Just a quick note to say that we will be meeting on Monday 1st January 2024 for our usual zen meditation schedule. Let's start the New Year the same way we mean to go on!
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| Genku-ji Temple Bell, Higashi-ueno, Tokyo |
In the Japanese tradition, New Year is celebrated from 1-3 January and there can be various rites associated with it - a fire ceremony to symbolise the burning away of our old karma, the writing of New Year's resolutions in Japanese calligraphy, putting up new decorations around the entrance to the home, and many others.
The one that has always struck me (sorry, terrible pun...) is the ringing of the temple bell 108 times to see the New Year in - starting at midnight. The number 108 comes up frequently in Zen and in Buddhism more broadly, and amongst other things is said to be the number of imperfections that we need to rid ourselves of. So, plenty of work to do then!
Clearly, in the New Year, we have a chance to set our intentions for the immediate future, and I encourage you to reflect on how you want to life your life over the coming year.
Wishing you strong practice, peace and happiness for 2024!
Oh and if you're interested... there's a list of the "108 defilements" in a blog post I found at https://charliemetro.blogspot.com/2012/12/the-108-defilements-of-buddhism.html...
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