{"id":2390,"date":"2011-12-31T13:21:33","date_gmt":"2011-12-31T18:21:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/beginnersheart\/?p=2390"},"modified":"2011-12-31T13:22:15","modified_gmt":"2011-12-31T18:22:15","slug":"happy-kwanzaa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/beginnersheart\/2011\/12\/happy-kwanzaa.html","title":{"rendered":"Happy Kwanzaa!"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

It’s the 5th day of Kwanzaa, the day of purpose<\/a>, if I’m not mistaken. I love the seven principles of Kwanzaa: Umoja (Unity), Kujichagulia (Self-Determination), Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility), Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics), Nia (Purpose), Kuumba (Creativity) and Imani (Faith). Translated from Swahili — a language chosen for its wide-spread usage across eastern Africa — the principles coexist quite comfortably with Buddhism. Right speech, right action and<\/p>\n

I find this true of most spiritual systems — they share far more than they differ. Christians and Muslims and Jews are all children of Abraham. Buddhism grows from the fertile foundation of Hinduism, and shares w\/ the Abrahamic religions a commitment to compassion for the needy, the lost.<\/p>\n

This year, as I ready for a new chapter (new work ~ what will it be? what will it bring?<\/em>), I’m thinking of what we share, beginners all. A quest for truths, a love of goodness. A commitment to justice and peace? A hope for the future, certainly. And ss the year winds down, I wish for each of us\u00a0 success in our quests, fulfillment in our efforts to live up to the principles of Kwanzaa, the Commandments of Moses, the Eightfold Path of Buddhism.<\/p>\n

Not to mention a lovely New Year’s Eve, a Happy Kwanzaa, and a New Year brimming with love & laughter. \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It’s the 5th day of Kwanzaa, the day of purpose, if I’m not mistaken. I love the seven principles of Kwanzaa: Umoja (Unity), Kujichagulia (Self-Determination), Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility), Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics), Nia (Purpose), Kuumba (Creativity) and Imani (Faith). Translated from Swahili — a language chosen for its wide-spread usage across eastern Africa —…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":398,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6,17,15,1],"tags":[11,1181,1187,253],"class_list":["post-2390","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-britton-gildersleeve","category-buddhism","category-compassion","category-uncategorized","tag-beginners-heart","tag-britton-gildersleeve","tag-buddhism","tag-kwanzaa"],"yoast_head":"\nHappy Kwanzaa! - Beginner's Heart<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"It's the 5th day of Kwanzaa, the day of purpose, if I'm not mistaken. 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