So today is the beginning of lent. As a Buddhist, this should frankly be of little consequence to me, but once again this year I’ve decided to observe its tradition and "give-up" something for 40 days and 40 nights [Not including Sundays...] That being said for the next 40 days, I shall not eat any meat [excluding fish] and I won’t drink any beer or hard liquor [I can still have my sauce Wine.]

I gave these both up last year at this time as well, in support of L [She's catholic] who gave up the same.  Despite her not actually being in town for most of lent this year, I have opted to do it again for my own spiritual re-appropriation, amongst other reasons.

I’ve become lazy in my practice of Buddhism, and specifically samadhi as of late. This is as good a time as any to remind myself of what I believe. Lent is supposed to be about quiet meditation anyway. Jesus spent 40 days in the desert being tempted by evil; contemplating his fate. Similarly Siddhartha Guatama [AKA: The Buddha], after years of ascetic practices resolved to sit under the Bodhi tree until he found the truth to breaking free of Samsara [The Wheel of Life, AKA the continuation of suffering]. During that time he was tempted by the demon Mara, but steadfast to his resolve to sit until he had attained Nirvana. So, I plan on using this "going without" to remind me to practice samadhi regularly in hopes or strengthening my experience and belief in the Path.

Also, I am raising the Goblin catholic, as I promised I would when she was born and her mother and I were still married. And since she is now five and old enough to understand some of the abstraction & context behind these things, she too is "doing lent" [She can still have beer and meat, she gave up deserts for Lent.] Thus is was important that set a good example.

And let’s be honest, even without any of the previously mentioned reasons, it’s a damn fine way to lose some weight and detoxify my body.

My family doesn’t really understand why I do this [not that they complain; shit, anything that keeps me this healthy isn't a bad thing in their eyes] and some people are offended by a Buddhist participating in Lent. But, honestly, I could give two shits, I’m doing it for me and I will appropriate traditions as I see fit.

So, to all my friends that I owe a beer, I’ll make good after Easter. In the meantime if you wanna catch a glass of wine and some crawfish, you know where to find me.

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