Zen and the Holiday Season

December holidays are observed with parties, gift-giving and indulgence. But among Mahayana Buddhists, Dec. 8, Bodhi Day, is a time for deep contemplation.

Bodhi Day is the observance of the enlightenment of Siddhartha Gautama, the historical Buddha. In Japanese Zen, Bodhi Day is called Rohatsu — literally, “the 8th Day of the 12th Month.” Zen monasteries traditionally observe Rohatsu with a sesshin, or meditation retreat, usually lasting several days. On the last night of a Rohatsu sesshin, monks and students often sit in meditation until dawn, as the Buddha did 25 centuries ago.

I participated in my first Rohatsu sesshin several years ago at a monastery in upstate New York. I remember most the way the monastery building was surrounded by snow and fog, which seemingly made the outside world disappear. And at night the wind howled and shook the pines, but inside the zendo, robed monks and students sat in the flickering candlelight, silent and still as buddhas.