Jack W. Cooper
Bodhi Day: A Transgender Buddhist's Note of Gratitude
Posted: 12/ 8/11 08:12 AM ET
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jack-w-cooper/bodhi-day-transgender-buddhist-gratitude_b_1132850.html (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jack-w-cooper/bodhi-day-transgender-buddhist-gratitude_b_1132850.html)
Dec. 8 is Bodhi Day which commemorates the Enlightenment of the historical Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama. Though there are a variety of ways that one might choose to recognize this holiday, as there are many sects of Buddhism and a range of specific customs within each of them, I will speak for myself as one trans-identified Western practitioner of Vipassana meditation within the Theravada tradition of Buddhism.
In honor of this auspicious occasion, I would like to compose a gratitude list of sorts and focus on the gifts that Buddhist practice has afforded me on my journey.