Celebrate Vesakh with other traditions

[Viriyakaruna]

Hello all,
as asked by a Venerable I tried to contact other local Buddhist groups (Thich Nhat Hanh, Kagyü, Niyngma, Soto and Shambala) to ask them if they would like to celebrate Vesakh all together.
Up to now there has been no answer, so I will go there personally and ask people.
Do you have any experience with organizing events cross - traditionally?
some things I should be aware of? Any ideas about how to do it in a way everyone can be confortable with?
I would be grateful for your input.
Thanks for being out there

Metta,
Viriya Karuna

[Viriyakaruna]

So it looks like no-one celebrates Vesakh together with other traditions.
Do you celebrate Vesakh at all? In the temple, with friends...

[Ben]

Hola Viriyakaruna!

Dhamma Wheel is only a small board so please give everyone an opportunity to read your post. I am sure you may find some of our members celebrating Vesak together with practitioners from other traditions. Please also keep in mind that while all are welcome at Dhamma Wheel, it is a board with a membership predominantly of Theravadins. E-Sangha (www.e-sangha.com) is a cross-tradition board and it might be worth your while making a similar post there. You may also like to pose the question at the new Zen Forum International: www.zenforuminternational.org

Most of the Buddhists I know do not celebrate Vesak or the other major uposotha days, and if they do, it is more of a quiet observation. I wish you all the very best with organising a pan-traditional event to celebrate Vesak.
Metta

Ben

[Viriyakaruna]

Thank you for the suggestion, you are right, I will try to post elsewhere, too.
I live in Spain, though I am from Germany, where in the bigger cities you can find Buddhist of various tradtions celebrating Vesakh together in public parks. You see Theravadin Bhikkhus with Zen Dharma teachers and Chinese Bhikkshunis, only to give an example and non-Buddhists will hear their first Dhamma-talk often on that kind of celebration.
Thanks again,