Have a Very Merry Pagan Christmas

Have a Very Merry Pagan Yule!  The Buddhist monk Ajahn Chah of the Thai Forest Tradition said, “Anything that inspires us to see what is true and do what is good is proper practice.”  For me Yule/Christmas falls into the category of things that are good and inspiring and thus proper.

A colleague at the university commented to me last week that Christmas must be a pretty non-eventful holiday for me, a pagan.  I replied, "Of course not!  Yule is the time of year when I get to show special appreciation to those that I love the most."  However, his question got me thinking about how I could best celebrate Yule.  Here is my short list:

• Give gifts as a practice of generosity and compassion.  May I offer what is truly needed.
• As the days grow short may I honor the season of rest and gestation and give thanks to nature (more in my next blog).
• As I endure the rush of Yule-time traffic (it took my wife and I over 20 minutes to exit the mall parking lot on Thursday) may I practice patience, compassion and equanimity
• As I am jostled by crowds of Yule-tide shoppers may I walk with mindfulness and remember peace in every step.
• As I light a candle on Yule Eve may I remember to open my heart to illumination and give thanks to my ancestors and teachers for the paths that they walked.

May your Yule be filled with joy, love and compassion.  Peace,

Dr. Dave