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Farewell, Year of the Rat

Today marks the beginning of the Tibetan New Year, and the Year of the Rat has mercifully passed. In Tibetan culture, rats are the animals who know how to get their little paws on all the treasures. We’re on to the Year of the Ox, inspired by a more thoughtful, steady animal, so the signs are auspicious.

The New Year is normally a time of celebration, but dampened this time around by the brutal Chinese crackdown on a recent wave of peaceful protest in Tibet. Last night at New York’s Tibet House, people gathered to hear Buddhist scholar Robert Thurman discuss teachings that provide solace in times of turmoil. Thurman is widely regarded as the leading American expert on Tibetan Buddhism. Tibet House, founded by Thurman, composer Philip Glass, and others at the request of the Dalai Lama, is a refuge for New Yorkers in search of healing and inspiration. The space features art exhibitions, lectures and weekly meditation sessions. Tuesday night, Thurman lectured on the human potential for enlightenment as exemplified in The Fundamental Potential for Enlightenment, by Geshe Acharya Thubten Loden.

Such teachings resonate strongly during hard economic times. Recently, the Times of India reported that the Dalai Lama observed a lack of spirituality as one of the causes of the recession: “People have become selfish and materialistic, which has led to the economic slowdown.” The Tibetan New Year is traditionally a time for spiritual reflection, when people tidy up their personal space and cultivate peace and happiness. Tidying up our perspective on wealth and considering the truly meaningful things in life is not a bad call for all of us.

And while w’ere at it, let’s all say good-bye to the rats.

Tags: meditation, Robert Thurman, spirituality, Tibet House, Tibetan new year