How can 5-MeO-DMT delete our universe?

(Mr Existential) 5-MeO-DMT: The Mystery of the 10,000 toad bones

• Avenged Sevenfold "Nobody" on DMT (official video)

Toad Shaman – Guardian of the Swamp figurine free 3D print model (MakerWorld)

The First Day of Spring: Tree Leaves (sutra)

Maurice O'Connell Walshe (trans.), Simsapa Sutra, "The Simsapa Tree Leaves" (SN 56.31), Ashley Wells, Dhr. Seven, CC Liu (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly partial Wiki edit

At one time the Blessed One [a name for the Buddha] was staying at Kosambi in the Simsapa Tree Grove.

• Siṃsapā, a tall and beautiful tree, is the Dalbergia sissoo, also known as the "[Buddhist Indian Emperor] Asoka tree."

Trees are sacred in Buddhism, e.g., the pipal

Then the Blessed One, taking a few simsapa leaves in his hand, said to the meditators: "What do you think, meditators? Which are the more numerous, the few leaves I have here in my hand, or those up in the trees of the grove?"
 
"Venerable sir, the Blessed One is holding only a few leaves: those up in the trees are far more numerous."
 
"In the same way, meditators, there are many more things that I have found out but not revealed to you.*

  

The Buddha was first represented as a bo tree

"What I have revealed to you is only a little. And why, meditators, have I not revealed it?
 
"Meditators, it is because it is not related to the goal [of awakening and complete liberation], it is not fundamental to the pure life [leading directly to the goal], does not conduce to disenchantment, dispassion, cessation, tranquillity, higher knowledge, enlightenment, and nirvana. That is why I have not revealed it. But, meditators, what have I revealed?

"What I have revealed is:

1. 'This is suffering (disappointment, woe, ill, pain)
2. This is the arising of suffering
3. This is the cessation of suffering
4. This is the path that leads to the cessation of suffering.'

The "Tree of Life" in Kabbalah

"'And why, meditators, have I revealed it?

"It is because this [set of teachings called the Four Ennobling Truths] is related to the goal, fundamental to the pure life; it conduces to disenchantment, dispassion (letting go), cessation, tranquillity, higher knowledge, enlightenment, and nirvana, so I have revealed it.
 
"Therefore, meditators, your task is to learn [the deep and profound meaning of]: 'This is suffering, this is the arising (origin) of suffering, this is the cessation of suffering, this is the PATH leading to the cessation of suffering.' This is your task."

How many leaves are there in a grove of trees? Many, many more than fit in a hand.

In Buddhism's Pali canon there is a sutra titled "The Simsapa Grove" (SN 56.31). This discourse is described as having been delivered by the Buddha to monastics while dwelling beneath a grove of simsapa trees in the city of Kosambi. In this discourse, the Buddha compares the few simsapa leaves he picks up in his hand with the number of simsapa leaves overhead in the grove to illustrate what he teaches (in particular, the Four Noble Truths) and what he does not teach (things unrelated to the achieving enlightenment). Elsewhere in the Pali canon, simsapa groves are mentioned in the Payasi Sutra (DN 23) and in the Hatthaka Sutra (AN 3.34). See also Ashoka tree.

• NOTES: For example, Rhys Davids & Stede (1921-25), p. 708, entry for siŋsapā (dsal.uchicago.edu) associates the simsapa tree with Dalbergia sisu. The Pali canon is the main scriptural source for Theravada Buddhism and is at least nominally incorporated in the canons of other branches [Mahayana and Vajrayana] of Buddhism as well. Bhikkhu Bodhi (2000), pp. 1857-58; Thanissaro (1997); and, Walshe (1985), Sutra 68. Note that in an endnote to this sutra (n. 313), Walshe states that this tree is "also known as the Asoka tree" (Walshe, 1987, p. 351). This discourse is said to have been given in Kosala. In Thanissaro (1999) this discourse is said to have been given near Alavi. For both canonical and post-canonical references, see Rhys Davids & Stede (1921-25), p. 708, entry for siŋsapā.

COMMENTARY

Translator Maurice O'Connell Walshe edited by Wisdom Quarterly

 

This famous saying has been taken to justify the [post-Buddhist] doctrines of various Mahayana schools, Theosophy, and so on. While it may do so in many cases, the real meaning is somewhat different:

The Buddha was naturally aware of many things, things unknown to others, which he did not deem necessary to teach for the gaining of enlightenment.

We can accept, even without interpreting full enlightenment vulgarly as "omniscience," that the Buddha was at least potentially aware of whatever he wished or needed to know. [In Buddhism, the Buddha is considered "omniscient" not because he knows everything at once but because he can know anything he wishes by contemplating it.]

He knew precisely which religious and philosophical doctrines that had been or might be propounded were (a) true and/or (b) conducive to enlightenment. He borrowed nothing, as such, from previous religious systems because he did not need to. But he gave his approval to whatever conformed to these criteria.

 

It has occasionally been urged that if the Buddha were really all-enlightened, he must have been able to foresee modern scientific discoveries. In fact, he probably could have done so, but that was not his task. And he will certainly have been more aware than such critics of the dangers inherent in modern discoveries, with their power not only to destroy but also to corrupt.

Dryads/devas live in/as trees.

As a matter of fact, he did not even utilize a very basic technical device that was already known by his time -- the art of writing. He clearly preferred that his teachings, the Buddha Dharma, should be preserved orally by those attempting to train them and indeed the ancient Indian oral tradition has continued to this day (Cf. T.W. Rhys Davids, Buddhist India, London 1903, pp. 107ff.)

There is, however, one "modern science" which the Buddha not only anticipated but far surpassed: psychology. The superiority of Buddhist psychological insights to the findings of the modern West can be readily verified. (Some examples can be found in this Anthology). Compare to Ven. Nyanaponika Thera's Abhidhamma Studies (BPS.lk 1965), and Douglas M. Burns' Buddhist Meditation and Depth Psychology (BPS Wheel #88-89).

 

We may compare the saying quoted here with another no less famous one occurring at SN 47.9 as well as in the Maha Parinibbana Sutra, Dialogues of the Buddha 16, II, 25 (= D ii, 100 [DN 16, Part Two, v. 32]): Desito Aananda mayaa dhammo anantaram abaahiram katvaa. natth'Aananda Tathaagatassa dhammesu aacariyamutthi.

[This translates from the Pali as] "I have taught Dharma, Ananda, making no 'inner' and 'outer' [esoteric and exoteric]: the Tathagata [the Buddha] has no 'teacher's fist' [secrets hidden in a tightfisted palm that is only opened to some students] in respect of the doctrines."

There is, of course, no contradiction between the two statements, which in fact point once again to the Middle Way between the extremes. Both equally imply that whatever else the Buddha may have been aware of about the world, he taught only what was needed for the gaining of enlightenment, holding back nothing, but refraining from imparting irrelevant information. As the life of the monastics was pared down to essentials, so was the Teaching.

 

It is fair to suggest that here, in the Pali canon, we have the Buddha's Dharma (Teaching) presented in its purest and simplest form, in the words of the Awakened Teacher himself. This statement is not meant to be in any way polemical, or to claim that doctrines developed later in the so-called "Mahayana schools" are necessarily wrong. Recent research, indeed, has conclusively shown that the essence of many such [Mahayana] doctrines can be traced back to the Pali canon.

For instance, there is little real conflict between the ideas expressed by Nagarjuna, the founder of the Madhyamika school, and the Theravada (a school with which he was almost certainly entirely unacquainted).

Likewise, while the proposition recently put forward that Zen is the "Theravada of Japan" can scarcely be literally maintained, the idea nevertheless contains a strong element of truth because Zen visibly represents an effort to rid later Buddhism of some of the accretions that had tended to obscure the original message.

Zen, too, inclines more to something like the Arhat Ideal [enlightenment for all in this very life] of Theravada than to that of the Bodhisattva Ideal [martyrdom of never attaining enlightenment until everyone else goes first though they also vow to never attain until everyone else has been saved. You first. No, you. No, you, all Heckle & Jeckle style. No, really, you go first, for I am holier than thou. But I am holier and less selfish and must therefore go second, for the first shall be the last as Saint Issa/Jesus Christ is said to have taught].

On the other hand, it should not be overlooked that the bodhisattva career [the vow and commitment to develop the ten paramis or "perfections" to their utmost and thereby become a buddha far in the future] is one that is open to followers of the Theravada school [cf. SN 12.10, n. 3 and the work of Bhikkhu Bodhi there mentioned; also Ven. W. Rahula's Zen and the Taming of the Bull (Bedford 1978)].

And, as indicated in SN 55.24, n. 7, even the apparently extremist Pure Land [devotional Buddhist] schools with their emphasis on faith receive rather more support from the Pali canon than is sometimes thought [if only because their foundational idea of a "pure land" is based on the Pali canon's teaching of the suddhavasa worlds called the "pure abodes."] In this context K. Mizuno, Primitive Buddhism, tranl. K. Yamamoto (Oyama 1969) is of interest.

 

Finally, in connection with the relation of "Buddhism and Science," the wise words of an American astronaut, Ed Mitchell, in a recent TV program may be quoted. He said: "Science is a methodology. As a belief system, it is disastrous." Buddhism, it may be urged, is a spiritual methodology analogous to that of physical science, which makes the acceptance of any pure "belief system" superfluous.

Spring Equinox 2018: Tree Hugging Day

Jerry Rubin (Tree Hugging Friends); Ashley Wells, Pfc. Sandoval (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Thank you to the Buddha's bodhi tree!

The 10th annual Tree Hugging Day will take place on Tuesday, March 20, 2018, which is Spring Equinox -- the first day of spring in the western hemisphere.

This free-to-the-public event will include a "Group Tree Hug," environmentalist speakers, music, poetry, and tree huggers of all ages showing off their unique and varied tree hugging techniques.

It will take place from 6:00-7:00 pm, which is sunset in Santa Monica Bay, in the City of Santa Monica's Palisades Park at the Children's Tree of Life located at Ocean and Colorado Avenues, just north of the gateway to the Santa Monica Pier.

The family-friendly event is being sponsored by Tree Hugging Friends (THF), founded by Santa Monica peace and environmental activists Marissa and Jerry Rubin.
 

Coastal California has beautiful piers with gorgeous sunsets like Santa Monica Pier:

The trees in the grove know.

The annual "hands on," tree-friendly, educational and interactive event is held to show love, support, and caring for our trees, urban forests, and environment.

Tree lovers are urged to tell everyone about the day and to hug a tree on for Spring Equinox and for other special days throughout the year. It's important to routinely practice tree hugging styles in preparation for Tree Hugging Day!

It's snowing and bitter cold in Ireland.

Event organizers say, "Let's bring tree hugging back by popular demand!" And THFs say, "Thank you TREE-MENDOUSLY for sharing this event with everyone!" More:

• Tree Hugging Friends
• Call Jerry Rubin at (310) 399-1000 or email  at:
• Irish weather: Met Eireann extend Status Orange warning as snow showers blast the country 
• St. Patrick's Day 2018: Hundreds of thousands brave cold to watch parades across Ireland

Yggdrasil, the Norse tree of life

The Seven Factors of Enlightenment (talks)

Addie deHilster (Foothills Mindfulness Meditation & Discussion Meetup); Wisdom Quarterly

Addie deHilster, La Crescenta

There are some topics we've been discussing recently, like this segment of a talk by Martin Aylward.

• Dharmaseed.org/teacher/200/talk

It's entitled "No Wrong Experience," which addresses embodied attention and how to mindfully investigate what's arising moment by moment.

.

This week, there was also a brief overview of the teaching called the Seven Factors of Enlightenment. These are ordinary, innate qualities (we all have them) we develop and keep in balance through practice:

1. mindfulness
2. investigation
3. energy
4. joy
5. tranquility
6. concentration
7. equanimity.

The way to liberation? Bojjhangas.

Jack Kornfield from Spirit Rock has an excellent article on the subject of enlightenment factors:

• jackkornfield.com

With an emphasis on their ordinariness and also good is this by Gil Fronsdal:

• insightmeditationcenter.org

What does the term bodhi -- as in Bodhi Tree -- mean, "awakening" or "enlightenment"? It's the same thing! Whatever our aspiration for practice might be, these seven factors are wonderful, accessible qualities to cultivate. More

Seven weeks after enlightenment

Crystal Quintero and CC Liu, Wisdom Quarterly; Buddhanet.net (e-learning)

Prayer flags flutter over Boudha stupa (reliquary), Nepal (Amiraelwakil/flickr)

(Part I) 18. Seven Weeks After Enlightenment (porlandnonsequitur)

.

1. Under the Bodhi Tree

During the first week after enlightenment, the Buddha sat under the bodhi (enlightenment, awakening) tree experiencing the bliss and happiness of complete freedom and final peace. He was liberated from all disturbing thoughts, calm and full of joy.

2. Gazing at the Tree

Woodland spirits (foxintree.com)

During the second week, out of thanks and gratitude to the tree that had sheltered him during his quest for supreme enlightenment, the Buddha stood without moving his eyes as he meditated on the bodhi tree.

Following this example, it is the custom of Buddhists to pay respect to not only the original bodhi tree (which centuries later was destroyed by Muslim religious extremists), but also to the descendants of the bodhi tree that still thrive today, particularly on a giant island just off the southern tip of India, which is the location of the oldest documented tree.

• World's oldest tree: Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi, the sacred fig (Ficus religiosa) located in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka: A sapling from the original Bodhi tree in India, under which the Buddha became enlightened was planted in 288 BCE and is the oldest living human-planted tree in the world with a documented planting date (rmtrr.org).

3. The Golden Bridge

Climbing a golden bridge (Vitaliy Raskalov/Krulwich wonders/npr.org)

 
In the third week the Buddha saw through his mind’s eye that the devas [fairies, sylphs, dryads, gandharvas] in the vicinity were not sure whether or not he had attained enlightenment. To prove his enlightenment the Buddha created a golden bridge in the air and walked up and down it in meditation for seven days.

4. The Jewelled Chamber

Triple Gem (thailand-amulets.net)

In the fourth week he created a beautiful jewelled chamber and sitting inside it meditated on what was later known as the "Detailed Teaching" (Abhidharma).

His mind and body were so purified that an aura of six colored rays came out of his body -- blue, yellow, red, white, orange, and a mixture of these five.
 

Today these six colors make up the popular Buddhist flag.

Buddha flags in HK (m.gin/flickr.com)

Each color represented one noble quality of the Buddha: yellow for holiness, white for purity, blue for confidence, red for wisdom and orange for desirelessness. The mixed color represented all these noble qualities.

5. Three Girls

Distractions (dhammawheel.com)

During the fifth week while meditating under a banyan tree, three very charming girls called Taṇhā, Arati, and Raga [Craving, Boredom, and Passion, Mara's three "daughters"] came to disturb his meditation. They "danced" in a most seductive and charming manner and did everything to tempt the Buddha to watch their dance and lead him astray. But he continued to meditate undisturbed. Before long they tired and left him in peace.

• The Buddha's Encounters with Mara the Tempter: Their Representation in Literature and Art (Ananda Guruge)

6. The Mucalinda Tree

Buddha with Mucalinda naga (idewz/flickr)

The Buddha then went and meditated at the foot of a mucalinda tree. It began to rain heavily and a huge king cobra (shapeshifting naga) came out of its den near the tree and coiled its body seven times around the Buddha to keep him warm. And it placed his hood over the Buddha’s head to protect him from the rain. After seven days the rain stopped, and the naga transformed into a young man who paid his respects to the Buddha. The Buddha then said:

Tibetan prayer flags in Nepal, Swayambhunath

"Happy are they who are contented. Happiness is for those who hear and know the truth. Happy are they who have goodwill in this world towards all sentient beings. Happy are they who have freed themselves of attachments and have passed beyond desires for sense-pleasures. The disappearance of the conceit 'I AM' is indeed the highest happiness."

• Deluded "views" as source of misery
• Rocky Mountain Tree-Ring Research

7. The Rajayatana Tree

Many trees figure into the story of the Buddha: He was born under a sal, strived under a banyan, attained under a pipal, meditated under these two, the mucalinda and rajayatana, lived under others, and chose to recline into final nirvana between twin sal trees (WQ/BM).

.

During the seventh week the Buddha meditated under the rajayatana tree. On the fiftieth morning, after seven weeks of fasting, two traveling merchants came by. They were named Tapussa and Bhallika. They offered this awe-inspiring ascetic, the Buddha, rice cakes and honey to break his fast. And the Buddha told them some of what he had discovered during his enlightenment.

Golden Shwedagon stupa (Rohit_saxena)

The two merchants, by pledging to go for guidance in the Buddha and his Dharma (his "teachings"), became the first Buddhist lay followers. There was no monastic order (Sangha), no monks or nuns yet. They asked the Buddha for some sacred keepsake to take with them. The Buddha wiped his head with his right hand and pulled out some hair to give to them.

These sacred "hair relics," called kesa datu, were later reputed to have been enshrined by the merchants on their return home to what is now Burma, in Shwedagon Pagoda in the former capital of Rangoon.

What happened to the original bodhi tree?
Dhr. Seven and Amber Larson, Wisdom Quarterly (SPECULATION)

Bodhi tree, offspring of the original, India

Once the Buddha, being young, failed to rise for an elder ascetic and pay him the customary honors. That elder ascetic thought the Buddha uncouth and complained wanting to know why the younger wandering ascetic would not honor him as was the proper shramanic thing to do. The Buddha later explained that there was no one he could pay homage to as his superior or elder, not even his parents, which brought his father the king much consternation when he returned to Shakya-land. The reason for this is that for him to do so would cause their head to split into seven pieces. This is a common idiom of the day, which seems to mean "completely destroy." The expression comes up, for example, in Sariputra's Lion's Roar, a sutra where his chief male disciple declares his attainments. The Buddha encourages him to pardon a younger monk making false allegations because, should Sariputra fail to, "his head will split into seven pieces." That is, his karma against a fully enlightened elder teacher, Sariputra, will utterly destroy him. The Buddha did not awaken to everything all at once. He learned as he went along, often pondering what would be the best thing to do in a given situation, looking back to what other buddhas had done before him. Therefore, in this scene, he is innocently paying respect to this one tree, honoring it, in a sense paying homage to it. What happened to this tree? It was utterly destroyed by Muslim extremists, who were outraged that people seemed to be engaged in idolatry, which is against their tradition, much as it is against Jewish and Christian traditions. The same may be said of the very land, now known as the state of Bihar, which the Buddha foresaw would always have a time of it.

Why do we love trees?

Zocalo, a Getty Center talk moderated by Bob Sipchen, editor-in-chief, Sierra Magazine Magnificent trees in Kentucky (travelBBB.com)

Why Buddhism LOVES Trees -- Explained

It’s hard to overstate the significance of trees. They provide food, fuel, shelter, shade, beauty, cleaner air, and the raw material for charcoal, paper, and homes. Early manuscripts were printed on birch and beech; the ships that propelled explorers and armies were built from elms and oaks. But beyond their practical use, tress stimulate the spirit and imagination, carrying deep symbolic meaning. Seated in their shade, the Buddha found enlightenment, and Newton found gravity. Laurels meant victory for the Ancient Greeks and Romans; cedars signify revolution and independence for Lebanon; and palms and jacarandas convey the promise of Los Angeles. In conjunction with the Getty exhibition "In Focus: The Tree," Zócalo invites artist Jennifer Steinkamp, environmental studies professor Nalini Nadkarni, and farmer David Mas Masumoto to discuss the beauty and meaning of trees, and why we love them. More

How the talk went: The three participants on a panel called "Why Do We Love Trees" might be expected to have fairly simplistic relationships with the plants in question. READ MORE

Warming killing off trees in Western states (Los Angeles Times)

Tree Dictionary
Million Trees LA
Tree People

Has Age of Environmentalism Brought Us Closer to Nature?
Environmental issues are a bigger part of the collective consciousness than ever before. Recycling has become the norm, water conservation is a major issue in the American West, and environmental... READ MORE
Why Don't Californians Talk About Politics?

Despite widespread public anger at California's broken governing system, its citizens remain disengaged -- and have been unable to fix the system. The voter registration rate is among the lowest... READ MORE

Bodhi Tree to be planted in India for 2600th

Janaka Alahapperuma (Onlanka News) translated from "English" by Wisdom Quarterly

Siddhartha culminated six years of rigorous striving by letting go and was thereby able to gain supreme enlightenment when he resolved to simply sit under the Bodhi tree. The straining had prevented him, and slacking off would have ruined him. But in between, the heart/mind was freed. What was his practice? He became tranquil through the jhanas gained through breathing meditation then practiced the Foundations of Mindfulness and Dependent Origination (Wisdom Quarterly).

Honored Tree involved in the Great Enlightenment to be taken to Bodh Gaya, India to mark 2600th anniversary of the Supremely Enlightened Buddha Festival

SRI LANKA - A sapling from the Bodhi tree in Anuradhapura was brought to Temple Trees (the official residence or Sri Lankan "White House"), which is ready to be sent to India as of February 14.

Prime Minister and senior monks with Bodhi tree sapling (Sudath Silva/Onlanka News)

The sapling to be taken to India for planting at Bodh Gaya, where Siddhartha became a supremely enlightened teacher (sam-buddha), will mark the 2600th anniversary celebrating that event: Sambuddha Jayanti (festival).

Bo trees send runners and saplings making them easy to transplant.

The Bodhi or Bo tree (Ficus religiosa) the Buddha sat under to become enlightened is the "world's oldest documented living tree." There are of course much older undocumented trees. It is a kind of fig or pipal tree, whose wonderful but small fruit is only eaten as starvation rations during famine. The original tree in India was intentionally destroyed by Muslim marauders incensed to see a "tree" being "worshipped." Of course, people were honoring the living tree as a way of honoring the Buddha's accomplishment by proxy. Those who destroyed it were apparently not aware that a branch had been taken and planted in Sri Lanka in ancient times, where it has survived, prospered, and grown to enormous size.

The tree sapling was recently taken from the Uda Maluwa at Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi (where the offspring of the original Bodhi tree is kept and honored in Sri Lanka) in a colorful ceremony.

(Sudath Silva/Onlanka News)

This special religious ceremony was attended by the Maha Sangha (Greater Order, comprised of representatives from the various monastic groups or nikayas in Sri Lanka) led by the chief incumbent senior monk (Atamasthana Adhipati), Ven. Pallegama Siriniwasa, and a large number of devotees including North Central Province Governor, Karunaratne Divulgane, Chief Minister Berty Premalal Dissanayake, and members of parliament and provincial councilors.

The sapling was placed in a gilded pot by Chief Minister Dissanayake. After a parade in honor of the Bo-sapling, it was taken in a special motorcade to Anuradhapura city then airlifted to Dambakolapatuna on the Jaffna peninsula on the north coast of the island escorted by Dr. Palitha Mahanthegama. Other politicians and officials from the Ministry of Buddhist Affairs as well as Naval personnel were also present. Source

What's the Spiritual Season? (Bodhi Day)

Stephanie Fenton (readthespirit.com)

THIS WEEK (Dec. 7-13, 2009), Jewish families begin lighting candles on a Menorah for the eight-day festival of Hanukkah. Buddhists recall the Buddha's enlightenment. And Catholics celebrate one of the most famous Marian apparitions on the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe; the Virgin Mary is also in the thoughts of Catholics early in the week, when her Immaculate Conception is honored.

Meanwhile, Christians of Scandinavian descent celebrate St. Lucy's Day...And around the globe this week, communities focus on human rights — while in America [bombs Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, and cries about the false-flag] attack at Pearl Harbor. Read all about these holidays and events... More>>

BODHI DAY

TUESDAY, many Buddhists recognize the day Siddhartha Gautama — or the Buddha, as he was to become known [thereafter] around the world — attained enlightenment. As the Sanskrit word for "enlightenment" is bodhi, this day is known as Bodhi Day (Japanese, Rohatsu). Buddhists believe that Siddhartha underwent many years of [spiritual struggle] in his search to find [an way to completely end suffering]. When his inquiring mind was unsatisfied by the answers he received from others, Siddhartha meditated until he found his answer and his enlightenment.

• The Buddhist Channel describes how Zen Buddhists bring some of their traditions to America

According to Buddhist tradition, it was more than 2,500 years ago when Prince Siddhartha sat beneath a Bo tree and said, "Even though the flesh falls from my bones and the bone themselves crack, I will not get up from this seat until I have achieved supreme and perfect enlightenment!"

Today, monastic Buddhists of the Zen tradition often have a 10-day retreat, or sesshin, in honor of Rohatsu.

• For a kid-friendly approach, try this site for lesson plan ideas from the UK

During this retreat, monks will meditate 10-12 hours per day and, on the last day, many will stay up through the night as Siddhartha did when he achieved enlightenment. While all of the meditations and religious doctrines in the world at the time had not satisfied Siddhartha, a deep meditation that allowed all of his worldly obstacles to fall away led him to enlightenment.

• This site takes an unusual look at Siddhartha's life, as though he lived in modern day

The Buddha contemplated his former thoughts, works, and experiences, the experiences of lifetimes past, birth and death, and the indivisibility of all living things.

• Wikipedia gives a comprehensive overview

Bodhi Day doesn't have carols or candles as part of its tradition, but its teachings can be incorporated into a celebration of another winter holiday! As suggested by FamilyDharma, stringing multicolored lights around the home can represent the many paths to enlightenment; candles can be lit to represent enlightenment; a small, potted Bo tree can be decorated, in honor of the Bo tree that Buddha attained enlightenment beneath; and Bo tree leaf cookies can be made, as Bo leaves are heart-shaped.

What other winter traditions can you think of that can be incorporated into Bodhi Day or Rohatsu? Email your experiences and ideas.

Bodhgaya (place of enlightenment)

• Bodhgaya photo gallery