despite a few attempts. It is, frankly, an attempt to have a Spring Holiday and December Holiday for family and kids, based on Vesak and Rohatsu (yes, competing with that other religion! ). I don't know why our members with families never got into it, but I am still hoping. Other Zen Sangha have done such things, including a Buddhist "Halloween" based on Obon ... but it seems to only have mixed success in the western Zen world.
.


Gassho, Jundo
stlah

Thank you so much for sharing, Jundo! About your ideas for holidays for kids, I totally think there are ways holidays like Vesak and Obon could be made appealing and welcoming for kids!

I'm still a bit young so I don't have kids of my own, but I definitely think I would find some of the traditional Japanese Obon and Hanamatsuri/Vesak practices to be really cool! Rōhatsu might be a little more difficult though, but maybe possible!

gassho,
Anthony
satlah

[Chikyou]

I have also, for years, tried to get this effort going ... Buddhist Family Holidays (LINK) ... but it has never taken off despite a few attempts. It is, frankly, an attempt to have a Spring Holiday and December Holiday for family and kids, based on Vesak and Rohatsu (yes, competing with that other religion! ). I don't know why our members with families never got into it, but I am still hoping. Other Zen Sangha have done such things, including a Buddhist "Halloween" based on Obon ... but it seems to only have mixed success in the western Zen world.
.


Gassho, Jundo
stlah

I’m actually three kids in a trench coat, can I join? In all seriousness though, I love this idea. I do feel like I’m missing out sometimes. I do put up lights for Rohatsu!

Gassho,
SatLah,
Chikyō

[Anthony]

I fully understand why we don't celebrate certain holidays at TreeLeaf, but I must confess that I personally am a bit of a holiday maximalist! I always love an excuse to have a special day and commemorate something, even if it likely never really happened (like Bodhidharma severing his arm). In such cases, I feel like I am honoring the meaning behind the legend rather than commemorating the mythical event itself. To each their own, of course!

Gassho,
Anthony
satlah