Mah─üy─üna Buddhism New Year

Many Mahayana Buddhists wait for the first full moon and first day of the lunar year, which usually falls mid-January, to celebrate the new year.

Why is it important?

Mahayana Buddhism is the dominant faith of Northern and Eastern parts of Asia including China, Korea, Japan, Mongolia and Tibet. Among the key traditions include Zen, Tiantai, Korean Seon, Chinese Chan, Pure Land and Nichiren.

The movement is characterized by a grandiose cosmology, often complex ritualism, paradoxical metaphysics, and universal ethics.

A time for prayer

Honoring and praying to their deities particularly Buddha is the most important activity for the New Year. On New Year's Day, every Buddhist visits a nearby temple to light up candles which is considered to bring happiness and good luck for the coming year. Statues of Buddha are also bathed as a show of respect. Religious songs are also offered to the deities.

What is Mahayana?

Mahayana Buddhism is the largest branch or sub-division of the Buddhist religion. Compared to the faith's other forms like the Theravada, Mahayana Buddhists believe that enlightenment can be achieved during an individual's single or current lifetime.

In contrast to the dominant thinking in non-Mahayana Buddhism, which limits the designation of bodhisattva (one one who seeks to become a Buddha) to the Buddha before his awakening (bodhi), or enlightenment, Mahayana teaches that anyone can aspire to achieve awakening (bodhicittot-pada) and thereby become a bodhisattva. For Mahayana Buddhism, awakening consists in understanding the true nature of reality.

The Origins

The origins of Mahayana Buddhism remain obscure; the date and location of the tradition's emergence are unknown, and the movement most likely took shape over time and in multiple places. The earliest sources for the tradition are the Mahayana sutras, scriptures first compiled by monks after the Buddha's death, which present the movement's innovative ideas in the form of sermons said to have been delivered by the Buddha Shakyamuni, as Siddhartha Gautama is known.

Meditation

Most Buddhists also meditate and reflect on their life situation in previous years trying to identify some of the faults and wrong decisions they have made in the past.

Making things right is often a New Year's resolution. Buddhists believe that buying new items, cleaning and redecorating the home and giving gifts can bring good luck. Sweets are never absent during feasting and of course, fireworks at midnight.