What we did for Lunar New Year (video)

Off the Great Wall; CC Liu, Crystal Q., Ashley Wells (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly; Hsi Lai Temple

It's often called "Chinese New Year," but it's bigger than that. Most of the world for most of history has celebrated "new" at the beginning of spring, when the earth (Bhumi, Tierra, or Gaia) is new again.

The moon is this world's calendar, with its four-week lunar cycle and 13 moonths. We've talked about this before. Here, it really comes into play.

The whole world -- except for the untouched indigenous peoples of the world -- coerced and cajoled onto a solar or lunisolar calendar, and time hasn't been the same since.

Portion of Hsi Lai temple, side view, LA

It used to be possible to look up and know what time it was and what day and what month and season. Most of that native knowledge is lost.

Here in the Asphalt Jungle of the Los Angeles Basin, where most of the Chinese Americans in the USA live, along with sizable populations in the Bay Area and elsewhere, old traditions are new again.

LA is the hate crime capital of the country, with about 615 reported incidents, a gross underestimate of the actual number of incidents. It's an anti-Asian atmosphere, because of Wuhan Flu or college admission rates or many other reasons.

So it has become extra-important to show Asian pride, get back to lost traditions. Kids make that more obvious. The first generation just wants to assimilate and succeed. Succeeding generations want to stand out and be accepted for their differences and unique contributions to the melting pot or salad bowl that is the US of A.

With that in mind, we headed over to the largest Buddhist monastery in the Western hemisphere, Going West Temple (hsilai.org/en) in LA's San Gabriel Valley, though Chaung Yen Monastery in Upstate New York sure gives Hsi Lai a run for its money in size and scope; it's where Bhikkhu Bodhi lives and teaches along with many other Dharma projects and missions.

Sadly, due to super spreader concern in the time of C, Hsi Lai opted out of hosting tens of thousands of pilgrims, tourists, and well-wishers looking for a traditional Chinese (Taiwanese) Buddhist temple celebration of the Spring Festival/New Year.

It's the Year of the Tiger, and we weren't about to give up. Think Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon in terms of our tenacity. It was straight to China Town/DTLA for traditional foods and fanfare, which in LA usually means shopping and tourism. We ended up with traffic, crowds, fried foods coated in sauces, and more tchotchkes for future generations.

Fortunately, other Buddhist temples -- and there are hundreds hidden throughout LA, most of them local and very ethnic for pockets of immigrants wanting the comforts of home -- were open.

Buddhists always want to give on holidays, providing dana to the monastics. Taiwanese nuns appreciate it, Sri Lankan monks love it, the Thai community can't get enough of it, though the Burmese in LA wait until April (spring) to get excited.

What are "Asian" Americans? There are so many more than Chinese!

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Asia is vast and New Year arrives when the season does. Burma and Thailand will have their Water Festival, uncharacteristically splashing and frolicking in public with one another. LA, the place of no culture, or at least no specific culture other than Mexican traditions (this is Mexico, after all) is for clubbing and bubbly hoots and hollers.

Where do Asian Americans live?

Kids need more culture than that. A family that finds its roots and shares them with this hodgepodge of a society is contributing mightily, so off to grandma's house we went. That's where the traditional foods and functions are carried on. The spirits must be appeased or at least acknowledge.

The great thing is that New Year in China lasts two weeks. There's still much more celebrating to do!