If you follow the Chinese "Tong Shu" Almanac, we entered the period of 立春, "Spring begins," yesterday. Another week and a day to Chinese New Year on February 14. Eight more days, and we say good-bye to a character-building year of the Ox, and move on to what I hope will be a lively year of the fearless Tiger! This week, I shall give thanks for the lessons of the past year, pay a respectful goodbye to the last 太歲, and make preparations to welcome the new year.Superstition? Depends on perspective and intentions. When I was younger, I was staunchly anti-superstition—rational, scientific-minded, thoroughly modern and Westernized. I looked down upon the old-fashioned, backward practices of "uneducated" folks. Superstition! I thought.
Now, I seek to reconnect with nature and understand the cosmos. I yearn to feed my spiritual life, and explore the mysteries of being a living creature on this earth. So I come full circle, as I believe that ancient beliefs and practices are useful pointers in my quest. It makes sense, since they are based on patient observations of the earth, the stars, energies, and how everything is inter-related.
If my intention is to observe respectfully and live with awareness, if I don't follow everything mindlessly and slavishly, then perhaps it's okay to be a little superstitious!
2 comments:
Do all people act like this when they are young?? I'm even worst though... I'm quite supersticious, but acts if I don't on the outside. I'm not super superticious like believing every single thing the fortune teller says, or putting all my furnitures as the 風水books says. But I cross my fingers a lot, never like the number 4 & 13 that I even avoid it on lengths of things I made. (clothes for most)And I still won't wash my hair or sweep the floor on 1st Jan. However, as you said, as long as we don't mindlessly follow everything, it is nice to follow some and feel relief!! So it is time to get my red underwears ready by the 14th Feb!!
Red underwear, I didn't know that one! I think I'll get my hair cut this week, before the 14th, and maybe get one piece of new clothing. And organize a reunion dinner on New Year's Eve, with "tong yuen." And oh, probably go to the temple to pay tribute and ask for blessings.
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