This is a lesson from my Temple. I give credit to the author, but I dont want to name him here w/o his permission.
The Buddha and Christmas
Worker dies at Long Island Wal-Mart after being trampled in Black Friday stampede
“A Wal-Mart worker died early Friday after an "out-of-control" mob of frenzied shoppers smashed through the Long Island store's front doors and trampled him, police said.
The Black Friday stampede plunged the Valley Stream outlet into chaos, knocking several employees to the ground and sending others scurrying atop vending machines to avoid the horde. When the madness ended, 34-year-old Jdimytai Damour was dead and four shoppers, including a woman eight months pregnant, were injured._”
BY Joe Gould, Clare Trapasso and Rich Schapiro
DAILY NEWS WRITERS .Updated Friday, November 28th 2008, 10:46 PM
According to one witness that spoke with the New York Daily News "When [other employees] were saying they had to leave, that an employee got killed, people were yelling, 'I've been on line since Friday morning!' They kept shopping." The term "senseless death" gets bandied around a good deal in the media but Jdimytai Damour's was beyond senseless. It was an unnecessary tragedy.
While this particular episode happened two years ago, in 2010 we still had people camping overnight outside stores, waiting for super deals and also trampling other shoppers on Black Friday. Do we ever learn? Is this what Christmas is all about?
Needless to say, or at least in my humble opinion, I doubt that The Buddha would be up at 5:00 AM on Black Friday trying to fight his way to the first Nintendo Wii, large screen LED TV or other gadgets for himself. If The Buddha were with us today I think he would appreciate the core values of the Christmas season without getting swept up by the frenzy that sometimes surrounds it. While not a Christian, he could celebrate the life of Jesus and the example he left us of compassion and wisdom. He could help a friend decorate her tree in order to bring a sense of warmth and good cheer to her home. I bet he would even think of a great Secret Santa present for a co-worker. If The Buddha were exchanging presents he would not get gifts for the sake of crossing someone off a list or spend days trying to get the best deal on an item but he would likely take the time to truly think through how to help improve the lives of his friends and family.
We too can take a step back from the holiday craziness and reflect on how we can help other people. Such reflection may lead to the perfect gift but more likely will lead to a sense of appreciation for all that we have been given. We should not get too hung up on a perfect gift but focus more on the act of giving itself. When we extend our generosity to others we also grow as a person. When we reflect on what the individual we're giving to means to us we are literally extending our heart to them while offering a token sign of appreciation for our connection.
When we meditate about the season and take the time to connect with the heart of compassion, then we develop a gift that is truly meaningful both to the recipient and to our self. For our niece with a lot of energy and a smidgen of grace maybe we can give her dance lessons. For our sibling who is going through a rough time at home we can take them out of town for a weekend. It is not so much what we give this time of year, but that we give with warmth and compassion in our heart. And when you give, give without expecting anything in return, that would take away so much value to your act.
When you extend yourself selflessly to others, you reconnect with the spirit of this holiday and to all sentient beings, with or without a gift. When you practice Bodichitta, when you feel compassion and offer the gift of your heart, it is the sort of Christmas present The Buddha could get behind.
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