The history behind April Fool's Day!

How did April Fool’s Day begin?

Perhaps we'll always remain fools if we fail to figure out the origin of April Fool's Day.

The history says that until mid 1500AD, one calendar was used throughout Europe. Under this calendar, each New Year began on April 1st. On that day, it was customary for people to celebrate by exchanging gifts and visiting each other as we do now.

The April's Fool's Day is believed to have begun in France around 1564, when the King Charles IX adopted the Gregorian Calendar and decreed to move the New Year's Day to January 1^st, instead of the previous March 25-April 1.

 While many people followed the Royal Decree and the new calendar, some refused to acknowledge the change of the New Year’s Day and clung to their former celebration. However, there were some who remained uninformed about the changes for several years as the news traveled slowly. So, these people who continued to celebrate it on 1^st April were called "fools" and subjected to jokes, tricks, pranks and ridicule. Their friends and neighbours sent mock gifts, invited them to fake parties, and played tricks on them because they were “April Fools,” who continued to observe their New Year’s Day on 1^st April.

Today, April Fool's Day has become a worldwide practice with certain air of uniqueness in each culture. In England, jokes are only played in the morning. It is considered bad luck to play a practical joke on someone in the afternoon.

In Italy, France and Belgium, children and adults tack paper fish on each other's back as a trick and shout, "April fish!" (in their language).

In Scotland, April Fool's Day is celebrated over two days and is also known as "April Gawk." Gawk is the Scottish word for cuckoo (a simpleton). The second day of the celebration involves pranks involving the butt. It is known as Taily Day (Most likely how those 'kick me' signs started.

Portugal celebrates the April Fool's Day on the Sunday or Monday before Lent. Tricksters throw flour at friends.

Finally in America, it goes from simple silly untruths to elaborate pranks.

What is your favourite joke for the Day?

 

 SOURCE:

1.       http://family.lifegoesstrong.com/article/what-april-fools-day  Retrieved 31^st March, 2013.

2.      http://www.bigsiteofamazingfacts.com/how-did-april-fools-day-begin-and-how-did-it-get-its-name   Retrieved 31^st March, 2013.

 

 

 

What is useless and useful?

THE USELESS EYEBROWS

Once, a person’s eyes, nose and mouth had a meeting. First the eyes said, “We, the eyes, are of utmost importance to the body. Everything must be seen by us to know whether it is beautiful or not, big or small, tall or short. Without eyes, walking around will be very difficult. So we, the eyes, are very important. But, we have been improperly placed under the eyebrows which are of no use. It is just not fair!”

Next, the nose said, “I the nose am very important. Only I can distinguish the good smell from foul odour. The act of breathing is also dependent on me. If I do not let the breath pass through, everybody will die. So, I am the most important.  As important as I am, I have been unfairly placed beneath the eyebrows. I am the unhappy.”

Then, the mouth said, “I am the most important part of the body. I can speak; if not for me, there would not be any communication among the people. I take in the food; if not for me, everybody would die of hunger. But, I have been placed in the lower part of the face. The useless eyebrows have been placed on the highest part of the face. I cannot accept this.”

After the others had spoken, the eyebrows spoke slowly, “please do not fight any further. We the eyebrows are useless. We are ready to be placed below all of you.” So the eyebrows settled below the eyes. Unfortunately, the person no longer looked like a human being. Then, the eyebrows settled down below the nose and mouth which looked even worse.

Finally, the eyes, nose and mouth discussed again to place the eyebrows to their original spot above the eyes. Thus, what appears to be the most useless can be very useful sometimes.

Source: Bhutan Observer, 25^th Jan-1^st Feb,  2013

 

conditional kindness

GODDESS OF WEALTH AND GODDESS OF POVERTY

Once a beautiful and welldressed woman visited a house. The master of the house asked who she was; and she replied that she was the goddess of wealth. The master of the house was delighted and so greeted her with open arms.

Soon after another woman appeared who was ugly looking and poorly dressed. The master of the house asked who she was; and she replied that she was the goddess of poverty. The master was frightened and tried to drive her out of the house. The woman refused to depart saying, “the goddess of wealth is my sister. There is an agreement between us that we are never to live apart; if you chase me out, she is to go with me.”

Sure enough, as soon as the ugly woman went out, the other woman disappeared.

Birth goes with the death. Fortune goes with misfortune. Bad things follow good things. Everyone should realize this. Foolish people dread misfortune and strive after good fortune, but those who seek enlightenment must transcend both of them and be free of worldly attachment.

Source: Bhutan Observer, January 11, 2013

Reflection:

The master of the house practices “samsara”; not “dharma”.

His hospitality for the woman is “conditional”;not “kindness”.

The phenomenon of impermanence is forgotten by the master.

Check how positive your attitude & mind are.

THE VOICE OF HAPPINESS

After Bankei had passed away, a blind man who lived near the master’s temple told a friend:

“Since I am blind, I cannot watch a person’s face, so I must judge his character from the sound of his voice. Ordinarily when I hear someone congratulate another upon his happiness and success, I also hear a secret tone of envy. When condolence is expressed for the misfortune of another, I hear pleasure and satisfaction, as if the one condoling was really glad there was something left to gain in his own world.

In all my experience, however, Bankei’s voice was always sincere. Whenever he expressed happiness, I heard nothing but happiness, and whenever he expressed sorrow, sorrow was all I heard.”

Reflection & Contemplation:                                                                

1.      Let’s use this short narrative as the instrument to measure how sincere & positive one’s mind and attitude are?

2.      Does it tell you how and who you are?

Check how positive your attitude & mind are.

THE VOICE OF HAPPINESS

After Bankei had passed away, a blind man who lived near the master’s temple told a friend:

“Since I am blind, I cannot watch a person’s face, so I must judge his character from the sound of his voice. Ordinarily when I hear someone congratulate another upon his happiness and success, I also hear a secret tone of envy. When condolence is expressed for the misfortune of another, I hear pleasure and satisfaction, as if the one condoling was really glad there was something left to gain in his own world.

In all my experience, however, Bankei’s voice was always sincere. Whenever he expressed happiness, I heard nothing but happiness, and whenever he expressed sorrow, sorrow was all I heard.”

Reflection & Contemplation:                                                                

1.      Let’s use this short narrative as the instrument to measure how sincere & positive one’s mind and attitude are?

2.      Does it tell you how and who you are?

Little Knowledge is Dangerous

Nothing Exists

Yamaoka Tesshu, as a young student of Zen, visited one master after another. One day, he called upon Dokuon of Shokoku.
Desiring to show his attainment, he said, "The mind, Buddha, and sentient beings, after all do not exist. The true nature of phenomena is emptiness. There is no realization, no delusion, no sage, no mediocrity. There is no giving and nothing to be recieved."
Dokuon who was smoking quietly said nothing. Suddenly he whacked Yamaoka with his bamboo pipe.
This made the youth quite angry.
"If nothing exists," inquired Dokuon, "where did this anger come from?"

Source: Bhutan Observer, 14th Dec .


My Critical Analysis & Reflection:

1. Learning the philosophy alone does not make one wise & learned.

The young monk had learned everything including the primordial truth & the highest level of  Buddhist philosophy, the Emptiness.  But, he lacks the basic practice & realization like controlling his anger, desire, ignorance, ego, envy, etc.

Where is his realization?
Where is his transformation?
What is the change in his attitude?

Ans: Such practitioners of religion is sheer hypocrisy, pretending what one is not.
If one is the beginner of pursuing religious practice; for Buddha's sake, do not express your "ego" in any form.

From the Bodhi Tree

From the Bodhi Tree:

WORKING WITH OTHERS MAKES YOU HUMBLE:

Humbleness comes from working with other. When you work with others, you realize the need to be patient, give space and time to others to develop their own understanding of goodness and bravery. If you are frantic and try to push your understanding onto others, then nothing happens except chaos. Knowing that, you become extremely humble and patient in working with others

-HH Chogyem Trungpa Rimpoche.

 

TEMPER:

A  Zen student came to Bankei and complained, “Master, I have an ungovernable temper. How can I cure it?”

“You have something very strange,” replied Bankei. “Let me see what you have.”

“Just now I can’t show it to you,” replied the student.

“When can you show it to me?” asked Bankei.

“It arises unexpectedly,” replied the student.

“Then,” concluded Bankei, “it must not be your own true nature.

 If it was your true nature, you could  show it to me any time.

When you were born, you did not have it, and your parents did

not give that to you. Think that over.”

Source: Bhutan Observer, Nov 16-23 edition.