The Sámi (US SAH-mee, UK SAM-ee [8], also spelled Sami and Saami) are the indigenous Native Scandinavians, the Sámi-speaking people inhabiting the region of Sápmi (formerly Lapland), which today encompasses large northern parts of Sweden, Norway, Finland, and of the Kola Peninsula in Russia.
Historically, the Sámi have been known in English as Lapps or Laplanders. However, these terms are regarded as offensive by the Sámi, who prefer their own endonym, that is, the Northern Sámi Sápmi [9, 10].
Their traditional Native languages are the Sámi languages, which are classified as a branch of the Uralic language family. More: Sámi people
The Buddhist Way to Give at Christmas | No stress, just pure joy
(Buddha's Wisdom)
Dec. 23, 2025: What if we could give at Christmas without stress, guilt, or keeping score?
🎁 CHRISTMAS DOESN'T HAVE TO FEEL HEAVY.
DISCOVER HOW BUDDHIST WISDOM CAN TRANSFORM GIVING.
For 2,600+ years, Buddhists have practiced dāna (letting go, giving, sharing, generosity, charity), the art of generous giving that liberates both giver and receiver.
This ancient wisdom offers a profound alternative to the anxiety, obligation, and reciprocity calculations that often shadow modern Christmas giving.
Through Buddhist teachings, human psychology, and everyday Christmas moments, this video shows how giving without attachment changes not only the holiday season…but the mind/heart behind it.
📿 DISCOVER:
The ancient practice of dāna and its three stages of joy (before, during, and after giving)
Why expecting gratitude turns giving into stress
Why the Buddha said the "gift of Dhamma [the Teaching, Doctrine, Dharma] surpasses all other gifts" and what this means for our Western pagan holiday we call Christmas (Christ's mass)
The three moods of giving: reluctant, calculated, and free (and which one we're actually practicing)
The hidden emotional contracts behind Christmas gifts
How to give, and receive, without pressure, debt, or obligation
🙏 If this changes how you experience Christmas this year, subscribe to Buddha's Wisdom for weekly explorations of ancient practices that address modern life. The next video might be exactly what someone needs
⏱️ TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 Christmas magic meets Buddhist wisdom
01:19 The Christmas giving paradox
03:19 What is Dāna? The Buddhist art of generosity
06:13 The three moods of giving
11:01 How to practice dāna at Christmas
17:29 The ultimate Buddhist Christmas gift
19:30 The one gift experiment
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During the Christmas season in Germany, there was plenty of Silent Night and O Tannenbaum—two Christmas carols that originated there.
But during the Third Reich, one was more likely to hear a hymn called Exalted Night instead of a silent one.
The popular hymn—which dwelled on motherhood, renewal, and holiday fires—seemingly fit right in with the rest of the Christmas songs. But like so much in Nazi Germany, it was a carefully constructed fake, written by a Nazi songwriter as part of an attempt to apply Leader Adolf Hitler’s hateful ideology to Christmas.
During the 1930s and 1940s, the Nazis did their best to transform Germany’s beloved Christmas traditions into Nazi ones. Though Hitler’s attempts to create a national church failed, his party’s attempt to redefine religious celebrations was more successful.
To do this, they used ideology and propaganda to put the holiday in line with the national socialists’ antisemitic values.
Have you been misbehaving, little child? Krampus is here!
Jews traditionally love Christmas, right?
The Nazis’ problem with Christmas was baked into Christmas itself. After all, [Nordic depicted] Jesus Christ was a dark-skinned [Mizrahi] Jew—and both antisemitism and the goal of expelling Jews and Jewishness were part of the core of Nazi ideology.
This presented a problem when it came to Germany.
An Ashke'NAZI Jew is my ideal German.
Not only was the nation devoutly Christian, but it was the place where many Christmas traditions, like Advent calendars, [Krampus and Saint Nickaka SantaKlaus], Christmas trees, and Christmas markets, were born. The Nazis knew it would be impossible to eradicate Christianity entirely, so they decided to rework it in their own image. More
By Ricky Gervais, Wall Street Journal via Dan Pizarro
"You can't say that!" - "You can."
Ricky Gervais is the writer and star of HBO's Ricky Gervais Out of England 2: The Stand-Up Special (website: rickygervais.com).
"Why don't you believe in God?" I get that question all the time. I always try to give a sensitive, reasoned answer. This is usually awkward, time consuming, and pointless.
Buddhism and the God-Idea
People who believe in God don't need proof of his [her, its] existence, and they certainly don't want evidence to the contrary. They are happy with their belief. They even say things like, "It's true to me" and "It's faith."
I still give my logical answer because I feel that not being honest would be patronizing and impolite. It is ironic, therefore, that to say, "I don't believe in God because there is absolutely no scientific evidence for his existence" or "from what I've heard, the very definition is a logical impossibility in this known universe" comes across as both patronizing and impolite. More
Stand up comedian Ricky Gervais: I am WOKE now! - I'll be a humanist, a hedonist, a materialist
For those who care about this sort of thing, here is a link (wsj.com) to an essay by British standup comedian Ricky Gervais about his reasons for being an atheist and how he deals with it in a world that is predominately hostile towards his lack of belief. His views also happen to be my own (Dan Piraro).
Buddhism is non-theistic, not atheistic
All of them seem convincing. I won't believe any
What's the difference? Well, a theist thinks he knows there is a God. An atheist thinks he knows there isn't. An agnostic doesn't know, isn't sure, or is afraid to say/decide, whereas a nontheist knows and says that whether there is a God or not, what has that to do with my enlightenment, my awakening, my liberation (salvation, emancipation, deliverance) from ignorance, craving, hatred, fear, suffering, and rebirth? The disappointment/pain I experience comes about as the results of my deeds (actions of mind, speech, and body), my views, words, and conduct. If there is a God that's still true. I can see it as true. If there is no God that's still true. I can see that for myself, reflecting in my own life along the lines of the Buddha's discourse called the Kalama Sutta.
Why did the Buddha have so many followers?
Now, people think the Kalama Sutra says, "Think whatever you want, and don't believe whatever you don't want." That's not what it says at all. Keep reading. The Kalamas didn't know how to decide which spiritual teacher or teaching (doctrine) was right. They all sounded good and said the others were wrong. When the Buddha came to teach, they first questioned him about this problem of not knowing who or what to believe since they all sounded good and had a point. So the Buddha taught them in such a way that it did not depend on him or his authority, reasoning, charisma, or anything else but their own experience. He asked them the question, Can you see from your own experience that greed, hatred, and delusion arise in a person for their own harm, the harm of others, and the harm of society? Or how is it? In the same way, the same question may be asked in reverse: Can you see from your own experience that nongreed (letting go), nonhatred (love, compassion, joy in others' joy, unbiased calm), nondelusion (wisdom, knowing, clarity) arise in a person for their own benefit, the benefit of others, and the benefit of society? The Kalamas could see that, not as a belief or blind faith in this or that teacher but from their own personal experience in life. If you can see that, then maybe you can see that bringing about the end of greed. hatred, and delusion is good and a teaching (doctrine or Dharma) that does that is of benefit and maybe something you'd like to learn. They did. So the Buddha taught them without reference to books, authorities, teachers, views, or biases. They were amazed. This made sense. This made sense because they could see that it was true from their own observations and experiences not someone else's.
The Buddha was not a teacher of God, not a prophet or disciple of God. He was a teacher of Karma, an advocate of the right understanding that things happen to us because of our deeds, life after life. What happens to us in any existence is intimately wrapped up in our deeds of body, speech, and mind (the views, opinions, preferences, and biases we hold). "Karma: It's everywhere you're going to be."
who did not invent the Eternal Way of Life (Sanatan Dharma), Vedas, yoga but turned made the ism
Could Christians mean impersonal Karma when they speak of a personal God alive in the world? "Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows [whatever deeds one does], that will one also reap [experience the result of]" (Christian Bible, Galatians 6:7, biblehub.com).
Deeds (karma, actions) are like seeds (things we sow) capable of maturing (vipaka, ripening) and bearing much fruit (phala, results). This impersonal karma process is unfailing, all-knowing, all-seeing, as the Abrahamic "God" is said to be.
Better translations? Amplified Bible: "Do not be deceived, God is not mocked [He will not allow Himself to be ridiculed, nor treated with contempt, nor allow His precepts to be scornfully set aside]; for whatever a [person] sows, this and this only is what [that person] will reap." Christian Standard Bible: "Don’t be deceived: God is not mocked. For whatever a person sows [one] will also reap," Contemporary English Version: "You cannot fool God, so don't make a fool of yourself! You will harvest what you plant." GOD'S WORD® Translation: "Make no mistake about this: You can never make a fool out of God. Whatever you plant is what you'll harvest [as a result of having planted it]." Good News Translation: "Do not deceive yourselves; no one makes a fool of God. You will reap [in return] exactly what you plant."
Japanese Hotei (known in Chinese as Budai) is one of the Shichi Fukujin, or "Seven Shinto-Gods of Luck." He is the "god of happiness, laughter, and the wisdom of contentment" and the patron of the weak and of children, fortunetellers, and bartenders.
The term "Shinto" derives from the combination of two Chinese characters -- shin (神), which means "spirit" (kami, supernatural entities, possibly heavenly ETs coming to this dimension) or "god," and tō (道, tao), which means "way," "road," or "path" [45]. Shintō (神道) is therefore "the Way of the Gods" (or Spirits, the shapeshifting kami at the center of the priestly religion). It was a term already used in the I-Chingor Book of Changes, referring to the divine order of nature [46]. Around the time of the spread of Buddhism in the Han Dynasty (206 BCE–220 CE), the term was used to distinguish indigenous Chinese religions (shamanic or magic-based traditions) from the new imported religion. Ge Hong used it in his Baopuzi as a synonym for Taoism [47]. Shinto is animistic and polytheistic with priests who deal with the unruly shapeshifting monsters/gods known as the kami. The Chinese term 神道 (MCzyin daw) was originally adopted into Japanese as Jindō [48]; this was possibly first used as a Buddhist term to refer to non-Buddhist deities [49] or spirits. More
Budai points at the Moon
Hotei is distinguished by his [fat] body, which is of generous proportions with a round belly exposed beneath loose robes. This big jelly belly is a symbol of happiness, luck, and generosity.
On his back he carries a huge linen sack, containing candy, precious things, and gifts of good fortune, including children.
He also holds an uchiwa, a flat fan of Chinese origin used by ancient chieftains as an emblem of authority and wish granting.
Hotei may sit in an old cart drawn by boys, as the Wagon Priest, and can be compared with the BuddhisticMi-lo-Fo.
Chinese backstory
I am the big Friendly One. Here's some candy!
In Chinese Buddhism he is known as Budai, the "Loving or Friendly One." He was a wandering Chan Buddhistmonk who lived in the 9th century.
At his death between the years of 901 and 903, he recited a poem that revealed to the world that he was in fact the BodhisattvaMaitreya in disguise.
Maitreya, Chinese Mahayana Buddhists believe, is the Future Buddha, who will return to the world and bring innumerable individuals to realization (bodhi) and salvation (nirvana).
This concept of hope for all those who suffer, combined with Budai’s pleasing (always kind and smiling) human features, made him a most popular Buddhist deity (deva).
Good Luck Budai honored in Thailand
It was not until the 16th century that he was canonized as the sixteenth and last Chinese Bodhisattva.
According to Chinese legend he carried a sack of candy to give to children. He is sometimes worshiped as a god of good luck and prosperity.
He is always represented as very stout (fat), with breasts and upper abdomen exposed to view. His face has a widely grinning, joyful, or laughing expression, so he is also known loosely as "the Laughing Buddha" even though he is NOT a buddha.
[EDITOR'S NOTE: Even "Maitreya Buddha" is actually not yet a buddha as his name would suggest but rather a bodhisattva, that is, "a being striving to become a supreme buddha" (samma sam buddha) in the future.]
He stands in the first hall of Buddhist monasteries. Because of his constant good nature, he has become the symbol of philosophical contentment. Source
The Laughing Buddha Story | Joy of Enlightenment | Zen Buddhism
(Narrative Dreamscape) This short Zen story follows the tale of Hotei (Budai, Putai), a Chinese Buddhist monk who attains "enlightenment" [satori or kensho, an epiphany or spiritual realization] after hearing a child's laughter. He then wanders the land being called the "Laughing Buddha" [Bodhisattva], spreading joy and showing that enlightenment [a realization] can be found by embracing the humor and impermanence of life. This lighthearted and inspirational Zen tale reminds us not to take life too seriously but to greet each moment with childlike joy and presence. Let this [Fat Happy] Laughing Buddha story bring a smile to the face and warmth to the heart.
(PhotowalksTV with Jefferson Graham) Nov. 28, 2024: Chiropractor Derek Levy of Hermosa Beach, L.A. County, California, dons the big red wet suit again for his 2024 stint as Surfing Santa.
Levy is the cover surfer for the Easy Reader, the L.A. area publication that began putting surfers on its cover in 1978. #santaclaus #christmas #surfingsanta
CHAPTERS
00:00 Surfing Santa
00:13 History
00:57 Easy Reader publisher Kevin Cody
01:24 Photos by Ray Vidal
🔔 Explore the world through this lens on PhotoWalksTV! Subscribe now for breathtaking journeys and photography tips: @photowalkstv. This episode was photographed on a variety of cameras, including the DJI Mini 4 Pro, iPhone 16 Pro and Sony RX10IV.
Rugged Indian Americans Indigenous Scandinavians and their teepees tents, 1900 (wiki)
Sami ("Laplander") life might not be possible without reindeer, just as Indians needed buffalo.
Who invented our European-American version of "Christmas"? Sami shamans in Siberia-Scandinavia-Arctic Circle (North Pole) -- with their reindeer obsession, big red coat and boots, long beard, stocking distribution (used as bags over the fireplace to dry psychoactive Fly agaric (Amanita muscaria) mushrooms the shaman distributes to families living in yurts by entering through the "chimney" (open rooftop access where fire smoke is ventilated out by design. And even the reindeer get so high they "fly" by partaking of the magical mushrooms and the urine of the shaman or head reindeer, characteristically licking the snow for more of the molecule. Sounds unbelievable, but it's all true. The mushroom has a symbiotic relationship with pine trees, under which they grow, popping up as red and white wrapped "gifts." So we imitate the ritual by wrapping nice things in red and white, the color of peppermint canes, and placing them under the conifer pines tree we drag in for loved ones to find in the morning. It's like an Easter egg (mushroom vulva) hunt in winter snow with the helper Elves or mechanicals cybernauts speak of seeing and interacting with. It's starting to feel a lot like winter solstice time!
Ho ho ho, says the Shaman, gifts for everyone!
One of the least known ethnic groups of Europe. Who are they?
(Science) Aug. 18, 2024: Girl football? Forest spirits? Living in tents with advice of female shamans? Sápmi is the Sámi (\sammy\) people’s own name for their traditional territory. The Sámi people are the Indigenous people of the northern part of the Scandinavian Peninsula and large parts of the Kola Peninsula. They live in what some used to call "Lapland" in Sweden, Norway, Finland, and Russia. There is no reliable information on the population of the Sámi people; they are, however, estimated to number between 50,000-100,000. The Sami – an ethnic group who are known as the last indigenous people of Europe (or Laplandia).
Let's go through the genome, DNA, and haplogroups of many of the various peoples of Northern Asia. The natives of Siberia are a very interesting group to learn about, not very well known by the general public.
Let's touch on the fact that Hungarians, Finns, and Estonians all speak languages that come from outside the borders of Europe. Thoughts on the Sami, Ainu, and the native peoples of Siberia? Comment
Fly Agaric and its ties with Christmas | Amanita Muscaria Mushroom
How can we spread Western culture/Xmas cheer?
(Danni in the Wild) Dec. 19, 2023: Did our much-loved Christmas celebrations derive from a psychedelic trip brought on by the Amanita muscaria mushroom?
Where did the idea of "Father Christmas" come from? Do reindeer really learn to "fly" by eating magic mushrooms that get them high? Why does Santa Claus come down the chimney of all places? And are "machine elves" real?
Join me, Danni in the Wild, as I explore the parallels between traditional shamanic winter solstice celebrations from the Arctic communities of the Kamchadals and Koryaks of Siberia, and the traditional Christmas celebrations we practice today in Europe and the Americas. (Feliz Navidad, Latin America! We strongly advise people not to trip without a competent minder and sitter, like a shaman).
Sources and suggested further reading:
Mushrooms and Mankind by James Arthur
Magic Mushrooms in Religion and Alchemy by Clark Heinrich
Foraging Wild Foods and Medicinal Mushrooms October | UK
These red-and-white gifts just popped up under the tree overnight. I wonder what's in them.
.
(Danni in the Wild) Oct. 26, 2023: Join me, Danni in the Wild, for a late fall forage in a local woodland pasture. It is a beautiful day, and there are lots of wild edible berries, plants, and fungi to find -- some of the mushrooms being medicinal, too! Please see notes on species below before mushroom hunting.
Acorns (oak seeds) contain high amounts of tannins which can cause stomachaches, so they must first be prepared (soaked, washed, rewashed, and rinsed over and over) before consuming or ground into flour;
Rosehips (future rosebuds) contain itchy hairs that should be removed before consumption;
Golden spindles are nontoxic but not usually recommended for consumption due to their tough texture and bitter flavor;
Amanita muscaria (Fly agaric) contains psychoactiveibotenic acid and the hallucinogen muscimol, so failure to prepare it properly for its intended use may result in freaking out, vomiting, dizziness, vertigo, anxiety, and lots of other unpleasant feelings!
WARNING: Remember never to eat any wild food -- be it plant, fruit, or fungi -- unless you are 100% certain of its identity. Always cross check resources to be 200% sure. Always do research before taking herbs internally, especially if pregnant, have severe allergies, or have a weakened immune system.
PLEASE: Remember to take only what is needed from places of abundance (and never more than 10% of any plant) so as to always leave plenty for the other wildlife.
To follow along for more foraging and forest garden content, join me over on Instagram, TikTok, and Threads: @danniinthewild; subscribe to channel for more mushroom content, or follow me on Instagram, Threads, and TikTok @danniinthewild
Thanks for watching! :)
Danni in the Wild; Pat Macpherson, Dhr. Seven (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly
Capitalism (via the Hallmark Corporation) compels us to shop for others, and what do you get for someone who understands nothing you say, like the friendly monk at the Buddhist temple. It would be nice to clarify his wisdom and answers to our many questions without the embarrassing pressing and straining to communicate or having a bad human translator present to apologize, sway, and utter euphemisms in place of real answers. If AI can't, maybe this tiny device can. This is not a cellphone app and does not need to connect to Wi-Fi to work.
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