I can’t believe it’s already December! I’m not ready for Christmas yet, but the main streets in the Hamptons look nice and festive with Christmas illuminations. Our next door neighbor’s new tenant just surprised us by decorating the big tree in her driveway with colorful lights like the Rockfellers’! We love it.
A couple of days ago, I was getting my makeup done at White’s Pharmacy (For only $75) for a photo shoot, and they were already playing Christmas music. All the shops do that as soon as Thanksgiving day is over. I wondered if the girls would get tired of listening to Christmas music all day long. “Do you like Christmas music, Yuka?” my favorite girl asked me as she pat foundation under my eyes. “Nope.” I said, my eyes closed. “Me neither! There are 26 days ‘till Christmas! I’m going nut’s!” I knew it! Ha ha.
This morning at the dog park, my American dog walker asked me if we celebrate Christmas in Japan. Yes, we do. While Christmas day is not a holiday in Japan, even non Christian people like my family would put up a fake Christmas tree, have a feast and exchange gifts. My mother used to get us a small roast chicken (Teriyaki sauce), Kiddie Champagne (Sparkling apple cider) and a Christmas cake with butter cream decoration that tasted like candle wax. Nobody in Japan has a fireplace, but somehow Santa would leave us a gift next to our pillow. Some people go to see the beautiful Christmas eve services at church, then pay respect at a shrine on New years’ eve also.
I used to think Japanese are strange that way, but now, I think it’s a good thing, especially in today’s world situation. I wish everyone could celebrate the same holidays together, regardless of religions. Just like John Lennon wrote in my favorite song of his, “Imagine”:
Imagine there’s no countries
It isn’t hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people living life in peace
My family worshiped Nichiren, and I grew up with his teachings. My grandma used to take me to the temple, and I liked the divine energy there. I believe his message was that we have to respect and be kind to others. But I was told that the God is always watching us, and if we did something bad, he would punish us. If we take someone’s life, we would go to hell when we die. Fear based technique. Be good or you get punished. It was a very very scary threat for a child.
Since I came to the Hamptons, a good Japanese friend of mine taught me about the Indian spiritual leader Sathya Sai Baba, and it changed my life. His message was Love All. I learned that the Universe loves us all. People worship THE God of their religion, and some only follow their own rules and don’t celebrate others. My mother once told me that going to churches or shrines is unfaithful. It felt wrong, so didn’t listen to her. My husband is Jewish and his mom celebrates Hanukah, but nothing for Christmas. My husband and I are not religious, and we enjoy all holidays together.
I believe in Oneness and that we are part of the Creator/ the Intention of the Universe/THE God. That means we all are God. We want to respect and love one another. Our body is like an alter in church, shrine or temple for the divine soul, and we need to take good care of it. The soul resides in each on of us’ body is divine energy, we need to love ourselves, just like we worship God. Only then, we can share the love pouring out from our heat with others.
I no longer believe that the God would get mad and punish us no matter how bad we behave. I believe that it is up to us to chose how we see or feel about things happens in life. Depending on that, we could live in hell or heaven, right here, right now on the Earth.
Imagine there’s no heaven
It’s easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people living for today
Our guardian angels are always watching over us, and sending us messages to help us to live in heaven on Earth. But not everyone notices them. We just have to be intuitive. Meditation helps. Some people take serious meditation class where the guru would give their own mantras (I just heard that there are only so many mantras that they would give same mantra for the people in same sex and age group.) The fee can be expensive (not for their own profits but to be spent on good deeds. For example, Sathya Sai Baba has built free schools and hospital etc. in India.). I have not taken any, but it must be working well, because I’m becoming intuitive little by little. I’ve been using the universal prayer, Gayatri mantra that Sai Baba taught.
I chant this mantra three times, once in the morning and once in the evening, also whenever I’m in trouble or need a guidance. The most effective times to chant supposed to be between 4 a.m -8 a.m and 4p.m-8 p.m because those are the spiritual hours. It makes sense as the Sun rises and sets in those hours.
I’ve learned that this practice would clear our bad karma, but now I understand karma is like the report card from our past lives. We only use karma to write a new script for the next life story. We can even change the world if we all focus on the priority issues, like saving hungry people, and stopping violence and pollution. It all starts from us individual mind.
Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people sharing all the world
You may say I’m a dreamer
But I’m not the only one
I hope someday you’ll join us
And the world will live as one
John Lennon was an enlighten one, and I worship him!
His massage was Love is the answer and you know that for sure—“Mind Games”
Love, y.
