As I entered the online realm of www.com, I actually found a place for myself there. The website has pages upon pages of all different religions, ranging from Baha"I to Zoroastrianism. With yoga being a hobby of mine, I chose to explore Beliefnet's page about Buddhism. There were many different links on the Buddhism page that included: "Mindfulness for Teens"; "What's rohatsu?"; a quiz titled "How Enlightened Are You About Enlightenment?"; discussions; audio features; guided meditation; Dharma teachings; and many articles pertaining to the Buddhist community. .
In exploring Beliefnet for the first time, I discovered that it was rohatsu, or Enlightenment Day, which takes place from December 1-8. On the eighth day of December, Buddha realized enlightenment: .
People vow to experience this very same experience of the Buddha as they approach the rohatsu sesshin. In every single Zen dojo, people put their lives on the line to be able to experience the exact same state of mind, on the eighth of December, as that of the Buddha. This is the firm vow with which they come to the rohatsu sesshin (Roshi). .
This time of year is of great importance to all who practice zazen, or sitting meditation, because it occurs after a year's worth of practice. .
From within this deep illumination of the mind of the Buddha, all the Buddha's wisdom was born. All of Zen is held within the deep impression of the Buddha's mind at that moment (Roshi). .
Another part of Beliefnet's Buddhism community was a link called "Mindfulness for Teens" which showed teens how to properly meditate and gain an open mind. An article titled "Envisioning Possibilities" told teens: .
This does not mean that you need to know how something "should" look--what meditation "should" be like or how life "should" turn out--but that your vision is open to all possibilities, and that you do not let fears and doubts hold you back (Gordhamer).
