Hi all,

In the midst of this holiday season and moving into the New Year, I have several related articles and mini-reviews for you:

Buddhist Perspectives on Gratitude
The Buddha often spoke of gratitude and the importance of giving thanks in our lives. In this article learn several different Buddhist perspectives on gratitude and gratitude practice.
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art174095.asp

Buddhist Views of Jesus
As Buddhism's popularity in the West has grown, many scholars and religious leaders have drawn parallels between the lives and teachings of Buddha and Jesus. This article covers a few, including similar sayings.
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art46942.asp

I have also posted a mini-review in the forum of an interesting Young Adult/Teen novel called 'Buddha Boy' by Kathe Koja. If you have a tween or teen in your life, you may want to look at this book for them:

http://forums.bellaonline.com/ubbthreads.php/topics/728404/Mini_Review_YA_Book_Buddha_Boy#Post728404

I've also been looking at some beautiful Buddhist-themed calendars for 2012. I've posted my three favorites on the bottom of the Buddhism main page (scroll down to see):

http://buddhism.bellaonline.com/Site.asp

I decided on the Sacred Images of Tibet calendar for myself, but the Zen Mind and Dalai Lama calendars are also beautiful and inspiring.

Finally, amidst the busyness and shopping of this time of year, I think that the Heart Sutra is one of the most inspiring and insightful sutras to focus on. Below is a quote from the Heart Sutra for your contemplation, and I will write more on Heart Sutra practices in the coming weeks.

"Here, O Sariputra, form is emptiness and the very emptiness is form; emptiness does not differ from form, form does not differ from emptiness; whatever is form, that is emptiness, whatever is emptiness, that is form, the same is true of feelings, perceptions, impulses, and consciousness."

In Peace,
Lisa Erickson, Buddhism Editor
http://buddhism.bellaonline.com

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