Becoming Buddha

In the mailbox this morning, a reminder…

This is “Bodhi Day,” celebrating the anniversary in 528 B.C. when, it is told, Siddhartha Gautama attained enlightenment (bodhi) after days of meditation at the foot of a tree, now named a bodhi tree. Thereafter he was known as Buddha (the enlightened one). His insight (insanely short version): We can be freed from the prison of our miseries with the realization of the permanence of impermanence; the “four noble truths,” and “the eight-fold path” lead to that freedom. According to Buddha, we are all Buddhas walking the same path home. Bodhi Day is observed in many places around the world, this blog entry being one such, but mainly in Japan. There are actually two dates associated with Bodhi Day: the secular and most popular date is today, December 8, while the Buddhist tradition uses the lunar calendar and thus changes yearly.

Even the smallest act (doing) if done with love (being) has infinite reverbative impact on the universe.

The intellect is a beautiful servant, but a terrible master. Intellect is the power tool of our separateness. The intuitive, compassionate heart is the doorway to our unity. – Ram Dass.