« Gore's climate project | Main | Austin is one of the best geek cities » VisionsIt's not the sugarplums, but the visions that dance in your head. I'm trying to find that Christmas spirit again... neither the Christian festival, nor the commercial extravaganza, but the underlying swirl of magical energies that gather around solstice, a sense that seems to emerge as well in other traditions (Chanukah, Kwanzaa). It's in the air, not in the packages. I found an interesting piece on Buddhism and Christmas at About.com, which says "though Christmas is a Christian religious tradition, the virtues it extols also feature quite strongly in Buddhism." It talks about Buddhist traditions of dana or giving, metta or loving kindness, karuna or compassion. These are part of the real tradition of Christmas, thought we all know they can be totally, completely absent from the holiday as redefined as a commercial driver. Black Christmas, indeed. The visions that are dancing in my head right now are all about a possible future that sustains human life on earth, in a future where everybody has a shot at a decent existence; enough food and shelter for all, positive work experiences, economic justice, fair trade.... sugarplums. jon posted this at 8:52 AM |
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