Buddha’s Birthday

On Friday, a dog believed to have survived the earthquake and tsunami in Japan on March 11, not to mention three weeks at sea, was rescued off Kesennuma, in the northern part of the country. The dog was spotted by a television crew trotting around the roof of a house that had been swept away. Photo & caption: Reuters / NY Times

I was listening to NPR this morning as I awoke, and happened to catch Garrison Keillor speak the following:

It is Buddha’s Birthday, also known as Hana Matsuri in Japan. The story goes that when the Buddha was born, dragons flew down from heaven and poured fragrant water over the land, like a sweet rain, and all the flowers on land and water bloomed simultaneously. So on this day, statues of a young Buddha are decorated with flowers and carried to temples in procession, and children in Japan take turns pouring sweet tea over the Buddha’s head. It is a day of gratitude.

We have much to be grateful for today, though it often seems quite a challenge. I am seeing reports that another high-magnitude earthquake has hit Japan today, accompanied by tsunami warnings, and it makes me wonder how determined the human spirit must be to feel gratitude in such a case. Or maybe it is not so hard after all, when the stark alternative is staring you in the face. Something tells me there is much I could learn from the dog pictured above and the priest in the photo below.

As snow fell, a Buddhist priest prayed for the souls of victims still not found in the rubble of the tsunami-devastated coastal city of Yamada, Japan. Photo & caption: European Pressphoto Agency / NY Times

11 thoughts on “Buddha’s Birthday”

  1. Dear KK–I had kind of thought that–so I really appreciate your clarification
    Blessing, light and long life to us all

  3. just realized this image sort of says something to me about the creative, positive aspect of neptune in pisces, too:

    “…poured fragrant water over the land, like a sweet rain, and all the flowers on land and water bloomed simultaneously.”

    it’s not exactly a direct correlation, but the suggestion feels right to me.

    and eco11 — very interesting relating it to the Oz poppy fields…..

  4. Amanda,
    Thanks for this, for Buddha’s birthday and the photo of the saved dog and the priest in the snow, which reminded me so of snow over the toxic poppy fields in The Wizard of Oz.
    The color you presented, especially, felt holy today.
    Happy Birthday Buddha!

  5. I had heard of this wonderful pooch, but had not seen this picture. Dogs, for me, are more expressive for me with their eyes than any cat can be. My cat tends to be inscrutable, until she lets her body tell me whats up. Dogs are much better, more open, more in tune perhaps with what we humanoids expect for facial expressions.

    Amanda – thank you for the picture of the priest as well. I saw a similar picture elsewhere (HuffPo?) today, with perhaps the same priest, no snow however, and he was just looking at the scene before him. Such tranquility and poise, and on the Buddha’s birthday too!

  7. How can a GB be on the same planet as that dog? The eyes, oh the eyes. You are so right, as usual, Fe. The eyes say it all, before being reunited with his/her person and then afterward. Thank you for the good new
    es today, my ladies. (and for the link, Lucky Driver). Deserving Dog rescued and reunited with Person. Deserving Network and Fuckwit lose money and air-time. The Beauty and Courage of the Hearts of the Common Man and Woman won today, Happy Birthday, Buddha.

  11. That pooch has since been reunited with his owner, who saw him being rescued on television and tracked him down at the shelter. There’s a video of their reunion on-line someplace…it was a real tear-jerker! Then again, I am a giant sap. The dog did look amazingly happy and grateful to see his owner.

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