In the United States, the tradition of observing this last Thursday in November as Thanksgiving is a time when most people attempt, at least briefly, to cultivate a sense of gratitude. And that is always a good thing.
But in all good conscience, I cannot and will not ever say the same thing about the “holiday” itself. I simply cannot call a celebration good, the origins of which brought about so much suffering and death.
Despite what we were taught in grade school about that mythical “first Thanksgiving”, where the fundamentalists of their day, known as Pilgrims, and Native People allegedly came together for a great feast, the real history of that “holiday” is sinister and sickening.
The first official observance of Thanksgiving was the result of a proclamation, issued in 1637, by the governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. In his proclamation, he declared a public day of thanksgiving and celebration on the day after the English and Dutch mercenaries slaughtered more than 700 men, women and children of the Pequot Nation.
Prior to 1637, it was only the members of the Pequot Nation who celebrated a day of “thanksgiving for the harvest and for health”. It was, in fact, this celebration of thanksgiving that the Pequot People were celebrating, when they were murdered.
Most of those slaughtered were burned to death, as the building in which their feast was offered, was locked shut, and set on fire by the English and Dutch mercenaries, who intended to “own” the new world.
It was the first major act of religious intolerance by the Protestant Fundamentalists in this country – a sad tradition, which has tragically spread, like an untreated cancer, and which now includes various Anglican sects, and the vitriolic Roman Catholic Church, as well as such groups as the Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses and fringe cult groups.
Therefore, while friends and families indulge in a tradition whose roots are steeped in the mythological tale of the “good and righteous Pilgrims” — the very religious fundamentalists who considered their native benefactors to be devils, and brought with them small pox, intolerance and genocidal tendencies — more blood will continue to be shed in Iraq, in Afghanistan, in Darfur and Chad, in Burma, Tibet and elsewhere.
Since the first sounds of alarm were raised before the United Nations in 2003, between 250,000 and 600,000 people in Darfur have been murdered. More than double that number of women and young girls have been raped, tortured and maimed by Sudanese militia. Darfur has become the single greatest U.N. failure since the genocidal massacre in Rwanda. In all, about 2.3 million Darfuris have been forced to flee their homes, and now live in refugee camps. And now, the 13,000 humanitarian workers and humanitarian operations themselves are being targeted by the Sudanese rebels.
In Samoa, American Samoa and Tonga, a thousand homes were destroyed and 150 people killed in a tsunami recently, leaving thanks without shelter, including two of our monks. Typhoon Ketsana struck the Philippines, just a couple short months ago, leaving more than 3,000 deaths and nearly 400,000 homeless.
Famine and war are responsible for around 2,500 deaths every day worldwide. About 24,000 people perish globally from hunger daily.
In the short time you have been reading this post, 180 people have died from hunger.
Of these, the majority were caused by chronic malnutrition and tainted water supplies. And these are just the death totals. It is estimated that around 100 times as many people who die are suffering from hunger and malnutrition right now! That means 876 BILLION people will be hungry while the belt buckles get loosened and folks kick back to watch their favourite football teams play, or steep themselves in the opiates of It’s a Wonderful Life and A Christmas Carol on T.V.
Even within the United States, there will be 17 million children going to bed hungry on Thanksgiving night… and the day before… and the day after. According to the US Department of Agriculture, 49 million people in the United States – nearly 15% of all households are unable to afford enough food for their families to eat daily. And that strikes particularly close to home for us, having been there several times in the past year ourselves.
I would be saddened, even if I somehow found it possible to accept that hundreds of millions of dollars were spent on turkeys, hams, stuffing, casseroles and deserts in the past week; while all around us, there are people who will go to sleep hungry tonight, perhaps even homeless, as temperatures begin their descent into winter.
Without question, I am grateful to have the love of friends, family and Sangha. I am grateful for the Dharma and for the Sovereign Teacher of the Dharma. I am grateful for my teachers, my colleagues and workers in the vineyard. Gratitude and mindfulness of my good fortune to have the care and support of a loving partner, compassionate care for the medical challenges I live with, and a roof over our heads fills my heart and mind… not only this Thursday, but every day.
I am profoundly grateful that the doctors, who told me I would be dead within 24 months, in November 1983, were wrong… that I have had 26 years to continue working to spread the Dharma of the Buddha and the Compassionate Way of the Christ in some small way, hoping to alleviate suffering wherever I could.
But I cannot join you in your celebrations of a day of infamy, which stands in my minds, the minds of the Native People’s and the hearts and minds of those who are open-minded, as a day of great sorrow.
Instead, Thursday will be a day of recollection, of honouring the lost lives of those who were murdered, and offering all that I can to generate enough merit and compassion in this lifetime to significantly reduce the debt created by those murderous Pilgrims and by the generations of Fundie McNuggets™ who’ve succeeded them.
I will also remain grateful for that tiny, but significant remnant of men and women who still strive to uphold the compassion, generosity and kindness of the Great Teachers – those who serve in the ministry and laity of some of the hatemongering churches… for people like Karen Armstrong, Brian McLaren, Bishop Thomas Gumbleton, Rev. Candace Chelew, Dr. Jerry Maneker, Fr. Bill Dohman, Fr. John Albino, for the Episcopal Church in the US, Pax Christi, Sister Joan Chittaster OSB, for the Franciscan Sisters at Prairiewoods, Brother Aelred and Brother Jacob OSB, and so many others.
And of course, I will offer thanks for the many who are not part of the subversive hategroups (especially the Roman Catholic Church®, The Church of Latter Day Saints™, The Freakazoids of Westboro Baptist Cult, and the Anglican Bishop-Terrorists of Africa), but who have blazed new trails in contemporary spirituality. You know who you are, my sisters and brothers, and you do your work without requiring recognition, praise or honour, because compassion is the honour itself.
My heart finally goes out to all of those who suffer, including those who are too cowardly to abandon the intolerant, vitriolic and hatemongering sects that I mentioned earlier, because “the were born Catholic,” or because they confuse the fact that the Church is the people, not the building with an imaginary absolution from having to take a stand against the vile and disgusting corruption of the institutions that hijacked the very message of the Christ, to line their pockets with wealth, and their beds with untold millions of victims of predatory misconduct.
But most of all, my heart is with those who suffer for any reason, especially hunger, homelessness, cold and dis-ease.
Perhaps you, my dear readers and friends, were unaware of the history of this tragic and dark “holiday”. Now you know. There’s no need to feel guilty or sorrowful for having planned a great meal, or bringing together loved ones. But perhaps… just perhaps… some of those leftovers can find their way on nicely wrapped plates, and taken out to the streets, and offered to someone who is hungry on Thanksgiving night.
Perhaps you will make room at your table for someone who might otherwise be alone.
Perhaps you will pause for just a second longer, to think of the 14 million children who are hungry, and make a resolution that at least a portion of that money you planned to spend on “Black Friday” would go to direct relief in your local or regional Food Banks, which are particularly hard-hit this year.
For my Muslim friends, including my baby brother, Thursday is the celebration of Eid, the end of the month of Hajj (journey to Mecca).
The Prophet Mohammad (upon him be peace) taught: “Feed the hungry, visit the sick and free the captive,” just as Rabbi Jesus admonished, “Whatsoever you do for the least of these, you honour me as well.”
And Buddha Sakyamuni reminded his disciples, “If you do not tend to one another ,then who is there to tend to you? Whoever who would tend me, he should tend the sick.”
If we brought a mindfulness of this opportunity to serve others… to care for the needs of those who suffer… this holiday season could be the start of a global transformation.
Join us at The Charter for Compassion, and take time to consider making this holiday season truly become a “season of miracles and of light”.
May peace and calm abiding be yours in the coming week!
Namasté
gurudas sunyatananda
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Drawing on the essential teachings of the great spiritual teachers, philosophers and freethinkers throughout time, Dharmacharya Gurudas Śunyatananda (retired Archbishop Francis-Maria Salvato, O.C.) has been regarded as a provocative, revolutionary “voice of reason” within the field of religion and spirituality, since 1983. Having the distinction of being one of the few openly non-theistic, openly-gay and post-denominational thinkers ever to serve as Bishop-Exarch and spiritual leader of the autocephalic Eastern Catholic Franciscans in North America, Gurudas is the author of more than 600 articles, eight books and currently serves as the spiritual advisor for a non-theistic, intentional spiritual community, The Spiritus Project. He can be reached at: http://dharmadudeunplugged.com
Copyright ©2008, His Eminence Dharmacharya Gurudas Sunyatananda (The Most Reverend Dr. F. Francis-Maria G. Salvato, M.Sc., O.C.). All rights reserved. This material may be reproduced, blogged, quoted or distributed, provided the entire copyright including contact information remain intact. It may NOT be altered in any way, without express written permission.
