| O-Higan |
Usually observed on the Sunday on or immediately preceding the Spring and Fall equinoxes, the change in seasons from extreme cold or heat to moderate temperatures is symbolic of crossing from the shore of illusion (extreme beliefs held in ignorance) to the other shore of enlightenment (the middle path of recognizing and continously overcoming one’s ignorance). O-Higan is the time when we pay special attention to the Six Paramitas (Perfections)  :
Note: Parts of the following text have been adapted from www.quietmountan.com/dharmacenters/buddhadendo/DANA.HTM. Chinese characters come from www.tunglinkok.ca/9603/sources/glossary.htm.
 (SHEE-lah)--Moral precepts. Laypeople are asked to do their best to avoid engaging in five types of wrongs:
 (k’SHAHN-tee)--Patience, waiting to find out what’s behind the outward appearances of a situation or occurrence instead of jumping to conclusions and reacting in haste. If there’s no time to wait, one can still practice Ksanti by remembering that he/she is never in full possession of the facts regarding any situation. Of the many English words used to render Ksanti, possibly the best is
endurance, but also used are: surrender (giving up), and forgiving. We also practice
Ksanti when we refrain from forcing our opinions, and give people some space.
 (VEER-yah)--Effort. (The words “virile” and “vigor” come from this root.) The Dhammapada says that doing something half-heartedly is worse than not doing it at all. We also have the scriptural explanation: continually working on giving up greed, anger,
and ignorance.
 (dJAH-nah)--Meditation (The Chinese word “ch’an” and the Japanese word ”zen” are translations of this word.), i.e. stilling the mind and accepting life the way it is. This, however does not imply passive acceptance of intolerable conditions, rather it requires a realistic appraisal of their causes in order for one to work to overcome them.
 (PRAHZH-nyah)--Wisdom. The sutra Tan Butsu Ge says that all of the preceding five paramitas “lead to the highest wisdom.” Wisdom is not the same thing as knowledge. If anything, it’s the recognition of one’s lack of knowledge. In the Prajñaparamita Sutra (a.k.a. Hannya Shingyo or Heart of Wisdom Sutra), Avalokiteshvara teaches Shariputra that all things have Sunyata nature and are
essentially empty, i.e. that we are already in the Pure Land, and thus there is no attainment (nothing to get). He ends
by transmitting (giving) the Prajñaparamita mantra (Gyate, gyate, hara gyate, hara so gyate, Bodhi sowa ka), leading to the far shore of
enlightenment. Furthermore, Shakyamuni compares the Dharma to a raft which enables one
to cross to the far shore, and once there, the raft, no longer needed, is given up.
|
| Sitemap Welcome to BTC 12 Principles of Buddhism Buddhist Educational Center
Buddhist Temple of Chicago
|
(DAH-nah)--Giving, generosity. (The word “donation” comes from this root.) The great concept of Dana is interrelated with many other aspects of the Dharma. It will
relieve suffering and bring happiness. It expresses love and selflessness. It is linked with all
of the Paramitas, the Bodhisattva way of life. The four
types of Dana are: