Easter - a Sacred Key to the Everlasting

Tomorrow we celebrate the resurrection of the Christ. As a Buddhist, you might think this most holy of Christian festivals is not on our family's radar, but you would be mistaken. 

Growing up in a strict Catholic home, I loved Easter Sunday above all the holy days. The message of victory over death is one that all faithful share. The verification of the power of love, through Jesus' sacrifice on the cross and the new covenant it created, changed all and gave the final proof that forgiveness and compassion are the keys to the everlasting. Easter Sunday still stands as a most sacred day in my heart, and I'll celebrate it joyfully with my beautiful family.

Jesus' journey to the cross also reminds us of the suffering that's inherent to our lives. We will suffer, try as hard as we will to avoid it. But the message of Buddhism, in it's four core precepts, is that we may alleviate suffering though mindfulness, loving detachment, and the truths of the Dharma. 

We also now celebrate the beauty of spring. The days are getting longer and warmer. Fertility and life are returning to us here in the Northern hemisphere. Mother Earth is again providing the natural world with the stage to grow food and flowers, and to gift each other with the nourishment of one and the beauty of the other. 

My husband always brings me plants for Easter. Last night, he brought home two pots of ranunculous, a beautiful annual that's easy to grow. He placed them on our porch, then came into the house and called me outside. There they were, paint-box yellow and creamy white, smiling at us - messengers of hope, life, joy, and resurrection. They looked almost too perfect to be real. 

Tomorrow is Easter Sunday, a day of spiritual liberation for all sentient beings. Buds are blossoming. Seeds are sprouting from soil. We've been released from frigid winter, and are entering sacred spring. Everything is new again. Embrace forgiveness, be love, and make beautiful peace. Live with joy, and without fear. Life is rising again: awaken like the phoenix that you are. 

Barbie xo